Hives From Temperature Dysregulation / Being Cold

[AllAboutPeace]

Does anyone get hives from feeling extreme cold or heat?

I've noticed this "rash" on my back (covers most of it) a few times since my illness (it comes and goes), but it never made the priority list for discussion at my docs appts. Earlier this week, I noticed it and took a picture as it was quite inflammed and I went to see my family doc about it today. He confirmed that it is hives (urticaria) and talked about the possible causes. I couldn't pin it on any food that would be an obvious offender, and then he mentioned that it can be caused by extreme temperature changes. I immediately recalled a few days before when I had been sitting outside with friends in the evening. I had three layers of clothing on (much more than everyone else) and when we moved inside, they were in tshirts and added a fan to the room, but I had already gotten chilled from being outside, so I kept all my layers on, plus added a heavy doubled over blanket around me as well. That was enough to keep me from getting the really nasty teeth chattering; almost convulsive shaking that it would normally progress to.

My doc recommended anti-histamine.

I'd love to hear others experiences...

[brethor9]

Hi Peace

I also have been diagnosed with hot and cold urticaria....and I do get the rashing on my chest, arms and legs....especially when exposed to heat and then suddenly cold..... antihistamines have helped me a little with this.....give one a shot hopefully it will give you some relief

[NMPotsie]

I get these as well. I did an at-home test and took pictures for my doctor. He sent me to an allergist to confirm. In my case antihistamines didn't do much to get rid of the hives once they came up so I was prescribed topical corticosteroids, which helped tremendously. Also, when they are really bad, they give me one of those 14-day courses of prednisone. The heat ones are the worst for me, and while the antihistamines do help prevent them from occurring they didn't touch the hives that had already emerged.

[AllAboutPeace]

Thanks!

Hmm, so if it is from temperature change, I wonder if it was from being cold outside to then eventually warming up under all the layers and blanket when I came in - or if it would have been from just getting suddenly cold outside because I was fine and then cold??

Do either of you consider this a POTS thing or is this something you have had before?

NMPotsie: I'm curious..how did you to the at home test?

[brethor9]

for me I have always had this problem...even as a young child..never done well with quick temp changes......I think it is more of an allergy thing but the dysauto probably makes the whole system much more sensitive.....I think its also why I am having problems with the whole mast cell thing....but was it the chicken before the egg is what I am still trying to figure out.....

[NMPotsie]

Like Brethor, I had them before. I started getting the heat ones when I was 15. The cold issues are weird; I don't get the hives, but my skin gets red from exposure to very cold air/ac and will peel off for days, like a sunburn. It's awful. In my case it doesn't have anything to do with change in temperature. I get them if it's hot, even if I stay hot, and vice-versa with the cold ones. Doctors are also pursuing mast-cell in my case, so it may be related to that.

A lady on a pots support group told me about the home tests. For the cold, you put an icecube on your skin for 10 minutes or so and then see if you get the welts. For the heat one, I took one of those little pyrex bowls and put warm water in it and held it on my skin for 15 minutes (they use a test-tube in the allergists office). They are looking for welts or redness that does not subside pretty rapidly. I took a pic of my skin 3 hours after the heat one and it was still really, really, red. I have the same issue if I take a hot bath (which I can't do bc of pots, but used to love). I stay red for several hours after the bath, and get small itchy hives all over. You can google "heat/cold urticaria test" and sort of figure it out from there. I just got squeezed in to the allergist who confirmed the diagnosis, even though I've suffered for years no one tied it to the heat or listened to me when I told them it was heat-related. Doctors!

[azmusiclover]

NM Potsie, is there a specific area of the skin they say to try the test on? Like arm is better than leg, or do it on your tummy or? I think that would be really interesting to do before I go see the allergist in case it's a rare time that I don't have a skin flare up going on. Thanks!

[NMPotsie]

AZ: yeah, they say to do it on the forearm, underneath (the area where you have no/very little hair). I took pictures because my skin isnt always predictable either. I was allergic to bleached sheets for about 3 months, and suddenly they don't bother me! Mine is so finicky I thought I better document prior to going to the doc. It showed up easily at the allergist, though. If you take antihistamines, don't take them prior to the test. They say 8 days, but I only waited 3, and it worked.

[azmusiclover]

Awesome. Thank you. I don't know about going off the antihistamines though.... I'm pretty much useless and sick without my hydrox! I'll have to think about that one....