Hives: Does anyone else suffer from horrible... - Thyroid UK

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Hives

nonameslob profile image
29 Replies

Does anyone else suffer from horrible hives? This is kind of a new symptom, but also not. I've always had breakouts of hives, but only once a month or so over the spring/summer which went away quickly and were controlled well with antihistamines. They would usually pop up in a couple of places on my body. I always associated them with some kind of allergy.

Over the past two weeks, however, I've had horrible breakouts every day, all over my body that don't go away, and aren't controlled very well with medication.

Anyone else?

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nonameslob profile image
nonameslob
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29 Replies
Daisylain profile image
Daisylain

I get hives from food allergies. My 2 worst food allergens are wheat and eggs. But new allergies can come about at anytime. Many people with auto immune disease have leaky gut. If that's the case for you..food allergy could very well be it. Are you gluten free?

kpl110 profile image
kpl110

Yes I have idiopathic urticaria (hives). It can be a symptom of autoimmune thyroid disease. In fact, that is why I had my thyroid imaged to begin with, but turns out I had thyroid nodule/cancer, not just Hashimoto's. :(

Redditch profile image
Redditch

I've had them. Few times for a few days really badly, immune response overload. I think mine are tied to premenstrual eating of different things, more sugar etc

If you are quite techie then download an app called my symptoms (red logo) and change the symptoms to mKe one hives. Enlist a teenager if stuck, you might be able to track what sets you off. Mine is yeast and sugar.

Good luck

missyc73 profile image
missyc73

I get hives on a regular basis. I have autoimmune progesterone dermatitis. I flare up every month.

SewingBee profile image
SewingBee

nonameslob

Hi. I get whoppers on my face in spring and summer and I've had all the tests but nothing showed up. I'm convinced it relates to the sun although I had that test too. They are solid and about an inch across. I was told to go back when it happened again but because it was over 6months I was told to make an appointment which could take months so basically no one is checking it.

Skylane2 profile image
Skylane2 in reply to SewingBee

I had hives for many months and nothing stopped them until I went on the Paleo automibe diet. It basically eliminates sugar, dairy, gluten and anything canned. I have no allergies but many food sensitivities. My dermatologist diagnosed me with histamine intolerance. I have to stick with fresh or fres frozen fruit, veggies, meats,fish, but salt water fish only ( no canned tuna or sardines) the cans contain a lot of histimine as do tomatoes in any form, spinach, and egg whites. I can eat butter and some cheese and cream if it’s fresh. No aged cheese. There is a supplement that I take called HistaBlock. I buy it through Amazon . I take it with meals especially when I eat at a restaurant because you cannot tell what they put in your food. I do eat a lot of burgers out, no bun, lettuce wrapped with bacon because that’s Paleo, hope this helps you. It’s no fun living with hives. I take a prescription antihistamine every night before bed. Hydroxyzine. (They make you sleepy)

I suffer with multiple skin conditions and extensive food allergies. You will probably notice if they weep the plasma drips for days and days. Wasp and bee stings will take a long time to heal too and will make you feel quite ill.

sunshine48 profile image
sunshine48

Hi, I suffer from cold urticaria (hives) which I have on and off all year, any exposed skin even in summer if there is a breeze causes hives. It's a very debilitating condition and prevents me from doing many activities and I'm dreading winter. Have tried antihistamine but does not always work.

kayemcclain57 profile image
kayemcclain57 in reply to sunshine48

Ask your doctor about Hydroxyzine. Many things can trigger them but keeping ahead of the game and medicine under control is the only thing that keeps me from breaking out all the time from all kinds of radical environmental reasons. I've had Urticaria since 1995. I've just had to come to terms of keeping my meds under control as it helps a lot. God bless and take care!!

Andrea1521 profile image
Andrea1521

I have delayed pressure urticaria (hives) and angieodema all over my body. I have had subclinical hypo for years but only found out i had hashi when i saw an immunologist about the hives. Mine are currently controlled with a 4 times updose of fexofenadine and a normal dose of montelukast. I also found i had a vit D deficiency and i self medicate for that. Gp has just started me on levo. I did have my flu jab friday and had a couple of hives pop up dispite all the tablets that was a bit weird but has gone again now. I also had a gallbladder removal in 2010 (i was 28) due to stone which the immunologist suspects is linked. Get your gp to refer u to an immunologist they can give you much stronger antihistamines. I am far from mended but at least i am coping which is millioms times better than i was. Hope u find a resolution 😀

pump321 profile image
pump321

I used to get terrible hives when I was a child and it was decided I was allergic to Orange Juice so I think it is a kind of allegic condition. Have you been eating or drinking anything out of the ordinary this last 2 weeks or been using any new creams or taking new medications? Hope you soon find out the cause.

