This is more of a story, not an informative research blog:
My Junior year in college I developed chronic urticaria (chronic hives). Initially, I went to Wardenburg health center for students in Boulder. The dermatologist thought that it may be scabies (a type of mite) that was in my bed and clothing. I washed all the clothes in hot water, and those that could not be washed were put in a very hot dryer (industrial), and then I bombed my house... please note that my roommate did not have the hives. After all my hard work my hives were still present. Sigh.
I was next referred to a allergist. I received a 96 spot scratch test, for an allergic reaction... I had none. Since the world contains more allergens than can be tested, the doctor still thought it was best that I be put on Zyrtec once a day and given an anti-itch medication as well. But this did not matter, they persisted: coming back every month, fading, and then reappearing the next month. Next a skin biopsy. Nothing found. Finally, the allergist, fed up with me as much as I was with my hives, decided that potentially I was allergic to my own sweat. Now this is something I cannot get rid of by any sort of change: Chronic frustrated immune response? maybe.
I needed another opinion. I drove down to Denver Anschutz medical campus and saw another derm specialist. He said 90% of chronic urticaria patients never get an answer of what is causing the hives and treatment only works for some.
Finally, I gave up and decided that I was just going to have to live a life with hives consistently covering my mid-section and occasionally my upper arms and legs. But miraculously 1.5 years after I graduated (so about 3.5 years from when they started) with no change in diet, residence location, exercise, bed, animals etc. that I can think of, the hives went away and have not returned since. Knock on wood.
Oh, immune system and your fickle ways.
That story is completely typical of chronic urticaria. They come, hang around, and eventually go, and no cause is identified. Do they run in the family? There seem to be the occasional familial clusters. And there are some newer drugs with antihistamine properties that can be helpful. Though I hope they never come back, so you don't need to find out.
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't need to find out either. As far as I know urticaria does not run in my family, certainly not in the immediate family.
ReplyDeleteI did forget to mention that I had a CBC panel and my white blood count came back low (I cannot remember the value) but I remember having to have my blood drawn a few times to see if the WBC decreased. It did not but remained low. Is this typical of Chronic Urticaria? I have not had a panel since they went away, but it may be interesting to see if there is a disparity.
A normal CBC can be pretty low (4500 at most centers). There's no reported relationship with urticaria; though a CBC and differential is indicated, mostly to see if there is eosinophilia, which might point in the direction of a severe allergy or parasites as a cause.
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