Hives w no known cause on kids - how long do you let go?

[Deleted]

Gabe broke out yesterday at 4pm (sporadic places, head to toe but not entirely covered), I called the doc and they were dismissive. Gave benadryl and they went away. He woke up today (after getting dosed again at 10pm) and some had some in new places. Benadryl took care of it again.

Nothing is new - no new foods, no foods w limited previous exposure even, no new lotions etc. The only thing that changed was they had their first MMR shot on Monday at ~10am. I know the MMR rash is measle-like and should come 5-10 days after the shot. These are clearly hive-like. But they don't seem to itch him either.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 8:59:17 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

More benadryl.

Yeah I'm keeping his dosed.  But it makes me nervous that we don't know what caused it.  I'm wondering when the push the docs.  For what, I don't know.  But I don't like the not knowing

[Deleted]

Hmmm he got a bath last night.

[Deleted]

it could be seasonal. i have A hive that i get on my thigh (literally ONE hive) when A) i'm stressed; or B) there's a certain kind of pollen in the air (most prevalent in early fall and late spring).

[Deleted]

Ugh ONE hive would drive me nuts.

It could be seasonal. He's our sensitive-skin child -- he had baby acne for faaarrrr too long as a newborn (basically his first 3-4 months -- not bad just long lasting). That's a good thought.

The thing that worries me is he had A hive on one of his injection sites (they got DTAP, Hib, and MMR). But that is probably coincidental more than 24hrs after the shot right?

[Deleted]

Nope! I considered that, too, but we haven't bought anything new in months.

Same shampoo/soap/lotion too.

[Deleted]

i would think that could be stress related. my hive always makes an appearance when i get a shot or get blood draw (because i hate it so much).

i mean, of course call the pedi again since he's little and just had shots, etc. but i wanted to give you my bizarre reoccurring hive experience. even though ol' hivey only pops out when i'm already unhappy about something (or sniffling from allergies), we're fast friend at this point.

[Deleted]

Hives are such a weird thing. I had hives for 4 months once. Literally, constantly for 4 months. I went to a million doctors. Then, one day they disappeared, never to return. (Cool story, bro)

Anyway, hives can be caused by so many things, I'd say unless he has other symptoms I'd keep just doing Benadryl.

[natsnow]

Hives can come and go for a few days. A hot shower/bath will actually be more likely to make it worse than to soothe it. Most of the time you'll never figure out what caused it. Be aware of new lotions/soaps/detergents/medications/foods. If he's not having trouble breathing or having any additional swelling (especially facial), I would probably keep giving the benadryl and wait it out. If it's especially bad or getting worse, they may put him on steroids for a few days. Otherwise, they are probably just going to tell you to give him benadryl.

[wambam]

(I've started this post 4 times and deleted it three. Not sure if I should share this, but I'm going to.)

I had chronic idiopathic urticaria for four years. No doctor could ever figure out what it was. I even traveled across state lines to see a CIU specialist, who proceeded to put me on a drug usually used for leprosy. Nothing worked.

Anyways, mine turned out to be an adult-onset food allergy. I had to do all my own experimenting to figure this out. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen for your family

[Deleted]

Hmmmm thanks guys. I don't do well with lack of information, lol.

Gabe on benadryl also makes me sad, lol. He wanted to wrestle with Marc on the couch this morning but ended up just flopping over and lying down on it while Marc "wrestled" around him.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 9:17:46 GMT -5 wambam said:

(I've started this post 4 times and deleted it three. Not sure if I should share this, but I'm going to.)

I had chronic idiopathic urticaria for four years. No doctor could ever figure out what it was. I even traveled across state lines to see a CIU specialist, who proceeded to put me on a drug usually used for leprosy. Nothing worked.

Anyways, mine turned out to be an adult-onset food allergy. I had to do all my own experimenting to figure this out. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen for your family

Jake's thought is that they've been having a lot more strawberries than usual, but regardless this is still their like 20th exposure (ie, eating) to strawberries.  So that couldn't be it, right?

