Getting rid of hives when I am allergic to antihistamines

Wow. I guess I'm not alone. I've had hives this time for a month. Last time I had them eight years ago, pregnancy cleared them up and have not had a long-term break-out since. I've been concerned since then that if I get hives again, there's no sure way out (not gonna have another baby!). A month ago, I lost a full night of sleep and BAM, hives. I got tested for Strep (negative), and am now being treated for a Sinus Infection. (Had some mild symptoms and it's the only thing I could think of that would be causing hives). I thought the z-pack would make them go away immediately. No such luck. Benadryl does nothing (makes them a little worse). Clarinex made them the worst they have ever been. Sudafed (for sinus infection) makes me feel almost normal, gives me a lot of energy, but doesn't do anything for hives. So I will continue for now. I decided to give in to the symptoms and am now treating with Calamine lotion. The side benefit to being covered with chalk is that I sleep like a rock. Maybe I have stumbled onto the solution -- sleeping better. Who knows.

Good luck to you all and thanks for the really helpful posts!

I was about 30 when I had hives. We never figured out what triggered them. I came home from work and my wife had prepared supper unter the Catelpa tree in back of our house. While eating I began to itch. It got really bad and I went to the hospital emergency room. The doctor asked how far I had to drive to get home and then gave me a shot of something along with a prescription for benadryl and instructions to go straight home before the shot took effect.

Sitting in a warm bath with baking soda in the water seemed to help the itching.

Thinking it could have been from sitting under that tree, we never did that again, but they came again several more times. My wife changed laundry detergent as they started where my collar rubbed my neck, no change.

I did find I had a precursor that they were coming. My upper lip would tingle like novacain wearing off after seeing the dentist. If I was very careful not to rub or scratch my skin at that time I could usually keep them away. The problem slowly subsided and about six months later they were no longer happening.

We've never been able to come up with any reason for them and I've not been bothered in the 39 years since. Well, once when I didn't know about it. I had a heart attack 26 years later and I had to get the hospital's write up of my emergency room stay for the VA when I signed up with them. I read the report out of curiosity and found they mentioned I was allergic to the catheterization dye. It gave me hives! I was unaware of that. I didn't feel or see them while I was there.

A series of rashes I developed a year ago appear to be clearing up. When I went to an allergist, his nurse told me to get off antihistamines first. I began eliminating them about ten days before my appointment. The burning an itching, which had apparently been caused by taking two drugs known to cause sensitive skin and ingesting cacao butter, began to ease. By the time of the visit, the pain had eased to the point that I did not want to take the nerve pain medicine, neuroleptin, tha tthe doctor recommended.

My dermatologist had noted that the skin of my chest was very dry. He had given me an ointment for psoriasis that had developed elsewhere.

I began restricting my antihistamine use to over the counter Chlorpheniramins Maleaste, which seems to be milder. Though a first generation antihistamine, it is less sedating than most. My vetenarian, Dr. Rypka of New Orleans, had recommended it for my dog, who has bad skin allergies. Dr. Rybka said she herself took it.

I think what may happen is that most antihistamines are very drying. They thus irritate the skin. The ointment my dermatologist gave me, Desonide 0.05 soothes the skin, as does an over-the-counter lotion, Advanced Lubriderm. I had tried about half a dozen antihistamines, prescription and over the counter, and as many lotions. Though the itching/burning/itching has not gone away -- I think there may be some lymphatic involvement from the prescription combo I was given by different doctors for different things -- I believe I am on the mend.

Thank you for this useful post.

I suffered with hives from the time I was 17 until I was 35. I lived on Benadryl. I tried elimination diets and food journals. I went to allergist after allergist. The last one told me to just learn to live with them. I felt so defeated. I knew there had to be a reason for me to be breaking out in hives!
I had been told it was a combination of something I was eating and stress. There wasn't a rhyme or reason with the food. My family made me feel like I was crazy. Obviously, I can't handle stress because I'm always a big itchy mess. It didn't matter that I would say I didn't feel stressed and I didn't necessarily break out when I was feeling a lot of stress.
To make a long story short! I was finally checked for celiac disease. I asked to be checked when I was 19 and was told hives didn't go along with celiac and because I didn't have the classic celiac symptoms they wouldn't check me for it. I asked again to be checked for celiac disease when I was 34. My cousin has it and my aunt had read that hives sometimes go along with celiac disease. My doctor talked me out of being tested for it because I don't have the classic symptoms of bloating, diarrhea and or constipation. It took me getting really sick, being diagnosed with IBS, being checked for cancer and finally being sent to a gastrointernologist who knew that celiac can have a myriad of symptoms, in order to be tested. I came back positive for celiac disease!
My most glaring symptom of celiac disease was having chronic hives! I have wondered how many suffering with hives like I did actually have celiac. No studies have been done on people with hives because doctors think hives are a rare symptom. I have been hive free for almost 6 years now! Going gluten free was a miraculous cure! I never thought I would be hive free!
I hope that if you are searching for an answer to your hives that you will look into celiac disease! Don't let a doctor talk you out of a blood test. It really is worth looking into, to be hive free!

