Sudden unexplained swelling, hands, feet, lip, wrists

Like many people, I sometimes get hard, pink, relatively large lumps, which are tingly/stinging (and only painful when really swollen) pretty much anywhere on my body, but usually the extremes; fingers, hands, feet, lips, forehead, nose (the worst of them all) and sometimes my arms.

It started when I was about 15, and I have had it all my life (now 35). It seems to come on when my body is fighting some kind of infection (like a cold, or tonsillitis) but has also occurred when I have got my hands cold and damp/wet and then got them suddenly warmed up in a nice warm room.

Like many people here, my symptoms went away for a while (for a few years in fact), but has never really completely gone away. It has started to occur a bit more frequent lately which prompted my Google search. This is where I came across this topic. Very interesting.

I must admit, the suggestion from some people about it possibly being Angioedema sounds plausible. I have been to a couple of Doctors in the past who never really knew what it was. Some suggested it was probably an allergic reaction, and some said it could be related to emotion, e.g. stress. Who knows.

The only time it bothers me is when the swelling is on my face. When that happens, it can look quite gruesome! I am not really in the business of going to work looking like a hamster! :)

When it was happening very frequent, taking antihistamines every day for a while actually did work for me. This may have been luck, but it was worth mentioning here.

Anyway, I hope that this condition does not cause too many people to suffer from a low quality of life.

Good luck all!

SR

As above I also suffer from unexplained swelling, I have done for the past 5 years, the out breaks are mainly when I'm run down, or body is fighting a sickness.. Or if I bruise myself.. There is no cure but I was prescribed fenofexadine tablets which work immediately, they take away the itch and reduce swelling.. Therefore a attack if untreated would normally last me 12-18 hrs would only last 2-3hrs once having 2 tablets.. hope this helps ash

I am 32yrs old and I have had these symptoms for the past two months. I have this tingling itchy sensation followed by painful swelling which lasts for a few hours to a day. These have occurred on the bottom of my feet, finger, arms, buttocks and tongue. My doctor said it is an allergic reaction and I have changed shoes, detergent and my diet, but the symptoms continue. I am extremely worried because I live where medical facilities and services are not advanced and specialists such as allergists and rheumatologists are not readily available.

I had it and have bin cured for 20 years. It is called pressure apnea, and it is relatted to hystamines. So you need to take an antihystamine every day. Not just when it flairs up, after 6 months to a year I slowly stopped with the antihystamines. It will go compleatly away

I have been having a repeated problem with my right cheek. It will itch and feel tingly on the inside (sort of like a pinch on the inside of your mouth for a brief moment) swell out like a chipmunk. After a day or so it is gone. I can not figure this out. It happened late pm last night. The time before it was in am prior to eating anything, I had brushed my teeth I believe was all... It is strange to me that it is always right side throat is not affected and I don't think my tongue is. Age is 44yrs old. Your problem sounded most like me. Did you ever find out anythind

I've had this for about 2 yr. I am 35 yrs old. I woke up one morning and it was there. My right eye was swollen and my right side of my lip was swollen. I have been to allergist. It is called chronic idiopathic angioedema urtacaria. I also have mild demagraphism with it. It's no fun. I have had nearly everything on my body swell up including buttocks and my tootoo. 1 side of my forehead, 1 ear, fingertips, palms of hands, eyes, top and bottom lips at the same time, patches on the arm itchyness. My swelling is really bad and wont go away. It keeps moving all around in different parts of my body and wont go away unless I go to the emergency room and get a shot of prednisone and also visdril. I dont know if I spelled that right. I suffer from depression and this doesnt help. I have had all sorts of tests done. Everything came back normal.

Get your thyroid checked.  My daughter had the itching and then sudden swelling of her lips several times.  I took her in for bloodwork insisted on having her thyroid checked becuse she was fatigued and gaining weight for no apparent reason yet she eats very healthy and a marathon runner.  The doc didn't want to test her thinking it's just an allergy.  I guess she felt enough pressure on my end , so she ran a CBC and thyroid panel.  Bloodwork came back with elevated tsh.  Make sure you have your thyroid tested in the morning. Afternoon tests come back as false negatives generally

Do You know what is causing the swelling? I have the same problem. My doctors will not tell me anything. I am trying to find out on my own.