Summer64 profile image
Summer64

I've had three episodes but responded to antihistamines and steroid cream. Last time was Christmas Day of all days. I didn't know what had caused it and hadn't thought of it being thyroid related.

debrhplace profile image
debrhplace in reply to Summer64

Have you thought that maybe your hives are stress related? I know that I break out whenever I get stressed out about things.

Summer64 profile image
Summer64 in reply to debrhplace

No, they just came out of the blue.

Ellyblue profile image
Ellyblue

Yes, I've had them for about four years now. I have times when they aren't too bad, but nothing seems to work. The best think I've found to help with the itching is Aqueous cream with 1% menthol. And anything with aspirin in it makes them horrendous. They are worse on my back and bottom where it gets hit when you sit.

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35

I used to get them far more when I was eating wheat and my skin was generally prone to all kinds of flare-ups. Taking home-made kefir (way more effective at sorting out gut bacteria than yogurt) has helped a lot this summer and I've had no allergy problems. My adrenals are a bit shot with stress, but my skin is fine, which is a first!

HLAB35 profile image
HLAB35 in reply to HLAB35

Please note though that as kefir contains a kind of yeast it may exacerbate the problem if you're allergic to yeasts.

I've read a post online about how digestive enzymes may help people in your situation. I've used them successfully when I've been very run down with colds etc. It would make logical sense as it would give your lower gut less work to do.

Hives can be a symptom of an infection of Blastocystis Homonis. Check out Isabella Wentz the Hashimotos Hacker. There is a scientific paper indicating there is link.

debrhplace profile image
debrhplace

I also have hives and they break out for no reason whatsoever. I am now beginning to associate them with my thyroid medicine NP Thyroid (which is generic Armour Thyroid). I got a prescription for 2.5% hydrocortisone which works better than over the counter hydrocortisone.

Kaycee4304 profile image
Kaycee4304

I had hives for a year controlled by prednisone. Finally isolated the cause as a switch from synthroid (white pill) to generic (brown pill) dye. Switched back to white pills and hives subsided and was able to go off prednisone. Synthroid never addressed my hypothyroid symptoms. Hashimoto's finally diagnosed after changing doctors after 30 years and put on Natural Dessicated Thyroid. Lost 30 lbs. 145 to 115. Felt much better (CFS, FM anxiety) much diminished.

Jerseygirl032971 profile image
Jerseygirl032971

I have gotten hives my whole life. I have Hashimoto's and Lupus. About 5 years ago I began getting hives on my face especially on my jawbone line. I did find that it is a symptom of Hashimoto's. I can't seem to find a pattern between anything I eat. I do often get them when my anxiety is bad but they sometimes pop up for no reason. It's so frustrating because I try not to itch them but they always scab over. Maybe I itch them in my sleep.

nonameslob profile image
nonameslob in reply to Jerseygirl032971

My problem is also that I can't seem to find a trigger. Every time I think I've found one, they pop up without the suspected trigger in play. Mine don't always scab up, but they do always turn into a purple and red spotted bruise/hematoma.

Stress doesn't seem to be a factor for my hives, but I have always broken out on my chest into a red, splotchy rash any time I get too hot, expose myself to sunlight, or I get nervous or emotional (including anxiety, anger, sadness, etc). That's happened since I was a teenager. I used to compete in acting competitions, and I would be just a little bit nervous, but I'd think that I was concealing it very well until a judge would pull me out of the room and ask if I was okay, because they would see the telltale rash all over my chest. Lol.

Mahala1959 profile image
Mahala1959

Could be a problem with gluten.

kayemcclain57 profile image
kayemcclain57

I understand your problem because I have had hives since 1995. I live on Hydroxyzine 50 mg. 3×daily. It's awful to deal with full body break outs if it's not controlled. I see on this site advertising of Hypothyroidism and I was diagnosed with this 6 months ago. I'm anxious to read more about what I don't understand yet. God bless you and just keep the breakouts under control and you don't have to scratch yourself to death!! LOL.... Take care!!😀

marchhare1964 profile image
marchhare1964

I suffered from very bad hives, daily also . Started about 15 years ago out of the blue. Some days all my body was covered apart from my neck and face. Numerous tests were done then. Eventually gave up and got some homeopathic medicine which helped. The hives and face swelling has decreased over the last 6 or seven years but I still get them . Cannot tolerate too much heat and am better when I am relaxed. I do get some hard lumps on my face not sure if these are hives. Cannot do without antihistamine. Take it as soon as I feel my skin itchy and lumps coming up. Decided 3 years ago to go back to a doctor as I was approaching 50. Did general bloods and found out then I was underactive. Wondered why I was so tired and putting on weight. I still put the hives down to my hormones. Grown to live with the hives, had some around my tummy, legs and arms a couple of days ago.