[wambam]

Jul 10, 2013 9:20:28 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Jul 10, 2013 9:17:46 GMT -5 wambam said:

(I've started this post 4 times and deleted it three. Not sure if I should share this, but I'm going to.)

I had chronic idiopathic urticaria for four years. No doctor could ever figure out what it was. I even traveled across state lines to see a CIU specialist, who proceeded to put me on a drug usually used for leprosy. Nothing worked.

Anyways, mine turned out to be an adult-onset food allergy. I had to do all my own experimenting to figure this out. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen for your family

Jake's thought is that they've been having a lot more strawberries than usual, but regardless this is still their like 20th exposure (ie, eating) to strawberries.  So that couldn't be it, right?

I ate wheat for 20 years and one day woke up allergic to it. So I think, yes, it could be. 

[hbear]

Trial and error.

Try eliminating strawberries, if he never breaks out again, there ya go. If he gets it again, try something else.

It could be environmental, too.

I wouldn't worry for just a few episodes, if it's happening frequently, then maybe get him tested.

[sparkythelawyer]

Have him checked for Chronic Uticaria.  (Chronic Hives).  I apparently have this and didn't know it, because I only had hives once (though they were EVERYWHERE, and it took forever to beat them into submission), but on the same family tree as the hives is facial swelling, especially around the lips/mouth, and they pay  more attention to that.

[circa1978]

I also have chronic uticaria - my first flare up was in college. I'd watch to make sure his lips and mouth aren't involved and if goes on much longer see if you can get him into a pediatric dermatologist.

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 9:02:01 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Jul 10, 2013 8:59:17 GMT -5 @cse1960 said:

More benadryl.

Yeah I'm keeping his dosed.  But it makes me nervous that we don't know what caused it.  I'm wondering when the push the docs.  For what, I don't know.  But I don't like the not knowing

Do a kid dose of Xyrtec in the mornings.  Benadryl and Xyrtec attack different types of allergens, he might be reacting to something different. 

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 9:51:32 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I also have chronic uticaria - my first flare up was in college. I'd watch to make sure his lips and mouth aren't involved and if goes on much longer see if you can get him into a pediatric dermatologist.

Apparently, me too!  My lips started swelling like I had bad botox.  I thought it was a lipstick issue.  It would happen every few years or so, and then last year I bust out in hives after visiting the inlaws cabin, and ended up in front of an allergist who said, "uh, yeah, the swelling? Totally related to the hives.  Let's go run your bloodwork."  I'm apparently not allergic to a damn thing, but tested off the charts on the CU index.  Go figure.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Has he had a bug bite? My kid gets hives if there has been a mosquito bite. Starts with one hive and if I don't catch it fast enough spreads. They go away after a few days of benedryl.

[circa1978]

sparkythelawyer The lips are always the first sign for me; I look like Goldie Hawn in the First Wives Club. Then they tend to spread to my trunk and limbs. I ended up in the ER more than once when I was younger before they figured it out - well as much as they could at any rate. My mom also had chronic hives during most of her pregnancy with me. I have no idea if it is related but my body also has a really weird overreaction to mosquito and other bug bites.

[natsnow]

I don't think you need to consider chronic urticaria after one episode. If it becomes a recurrent or constant problem, that's another issue.

Benadryl and zyrtec are both antihistamines. You can do either one, but I probably wouldn't do both right now unless you want to snow him.

[wambam]

Umm, there's no test for chronic urticaria. If it lasts more than 6 weeks, it's considered chronic.

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 9:59:50 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

sparkythelawyer The lips are always the first sign for me; I look like Goldie Hawn in the First Wives Club. Then they tend to spread to my trunk and limbs. I ended up in the ER more than once when I was younger before they figured it out - well as much as they could at any rate. My mom also had chronic hives during most of her pregnancy with me. I have no idea if it is related but my body also has a really weird overreaction to mosquito and other bug bites.

