Dermatographia
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PICTURES OF RASHES PAGE
Chronic Hives Skin Condition
Dermatographia and chronic hives skin condition is my problem as well. I came upon your healthy skin website and read it with great interest and so I thought I would e-mail you.
I first started having itchy spells about 3 weeks ago and when I scratched them, there would be red rash come out exactly where I had scratched myself. I thought, this is strange. I also noticed that if something was pressed against my skin for a while, I would also get a red rash appearing. I was waking up through the night feeling very hot and it would take a little while for this to go away. I never connected this with it, until I had done some research on Dermatographia and hives and seen where some people were hot like this. This waking up at night feeling hot, actually has been going on for several months. I also would get itchy after a bath, but I have always been like this. I would scratch a lot, but then no rash ever appeared previously. I have always had a habit of taking hot baths, but now I shower and use just barely warm water. I think that heating your body with a hot bath does not help the condition.
So, for the past 3 weeks, I tried to think of what could be causing this dermatographia...different foods, soaps, laundry soap, and so on, but there was only one different food that I had just started to eat in that time period. It contained soy, which I normally do not eat. I have not eaten it for a few weeks now and the rashes still come. So then I thought this is it, time to go to the doctor. He mentioned the word Dermographia, but said that it was a broad word and covers a wide range of skin conditions. He thought that it might be brought on by my system becoming overly sensitized by all the pollen that is now on the go. So he put me on Reactine 20 mg. for 2 weeks and then I was to stop it and see how I was doing. The pharmacist said to do it for 3 weeks, so I will do one better and take them for 4 weeks. If I am no better, the doctor wants me to go back to see him. He did say that he hoped the Reactine would help.
A person has to be optimistic, but my gut feeling is that this dermatographia is not going to be gone in 2 weeks or 4 weeks. I hope it will be, but I will not be surprised if it is not. I am not sure how many e-mails you get, but if you have time to answer this I have a few questions, if you do not mind.
Do you have allergies? I plan on getting referred for allergy testing when I next see the doctor. Answer: Although I do have dermatographia and hives I do not have any known food allergies. I have reacted to wine at times, but not consistently.
Do you have dry sensitive skin? I do. I have read that dry skin does not help this condition. Answer: I tend to have dry skin in the winter months. My skin is probably a bit more dry than the average person during the winter. My skin is probably slightly more sensitive than average as well.
So the noni juice helped you. I have read about it and seen where many people could not tolerate it. So you tolerated it well? Answer: I did tolerate the noni juice well. The dose was 30ml per day.
I notice that when I do scratch my skin it has a burning sting to it, though not enough to show hives. Do your hives come out without scratching? After a bath, I have sometimes noticed a rash on my feet and nowhere else and this goes away in about 30-60 minutes. Since I started to shower with just warm water, I have had no rash appear on my feet afterwards. Other than that, my rashes only appear when I scratch or have something pressed against my skin. Answer: The hives appear with scratching and pressure. Hot showers also promote the hives in my case.
I notice that for me, I can have something pressing into my shoulders and upper back and I get no rash, but I do on my arms and legs. I have also read that large doses of vitamin C will help a lot.
I am 57 years old and the doctor did tell me that it was very unusual to get dermatographia at my age. Apparently it begins at much earlier ages.
Well, right now I cannot think of anything else. This is a very recent event for me so I am at the beginning of researching dermatographia. I look forward to hearing from you and do hope that all is well for you.
Take care.
Gary
Dermatographia
In every entry I have read in this dermatographia and hives blog (which in and of itself has been comforting to know that I am not the only one that suffers from this odd condition)....BUT.....I have something that might give us hope! It is not one of the easiest suggestions, but it sure worked for me! We may be allergic to gluten y'all! I experimented with a completely raw diet (there are tons of good books on how to get started) and my condition of the itching and chronic hives was GONE 100%! That is, after being completely raw for over a month.
Circumstances having to do with a great friend coming to town caused my stringent diet to gradually go back to the SAD (Standard American Diet) way of eating and sure enough the dermatographia and hives are back with a vengeance and I have not had the motivation to start up with raw again. Can you imagine KNOWING what works for me (at least) and NOT doing it? My doctor said she had met someone who was allergic to gluten and could (and did) write her name on her arm only to have it welt up like what we are all experiencing. So if it's ONLY GLUTEN, the diet would not be quite as difficult as going completely raw. But after reading books on how very healthy one can get on a 100% raw diet, it's worth trying at least.
I am going back to raw again so I can be relieved of this awful dermatographia condition. Take probiotics too.
Barbie