hippowarrior profile image
hippowarrior

I suffer badly from hives activated by the sun! I used to occasionally get an outbreak if I was on holiday somewhere hot and sunny but now I get it every single year during summer and sunny holidays abroad without fail, on a trip to NZ from the UK two winters ago I looked horrendous. I can avoid it to an extent if I make sure I have sun protection on at all times during sunny weather, I have factor 50 for my hands & feet as that's where I get it worst.

I take antihistamine every day and have HC 1% and some super strength dermatitis cream that my GP prescribed for if the itching gets really bad.

I do "harden" to it, it's always worst in the first bit of sunny weather, the above mentioned visit to NZ was our winter, their VERY GOOD summer.

My GP also gave me some other anti histamines to use as a top up if the daily one seems to be wearing off.

One summer I was having short lived hives too, if I scratched somewhere a water blister would come up for about half an hour then disappear, I don't get that now but it seemed to be a precursor to this on-going "sun allergy" I now have.

I got back from a week in Greece a couple of weeks ago and although I managed the allergy really well (Us Brits are well known for being able to look after our sun protection when abroad, but now when we're at home) I got just a few hives on my left hand on the last day, and they itched and itched for a full week back home, despite not being in the sun!

Very frustrating, I fear it every summer but I get the same old same old from the GP....... "it's your thyroid".

krenmankoo profile image
krenmankoo

I had hives turned out i had autoimmune thyroiditis. Hives are always a symptom of something going wrong in your body you need to find the cause. Its often thyroid stuff.

Beachbird profile image
Beachbird

(I am well past the menopause, have an underactive thyroid, on Levothyroxine 100mcg. TSH 3.5, T4 22. GP refuses to do T3. All other tests, including extensive autoimmune testing, OK)

Developed hives last August. Large super itchy wheals, (individually to 2cm) all over the outside of my thighs, bum, arm etc). Couldn’t sleep

Saw GP (doctor) 2x. Advised to use calamine or aqueous creams. No difference. On 3rd visit prescribed Fexofenadine. Eventually got myself referred to private dermatologist (lead at local hospital).

Prescribed larger dose of Fexofenadine bi-daily. (and if necessary Rantidine, Montelukast - see below)

If not working to additionally introduce Ranitidine (which I did). In 48 hours the rash had gone I continued with the medication as advised for a few weeks then stopped.

Within a couple of days a really itchy rash reappeared (no wheals!) in areas ‘rubbed’ by elastics’, eg waist, top legs - and also under breasts. Suspect affected by combination of elastics and/or heat

Spoke to pharmacist she said try Fexofenadine with Montelukast. Play round with combinations of the three (incl. Ranitidine, to see what works)

Currently on Fexofenadine and Montelukast. Still slight itchy rash, only notice when I get up and in the evening when I relax in the evening. But not too much of a problem.

Need to lose about 20lbs. I’m not that overweight, but suspect the extra pounds don’t help. If I succeed (that’s the weight I was a year ago, but I yo-yo), and the rash goes, will try stopping the medication.

Nutripea1220 profile image
Nutripea1220

I had them Monthly on armour thyroid (t4&t3), and synthroid (t4), and generic cytomel(t3). I almost gave up. I asked my doctor for brand name cytomel and haven’t had a hive since (1 year this month)!! I would have them all over my neck and chest, most of the time and they would get worse with exercise. Came to the point I couldnt go to the gym without cortisone cream and ice. I have also been gluten free for about 1.5 years but have slipped perhaps 3 times during that time (a bite of daughters birthday cake etc). For me, I believe it was the fillers in the meds , not the meds themselves although once I eliminated t4 they went away (I was also taking Levo with the generic cytomel. So can’t say for sure it was the filler or the t4). I don’t convert t4 to t3 which may be part of the problem and now take a whopping 200 mcg T3 only (not a type o)... which is less than my doc wants me to take. I don’t absorb it. And that may be part of the issue too. I do think being gluten free helps, as well as avoiding sulfates in shampoos (sodium laurel?) ...and fillers in meds. My best friend had hives for two years - it was her daily multivitamin. Stopped the day I convinced her to stop taking them (at that point she has eliminated so many food categories she’d lost every ounce of fat on her body but still had hives). Fillers are the worst 😑

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