hives before monthly periods

Hi I am 34 and i have been dealing with hives right before my period for 18 months now. Sounds just like your case except when i get them they last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. I have tried predisone but it doesn't work. I have been taking clariten and benydrill and also zantac since this started . I was told it would go away probably within 2 yrs. I also was just told that it could be early signs of menopause. So i have no answers for you...But it would be great to keep in touch with you. If one of us find a answer i would be so gratefull. Good lucK!

I'm 36 yrs old and right before I started my period at 14 yrs old I started breaking out in hives this went on for 2 years solid. They went away for 5 years and then came back every month before and during my period. I became pregnant at 26 and did not break out the entire 9 months and two days after giving birth I started breaking out again and still do about 2 days before my period-allegra 180 seems to help and the doctor thinks I'm crazy

Thank God! I think that I finally have the answer for my hives. I hope that this helps you. My hives are hormone related. I have long suspected this because my first bout with them (that lasted 1 1/2 yrs) ended immediately when I stopped taking birth control. This last bout (4 months so far) started after my second child was born. So many others on here talked about related symptoms--dark patches on skin, thyroid-like symptoms, pain in chest, fatigue, feeling cold, occasional hair loss, and HIVES so severe that even with taking 13 prescribed anti-histamines and acid reducers a day, my entire body was covered every night until mid-morning. Thinking that it was my diet or bedding, I changed where I slept and went on semi-fasts. I kept a food/drug journal to note trends. I was miserable, and they were starting to control my life. Prayer changes things. Someone on here mentioned hormone cream; I had my thyroid checked with an Endochronologist, talked to my Dermatologist and Gynocologist, but they all said that I was completely healthy, and they did not think that it was hormone related. Then I read Dr. Lee's book "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause" (really more of a general guide to hormone balance). It has worked! You really ought to read it, but here is what I have been doing based on the book: 1) Use a Natural Progesterone Cream morning and night 2 )Drink more water 3) Take anti-oxidants such as green tea tabs & 8000-1000mg of Vit C 4) 400 IUs of Vit E twice a day 5) 500 mg Flaxseed oil twice a day 6) Take a Multivitamin 7) Take 500mg of Quercetin with Bromelain twice a day. 8) Take Vitex morning and night 9) Take 500mg of Magnesium at bedtime 10) eliminated milk from my diet--my worst episodes were always after I drank a glass of it or ate ice cream; I can still have cheese, yogurt, and sour cream. Dr. Lee explains in his book that an inflamed and aggravated system will allergically react to milk. 11) I take a b-complex vitamin It took a few weeks, but my hives are practically gone. I only take one chlorotab and one Loratidine at night to keep the lingering ones at bay. Another tip: You can get Natural Progesterone Cream at most health food stores.The cheapest that I have found is the 4oz Lifeflo brand at $20.00 on the Swanson's website (they also have Vitex for $2.99 a bottle).Get the type of Progesterone Cream in a pump as the type in a jar deteriorates in the presence of oxygen. Use the cream (not oral tabs) that contains around 500mg per ounce. Good Luck to everyone. I have felt so sorry for so many of you because I also suffered so greatly. Don't let anyone tell you that there is not an answer or to wait it out. What I am doing may not help you, but there is an answer. God Bless.

Hello, I am 24 years old and I have been getting hives now for 3 years believe it or not!!! At first they were really bad...completely coved my body head to toe!!! My lips were even swollen!! I was very stressed out at the time...I tried everything from prednisone to not eating anything...laundry detergents I mean everything!! I went to free and clear detergents....I didn't use anything with dyes in it including food, and they started to get better, just a few like 20 or so here and there and they weren't the size of dinner plates anymore! I got pregnant last august and a few weeks later I was free of hives!! Awesome huh!?! that was until 1 week after I had her my hives were back!! They are more under control but a few days before my period I get them and they are the worst at the beginning and get better towards the end. My allergist said that there are people that have hormone related hives and recommends that I get on birth control. I have never been on bc and I can't have dyes so my options are slim...I was thinking of trying the nuva ring but just read alot of bad reviews about it! I am depressed because of my hives so I worry about messing with my hormones! I take about 3 loratadine everyday and only have a average of 6 or so hives. They do get worse when I eat acidic food! I have also tried the new anihistimine xyzal but it makes me very tired and I can hardley get out of bed to take care of my 13 month old! Good luck to all of you!

to the woman who mentioned dr. lee's book...is it still working?...i have had hives for five years....the only thing that has shown up in way too many doctor visits is elevated thyroid antibodies...my hives are always worse around my menstrual cycle also and when i was pregnant i didn't have them for one day....has anyone ever suggested lupron shot to you?...my insurance won't cover it...but i think it would help...i was just curious if you were still doing well...

I've been getting hives now only for two months. I turned 30 in Feb. It started when I had a cold, got my period, and then tried to exercise. Now everytime I exercise on my period I get hives. They go away when I stop running or exercising and resolve themselves within a few hours. I'm an athlete and it pains me that I can't work out to the levels I've been working. I was told by my allergist to carry an Epi-Pen with me when I work out because it can go into anaphalaxis. Yikes! So far the only link that I have to my hives is my period. I do tend to get hives the week after as well and then it clears up a bit, again only with exertion. Another note from my allergist, she stated that women in their 30's have a tendancy to get idiopathic urticaria. This only worried me more because there is no rhyme or reason to the reaction. Hopefully someone will have a concise answers someday.

