Once again I had to get a shot of steroids to try to decrease the stress hives but it’s only getting worse this time around. I have forgotten how to not be stressed I guess. Like I can’t focus well. Racing thoughts. I started running again in mornings and I want to get back into meditating routinely. I have trouble being disciplined to stick with things like this for myself. I do work I need to do for others and I need to seriously take care of myself just as well. My doc said get sleep and relax. I try. Honestly I feel guilty to relax and that’s my problem I’m always doing... it’s hard to even think of how to just be. I’m so restless and anxious.
I called three allergist clinics who don’t take my insurance. My doc said she wants to rule out allergies. Every time I get more stressed out the hives grow puffier and redder. My doc also wants me to tell my psychiatrist about the rash.
So my questions are - Do you have any tips on how to be more disciplined? And have you ever had a stress rash/hives from anxiety?
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Starrlight
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Hi Starrlight! I have had rashes from anxiety before and they are not fun! What helps me personally is meditation and my only motivation is the constant pain in my chest without it. I do a technique where you tense up all of your body muscles and release one by one if that makes sense while breathing deeply in and out. My other form of help would be writing my thoughts in a journal and the things that I love about myself and why I am such an amazing human being. These might help you too! I wish you luck and keep me updated ok?❤️
HiCherryblossomI’ve done the tense release muscles it is a good one. Thanks! Sorry about your chest pain. I do journaling which is really nice but I don’t do much. I do a little of this a little of that. I need to listen to my body - I push until I just can’t anymore. It’s like I can barely ever just be and can’t help it- but you are right- meditation is where it’s at. I just have to do it!
I push until I just can't anymore too.. Its so awful! but having someone like my mom in my life and this group is what has been calming me down too. When I get anxious I have to just talk talk talk until I can't anymore basically! I think setting aside a time every day or even every night could be beneficial. What are some things you do for you? When I asked myself this question I legit responded with nothing. Take care of yourself honey! We all need to take it a couple steps at a time or else we will just keep going backwards, and that's not where we want to go! If you feel like you can barely just ever be, just work on it multiple times a day even when you aren't anxious or stressed! Motivation would be maybe putting it into your morning routine or night routine or lunch time break! I really hope this helps!
Maybe we can. I'd like that. Maybe I'll get brave and get a sketch pad. It's been so many years I'll be scared to start. It would help me feel brave if I could find one of your paintings, and try to sketch it. Badly, of course, my wrists ache, my fingers hurt, and I don't know if any of the talent I left behind decades ago can be revived.
Did I tell you I used to quilt? Years ago I made a black quilt with a broken star filling the center, a crescent moon and star at each corner. Sometimes I look at it, and it makes me happy.
Thanks! Yeah gotta slip time in there, right? I do make me time in the early morning to run with my dog. I’d like to get out into nature more often. I will do that. There are parks nearby so...
Take a breath. In... Out... One more time: in and then out.
Yup. I've had rashes from just about everything.
First off, make sure you're not causing the rash with things you can fix.
Every winter my skin dries out. If I don't hydrate enough I get rashes because my skin is so sensitive. So - make sure you keep hydrated.
Second. Washing machines do a lousy job rinsing clothes enough. Run everything that touches your body through a second rinse. It makes a big difference.
Boy, stress is a hard one. You're driving yourself. I see that. Is it serving you in some way you like? You could start by noticing that. (E.g. Wow! I got lots done! I deserve a break.)
It helps me be more disciplined to have a notebook nearby. On a really bad day I only write down the things I did, just for validation. It helps. When I'm up to it, I write lists of things I want to do. With nice little circles to X out when I get there.
Last idea. Digestion has a lot to do with every part of your body working well. Hydrating, eating as well as you can, yummy fruits, vegetables, legumes. Homemade yogurt is wonderful, much better for you than the store stuff. I feel better soon, every time I'm up to making it. The kids might think it was a fun experiment watching the miracle happen: presto / chango!
I think I like to keep busy. When I’m not busy my mind gets troubling thoughts more.
