It has been 2 months since I had my last hive.

I was stuck on the notion that my issue HAD TO be environmental.

I am officially in remission. It has been 2 months since I had my last hive.
My experience with hives began in February of 2018. I had taken a hot bath with essential oils and from the very next day on I had horrendous hives everyday. I tried everything. Changed my diet, different vitamin combinations, switched my BC, used baking soda for all my laundry, went fragrance-free, stopped using all soaps, at one point stopped using certain water, etc. Nothing was helping. I also had weird situations where any time I was on vacation or had to leave town, I wouldn’t get hives. I was stuck on the notion that my issue HAD TO be environmental.
Well finally I had decided to discontinue my BC altogether. I had gotten the nexplanon implant in late July of 2017 and didn’t think it could relate to my issues, but I had it removed for other reasons and switched to the depo-shot. It was working really well for me but in an attempt to figure out these hives I decided to completely cleanse my system. I got my last shot in June and didn’t go to my following appointment in September. My hives started to dwindle down, I stopped taking my antihistamine in November, and now I’m completely hive free. Turns out my body hates progesterone. What that means for me I’m not sure, but I’m glad to be at the bottom of it now. I still think part of my issue involves the environment I live in (lots of farming nitrate run-off in our water supply, crops aren’t currently being sprayed due to winter so that could be helping me as well).
I thought the last thing that could be causing my problems was the BC since I had gotten it so long before the hives had begun and the only issue I had was my complete emotional instability lol. If there’s something that any of you have been doing for a long time prior to the start of your hives and you’ve thought it couldn’t possibly be the cause, think again. I know this won’t apply for everyone but I hope this could help a few of you out there.

Discussion

Jan Maher
Hayley Lazo, you bring up an important point. In my constant reading about hives, I’ve come across a caution about certain blood pressure medications that can cause hives suddenly, after not being problematic for months or years. I don’t take blood pressure meds, but for those who do, it’s something to look into.

Hayley Lazo
Jan Maher definitely an important thing to consider. I turned out to be one of those people and would urge everyone to talk to their doctor about their existing medications.

Claire Pedersen
Yes my hives were a reaction to blood pressure meds but didn’t start until 3/4 months after I started taking them and got really bad to almost full body coverage only about 4/5 months after the dose was increased, so took ages to connect the hives to the meds. I’ve managed to come off the meds now through strict diet but still get hives still every now and then

Sarah McLaughlin
What bp meds can cause hives?

Jan Maher
Sarah PMc ACE inhibitors.

Heidi Marie
Wow this is incredible information! I am currently on BC and have been for YEARS as well. Maybe this is my problem too!! I’m also doing a cleanse / hypo allergenic everything and it hasn’t affected my hives for the better. I want to try this idea!! How did you regulate your cycle once you stopped taking the BC????

Hayley Lazo
Heidi Marie unfortunately I’m still irregular and trying to decide what I want to do from here. I’ll need to talk to my doctor about my options, but I’ll take irregular periods over hives any day lol

Heidi Marie
Hey that’s ok! I know there are some hormone / liver support supplements that may help! I think I am going to do the same thing!! Fingers crossed!!

Hayley Lazo
Heidi Marie I wish you luck!!

Heidi Marie
Hayley Lazo LoL thanks girl!!

Lorraine Irvine
Let us know if things improve after you stop using your BC.

Heidi Marie
Lorraine Irvine ok will do for sure !!

Kimberly Garrett
Happy to hear that you’re in remission! 💗 And yes, birth control can wreck havoc on our hormonal balance and immune system!
Also, please be aware that the issue is not actually progesterone. The problem with BC is that it’s synthetic progesterone so it’s actually progesTIN. Progestin causes us to be estrogen dominant and actually low in progesterone. I’ve been diagnosed with this problem too and it’s important to get help with getting your hormones balanced out with a knowledgeable naturopathic physician. Regular doctors do not handle this issue which is incredibly frustrating considering how many women are suffering from issues related to bc. 😣 I hope you continue to have success!