I have been getting hives for the last 9 months, eyes,ears, throat all swell. I have vomiting and diarrhea with them. I am 41 by the way. So far nothing has helped but after reading these posts at least I feel like I can find help. Thank you everone

I found this message board very helpful in diagnosing my condition. It also helped me feel like I wasn't crazy after all. I was just diagnosed by my allergist with APD. I'm not quite sure what to do now. I don't know what kind of doctor to seek. Any suggestions?

I's nice to know I'm not alone in the world.
I've been getting hives off and on for over a year. They started last March when I got sunburned. Since then every time I get burnt I break out in hives wherever I get burnt and you can actually see a raised line where my swim suit was. Like most everyone else, when I was pregnant I had no hives at all. What a wonderful 9 months. Now I'm getting them daily, from just a few to hundreds. I never made the connection about them being worse around my period and better afterwards until now but thinking back that's what it is. Now to go to the doctor and see if anything an be done besides taking benadryl (can't take pills that make me sleep with a 3 month old).

I didn't read every entry so I don't know for sure if anyone else said anything about this but I found out by accident that Fish Oil has completely helped my monthly hives and I encourage everyone else to try it. I was perscribed fish oil for arthritis and had been suffering from menstrual hives for about 4 months. The month after I started taking fish oil I noticed I got maybe one or two hives. I started to suspect the Fish Oil made it better but wasn't sure. Well, I'm a rather disorganized person so when I ran out of my first bottle of fish oil I kept forgeting to get more and the next month my hives were back. I went to the Community Pharmacy two weeks ago and bought more and started taking it and once again, by Menstual cycle is here but the hives are not. I've read that fish oil is good for hormonal issues so that may be why it helps. I hope everyone reads this and gives it a try instead of taking more dangerous chemicals that some doctors recommend. I've read some doctors are putting women on birth control to try to control these hives but I suspect them to be part of the problem. I've also read of perscribing steroids which definately sounds bad to me and it's only a temporary solution since you can only take the steroids for a few months.

I have had chronic urticaria for 1.5 years (I'm 27 years old and have never been pregnant). Like clockwork, hives worsen a day or two prior to my menstrual period, subside, then work back up. Symptoms also include intense itching primarily on my hands and feet. I experience severe head to toe breakouts. I have seen every specialist (dermatologist, allergist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist) and kept a detailed log of labwork obtained by each. I have also had a skin biopsy to determine whether the hives are caused by lupus (since they are affected by sun light) but the test came back negative. Like many others who have left postings, I'm coping and have given up on going to doctors or trying to find a cure. If you are dealing with this issue, here is some advice:

- Get on a daily antihistamine regimen. My favorite combo is allegra (famotidine) and zyrtec in the morning with xyzal, pepsid, and benadryl at night. I add more benadryl to the mix to stay on top of bad breakouts. I have found that WalMart's Equate brand of benadryl is more effective than benadryl itself. DO NOT STOP TAKING THE ANTIHISTAMINES even if the hives go away. Staying on top of them is key to trying to minimizing life-disruptive breakouts.

- Once you have ruled out any serious medical issues (e.g., lupus, thyroid problems, etc.) save yourself time, frustration, and money and stop trying to seek answers from doctors. None will want to take up your case and you will inevitably go around in circles getting nowhere.

- Do not bother with steroids. They don't work for menstrual-related hives.

- Do not go birth control pills or IUDs to treat the hives - I have a suspicion that this is what got me into this mess to begin with.

- Do not go on synthroid or other thyroid-altering medication - no matter what your endocrinologist says. If your T3, T4, and TSH counts are normal, this type of treatment is absolutely not needed. My thyroid counts went way below normal when I underwent this treatment with no effect on getting rid of my hives. I'm now off of it to avoid causing any permanent damage to what was already normal thyroid function. Thyroid medication is not something you want to play around with - most people end up having to take it for the rest of their lives.

- Try to relax. I have found that stress can make symptoms worse.

- When all else fails, find a good movie, get out the vodka, and make the best of a night at home.

I'm very sorry if you suffer from chronic hives - it's probably the most frustrating thing I have ever had to deal with. I hope this is helpful to you in some way.

Wow, I can't believe I found this! I too have been going through this for the past few years, (I'm 38 now)... I take about half of the things that are recommended. I'm not the type that can load up on all that stuff all the time, so I just deal. Cold showers and allergy meds kind of help. But its still a pain in the A**. Mine usually starts on my neck and works its way down my chest and onto my face. Its a part of my PMS, (though it does occasionally hit at other times).

Thank you so much for the tips!!

Wow, I hate that you have to go through all of this! I confess to not being able to read the entire thread but did you happen to pick up any tricks along the way yourself, or did this thread pretty much cover everything?

Hi everyone. I to have been dealing with hives now since I had my son 8 years ago; ever since I break out in hives just before my period. I have since had 2 more children and during pregnancy did not break out till after I had my son and stopped breast feeding. Which is also when I started my periods again. I personally think it is hormone related here is a test I found on a website for those who might want to try it. It basically is a test for hormone imbalance.