I've suffered with what I believe to be Chronic Urticaria for about 10 years now. The vast majority of the time and also the worst is when I come out of the bath or shower. The itching is hell on earth, no visible rash/weals. The only thing that works is to take an anti-histamine about 10 mins before going into the bath or shower. Occasionally moving from a hot area to a very cold area will set the itching off. I've seen a Dermatologist, had skin patch tests etc but all fine. I personally blame all the vaccinations I was given during my time in the RAF. Anyone know of anything else I could try?

TIA

Gaz
 

I strongly recommended Aloe Vera products and avoiding strong shower gels etc.  Try shower/bath products from Forever Living 0844 453 2024, I really think they can help you.

Good luck! 

 

Hi Gaz,I'd really recommend Homeopathy here. Try the  Alliance of Registered Homeopaths for a practitioner near you, it's probably best to get hold of a classical homeopath in this case. Usually get pretty good results.Mari

I agree about the Homeopathy but also try The Society of Homeopaths - see their website at www.homeopathy-soh.org and put in your postcode. I suggest you choose someone who graduated over 5 years ago and therefore is  more experienced.

Hi Gaz

 Firstly, a water filter for your home might be useful if there are chemicals in the water that your body doesn't like.  There is a suggestion that breathing in steam from heated mains water can lead to skin irritation, eye irritation and brittle hair because of the chlorine and other chemicals that the water contains.  Have a look at the www.freshwaterfilter.com site for more info.

Secondly, a plumber recently told me that water that remains in a showerhead after use tends to be at the perfect temperature for bugs to breed.  He suggested taking apart the showerhead periodically in order to disinfect it.  I'm not sure if it helped or if there was another factor in play at the time but my skin stopped being itchy after showers when I started doing this myself.

Thirdly, it might be advisable to check out the ingredients of any soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shower gel, moisturisers etc that you use.  Many contain a potent mix of chemicals that are positively unfriendly to the body, let alone skin.  These include parabens, propylene glycol, sodium laurel sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), to name but a few. You could get more info about stuff it might suit you to avoid at www.thenaturalskincarecompany.co.uk/

 If it doesn't seem to be related to your domestic water supply and you're already using natural toiletries, then checking for candidiasis/taking colloidal silver might help.  to find out a little about colloidal silver www.all-natural.com/silver-1.html (that was just found after a quick "google" so can't vouch for all of the content)

Good luck, Gaz.  Hope some of this is helpful for you.

 Hev

Hi there, Sorry to hear you are having a horrible time. I would definitely recommend homeopathy for this condition. Try either Alliance of Regiestered Homeopaths www.a-r-h.org/ or The Society of Homeopaths www.homeopathy-soh.org/. Both will have a list of practitioners in your area. Or you could get in touch with one of the many colleges and attend a student clinic. Much cheaper and you will get the attention of a bunch of very eager students along with the support from their very experienced teachers. Both websites have a list of recognised colleges you can get in touch with

Also try bathing in Urtica tincture, put a few drops in your bath water. Its made from nettles, so helps the symptoms you describe.

Best of luck

Hi, I sorry to say water filters are usles really as they don't remove half as much crap from the water. Invest in a small water distiller and drink the distilled water. This is pure drinking water at its best. Also try rubbing in organic unpasturised, unfilttered, apple cider vinegar. This has been know to cure Urticaria. Also start loving yourself, say repeatedly in your mind 'I love you' over and over again. This is from an ancient Hawaiian healing called Ho'ponopono. Google it as there is much info about it. Dr Hew Len, PhD and Joe Vitale wrote an excellent book about it called Zero Limits. Everytime the negative aspect comes to mind with the itching, just say over and over in your mind: 'I Love You'

I've had two major bouts of Urticaria over the years the last one 10yrs ago and lasted seven months, I sympathyse with you so much. My though, just disappeared overnight and hasn't returned.

Good Luck, Christopher 

 

 

Hi Gaz!
Something you may not have been tested for is copper poisoning.  The tests for this are hair analysis and/or a 24-hour urine catch.  Your doctor should be able to do either or both of these tests.  The body will dump copper in different ways.  Sometimes through the skin.  Your source of copper could be your house water, if it is acidic,  that goes through the house's copper pipes; and, of course, copper cookware is hazardous as well.  You drink, eat and bathe in the dissolved copper.  Very bad.   You must stop taking in the copper, and you must get the copper out of the body, especially out of the liver!  Have your tap water tested.  If you have copper in your water, your diet must avoid sugar and oils.  Those stop the release of copper.  Unless you have bad symptoms, then we don't want to kill the patient with the cure.  Include good fats and some sugars (carbohydrates).

Acidic water can be neutralized where it comes into the house by using a water conditioner to make the water hard, thus stopping the dissolving  of the copper (or lead, etc.) pipes.  At your kitchen tap you will have a water purifier so your potable water is clean.  But bathing in the hard water will not be hazardous to your health. 