The lists idea is awesome. I do write down my exercises I’ve done so I can see progress but like you say even writing down other things in the day I’ve done sounds good I sometimes do to do lists when I think of it.
Yes I drink tons of water, very important. My diet is good. I’m a vegetarian so I eat lots of vegetables and fruit. I have no idea how to make yogurt.
You do for others and that is so kind. But you have to pay attention to your body and your emotions. Sounds like your body is craving a " time out" The first thing I learned is it's Ok to say No. it's tough at first made me feel mean and selfish. But, it was the only way to give myself what I needed.
I've never had the rash. But def find an allergist.
Disciple is a mind thing. Idk if there is any other way to do things but to push and set it as part of a routine. Just like your kids have set times in school for different subjects, you need to set times to do your things.
Yeah right you’ve just got to do it. Yes I will set times for nature! I love nature and it becomes exercise as well! Thanks my beautiful friend!
And true it’s not mean or selfish it’s taking care of ourselves. I have to say no to myself. There is something in me that keeps me going and when I try to relax it just seems I am not able to. I will try a short meditation here and there.
I've never had a stress rash or hives and I struggle with being disciplined. Every day I try to get into a routine and do more but I constantly fail. The only thing I can think of to suggest is the two minute rule. Do something for two minutes and try to fully concentrate Perhaps you could go somewhere quiet and just breathe deeply for two minutes. Or concentrate on each part of your body and relax that area. First your head then work your way down to your feet. I hope you feel better soon.
Yeah I guess we keep trying. I finally got myself to start running again it was weird - one day I got up and was like RUN with Cocoa so I’ve been doing that. It’s hard. But it feels great. My plan is to run or go into nature for a walk every day. Thanks yes I do like the focus on each part of the body then relax it. You can tense it up and then let the part go. Thanks how are you doing?
Nothing wrong with that! I am supposed to trave with my family. Leaving Saturday for six days. Hopefully my antibiotic will help soon since we are flying.
Just thought of a real simple way to be in the moment. Take a deep breath in slowly while counting to three, hold it and count to three then exhale slowly while counting to three. This one has gotten me through some difficult moments.
I've had Stress rash when I was much younger, for maybe 2-3 years,on and off. I don't know why it went, it just did. So I can't help with that. I would tell Psychiatrist though, as it could have something to do with Meds. As for 'giving' to others, That's great. But, you "can't pour from an empty jug". So you must replenish yourself. Set aside convenient time in your day to Meditate, I look at the YouTube ones. Make sure you get the right nutrition, not too much Coffee and enough Sleep. I hope things soon improve. 🌠
Thanks so much! Yes I know I need to meditate. So important. I like the deep breathing but it’s hard to sit still. I’ll try meditating when I’m really tired. Hope you are well Dubba!
It is hard to sit still. But, if you watch the ones with lovely Nature pic's I find it's much easier. Thankyou Starrlight, i've not had the best year for my Physical Health and don't walk so well these days. But, it could've been so much worse. So I just do what I can and on days I can't well..🤷
Nothing new that I can add on to the great responses you've received. However I would like to piggyback on Nbp's mention of the gut. Look into histamine and its connection to hives and further work on improving your gut since 70% of the immune system is centered there. Also, I want to say hi darling.
They say reducing histamine rich foods can possibly help improve things. Interestingly enough I found probiotics and fermented foods to be beneficial in calming things down for me after I took a course of antibiotics and my arms broke out in a rash of hives. Guess for some its aggravating whilst others its helpful. Another possible benefit is getting vit d optimal since it's an immune modulator.
Thank you. Well, that seems to make sense. The antibiotics wiped out the bacteria, and you replenished the good guys. Any suggestions what kind of Vitamin D I should look for? Pretty sure I could use some, especially now it's winter.
Oh boy did they do some wiping out and it literally changed the course of my microbiome. My stomach has never recovered since then. I developed intolerances and havent been able to fast for years.
