I am on my 7th day of severe hives. It started on my breasts and then spread to my abdomen, then my lower back, then the back of my neck. They are still spreading and are beginning to cover my entire back and scalp. They itch so severely. Taking both Zyrtec and Benedryl calms them down somewhat. I too have gone over everything I have been touching and eating. I have had gluten only a handful of times in 3 weeks. I eat some dairy. I was actually trying to do the CLEAN Gut program and was taking a lot of vitamins and probiotics. I try to take good care of myself with diet, exercise and sleep. I feel like this is a sick joke. People come to me for health advice! I am beginning to think this is hormone related. I am 38 years old and my periods have become irregular for the first time in my life. I gained 10 pounds in about 2 months and it all seems to be in my belly when before it would be evenly distributed if I gained weight. My mom recently told me she went through menopause at my age. She also told me she had the same awful PMS that causes extreme breast tenderness and out of body rage experiences. I found Dr. Lee's work after my male OB/GYN offered me birth control pills when I complained of vaginal dryness. I nearly fell off the exam table (A little history: I had been on birth control pills for a year about 7 years ago. I asked to be on them because I had lichen sclerosus on my labia which was extremely uncomfortable. It worked! The high levels of progestins somewhat mimicked pregnancy but they also caused my skin to break out, I gained 15lbs and I had no sex drive). I never want to be on bc again. I left with a prescription for estrogen and assurance that it would not cause breast cancer. I began researching anyway and read "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Premenopause". Before starting any hormone therapy, I had my hormones tested via a saliva test. The results indicated that I had very little Estrogen but that I also had virtually no Progesterone so that I was still Estrogen dominant. I began the Progesterone cream and my PMS disappeared. I had two irregular periods and thought it was due to the progesterone so I just stopped using the cream (was applying the cream 2x a day every day except when on my period). The hives started when I stopped the progesterone cream. I have an appointment with my allergist (I have a severe grass pollen allergy which I have done immunotherapy for) tomorrow (all other doctors I called wanted me to wait 6-8wks to see them). He will probably want to put me on Prednisone. The common thing I read in all these posts is that symptoms went away when progesterone levels were elevated- like during pregnancy, taking birth control or using Progesterone cream. Due to all of the xenoestrogens in our environment most women are Estrogen Dominant. You can't OD on Progesterone cream. It is much safer than birth control bills. I am going to start the Progesterone cream again. Thank you for all these posts. I feel like there is hope and I am not crazy to think this is hormone related.
I would skip the birth control and try progesterone cream. Unlike birth control pills it is bio-identical, inexpensive and available at the drugstore. I was using it and it made my PMS disappear. Unfortunately, my periods became erratic and I freaked out and stopped using it. A couple days later the hives came on and have been getting worse and worse. I am going to start the cream again. You should check out Dr. John Lee's books.
Your case sounds like mine. I know it's hormones and not food because I am always eating the same stuff. I have been getting them for 5 years and mine get horrible on and around my menstrual and when I am too hot. Not once, did I get them while pregnant, but I did the minute after I had my baby. The only thing that seemed to help was taking birth control non stop. I recently had to get off them because I was getting migraines 3-4 days a week. I'm not sure if it's related, but I'm trying to find out. I started getting the hives a few days off the pill. :-(
Teresa do you also get cold sore type things at the corners of your mouth? Please answer!
It's APD. I get them too.
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I have had a terrible episode of this hive and rash breakout event.ended up in er due to it..im thinking I could be allergic to the tampax I have used ..there are alotta of chemicails in them and are not made of cotton..im gonna bring them with me when I go to allergist...I have connected breakouts with my period though..im wondering if women who are pregnant and not getting hives and rash breakouts ...might the prenatal drug regimen they are on contribute to not getting the hives and rashes...has this been thought of,or is it believed the hormonal change the pregnancy causes is the absence of them.I think the pre natal drugs need to be looked at...maybe they are what we lack in our systems....Im considering anything and everything...I also like the fish oil idea....I am a unfertile woman..age 49....w/ hypo throid diease..and poly cystic ovarian syndrome....I also have (gerd) gastrointestinal reflux diease...I beive this is worth mentioning ..as others may relate....they say they put woman on birth control to help with (polycycstic ovarian sysndrome) and that ha been mentioned on this page as well...as for taming the hives and rashes...so there is a connection between the two now...I hope this helps someone...good luck! seems we all need it!!!
I did...in connection to outbreak
I see that most of the recent post are over a year old but I hope that some of you still check in on this topic.
Has anyone else with these premenstrual hives been diagnosed with an auto immune disease and if so which one?