Hives, Chronic Archives

Chronic Hives - Testimonial

Hi all;

This is my first time posting to this site, but I've been reading all of the posts and archives here for the past several months. This site is the main reason that I am healthy today, because it educated me on healthier eating, and the benefits of relaxation & exercise. This is what pushed me to make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor in my area.

For me, the hives started in February of 2004 (about the second week). Since then, I've seen 4 doctors, an allergist, and a dermatologist. I've gone back to my own family doctor four times since this started. No one found anything wrong with me - I don't seem to be allergic to anything, and I don't seem to have anything physically wrong with me.

I have taken various drugs for the hives (I tried all over the counter stuff that was available, and then moved on to prescription drugs - hydroxyzine, aerius, prednisone, doxepin, etc), none of which gave me total relief (not even for a little while). I took Doxepin for approximately 8 months - I started with a low dosage (10mg) about 2-3 times daily, and 30mg at bedtime. It was the first drug that even helped a little bit, but it never cleared the hives completely (not even close). There were still bad days, but I knew that without it, it would be much worse. I made the mistake a few times of missing one dose, and I paid dearly for it. After about 2 months on this dosage, it seemed like I had built up a tolerance to it, and it wasn't helping at all. I went to the doctor, and got a new prescription, this time for 25mg, 2-3 times a day, and 50-75mg at bedtime. Talk about being knocked out! I've never slept so well in my life. But dragging myself out of bed every morning was a huge chore, and I always felt fatigued and out of it during the day. Along with the larger dose of Doxepin, my doctor tried me on Ranitidine (Zantac) twice a day, and 1 Singulair at bedtime. He had heard that this "cocktail" of medications sometimes helped for people with this type of problem. It did help, but not all the time. For me it just seemed like it was helping to control the hives a bit, but never ever took them away. Most days I would classify my hives as anywhere from 3-7 on a scale of 1 to 10, while on the meds. Off meds, it was 7-10 and higher (in no time). It was unbearable. It completely changed my quality of life. I was always tired, and got little or no pleasure out of day-to-day life. I was itchy all the time, and being on the drugs just added to how badly I was feeling already. I knew I couldn't continue living this way.

About 6-7 weeks ago, I started seeing a Naturopathic doctor. He took a lot of time with me and learned all about me. After the second visit, he put me on a detox/fast. For the most part, this is what I did - I cut out all sugar, dairy, white flour, refined carbohydrates, caffeine, alcohol, red meat, any foods with additives & preservatives, common allergen foods (peanuts, chocolate, cow's milk, corn, eggs, etc.) - and ate fresh natural foods like white meat, fruit, vegetables, beans & legumes, nuts & seeds, whole grains, and brown rice (bascially a whole foods diet). Then, for a couple of days, I took away some of those foods (the meat, then the nuts & seeds & beans, then the rice), until I was down to raw fruits & veggies only for a day. Then I had one day of "nothing but water". After that, I started adding the foods back in, in the same order that I took them away, and by the end of that, was back to the original starting point (the whole foods diet). The DAY after the "nothing but water" day, the hives completely stopped. I didn't take any medication that day either. I've continued on the diet of fresh foods only (I make soups, stews, all kinds of salads & rice dishes too), and I have now been hive-free, and medication-free for almost 5 entire weeks. It is SHOCKING. I have had hives every single day since the beginning of February. Sometimes I still can't believe it that they're gone (cross fingers).

I've read & learned a lot about foods (especially processed & packaged foods), and how many "foreign" things we put into our bodies that our bodies have to fight. And some of us just can't handle it. There becomes a point where our bodies just won't fight anymore. I truly believe that this is the reason for the hives that I got. I don't believe that I have an allergy, and I don't think it's caused by anything else. This simple (well, not so simple at times!) change in my diet has completely turned my life around. It IS hard - it totally changes your lifestyle, but if you've suffered enough, it's a VERY small price to pay. If you're creative enough, you can find LOTS of things to cook that taste good and are very filling. It just takes a little more effort & planning. Going out into social situations can be difficult, but you find ways to get through it, and feel so much better afterward anyway.

Anyway, I'm hopeful that I've found my cure, but I also am a bit skeptical - I do worry a bit that they could come back at any time. But almost five weeks of freedom from the hives has been fantastic - compared to the lifetime of hell over the last 9 months. I'd like to believe that the main reason is the fact that I've rid my body of all those "foreign" toxins and other bad stuff. I feel much much better than I have in a very long time.

I'm hoping that sharing my story will help others - this has been a difficult experience, but I'm so much better off now, and I'm SO much healthier. I've tried to take more time for myself, to relax and de-stress every day, and I think this has been a big part of it. I'm trying to get regular exercise as well - and it's much easier now that I'm feeling so much better (off the meds!) But for me it seems like changing my diet has been the main action that has turned things around for me, and I wanted to share that with everyone here. I've read all of your stories for comfort, and I hope that mine can do that for you as well.

Take care,
Ang

Re: Chronic Hives - Testimonial

Re: Chronic Hives - Testimonial

Re: Chronic Hives - Testimonial