topic Re: Menopause and hives??!!! in Wellness

Menopause and hives??!!!

Kennedy — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 22:20:27 GMT

Hi ladies,

Has anyone out there ever had hives associated with menopause??!! Please tell me someone has experienced this. I can have the strangest issues happen to me!

Thanks for any info!

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Feline Fine — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 04:44:58 GMT

Nope! But there's a possibility for everything.

Since you seem desperate to hear from others with the same or similar issue, why don't you just use Google to search 'menopause and hives'? And also 'menopause and rashes'.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

willdob3 — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 05:28:37 GMT

There can be a connection. Do a Google search on the subject & you'll find a lot of info.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Kennedy — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 16:10:15 GMT

Thanks.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Iluvlucy — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 22:19:46 GMT

Yes!!!! I have been breaking out in hives before my period for quite some time. I'm at least 3 weeks overdue this time and have been having hives pop up here and there so have been taking Benedryl.

There is some hormonal connection with it. I read an article years ago and wish I could remember what it said.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Classique — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 22:54:21 GMT

Wow I had that problem but thought it was nerves and/or an allergy.

I finally went to my dr. after I had huge ones the size of pancakes all over my back. I'd done some research online and made an appt. after reading up on chronic uticaria but do not recall there having been an association with menopause mentioned. I was 57 years old at the time.

The doctor referred me to an allergist who did a blood test and I was allergic to dust mites and various trees, all of which are around my house and neighborhood. I also smoked then and was in the habit of leaving the windows open which of course lets all the pollen in.

Neither doctor mentioned menopause and I just was prescribed Benadryl which helped.

Menopause could well have had something to do with it and the allergies I guess.

Good luck to you and be careful with this as hives can be life threatening. Google hives and you will learn a lot. They are very bad if they break out in your mouth or throat. This is why people with peanut allergies have to be so careful. I'd heard about those but never thought mine were serious until one day I was eating and suddenly my mouth felt so strange.

Luckily I was home at the time and (sorry to be gross) went to the bathroom mirror to see what was wrong and to my horror and shock saw that my tongue had swollen to almost twice the normal size all in a minute or so. I'd never had anything like this happen but vaguely remember having hives as a very young toddler and eating rice baby cereal and oatmeal baths but nothing since except hay fever.

Fortunately I had Benadryl on hand and took one and then went to the nearest urgent care clinic where they gave me a shot of epinephrine IIRC and told me to continue with it. This was the single most urgent incident but I had a few similar, ie. leaving church and getting in my car, putting seatbelt on and lips going numb and swelling just as I started the engine. Then I had a few brief breakouts elsewhere on my face like one eyelid suddenly swelling. That happened as I was driving with the window down in the spring and felt like an eyelash was in my eye. When I wiped my eye, the strangest feeling came over and within minutes it was swollen almost shut....very much like the episode with the tongue.

So please be very careful and have this checked by your doctor and keep Benadryl on hand because you just never know when you might need it. Also, you must be very careful with Benadryl as it makes you quite drowsy and you should not drive if possible or mix with alcohol.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

CatBagLover — Sat, 22 Mar 2014 00:18:53 GMT

I developed skin issues as I crossed over into menopause. I'd get bumps, sores and itching on the palms of my hands. I used hydrocortisone cream, and a prescription similar to that, on my hands. And I couldn't even sleep unless I took Benadryl to stop the itching, which was more pronounced at night time.

After months of experimentation, I determined I was suddenly allergic to Formaldehyde (in my nail polish), which made my skin flare up even worse. And I also had become allergic to cocoa liquor, found in drink liquors and chocolate desserts. I cut out both of those triggers. And, via a tip I read online on a menopause forum, I began using over the counter Progesterone Cream. Within weeks of starting the cream, my skin returned to normal. After being miserable for nearly a year, and even biopsies from my puzzled dermatologist, my hands healed! To this day, I still use the Progesterone cream. And, naturally, I now avoid my known allergy triggers.

Anyway, good luck to you!...

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

colliemom4 — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 02:37:04 GMT

Menopause definitely made my skin more sensitive and dry. It does crazy things to the body and emotions. I hope you feel better soon.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Webe — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 06:00:06 GMT

Definitely consider going to the doctor if this continues just to make sure nothing serious is brewing. My mother broke out in ongoing horrible hives out of the blue and after numerous tests and many doctor visits from one doctor to another she received a diagnosis of lymphoma. She was well past menopause though and hopefully it will be nothing serious, but better safe and reassured. Blessings to you.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

ID2 — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 20:12:11 GMT

On 3/20/2014 willdob3 said:
There can be a connection. Do a Google search on the subject & you'll find a lot of info.

Do a Google search?? Are you kidding? What ever happened to suggesting a doctor! Why the OP doesn't make a doctor appt is beyond me.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Kennedy — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:41:47 GMT

UPDATE:

I had been to a dermatologist before I posted on this site. Just thought maybe someone else out there had some experience with the same issue. The dermatologist told me to put RX cream on it and if it got worse come back to see him in a week.

Well, the weekend came and I got much worse and ended up in Quick Care where the Dr. told me I had to be allergic to the HRT Combipatch I had been prescribed weeks prior. I never thought I'd be allergic to that because the breakout was not near the patch. And, the pharmacist never warned me of possible rash breakout because the percentage of that happening was nearly less than 1%. I asked her when I went back to get the 4 prescriptions prescribed by the Quick Care dr.

With that being said....I went back to my obstetrician the following Monday morning and she immediately told me to stop wearing the patch (which I had already taken off) as I was allergic to either the adhesive or the synthetic hormones themselves.

Hopefully, if someone else does experience this same problem when prescribed the hormone patch they'll immediately call their obstetrician. It wasn't poison ivy nor was it something I had eaten that caused the weird reaction. Next time, I may Google my concerns but I won't be posting them here.

Those who did offer friendly advice thank you!!

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

Mindy D — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 04:51:20 GMT

Yes, I remember my last cycle, I was getting them under my pants and I tried to rub/scratch my legs while I was teaching. This caused blood to run down my legs. I had been sitting on a stool, wearing black pants, thank goodness. I got up off the stool and there was blood dripping down over my feet and shoes and the floor. A coworker came in my room at that time and wondered why there was blood on the floor. Just hope your hives stop soon. I had them for three or four months and then they stopped. You could ask your doctor about antihistamines.

Re: Menopause and hives??!!!

debcakes — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 19:23:08 GMT

Yes, I had similar incidents as mentioned by Pprmintpatti and Clasique.

Mine included huge swellings where there was pressure. These could be around my waist from waistbands or even my hands swelling like baseball mitts after golf. I also got the pancake size hives. After a very long time, we noticed that the time of sensitivity was from the time of ovulation to my period. Never right after. I went to a gynecologist and was put on one of the birth control methods that stops ovulation and no more hives. Obviously, hormones were wacky. I would suggest that you see about hormone testing and possibly the bc shots. i kept the shots up until we were pretty sure I would be done with periods and I have had very few hives since.

Good luck. It can take a long time to figure these problems.