Just wanted to update everyone. My current 4-month and counting hives outbreak has gone through many stages and incarnations and treatments including two shots of dexamethosone and no good options presented by my allergist. Also throw many nights of insomnia in there. Now, this may just be another stage, or it may be a treatment that is working, but I've been taking Nettles which I got at Whole Foods and the hives are very very quiet and few and far between. They don't bother me a bit. If I stay out too late, etc., I pop a Nettles before bed. In the past, staying out too late, etc., would bring on a full day of hives hell. The Nettles controls it and I hardly have any hives. Also for the insomnia, I've been taking Calms Forte (also at Whole Foods). It's working great. Lots of other sleep-aids cause me to break out in, what else, hives. Not this stuff. Will it work for everyone? I hope so, but I can't say for sure. Might be worth a try.

Me again. I just saw the post about the lady whose husband is allergic to anti-histimines and Ibuprofen. Me too! Both give me hives! I was on prednisone for a week with hives. Controlled them for a couple days, then they exploded!

Hi to anyone still monitoring this board. If I were you, I'd request an ANA blood test. That will tell you whether you might have an autoimmune disease. Hives can be caused by an overactive immune system. It's a start. From there, tests can be done to determine whether it's your thyroid, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or a plethora of other culprits. I wish you all the best!

i've had the same issues! I didn't get hive when I was pregnant. I am also allergic to antihistamines. It is hormone related. I started taking an herb called Don Quai and it works great! take 40 drops in water 3 times a day at first then slow down to times a day after 4 weeks. You will be amazed!

Hi Everyone,

I have been experiencing hives for the past two years. Having the same problems as everyone else here with Benadryl, Allegra, etc. When they are really bad, I scratch until I bleed. It's like scratching is the only relief. I have also experienced hives after taking Advil. Boy, was that miserable!! One night early in this struggle, I had taken a Benadryl thinking that would help but it made it 100x worse. My hives became whelps and were taking over my body. A nurse friend called around to several doctors to ask their opinions for me and one suggested I take an H-2 inhibitor, Cimetidine. It is designed to for heartburn & acid indigestion but I used to calm down the hives. It does not prevent them but it does bring relief when I break out. The instructions on the bottle recommend drinking 8 oz of water when you take it, and trust me that helps it work A LOT faster.

I am NOT instructing anyone to take this medicine but check with your doctor and see if it would work for you.

Here's hoping we all get some relief soon!!

I've had chronic hives for 3 years. They flare up in the morning especially when I'm stressed. When I relax and sleep, they go away usually. I also have chronic shoulder stiffness and pain in the front and back of them. My first reaction was when taking Naproxen. It was horrible but cleared completely up with Prednisone. I didn't have another flareup for another year. That's when they became chronic. The hives usually don't look like hives to me. They are red dots that cover my entire body except for my face. If I have a reaction to a medication or am very stressed or cry, I will get them on my face. I am allergic to Doxepin, Zyrtec, Asprin, Benadryl, and Seroquel, and Ibprofen. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. I am in shock that I have found others who react to antihistamines also!!! I don't feel so alone or different now. Having this condition has really affected my attitude, mental health, and lifestyle. I've had several bloodtests ran (partially positive ANA) but all others were negative as of last year. I had another ANA profile test ran a few months ago which was negative. I've tried eliminating wheat, dairy, and peanut (which I am allergic to) from my diet with no change. These spots do itch and burn intensely at times and I also get them when anything rubs my skin for awhile (Physical Urticaria & Dermagraphism). I've tried several creams and lotion with no luck. I am wondering if I have an autoimmune disease such as Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis and should see a Rheumatologist??? I'm currently taking Zantac, Lexapro, Norvasc, and Allegra. Birth control pills make me very emotional and cause more anxiety which in turn flares up the rash; my symptoms get worse around the time of my menstrual cycle as well. The Zantac helps with the redness but makes the spots bigger and more "hive like". I've only tried the Allegra for 2 days (180 mg/day) and so far it makes me drowsy and rash has been worse in the mornings than without it. I'm thinking about stopping that?? I'm very frustrated and more confused than ever!!! I would appreciate any comments, question, concerns, or advice. My heart goes out to all that suffer with hives. It is a very hard journey to face and deal with.

