Hives

[heda123]

Hi fellow lupies,

I pray that you are all well. A couple of weeks ago i started getting this hives like rash. First it came on slowly abit on my face and legs. Then i woke up covered in it

My eyes were swelled and it was just moving around from one part of my body to the other but my legs were the worst. Anyway doctors first gave me desloratadine that didn't work so next day she gave me fenofexhadine and some cream to cool the itching. Within 2 days my legs were looking horrendous and the itching wouldn't stop. Third day she put me in steroids and 4th day increased the steroids. Then changedthe antihistamine to benadryl and also put me on ranitidine which is a indigestion medicine but also has antihistamine in it. So eventually it started to ease off and dissappered. A week after i stopped the steroids the hives came back. I woke up feeling rather hot and slightly itchy and then i went to my bootcamp session. By the time i came home my legs were covered. However i took the benadryl and applied eurax cream its calmed down.

Does anyone else suffer from hives if so whats the solution. I can't say whats causing it because i don't know only when i get really hot at night. But it happened once during the day too but dissappered in 24 hours. Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks

[willow80]

Hi Heda

Sorry that you are going through it at the moment.

I wondered if you were taking anti-malarial for your Lupus?

When I took hrdroxychloroquine I came out in a rash. This was even with Prednisolone.

[ShannonB in reply to willow80]

I was going to ask this same question. I very frequently got a hive-like task when my lupus flared and the anti-malarial stopped it (or at least reduces frequency and severity). Sorry you are struggling. Hope it goes soon.

[heda123 in reply to ShannonB]

Thanks I'll see how it goes. I might have to inform my rhuemy.

[heda123 in reply to willow80]

Hi Willow

I've been on hydroxy for a very long time so I'm not sure if it is that.

[Annieb24]

I take hydroxy and get something similar but less severe. I take Cetirizine. Might be worth considering.

[heda123 in reply to Annieb24]

Yes that might have be to an option. The benadryl makes me so drowsy.

[PMRpro]

Not impressed by your doctor's approach - talk about trial and error! However - hives ARE difficult.

But is she sure this isn't an allergic reaction to one of your medications? And it doesn't have to be something new. The trouble with an allergic reaction is that you don't develop it the first time you meet the substance - but it can be the second, the 22nd, the hundred and second or the thousand and second time. And if it progresses you could become very ill.

[willow80]

Hi again

I was on the medication for 3 months before the rash started.

I’m not sure how long you have been on for however all the best and hope this gets sorted.

[Mifford]

This may sound like an odd question but have you changed anything on your bedding? Or your washing powder? It would explain why it’s hapoenng overnight.

Certainly sounds like an allergic reaction to something though so I’d talk to rheumy first and if that doesn’t produce a solution push the gp to send you for allergy testing as the reaction will get stronger each time you encounter it.

Oh and I’m another cetrizine. I take large doses every day due to severe photosensitivity solar urticaria and they don’t make me drowsy at all so much better than Benadryl. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

[Lupiknits]

Another cetirizine girl. I buy the generic kind rather than anything with the same ingredient but a fancy name. If it is an allergy Benadryl can make you very drowsy. As a child I had a lot of allergies and was prescribed phenergan three times a day, which meant I perfected the art of propping my head with one elbow on the desk and looking down, while actually sleeping.

[Silenttears23]

Hives with lupus maybe a sign of vasculitus, I would go to your doctor and get checked

[leslieliesel]

Yes I got hives after getting prednisone and plaquinal for my Subcutate Lupus rash...My hives were everywhere on me, but not where my Lupus rash was..which was pretty wide spread...I didn't do anything for the hives...3 months later, all my rashes and hives are basically gone..

[Chanpreet_Walia LUPUS UK]

Hi Heda123,

According to The Lupus Encyclopedia, hives can occur in people who have SLE due to inflammation caused by lupus itself. It can also be caused by a person being exposed to something he/she is allergic to.

We published a guide on ‘Lupus and the Skin’ which contains information on the different types of rashes that are associated with lupus and how they can be treated: lupusuk.org.uk/wp-content/u... .

Also, we published a blog article on ‘coping with itchy rashes’ which you can read here: lupusuk.org.uk/coping-with-...