Cold Urticaria. Anyone Else?

[bizbiz]

Does anyone else suffer from cold urticaria? I have only experienced it a few times starting a little over a year ago, but now that it's winter here (Australia), it is happening more frequently. I'm usually very well rugged up with jackets, so it's only my legs that get affected. The hives will appear within 10 to 15 minutes of being outside, and disappear in around the same time once I go indoors and get warm.

For those of you who suffer from this, is this yours generally presents itself? Is cold urticaria a symptom of MCAD? I have an appointment with an immunoligist in a fortnight, so it will definitely be something I will bring ip with her.

[blueskies]

hi bizbiz

I'm in Australia too.

I get cold uritcaria but mostly it's from swimming in water which is too cold (when it first happened and for the following days I thought I had a problem with the water itself -- that's possible. But then I worked out that the temp of the water had dropped moving towards winter and that it was the cold that caused it (that was a few years ago). I'm not sure about other times. When I do go out on cold days my face goes bright red and my features on my face swell a little so this probably counts too. But generally, all over health, I do better in cool weather.

I have posted about chronic pressure urticaria but got no responses.

My urticaria is made worse by chemical, food, medicine insensitivies also. I have experienced urticaria from exercise in the past.

There's a good site at Dermnet NZ that you might not have seen -- it's quite comprehensive about urticaria and has a lot of good photos. (In that certain types of urticaria look exactly like what happens to me. Eg. pressure urticaria shots are spot on as are dermographism ones).

I think I've tried all the meds available for mast cell problems now except for ketifen (I think it is - sp?) and they have generally not been successful for me. H1 blockers help somewhat. I think maybe H2 blockers might help me a little (but not sure about this and they cause my constipation problems to be worse). Singulair triggers major pain migraine and sodium cromolglycate turns my skin red and hot (it's not supposed to do that). I've had my cortisol tested (normal -- I was stunned as I'm extremely anxious and stressed), I've had a tryptase test -- normal. I'm yet to have a urine catechloramine test. I think that's the next one. I had a referral to get it done but just have not got around to it. Too many doctors visits as it is.

Not sure what I'll try next or what I'll do. The pressure urticaria started about 10 years ago and average length of time people experience it is 9 years apparently. It can last from 2 weeks to 20 years in people. I consider myself already to have been in this for the long hall. I'm 57 and wish this stuff would go away. Magical thinking. One of my grandmothers had the same problem (caused by med reaction) but her's only lasted a few months. I got this info from my mother.

blue