How to Stop Hives: Cholinergic Urticaria

If you get hives or bee-sting-like itching/burning sensations after a shower, bath, or anytime your body temperature heats up, you may have cholinergic urticaria. This is a miserable condition that could be caused by many things. Here's how to stop it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Cholinergic urticaria, or heat hives, could be caused by a food allergy or intolerance. Eliminate common allergens in your diet, like wheat, soy, nuts, corn, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant), as well as milk. Even if you've never had any problem with these foods, intolerances or allergies can develop at anytime. Many people with chronic hives of all types have a gluten intolerance. Go on a gluten free diet to see if it could be the problem. If you are gluten intolerant, it may take months to see results, so stick to the diet long-term if you see a correlation between the hives and wheat or gluten.

2. Are you under a lot of stress? Cholinergic urticaria can be your body's signal that you are not handling stress very well. If so, make an effort to keep calm. Relieve stress by taking more time for yourself, going for a walk each evening (when it's cool), or trying stress relieving techniques.
   Hives from stress are your body's way of saying "Help me!" You must take this seriously, because it's a signal that your health is suffering from too much stress.

3. Be sure to drink plenty of water and take vitamins. Chronic dehydration can cause the body to have trouble regulating heat, which could lead to cholinergic urticaria. This is just a theory, but it makes sense. Whenever you don't have enough water in your body, it's harder to sweat too, and that seems to be a problem with cholinergic urticaria. People with cholinergic urticaria don't sweat properly. So be sure to drink lots of water, at least 10 glasses a day.

4. Antihistamines could treat cholinergic urticaria.
   If you need relief from the hives, try Claritin or Zyrtec daily, and add 2 Benadryl if you start to experience symptoms. Some people get relief from the antihistamines, and others don't.
   
   If you start to experience symptoms, it may be helpful to drink a glass of ice water and hold ice on the roof of your mouth. This will quickly lower your body temperature. This could be a good fix if you're out when it's hot and feel your body warming up too much.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for food allergies, stress, chronic dehydration, medications, or a recent illness to help you pinpoint the cause of cholinergic urticaria.
• If you experience swollen throat, shortness of breath, or any signs of a severe allergic reaction, go to the emergency room. You could have exercise induced anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction usually related to a food allergy, such as wheat.

[Magentaslb]

on 11/2/2009 Good to know... my boyfriend has this problem....we found out that it was because he's allergic to chocolate! Bummer, right? 5*s

[nik1512]

on 10/29/2009 i have had urticaria now for 6 months and the best thing i have taken for it is renitidine 300mg it does not cure it but it curves it and stops u from coming out in the nasty rash or hives u can get it from ur docs hope that helps as its helping me

[makaksa]

on 6/24/2009 Good info on stopping hives