I've had this happen to me to. My eyes, hands, feet would randomly swell up. And most recently, my tongue and wrists would also swell. Also, little itchy bumps would appear at the back of my neck following up to my scalp. I also experienced fever and a sore throat today. I have no idea what this could be. I'm experiencing all these as I type this.

I was sitting in my car yesterday getting ready to go into the grocery store and I felt the corner of my eye start to do that theme from the movie Jaws movement. I said to myself 'Oh Nooo'...

I wasn't stressed. I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. And if the eye(which it makes me look like a combination of an rhino and an elephant) wasn't bad enough, I felt the bottom lip start to get that slight stinging and hardness when it too is about to get out of order. Needless to say I sat there in the car with my Hulkesque face and gave the shopping list to my daughter.

She always feels so sorry for me. I just pray she never experiences this. It is ruining my life. I'm so afraid to plan anything. 

The antihistimines don't help as a preventative. They only give relief for the times I have itching with this condition.

At first it was just my lip and eye. Now, it is my lip, eye, palm of one hand, one foot and the corner of the right-side of my face next to my eye.

Please if someone has something that works please post it here for all of us.

Thanks for this site. I really needed to see (sorry) that other people are out there who have knowledge of this strange condition also.

I posted earlier in the year describing the same symptoms everyone else has been experiencing during a episodes of the swelling.  I've experienced tingling, itchiness, swelling, and the spread of swelling mostly on my thumbs (then to palm of hand and down the wrist), several fingers, the pads of my feet (many times), my lips (happened twice), my butt, sometimes around my hip/belt area, and the scariest was my privates (ok - penis) - I thought I would have to go to the emergency room just to pee - but fortunately that wasn't the case.  I'm in my early 50's and never experienced anything like this for about 4 months.  I was also fortunate that I responded to the antihistamines (zyrtec-in liquid form as it is absorbed faster - a bit more expensive but worth it).   I did what each of you had done in seeking this site out - trying to find an explanation for this condition.  For those who have taken the time to describe your condition, thank you!  It was extremely comforting knowing I wasn't alone... Actually others have recommended Zyrtec or Claritin and I followed their recommendation and it did help slow the outbreak down and reduce the itchiness...

I also spoke to my doctor and he said I was experiencing a allergic reaction of some sorts.  What I was experiencing was related.  It also could be an auto immune issue - now there's much mystery regarding auto immune diseases.  However, rule out one thing at a time.  Personally I thought I may have Lupus from what I was reading, but there are other symptoms that I don't have.  While I'm not 100 percent sure what affected me I can say that I significantly reduced my dairy intake and stopped drinking soy milk.  So far I've had little to no outbreaks.  Not saying that is the solution for all - I am saying look at what you're eating - even the medications you could be taking.  Start there since you have control over that...See if that helps.  I know how it feels to have your face affected by this - my heart goes out to you all experiencing this... I can only share my experience and what has worked for me so far.  Keep sharing!  I'll keep reading and will continue to update if I discover anything new - Good luck and God bless!  steve

Steve read your post. You say the Zyrtec and Claritin help, but by then you already have the outbreak, yes? I'm trying to figure out if there is something I can take ahead of time, especially, when I have an important event or appointment. Does anyone take the Antihistimines on a daily basis? If so does it abate the outbreaks?
I guess our biggest tasks as Sufferers is trying to figure out what are triggers are leading up to the outbreaks.
Perhaps, we all are exceptionally good people at heart and this condition serves to increase our humility.

I've been having this all of my adult life, but only occasionally - like, once every couple of years.  But this year, it keeps happening.  It SEEMS like an allergic reaction to something, but I can't figure out what.

Yes - it Zyrtec/Claritin only help alleviate the outbreak - it doesn't prevent it. My point is the outbreak itself may - and I stress may - be prevented by determining what your body may be having an allergic reaction to. Foods, medications, pets, air quality in home/office (mold), stress perhaps. Determining that is a start. What is causing your body to experience random internal inflammation/swelling?? Other reasons could be Lupus (chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs) or similar auto-immune diseases. Unfortunately there is no explanation as to why for auto-immune diseases just suggested ways to cope.

My gum is sweeling relly bad and it hurts soooo much. I need an aswer about that. If u know anything please answer.