My bug bites get pretty crazy too :-)

I get the crazy lips thing, and the last time My hands swelled up so much I could not close them, and my face looked like I'd had a stroke.  Thank god for prednisone :-)

I happened to have an allergist appointment by happenstance, because the one time my face swelled up, the regular doc looked at me and said, "I have no idea what this is, go see an allergist."  That appointment just happened to be during Hive-a-palooza.  The allergist referred to me as "the worst hiver she'd seen in a long time" had the bloodwork run, and handed me a buttload of prednisone to take right then in her office.  You know its bad when the doc's office is, "here,  we don't even want you leaving before you take 60mg of a giant steroid."  Thankfully nothing since then, but now I'm always double checking every single bug bite :-)

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 10:03:17 GMT -5 wambam said:

Umm, there's no test for chronic urticaria. If it lasts more than 6 weeks, it's considered chronic.

Well, they ran something on me called a Chronic Uticaria Index:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105218/

I guess it is not a perfect indicator, but it seems to be enough to give doctors some inkling of what is going on.  

[Deleted]

When I had my allergic reaction to sulfa drugs (head to toe hives, not in sporadic places but wide-spread), benadryl did nothing by zyrtec took care of it. So I do see a difference (they're both anti-histamines but are different medications). However the benadryl is taking care of it, the hives only come back after it wears off.

I will keep Children's Zyrtec in mind, though, I didn't realize that they made a kids' version.

I'll check for a bug bite at home but didn't see one yesterday and Jake didn't see one in the bath, either. Good to know it took a few days, TOTS, that actually makes me feel better.

[wambam]

Jul 10, 2013 10:06:36 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

Jul 10, 2013 10:03:17 GMT -5 wambam said:

Umm, there's no test for chronic urticaria. If it lasts more than 6 weeks, it's considered chronic.

Well, they ran something on me called a Chronic Uticaria Index:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105218/

I guess it is not a perfect indicator, but it seems to be enough to give doctors some inkling of what is going on.  

I stand corrected.

And reading "Current guidelines recommend first-line treatment of non-sedating H1-antihistamines that can be increased up to four times the manufacturer's recommended dosing" make me feel way better about the two years I spent taking 3 Allegras a day

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 10:08:51 GMT -5 wambam said:

Jul 10, 2013 10:06:36 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

Well, they ran something on me called a Chronic Uticaria Index:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105218/

I guess it is not a perfect indicator, but it seems to be enough to give doctors some inkling of what is going on.  

I stand corrected.

And reading "Current guidelines recommend first-line treatment of non-sedating H1-antihistamines that can be increased up to four times the manufacturer's recommended dosing" make me feel way better about the two years I spent taking 3 Allegras a day

That sounds like no fun, Wambam.

At the worst of it, I was Zyrtec in the morning, Hydroxazine in the evenings.  Plus the roids ;-)

[wambam]

Jul 10, 2013 10:17:43 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

Jul 10, 2013 10:08:51 GMT -5 wambam said:

I stand corrected.

And reading "Current guidelines recommend first-line treatment of non-sedating H1-antihistamines that can be increased up to four times the manufacturer's recommended dosing" make me feel way better about the two years I spent taking 3 Allegras a day

That sounds like no fun, Wambam.

At the worst of it, I was Zyrtec in the morning, Hydroxazine in the evenings.  Plus the roids ;-)

Roids did nothing for me. Nada.

FUCK HIVES.

For real.

[sparkythelawyer]

Jul 10, 2013 10:19:20 GMT -5 wambam said:

Jul 10, 2013 10:17:43 GMT -5 sparkythelawyer said:

That sounds like no fun, Wambam.

At the worst of it, I was Zyrtec in the morning, Hydroxazine in the evenings.  Plus the roids ;-)

Roids did nothing for me. Nada.

FUCK HIVES.

For real.

My sympathies.  That is the true suck.

[seriously1]

My dd is 8. She has had daily hives since March with swelling. She had a range of blood tests run to check for more serious conditions and all came back negative. The allergist can't allergy test until you are hive free and med free for at least three days and she is not able to do that yet. We have done all kinds of diets and environment changes but they keep coming. She is currently on Claritin and Zantac which gets rid of them. The Zantac though used for heartburn works for hives. I would not be concerned unless he has a fever or swelling. I would wait three days and then contact the doctor. Good luck!