Hello, I am a 36 year old boy. And i have this itching problem that occurs in winter tim ONLY. Ok so everytime in winter when i am about to do a activity (Boxing, basketball, running, etc..) my skin starts to itch very painfully, its mostly all over my upper body and legs. It is really really painful, it feels like someone is poking me with thousands of needles all over my body. But once I get sweaty it goes away. Sweating makes it go away. And now i have started feeling that the itching attack creates small little white pimple looking things all over my body. Once i get sweaty they go away as well. Lately i noticed it starts even if i m sitting in a classroom. For example when i get confused, or nervouse of something my body start heating up and it ceates the itch andi cant get sweaty in class, so i really have to try my best to annoy it, usually it goes away after couple mins when i cool down. But its not like a one time thing, it haappens to me veytime i m in those kida conditions (nervouse, heatin up etc...) Whch is part of everyday's life. In summer everything is perfectly fine because its easy to get sweaty in summer and you dont really have to do anything to get sweaty. Someone please help, its been 3 years now. And it feels like i only lived have of that because every winter this thing happends and i cant do activities or go out or anything like that. Even mowing hte lawn becomes a problem in winter. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated. Even a name of a medicine or cream or anything that will make me sweat easy would be awesome. Because sweating is the only thing that makes it go away Its really really bad.
Hello, guys.
We showed your questions to our dermatologist and his answer is:
"What you're describing sounds like a condition known as Cholinergic Urticaria (CU).
Cholinergic Urticaria is a type of physical allergy that is triggered by a rapid increase in body temperature. The symptoms include intense itching followed by a rash made up of small hives or raised patches of skin. Common triggers for CU include exercise, emotional stress, or any activity that causes sweating. The hives typically develop within a few minutes of the rise in body temperature and can last for an hour or more.
Potential treatments for Cholinergic Urticaria:
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Antihistamines: These are often the first line of treatment and can help to reduce the severity of the symptoms.
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Avoiding Triggers: This can be challenging as you've noted, but being aware of what causes your outbreaks can be helpful.
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Desensitization: This involves regular, controlled exposure to the trigger, such as exercise, to increase your tolerance over time.
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Sweat therapy: Some people find that inducing sweating on a daily basis (e.g., through exercise or a warm shower) helps reduce the frequency and severity of their CU outbreaks. This is based on the idea that regular sweating can help desensitize the skin.
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Topical treatments: Calamine lotion or other soothing creams might provide temporary relief from itching.
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Systemic therapies: In severe cases, or when antihistamines don't work, other medications might be considered, including corticosteroids or immunosuppressants. However, these have significant potential side effects and would be considered carefully."
You can go to your doctor and tell him/her to get you tested.