dx hives

[maria1223]

my 17 yr old daughter has been having these break outs of severe hives they r like welts.. her throught closes up & she has asthma. I've had her to the allergist, she was tested for CD & she had a colon & endo done. we've had all kinds of blood test on her the only thing that they can come up with is her thyroids r highno one can come up with what is wrong with her 1 Dr sends her to another Dr and so on. she doesn't get the hives all the time they come & go the 1 Dr. had her on 4 different steroids. I took her off of them because it was not helping her & made her gain almost 100 lbs in 13 weeks. I need some help if anyone knows anything about this.
thanks so much

[dkad]

I was diagnosed with DH about 1977 and because I couldn't seem to stick with wheat free diet he put me on pill of which I don't remember what was called but I had to have regular blood work to watch for side affects. Anyway he also prescribed an old fashioned remedy that worked wonderful and I still use it today. It is called coal tar, smells nasty but I put it on at bedtime when I need it. I only use it if I have a real bad inflamation. I don't know how easy it would be to get today as I had a huge tube and haven't had to see a Dr. for it for a number of years. I have a friend who has taken her to so many Drs I can't even count. They have put her on steriods and all kinds of stuff. I finally convinced her to try my stuff and the difference in a week was remarkable but she couldn't find a Dr. who would prescribe it for her. I also found out at the same time I was allergic to iodine which is related to DH and CD. When I have iodine I get the same type of itch. You might see if cutting out the iodine helps. When we have to go for someplace more than a few days I take my own salt and no one has minded using my noniodine salt. Hope this helps.
DKAD

[ddlfl]

I think the name of the pills dkad had is Dapsone. They do require
periodic blood work. I took them for about 18 months with no problem.
I was able to reduce the dosage and frequency and was eventually
able to stop taking them about 2 1/2 years ago. Hope this info helps.

[maria1223]

thanks for the info u sound just like my daughter. today I had her to the allergist & to her primary DR 1 after another. I'm going to call my drug store to find out if they know of this coal tar. she has countless dr's & has been in & out of the hospital ER. now they want her to go to an immunologist. I wiil keep u informed thanks again

[Calif gal]

I hope your daughter's drs have ruled out things like true allergies to the top 8 allergens: wheat, peanuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, soy, milk, and (tree) nuts.
You may try eliminating all of those, plus gluten, for a few weeks, and looking for improvement.
Is she taking any over the counter drugs? Some people get hives and throat swelling from the "DM" in OTC cough suppressants. Detromethorophan.
My mom takes dapsone. Her dr thinks its a substitute for a gf diet; but, my reading indicates it just covers up skin problems, while internal (incl intestinal) problems rage on.
Another thought - some people are allergic to nitrates, sulfites, artificial coloring (especially Red #40 and Yellow #5). My husband and daughter get hives and breathing problems from Yellow #5, and irritability from Red #40, even from the small amounts in medications and vitamins.
Hope this helps and your daughter can find some answers.

[Valley girl]

If your daughter's drs haven't suggested it, you should insist on going to a top notch teaching hospital, even if it requires an overnight stay away from home. Various members of my family regularly went to local doctors and hospitals in our area (well-respected) for YEARS, and I mean MORE THAN 40 YEARS, with various ailments.
All kinds of diagnoses and mis-diagnoses, and comments like, "Some people just seem to have all the problems!".
Our family had been diagnosed with RA, Lupus, colitis, diabetes, psoriasis
ezema, asthma, chronic sinusitis, "hay fever", malabsorption, Reynauds, neuropathy, ataxia, dermatisis, etc., etc., etc.!! Including, sadly, "This patient has so many complaints - they must have mental problems."
We spent enough on shots (mostly steriods), treatments, and prescriptions (mostly for asthma, allergies, and lots of antibiotics) to support a small town.
It wasn't until my daughter went away to college and ended up in a teaching hospital at a major university with top notch medical school that the autoimmune and allergy problems in our family were connected and we got some effective solutions. My daughter has CD, so we are lucky to have a lot of answers.
I hope a teaching hospital can come up with some answers and solutions for your daughter.
Sometimes being sent from dr to dr means that a dr is frustrated and doesn't know what to do, or has even given up.
Sorry this is so long, but my daughter isn't too much older than yours, and I feel like there must be some help out there. Praying for you.