Lorraine Irvine
Hmmm interesting. I had a similar situation happen to me. I had the Mirena IUD and so many issues evolved after a few years. I developed other auto-immune disorders and thought for years afterwards that I had Raynaud’s Syndrome (which I now know was actually Cold Urticaria. After having it removed, most of the symptoms went away. 13 years later it’s returned. I’m sure it’s hormonally induced. I think it returned either because I am starting perimenopause or because I got pregnant.

Lorraine Irvine
Has your CU resolved since seeing your naturopathic Dr? What type of treatments are you doing?

Hayley Lazo
Very interesting, thank you very much for that information!

Kimberly Garrett
Lorraine Irvine I’ve been in remission due to going vegan 9 years ago and subsequent 10-day cleanses that I’ve done three times in the last 2 years (which have basically saved my life each time). But that doesn’t mean I’m cured. Hormones are so complicated, everyone is truly different but it is definitely worth exploring. The interesting part is that estrogen also decreases histamine degradation (increasing histamine in the body), which in turn increases more estrogen, and so on. It’s a viscous cycle. So this means that we end up histamine intolerant. This also explains why my cleanses have helped me because I’m cleansing the liver and the histamine degradation pathways. All very interesting but also complicated like a spider web. That’s why there isn’t one thing that will cure us. I also strongly feel that decreasing our toxic load in our daily lives effects all of this as well. That means toxins like heavy metals, mold, glyphosate, and other chemicals like artificial perfumes, VOCs, etc. All of this is is correlated to how our hormones and histamine pathways are regulated. In addition, I am also suffering from post concussive syndrome from a total of 7 concussions, the most recent was last year from a serious car accident. This means that the pituitary gland also gets damaged, which is the organ at the base of the skull that regulates sex hormones, thus adding to my personal struggle with estrogen dominance. It all ties together in a very complicated web! If you want to talk further, feel free to message me. 🙂

Jill Kowalski
I’m the mom of a toddler with autoimmune CU. But I had a similar experience to yours with Nexplanon. I had skin issues, severe pelvic pain, horrible bleeding and general feeling of depression and extreme weight gain. I also have chronic migraine and it definitely made my condition worsen. 3 months after getting it removed and I’m starting to get back to my baseline before having it implanted.

Hayley Lazo
Jill Kowalski I definitely had some of your same issues, primarily the emotional instability and irregular bleeding. And by irregular, I mean constant. It was awful. I’m glad you’re starting to feel normal again!

Diane Zack
👏👏👏So happy for you!

Rabiya McKeverne
This is really helpful. Please could you answer this question; were your hives worst just before a period?

Hayley Lazo
Rabiya McKeverne it’s hard to say since the nexplanon caused me to have more frequent longer periods and the depo-shot kept me from having my period altogether. Things have been so irregular in that department that I really can’t indicate if they were worse around then. All I know is I was breaking out every single day on every possible surface.

Rabiya McKeverne
Thank you for replying and your honesty. I really hope you never get them again. I flared all summer and know what that is like. Best of luck my friend

Tracey Freeman
Rabiya, hormonal times (menses and ovulation) are definitely a trigger for my hIves.

Sue Elshire Hargrave
Woohoo! Gotta love that! So happy for you!

Layla Smith
So happy you are in remission!

KayLa Dee
Off topic careful with depo. I took it for yrs not knowing it was breaking down my bones and causing tons if joint pain. Naturopath yanked me off it.

Hayley Lazo
Kayla Dee definitely, I don’t plan on taking it again.

KayLa Dee
My fam Dr put me on it after my last baby to prevent period as mine were bad and I’ve had tubal ligation. Joys of womanhood NOT

Cathy Terrillion Buckingham
Remission whats that???? Lol. Remission for me is when i only have one spot and my scalp doesn’t itch like crazy..

Susan Lynn
Good for you ! Every time I say that I break out again

Megan Janna
What is a BC?

Hayley Lazo
Megan Janna Birth Control

Megan Janna
Hayley Lazo 😊 Makes sense now. Lol

Allison Aileen
I hope you are in remission, but just so you know, it can come back any time. I was in remission for 8 months before it came back.

Hayley Lazo
Allison Seib I’m definitely enjoying each day I’m hive-free for now, counting my blessings. Fingers crossed.