My daughter is histamine intolerant and is also allergic to antihistamines.  very weird but true.  I would try an antihistamine diet, I realize most of these posts are old but my daughter was just diagnosed.

I have had chronic antihistamine resistent, prednizone resistent hives for over 50 years.  I am now seeing a allergist who is also an immunologist and he is treating them like an autoimune disorder.  He is the second doctor to treat them this way.  

I took plaquenol for 10 years and it started to become less effective and I now take cyclosporen.  There are posssible side effects with these drugs, but it beats having your throat swell shut, and arriving at the emergency room with blue lips.  I also carry an epiupen, another life saver.     

     Hi, I first started getting hives last summer and they went away.  This summer I got them again but much worse-scalp, back and chest.  Of course the doctor related it to the environment-pollen, but when winter arrived I knew he was wrong.  Since that time I decided to do some research.  As most of you probably know already people with allergies have an extra histame (e) in their immune system, it's hereditary and you can't change that fact.  I like to make sure that a doctor is treating the cause of a problem, not just a symptom.  Once I found out that you can't change the fact that I have this histamine e right in my immune system, I've been looking for other ways to relieve my hives.  The one thing that I realized is that I have always had sensitve skin and easily broke out in facial pimples.  Through the years I tried many different products for this problem (including Clinique which is supposed to be hypoallergenic) but they made my pimples worse.  A few years ago I found a cleanser and toner that works for me-Garnier Pure.  I started thinking about the fact that pimples start from the inside and come out and I have senstive skin.  I started wondering if this cleanser and toner would also help with my hives-hives start on the inside of the body and come out and I've also been told that people with allergies have sensitive skin.  I started using the cleanser and toner on my hives.  At first it didn't seem to do much but relieve the itch for awhile because it stung a little when I put the toner on the hives (believe me even that felt great; the sting was a relief from the itching).  It took a few weeks, but eventually I even had fewer and fewer hives, (my mother counted and I only had 3 on my back).  Then, my appointment for the doctor came up and when I went she said that I should be taking antihistimines so I went back on the Benadryl at night.  The last 3 days my hives have been coming back since I started taking the Benadryl; that's how I ended up on this site.  I wanted to know if there were other people that experienced what I experienced-the antihistimines gave me hives again.  I don't know if using cleansers and toners on your hives that were meant to be used for pimples will work for anyone-else, but it does help me.   

Im soooo happy to hear others like me suffering with these things called hives. I had them once when I was 11years old they said I wasnt allergic to nothing back then and said it was my nerves, eventually they went away till now I was getting ready for work on janyary 24th didnt see NOTHING. got to work at 9am started breaking out went to the walk in clinic by 10am the m***n of a doctor gave me 10mg of reacton so my pharmacytold me get her to change it to 20mg so Im covered on my insurance so I went back and did that and I told the clinic doctor oh Im on thyroid meds and have been for two yrs will these affect it in anyway. She told me just take them I was floored. I went back to my pharmacist she cleared it up for me. that was a tuesday by the friday I was in my family doctors office and she said to me by LOOKING at me that it was not food related but was I sick at some point? I said yes I had three colds back to back last fall and tried to take stuff for it. She said it could be the cold virus or something I took during that time thats causing this. So then she told me to wait a week if Im still having trouble come back. I went back the following friday still hives in tow lol she gave me prednisone for a week of rapid doses I did that by the first pill I was clear then day three they came back then by the follow up appointment on the friday they were gone. that night I got my period I suffered all day with back ache I took ONE midol and they came back saturday morning very minor. Then minor sunday then monday I had a full blown attack . Then by the following friday I was back at the doctors who told me keep taking benadryl and handed me an allergists name and my appointment on it. I see him on monday. Ive been taking benadryl for weeks now and still have hives when I have major attacks my body goes from skin color to Lobster red in seconds and I get a few spots on my face. Right now was of this moment I forgot to pick up benadryil on the way home from work. and I see the allergist on monday. Im currently broken out bad should I go with nothing in my system till I see the doctor monday or buy stuff tomorrow?

I went to the dermatologist for annoying hives that were bothering me a couple times a week in my hands and feet. Lets just say this past week has been miserable. They had me take allegra and i broke out worse on my forearms. By morning they were on my calves. I thought it was an allergic reaction to the corticosteroid cream. I went back to the dr next day, they gave me a shot as my arm was swollen and wrist/elbow hurt. That cleared up but, had to take the zyrtec two times a day. I have no broken out over my entire body. I think i am allergic to the anti-histamine. It is out of control. I went in for minor hives on my hands/feet a couple times a week that had been happening about a year to full blown hives everywhere.