For awhile I was taking 50,000 prescription vit D. Once I hit the range my doc reduced it to 20,000 for maintenance. The rest of the days I take an extra 6,000 IU from supplement but you're in the states and you can get higher doses like 10,000. Metagenics has a lot of reviews on Amazon of the capsule. It has vit d3 plus k2 which is a very important co factor. My lab ranges started really improving once I stated taking k2. The gel capsules not the tablet. You can always ask your doc for a prescription to quickly bring your levels up.
As always its important to check bloodwork. My doc did it every 2/3 months. Another tidbit is that higher doses of vit d can deplete magnesium so its important to take a good quality magnesium supplement.
Having a very bad day. You're losing me. Are you saying the gel caps are preferred over the tablets?
I haven't been able to take magnesium because I end up in the bathroom all day. Is there a way around that?
Thanks for all the help!
By the way, have you tried homemade yogurt, where you use your own rowbi to make the new batch? I wonder if that'd help you? It's done me lots of good when I'm up to making it.
Sorry to hear you're having a bad day. Hope things improve. The gel capsules are easily more absorbed. If you can find one in your local area that has some fat as an ingredient that would be a bonus. Preferably coconut or olive oil. D3 is fat soluble and when its ingested with a healthy fat, it helps aid absorption. My Canadian produced supplement has coconut oil in the vitamin d3 gel capsule.
My prescription vit d3 is a tablet but my tummy does better with meds and supplements in capsules. TMI but I once pooped a whole intact supplement that was in tablet form. So I prefer things in capsules to ease the digestion and absorption of it. I'll link a pic of the one I use even though it's a Canadian brand.
Magnesium glycinate is the best for ppl that have stomach issues and it doesn't have the laxative effects. Also I divide my doses in two, lunch and supper after a meal so it's much gentler.
So Health Canada for whatever reason doesn't allow vitd3 supplements to be over 2500IU. Probably because its toxic if you go over the normal range. So I take 2 pills of the 2500 natural factors supplement and 1 pill of the canprev vit d3 and k2. It totals 6000IU a day. You dont need to do that because you're in the states and can get a vitd3 and k2 supplement that is 5,000 or 10,000 IU in one pill.
^ Latest vit d3 levels. Started at 40 & hovered at 70 for a long time until I began k2/d3
I told you my brain's squirrelly today. When you said you'd "link a pic" right after the internet slang (I had to look it up) "TMI", well, I thought you were sending a picture of said tablet. YIKES!
Hey beautiful! Oh ok thanks. I’m taking ion supplements for the gut and fermented vegan protein powder. Taking vitamin D. Just made an appointment with an allergist. I took pics of my rash for them to see as it will probably come and go. Thank you so much for your response!
I don't have exactly that but I have, racing thoughts often like I can't shut my mind off and then I feel foggy and I trip over my words.. I'm teased at home.. And, told you are, no genius how have those, kind of thoughts
Hi Starrlight. If you stop trying to do things to make you feel better, the quicker you will recover. It's the trying that keeps people stuck on the anxiety cycle. You dont have to be disciplined in anything except learning to accept how you are feeling, that you can't relax, the physical symptoms that you are experiencing. Trying to force the issue just exacerbates the problem. Leave it all be and accept it all. By all means carry on with the day to day stuff. Over time, the symptoms will lose their importance and your focus will be elsewhere instead of on yourself. By allowing it all and doing nothing to change or stop that racing mind and physical symptoms, you stop adding more stress to the equation and the symptoms you are stressing over will fade away. ❤
As I always say, acceptance is not something you try. It's all about the attitude towards the symptoms. It's a bit like being stuck in traffic and late for an appointment and feeling agitated and stressed about being late. The delay up ahead is beyond your control so you just accept that you are going to be late. What will be, will be.You have no control over your anxiety so stop trying to control it. Stop trying to think and feel differently from the way you do now and allow yourself to think and feel everything anxiety conjures up. Accept it all. ❤❤❤
Hi! I get a stress rash. I’m not sure really what helps mine go away. I try the breathing exercises and sometimes just a cold or cool cloth ice on my upper chest area helps me to cool down. If you find things that work, please share. I’m in need too! Thanks for posting this.
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Stressed at work, being targeted 
How do you deal with the normal stresses in life?
Rashes, brain fog and derealization
