Delayed Pressure Urticaria

I have been dealing with hives for three years now, but lately they have gotten worse. Thanks to this site, I have self-diagnosed as DPU because it all rings so true...belts, sleeves, tight jeans, even sandals give me welts. My family doc sent me to an allergist who loaded me up with antihistamines, which did nothing. Back to the family doc (who agreed, btw, with DPU after jumping on the Internet herself), and she did an extensive round of blood tests and a punch biopsy on a hive. She tested, among other things, for lyme and lupus. Nothing. I am metabolically very healthy. I do have thyroid nodules, and so now I have to see an endocrinologist...they are thinking autoimmune. Any stimulant makes it worse...caffeine, alcohol...as does heat and stress. I have not tried the no-chemical/whole foods option yet. Does anyone know how long it would take for that to work?

DBR:

first of all, excuse my english.I have been suffering with delayed pressure urticaria since february 2010 and I don't know what caused it to this day. I tried a lot of diets, including histamine diet and taking diaminooxidase (ensyme which takes care of histamine). I am taking anti histamines every day, it does some relieve to me but its not perfect. Now, to your post DBR - caffeine, alcohol and heat makes it worse because.... WATER. feken water. coffee, alcohol etc. makes you dehydrated, so does heat. Histamine "bonds" to water, so the more water you drink, the faster will the spots disappear and it will itch less. Just drink water, that's all you can do :/ I read about people which condition got better after 3 years, but I also read about people who suffer 20 years and going.I also read about people with parasite called Blastocystis hominis, which may cause this illnes. They took some antibiotics for a week and the illnes - gone.

I'm getting ready to try Plaquenil to treat DPU. How did this work for you?

Maybe you want to undergo an Ayurvedic Detoxification which is called Panchakarma (or Ayurvedic detoxification treatment).I had severe eczema and I had undergone this therapy twice (once a year) and now I get itching in the areas affected probably2-3 times a year. The skin also looks smooth and I had a great relief.Recently over a month I started to have Pressure Delayed Urticaria on my upper buttocks. My doctor diagnoised with PDU with my symptoms, and asked me to undergo the detoxification treatment again. Unable to spend 2 weeks in the hospital due to work schedules, I started to apply Betadine Lotion over the areas 3 times a day, and started to consume 1 glass of milk with 2 spoons of Turmeric in it, and had it 3 times a day (without adding sugar in the milk). It has been 3 days and I already started to feel the healing sensation and I hope would disappear in another 2-3 days. I am also takeing extra cautions not to apply pressure on the buttock while sitting (by working from home), and ensuring that I sleep on sides and on the belly overnight, this gives good time for the hives to heal when the Betadine lotion is applied.By the way

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I also witnessed few couples from Poland, Netherland and Germany who were also undergoing similar treatment during my stay. I had spent some time with them sharing the experiences of my treatment and they were glad to hear that.I hope my experience could help you people.

I'm 41 and have had DPU since i was around 23....it started out of nowhere and I still struggle with it almost daily. I have noticed a HUGE reaction when i eat wheat/gluten.....a flour tortilla will send my hands into massive itching and red swelling of the fleshy parts......I take a Zyrtec daily and try to stay completely away from Flour/wheat/gluten and sugar. This really seems to help me! I also noticed a huge change by cutting out Triclosan....it is in everything! Toothpaste, deoderant, shampoos, lotions! Almost anything that says Anti Bacterial is like poison for our DPU....you absorb it into the skin quickly through the hands....i now have fewer issues with my hands and definitely fewer and less severe issues with my feet. I used to get whelps on the bottoms of my feet if i wore shoes with too high a heel, or even too flat. They would itch and swell and were hot to the touch. Crazy stuff! I also only use detergents without dyes and frangrance, and i only use body washes that are paraben free. I work out with a trainer using weights a few days a week....i notice that my hands feel bruised, but they don't swell anymore. Maybe my regimen is a place for others to start!

