Hives

[covsooze]

I'm having trouble tracking down what is causing my hives, which appear in cluster of 3 or 4, usually on or around my hips, knees or buttocks (I've had them for the past 3 or 4 months). How long does it take to develop hives if it's from something you ingest? I'm pretty sure it's not something I'm touching, as I've not changed cleaning products etc

Thanks!

[Michi8]

I'm having trouble tracking down what is causing my hives, which appear in cluster of 3 or 4, usually on or around my hips, knees or buttocks (I've had them for the past 3 or 4 months). How long does it take to develop hives if it's from something you ingest? I'm pretty sure it's not something I'm touching, as I've not changed cleaning products etc

Thanks!

I would expect hives from ingested food to show up all over, but you never know. Since you're seeing it on those specific spots, I would rule out contact allergy first...especially since it seems to be in areas where you would have greater contact with your clothes (pressure points from where clothes rub, bend and stretch.)

Some potential causes:

1) laundry detergent or fabric softener (have you developed a new sensitivity to old products, or have those products changed an ingredient?)

2) fibers or chemicals in the clothes (lycra, dyes, wool, synthetics, chemicals such as formaldehyde)

3) metal embelishments like studs on jeans or zippers (reactions to nickel or potassium dichloride in metal can cause a reaction at the source or just away from it). Nickel in one's diet can exacerbate this as well.

4) soaps or lotions (the pressure points in your clothes could be irritating an area sensitive to ingredients in those products.)

Michelle

[tarnalberry]

It can take a couple hours, even for a contact allergy. I got hives from horseback riding (through jeans) and it took about three hours to show up. I believe hives from food allergies usually take up to an hour or two, but can vary a lot and can take longer. Detergents and soaps are the only things. What springs to mind for those areas:

clothing (like elastic), plants (from walks or gardens in shorts), jewelry/metal

[Ursa Major]

I might get hives from stress, which will usually show up in only two or three small areas, looking more like one or two mosquito bites, and are intensely itchy. Food intolerances may cause me to have bad hives (the combination of grain and fruit is the worst, but no problem now, since I had to eliminate all grains, and most fruits), but will not necessarily cause hives all over. I remember that for instance apple sauce cake used to cause terrible hives within an hour after eating it all over my arms only, which were little red bumps, that swelled up and in the end would be one huge hive all over my arms when scratched. It was a hideous sight, and would pretty much drive me out of my mind! And no, that was NOT a gluten reaction, but a cross-reaction.

[covsooze]

I think it must be something in gluten free products, as that's the only thing that's changed for me. I can't see that it could be a contact allergy - if it was any sort of detergent, why haven't I had it before (I've not changed detergent) and I get it when I'm wearing dry cleaned clothes as well as home cleaned clothes; I don't get it on my top, even though I wear tight fitting tops; it's not jewellery/ metal studs (I do react to those, but that's obvious from where the reactions are); it's not plants (again, I know when I've been for a walk in grass etc and reacted accordingly.

Ursula, your experience with things cross reacting together is an interesting one, and maybe that's it for me. Guess I'm going to have to do a food diary to work it out - which is not a bad idea anyways.

Thanks for your input!

Susie x

[Michi8]

I can't see that it could be a contact allergy - if it was any sort of detergent, why haven't I had it before (I've not changed detergent) and I get it when I'm wearing dry cleaned clothes as well as home cleaned clothes

You can become sensitive to any product/food/chemical/fibre at any time. It happened to me...Tide was fine for me for many years, and then I started to react to it. Don't know if they changed their formula, or if there was something in my body that changed (problem cropped up after my third pregnancy). Dry cleaning chemicals are very harsh for anybody, as well as being carcinogenic.

Good luck in figuring it out.

Michelle

[Simply-V]

I'm having trouble tracking down what is causing my hives, which appear in cluster of 3 or 4, usually on or around my hips, knees or buttocks (I've had them for the past 3 or 4 months). How long does it take to develop hives if it's from something you ingest? I'm pretty sure it's not something I'm touching, as I've not changed cleaning products etc

Thanks!

There are delayed allergic reactions as well so it could be anything within 48 hours. However most likely it is an immediate reaction which would be something you've eaten within the last 6 hours. I have delayed reactions to peppers which generally occur around 8-12 hours later.

I'd recommend keeping that food journal. You'll find it eventually.

[LKelly8]

Have you changed to or started any generic medication? The active ingredients are the same but the inert ingredients (the binders) can be different. Generic brands use cheaper, hence more allergic, binders. I've had hives from a generic.

[Simply-V]

Have you changed to or started any generic medication? The active ingredients are the same but the inert ingredients (the binders) can be different. Generic brands use cheaper, hence more allergic, binders. I've had hives from a generic.

I wouldn't blame all generics for a bad reaction to one. A lot of brand name medications have just as many allergens as the generics. It just depends on what you're allergic to. If you have food intolerances/allergies, and you're doing fine on one medication, you need to read the package insert information before switching to any other medication. Even another brand of medication supposed to do the same thing.

[Helena]

I'd second what SimplyV said about the possibility of a delayed reaction. I've had just a few hives from food before. It is sometimes difficult to figure out what might be causing them! Sometimes there is no particular cause---hives can be idiopathic. I get hives if the surface of my skin is scratched (it is called dermographism)--sometimes people even get hives when pressure is applied.