Re: Urticaria Sufferer--Correction

[Guest guest]

---Last sentence should read with my " daughter " not doctor

In urticaria@y..., ladydi35_@e... wrote:

> --- Helen, welcome to the group, I am so glad I found this group, I

> always thought I was the only one suffering freakish swelling, as I

> have stated before, some of my family members and I have even had a

> doctor laugh at me when my lips were grossly swollen. As we all

know

> it is not funny..when you look like this life seems awful dim I

don't

> even want to go into the thoughts I have thought of when looking

> like that.

> I have missed serveral days of work over the years due to the

> swelling.

> I have food allergies, dairy, but I am also sensitive to pollen,

cut

> grass etc.

> The drug you take that begins with a " P " I have never heard of

> before, I take atarax (hydroxine), nasarel nasal spray, and

> mediprednisone and occasional cortisone shot when I do bad. I have

> been trying to watch what I eat

> more closely, and off some blood pressure medicine that was

> contributing to my angio/lip swelling--so I have not had any severe

> swelling for about 5 months. It is hot now, I usually swell really

> bad when it is hot, but so far so good. I just find it so amazing

how

> some doctors are so clueless, I been thru it with enough in my

> lifetime, but coming here has made me see so many others have

> experienced it to. There is a lot of exchange of knowledge in this

> group--you will learn alot...I have CU since I was 7years old,

> angio/swelling began in my 20's, the only time I was free of this

> when I was pregnant with my doctor, didn't have one hive for 9

> months!!

>

> Take Care

> Dy from Pa.

>

>

> In urticaria@y..., " Helen Greenhough " <helen.greenhough@d...> wrote:

> > Hi,

> >

> > I am a 33 year old female from the UK, and have suffered with

> chronic

> > urticaria coupled with angioedema since I was 13 years old.

> >

> > I often find it has been linked to stress or severe periods of

> illness (such

> > as flu) upset/trauma whenever I get the symptoms and also drug

> related from

> > antibiotics. At present I take a mixture of Clarityn

(loretadine)

> and

> > Piriton (which makes me so very drowsy) to ease the symptoms.

> >

> > I have severe facial swelling (angioedema) on my lips/cheeks and

> also my

> > eyelids swell to such a degree I cannot see out of them and have

to

> be

> > helped to the surgery to receive steroid treatment. My doctors

> did not do

> > any tests for me in all of these years, incidentally I only found

> out what

> > this condition was called because of my own investigations, any

> doctor I had

> > seen in the past did not recognise the symptoms and just put it

> down to

> > unknown allergy with no medical terminology - through all this I

> have found

> > most doctors unsympathetic to this condition.

> > I have had countless time off work, because of the fact that I

> cannot show

> > my face to anyone I look so freakish & ugly I cannot drink or eat

> until the

> > fluid on my lips has dispersed, I find people do not believe me

> when I

> > explain my symptoms until I show the Polaroid photos of myself

when

> I am

> > affected then they understand as they recoil in horror at the

> disfigurement.

> > I am just thankful that it goes down eventually within 2-3 days,

> but even

> > for the next few days I am left looking like i have just gained

20

> pounds

> > !!!

> >

> > One point the urticaria was so bad it covered my entire body from

> head to

> > foot, my hands and feet were huge and I was so hot and itchy I

> spent a whole

> > day lying in a bath full of ice cold water to soothe the heat

> coming from my

> > skin.

> >

> > I have been rushed to hospital because my throat closed up due to

my

> > voicebox becoming inflamed and restricted my airway - I remember

> that it

> > woke me up and I was gagging severely & panicking and could not

> speak and I

> > had to smash a vase in our bedroom to wake my husband up to call

the

> > ambulance, I was injected with adrenaline and steroids once

again.

> I never

> > forget that day and thankfully I only get mild swellings in my

> throat now,

> > but these go down quite rapidly after taking my Clarityn/Piriton

> mixture.

> > My tongue tends to swell up but I can now recognise the early

> warning signs,

> > the numbness and tingling so I can take the appropriate drugs. I

> would very

> > much like to hear form other sufferers to share experiences and

> possible

> > alternative drugs/treatments.

> >

> > My thought and regards to all fellow sufferers out there !

> >

> > Helen x