I'm 41 and have been suffering with DPU since i was 23. I suffered for 15 years before i took matters into my own hands....my Drs(and there were many), didn't know what was wrong with me, thought i was making it up to get out of college classes/work...one went as far as to tell me he thought i was full of c**p. I only have the pressure swelling on my hands and feet now, and that is when i am not vigilant about wearing the right shoes or over use my hands in a day. It's a lifestyle whether we like it or not. Here is what I did to alleviate some of the symptoms.....I stopped the use of ALL things with TRICLOSAN. It is the ingredient that makes anti baterial everything, anti baterial. It is in our toothpaste, deoderant, shampoo, etc. Tartar control toothpaste is a major no no! I also cut out any products with PARABENS! The physical HIVES all but disappeared! I never get them anymore unless i get sunburned....and a few will pop up on my thighs. I have also stopped eating processed foods, wheat/grains and anything with gluten in it. This is the best i have ever felt! I was floored when i saw this thread and a few other forums out there regarding this disease. People always roll their eyes when i tell them that i can't do something because my hands or feet with swell.....i can't even walk on the beach where the water has packed the sand..it's like concrete and my feet swell up! I do take a Zyrtec to help keep the histamines at bay, but the meaty parts of my hands are constantly red. Still working out though! I've run a half marathon and walked 2 others! Keep trying and don't give up! If you follow what i did with the triclosan and parabens, you may see results in a few weeks! Good luck!

I've had DPU and CU for 25 years. For many years they were controlled with antihistamines but the last several years I haven't been able to take them due to a paradoxical response. Like many of you here I've suffered greatly and it has turned me into a recluse. I take prednisone but that has caused other health issues like weight gain, internal bleeding and cataracts. I'm in the process of getting approved for xolair injections which have been helping many go into remission.

Some with DPU have sensitivities and should try the low salicylate diet or the low histamine diet (not at the same time). My DPU isn't caused by sensitivities so they didn't help me. At least I can eat or drink anything I want without a reaction but any pressure, even the seams in my clothes give me the deep painful hives for a couple of days. I can tell you that it can drive you crazy trying to figure out WHY you have this disease. After you've had the necessary tests to rule out other diseases it's best to work on controlling them. What works for one person may not work for others. Antihistamines are often prescribed at 4 times the label dosage and several different types may need to be taken at the same time.

I wish you all the best and hope someday soon there will be a cure.

I absolutely agree about the Plaquenil. After trying everything and visiting multiple doctors, they Plaquenil has almost completely controlled the DPU. I also can wear shoes and sit for long periods without any problem. I felt so good I wore high heels for the first time in months the other day and forgot I was wearing them! Plaquenil is not too expensive and has few side-effects, so it makes it even better.

I'm glad to hear Plaquenil is working so well. If I can't get approved for Xolair my doctor wants to try Plaquenil. Did you have the fatigue, headaches, joint pain and other symptoms some have with DPU and if so did Plaquenil help?

Dapsone is the drug that worked for me.  

I have suffered now since 2010 after a flu jab combined swine flu... have delayed pressure urticaria but can spring up for no reason. Sadly docs are pretty useless I've just been consuming antihistamines. Will look at a change of diet have recently been tested for lupus and some thyroid tests I know full blood count has come back fine. I'm writing this tonight as I went for a walk in trainers earlier and my heels are swollen.like hell recently.finding that joints are swelling too bloody agony. Will keep reading posts here and hopefully one day we can figure this out. Best of luck to everyone

I suffered with DPU on and off for 20 plus years. I believe my condition was related to a thyroid malfunction that developed into full blown Graves' Disease. Updated TSH level range is now .3 to 3.0. Outdated range was .5 to 5.0. Sadly, some GPs and Endo Specialist still refer to the outdated range and tell their patients that their thyroid is functioning just fine. Their patience are suffering from thyroid malfunction issues as a result. Right before my thyroidectomy and right after, DPU was fever pitched. Once my TSH range fell in the updated TSH range, DPU disappeared. Thats my story.

I meant: Their patients not patience. Geez, it takes patience to deal with DPU!

After I was diagnosed with DPU, I tried every medication there is. Steroids held it at bay, but the side effects are pretty bad (weight gain. agitation). I couldn't walk very far without my feet swelling. Every morning, my face would be swollen from where it pressed on the pillow. Tightening a screw with a screw driver meant not being able to hold a coffee mug later due to my fingers swelling so much. I am very active, and not being able to exercise was putting me in a downward spiral. Through trial and error (including multiple doctors and allergists and drug combinations), I figured out how to eliminate all the symptoms. Here's what I did: I swam to get my cardio going without swelling. I went to the steam room everyday and sweat as much as I could. I eliminated processed sugar and white bread (bleached flour) from my diet. I mean completely. I drank tea instead of coffee. Within a week, the change was remarkable. I told my allergist what I was trying. He encouraged me to continue. He also suggest looking for areas in my life to reduce stress. It's been 3 years now living without the effects of DPU. I don't know if this works universally, but I think it's worth sharing, because I remember being at that point of willing to try anything. Now, it's only after going on a candy or white bread binge for a few days that I start to feel that tingle of DPU. I hope this helps in some way. I wish this could work for everyone.

What anti-anxiety medicines did you take? I started getting DPU after being prescribed anti-anxiety meds.