 Best of Luck,

Jennefer
 

Hello Gaz,

I have great sympathy for you because I suffer from this also and find it quite soul destroying.  While anti-histamines work well they give me a slightly spaced out feeling and I would be afraid of getting too dependent on them, although I have to resort to them if going to a function or night away.  You've had lots of positive replies and it really does seem to be a case of trying different options till you find the answer.  I find that taking warm baths with essential oils instead of showers helps.  The oils are cleansing and this means you don't need any soap or other products.  The oils I use are chamomile and lavender, three drops of each.  That's all you need.  I've tried every cream around and the only one which helps is called Active Cream 1 by a company based in the north of Scotland called Aromantic - they have a web site.  It is an all natural cream.  I am currently on a detox because I noticed that drinking wine definitely increased the itching, so if getting relief means giving up wine, I will do it because I am so desperate to get rid of this problem.

I often wonder if there is a psycological aspect.  Another area worth looking into.  I wish you the best of luck!  Margaret

ps.  has anyone ever said to you - don't scratch you'll only make it worse!!! 

 

A friend had this after a hip replacement.  An allergy can sometimes flair up, and is said to last from a few weeks to over a year!

My daughter, in her mid twenties developed this, although otherwise very healthy.  a complete change of diet cleared it, she had to avoid wheat, dairy, vinigar, alcohol, and so many other things i cant remember, but it worked.  She can now eat normally after about 6 months of this diet, and gradually intoducing each item back again.  She felt so much more energy, and slept better on the restricted diet.

Hello Gaz,

First of all I think you need to start again. You could try not showering or bathing too often as this will help to calm the skin and stop it from drying out too much. Once a week, maximum twice. Bathing will not only dry your skin out more but it will also not get rid of impurities as much as showering. You could also get a water filter, either in the shower head or connect it directly to the mains. I would suggest you also take a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach and Omega 3, 6 and 9 later during the day. Please buy a better quality product from the omegas such as (Viridian), try to stick to the vegetable oils. I would suggest that avoid taking the cod liver oils or fish oils for the time being as they will take longer to get out of your system and that is the last thing that you need right now. Please start eating everyday either plain Activia yogurt or Soya Sun which have the good bacteria in them. Avoid the sweet flavoured ones, you don't need the extra sugars feeding your sytem right now. Avoid drinking coffee as this will rob your body of its nutrients and iron. (Prewetts) Chicory coffee is a great tasting alternative that you can buy in a health store. I would also suggest that you buy a Propolis Creme and Aloe Vera Drinking Gel from www.aloeveraonline.co.uk ( I hope that you're not alergic to honey, as people who are allergic to honey don't always do very well with this product). OxCgen or Oxytech, this will help clean your colon. Please go for for either of these products, they are both equally as effective. If all else fails lets say after about 6 months to a year then I would seriously suggest that you go on a yeast, wheat, sugar and dairy free diet for a thorough cleanse. Fungi may be your problem especially after all the vaccinations that you've had to take. If you do decide to do this, then do it for a couple of years. Erica White is a fabulous author on this subject and I would suggest that you buy her book and follow the diet. I'm sure this will help you greatly.

Hi

I've suffered from urticaria for about 10 years although I'm pretty sure mine is from hormonal or emotional origin rather than an external source.  If you google "dermographic urticaria" then that might answer some questions.

One very helpful thing I have found is that plain cornflour for some reason calms the itching.  Just dip your finger in a pot and smooth it over the itchy bits.  Apparently making a cream with white or cider vinegar is even better and if anyone can find a way of handling the resulting stuff I'd like to hear it!  I just use it neat.

 Sue

I would definitely suggest you check what is in your shower gels and shampoos as they could well be making you itch.  My skin has been much better since I stopped using ones with harsh chemicals (such as sodium lauryl sulphate) in them.  I recommend Aubrey Organics products, which are available in health food stores and online (and also on eBay).  There is a useful list of chemicals to avoid here: http://www.aubreyorganicsuk.co.uk/about-aubrey-organics.html   Many of the European companies who belong to the BDIH, such as Weleda, also produce safe skin-care products.  You really need to read-up on the subject and then keep checking the labels - most products from the mainstream companies that you'll find in supermarkets and chemists that say they are natural are actually full of chemicals that are known skin irritants! 

I too once suffered very badly from urticaria which, at the end, erupted after almost every meal.  By the by, my husband was being treated for cancer by a very well respected alternative therapist and he offered him cleansing/detox products which I decided to take myself.  The products are American but you may be able to get them sent to the UK and they are Experience and Clear from the Awareness Corporation.  I had had a lifetime of constipation and I believe I had good old fashioned worms.  The Experience took care of the constipation and the Clear certainly eradicated the worms I had.  One day my toilet looked like somebody had thrown down a lot of spaghetti.  (Hope you like explicit!).  At the end of the course I felt like a new person and have never had any problem with urticaria since.  That was 11 years ago and my husband is fighting fit too.

 

Best of luck.

Gaz:

All of my adult life I’ve suffered from a constant itch 24/7 all over my body. At anytime of the day or night I’m scratching every few seconds. It caused problems in relationships and the red inflamed skin on the legs, knees, elbows, arms and butt cheeks were not attractive. Doctors had no idea what caused it and gave me the same old song and dance of - use mild soap, use lotions, etc. Nothing helped. About three years ago I read somewhere that some people were allergic to chlorine in the drinking water. So, for a week or ten days I drank only filtered, store bought drinking water. One day I was watching TV in my favorite chair and it hit me - I was NOT scratching!! I continue to use filtered drinking water for drinks, tea, coffee, and other uses in cooking. NO scratching!! To be free from the constant itch over my body is a God send. Try it - what could it hurt?

Dave

Waco, Texas USA