Really bad case of hives, post workout

[joenali]

I've had this happen before, hives during and post workout, but this was bad.

I went on a 56 mile bike ride yesterday and started feeling itchy. Started getting small hives. We stopped at a small market to fill up our water bottles and then it got worse. Got some Benadryl, took half a dose. hives went away, still itchy though.

Finished up the bike ride and the bottom of my legs were covered in hives and I had a few on my arms and face. I didn't take more Benadryl because I had to drive. I called my mom (because who else do you call when you are freaking out?). She told me to go to urgent care, went there, closed. Hives still appearing and itching.

I called an on call nurse and by then hives weren't getting any worse, but still itchy. She suggested to just drive home, take benadryl then. I didn't have any throat swelling or wheezing so that was good.

Sat in traffic for about an hour and those damn hives were gone by the time I got home.

This is the worst case of hives post exercise I've had. I need to get a new epi-pen and start taking allergry medicine before workouts and carry allergy medicine with me especially on long workouts.

Weird and scary.

[Deleted]

How very weird! Do you know what it is you're allergic to?

[joenali]

Jun 18, 2012 8:06:56 GMT -5 @sessalee said:

How very weird! Do you know what it is you're allergic to?

No. My doctor thinks it's exercise induced. But it's hard to really tell if that is the case.

[runblondie26]

That's sounds awful Ali.

Sounds like you're progressing towards a full anaphalxis event.
Definitley get back on the Claritin. (I think that's what you doctor had you do when this started?)

Even after 3 years of allergy shots in my early 20's, I've still had to maintain my daily Claritin regiment. After having having a couple scary episodes where my throat was swelling and I had to use my epi pen, I won't even go outside on peak pollen days.

[runblondie26]

Jun 18, 2012 8:09:43 GMT -5 joenali said:

Jun 18, 2012 8:06:56 GMT -5 @sessalee said:

How very weird! Do you know what it is you're allergic to?

No. My doctor thinks it's exercise induced. But it's hard to really tell if that is the case.

At first my doctors said it was exercise induced too. Seems to have progressed to just about everything environmental over the years though. Thank god I don't have any food allergies (yet). I'd have a really hard time with that one

I forget, have you had the skin testing done?

[joenali]

Jun 18, 2012 8:18:11 GMT -5 runblondie26 said:

Jun 18, 2012 8:09:43 GMT -5 joenali said:

No. My doctor thinks it's exercise induced. But it's hard to really tell if that is the case.

At first my doctors said it was exercise induced too. Seems to have progressed to just about everything environmental over the years though. Thank god I don't have any food allergies (yet). I'd have a really hard time with that one

I forget, have you had the skin testing done?

No. No testing yet. I might do that though. I did have peanut butter and bars with peanuts in them. I've read that you can have a food allergy and have it only affect you when exercising.

[runblondie26]

Jun 18, 2012 8:21:46 GMT -5 joenali said:

Jun 18, 2012 8:18:11 GMT -5 runblondie26 said:

At first my doctors said it was exercise induced too. Seems to have progressed to just about everything environmental over the years though. Thank god I don't have any food allergies (yet). I'd have a really hard time with that one

I forget, have you had the skin testing done?

No. No testing yet. I might do that though. I did have peanut butter and bars with peanuts in them. I've read that you can have a food allergy and have it only affect you when exercising.

Oh, that would be an easy fix if that's the case. How scary this keeps happening to you!

[IIOY]

I have no clue if this is the same thing, and apologies for the hijack, but for 2-3 years, I'd develop seriously itchy bumps on the backs of my thighs whenever I'd perspire and especially when I'd exercise. I'd scratch to the point of bleeding.

I went to a derm and she did a skin scrape but the test results were inconclusive, although suggestive of yeast. We were going to try a more comprehensive test but the bumps stopped appearing.

I do have bad seasonal allergies but I have no idea if this was related. Reading this thread makes me think I should have tried some Benadryl, although that stuff makes me insanely medicine-head-ish.

[sadlebred]

It's called Uticaria. I get it occasionally as well. I keep Allegra in my purse just in case. If it happens frequently, I'd talk to your doctor.

[joenali]

Jun 18, 2012 9:25:19 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

It's called Uticaria. I get it occasionally as well. I keep Allegra in my purse just in case. If it happens frequently, I'd talk to your doctor.

Yes I know this.

[sadlebred]

Jun 18, 2012 9:34:55 GMT -5 joenali said:

Jun 18, 2012 9:25:19 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

It's called Uticaria. I get it occasionally as well. I keep Allegra in my purse just in case. If it happens frequently, I'd talk to your doctor.

Yes I know this.

Dr. H&F (hehehehehehe!!) Benadryl is your friend...

I get it sometimes after riding when it's really cold. I'll break out in hives on my face and neck or any other exposed areas. Thankfully, it never seems to happen in warmer weather.

[hjohnson050711]

i had this in the spring - thankfully i haven't had a case in the summer.

i went and talked with the pharmacist and she suggested a numbing spray - its in an aerosol can (maybe lydocane sp?).

anyway - i would spray it on my legs before i went running and it helped with the uncomfortable feeling alot.

as long as you don't start having difficulty breathing then you are probably ok to just numb/mask the itchyness

[shauni27]

just found this on another board:

pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=21035

[IIOY]

Jun 18, 2012 13:04:40 GMT -5 shauni27 said:

just found this on another board:

pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=21035

Just came over here to post this. :-)

[sullie7173]

Sorry you are experiencing this but I appreciate the post as I am starting to think I may have this as well... in the summer I break out in hives on my legs whenever I have an intense workout

[wildfloweragain]

I don't have anything helpful, except a slightly similar issue.

I've had cold urticaria for 24 years (since I was 12 - the summer of my first big change of life.) And just this year I started getting mild hives when I run. Not all the time, but the new things is that it's not always when it is cold.

The cold urticaria was straight up cold allergy. I got the ice cube on the arm test and it's from anything cold - ice cream, cold air, water, etc. I do get it inside my passageways when it is cold air and get what looks like an asthma attack or hyperventilation. I now have an inhaler that makes that go away. Getting warm also makes it go away and doesn't make feel nutty like the inhaler does, so that's my first choice. I pass out if I don't get warm fast enough.

I'm interested to see if this exercised induced hives turns out to be related to the cold urticaria. So far it's a minor annoyance, whereas the cold urticaria is lie-threatening.

[stumpy]

I am the queen of hives. I get this too . . . and I don't have to work out that hard to get them.
Yes, go get the skin test and the blood test if ya can. Sometimes it is an easy fix. And sometimes, you just have to deal and know that you will take allergy meds for the rest of your life.
I also have dermagraphism (skin writing) and it stinks. A plastic bag touches my skin and I'll break out into hives. Fun fun!