Hives: Causes & Cures

[lotsagirls]

Hi!  I have searched the site and haven't really found anything pertaining to this.  If it's there I apologize...I couldn't find it.

My 7yos is covered in a rash from head to toe.  It has been getting progressively worse.  I am thinking food allergy and we have been eliminating possible foods, but it is not clearing up.  I have also been giving TTU 3x daily, baking soda baths, and baking soda paste on worst areas.

We have had him to the pediatrician (even though I'm not that big on doctors) and he said that it looked like something called bathtub folliculitis (sp?).  The dermatologist he was sent to agreed but also said that some of it could be dry skin.

I disagree...the bumps are raised and red and some of them look like blisters.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

ndmomof4

[healthybratt]

What about shampoo?  Laundry detergent?  Strep?

Here are some other threads to read and consider.

"Your Shampoo Might Be Your Problem:  Going "No Poo"
Homemade Laundry Soap (Detergent Free)
Candida / Yeast:  Symptoms & Cures
Leaky Gut - The Cause of it All?

[lotsagirls]

HB,

You are a life saver!  I had never thought of anything else but food.  I think it may have been a combination of both.  I'm giving him TTU three times a day along with diluted black cherry juice.  I went out and got some Ivory soap...threw out the Dial Antibacterial.  We noticed a difference right away.  I took some Dr. Bronner's baby mild pure castile soap...half soap/half water...added a little baking soda for shampoo and mixed up some ACV for a rinse.

I also found a site that sells lye soap so I ordered a couple of bars.  (www.mosoap.com).  They also sell grated lye soap by the pound for making laundry detergent, so I ordered some.  (Too lazy to grate my own...I can try some without the work!  Besides, it was cheaper to by one pound already grated than to buy two bars to grate myself).  Says you can use it alone or use it in a recipe.  I had already been adding 1/2 C baking soda to the wash cycle and 1/2 C vinegar to the rinse... but it must not have gotten rid of the detergent.

I also ordered some of their pine tar salves.  Thought they might be good on what's left of his rash.  The remainder looks a lot like eczema.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I think that we're on the road to recovery!  Thanks for all the help!

ndmomof4

[Livelovely]

A friends mom used to get hives all the time, but hasn't for about 10 years.  All of a sudden she just broke out in them on Tuesday.  They are in her throat and mouth along with the outside of her body.  One thing that happened at the same time as the hives was her taking some medication.  The pill is usually white, but a new perscrip for it is yellow.  Do you think the dye has something to do with her hives?  Also, what can I give her to take away the itch inside?  I'm thinking acidophilus and oatmeal water, but what else?

[healthybratt]

Camomile (Matricaria recutita).  Aromatherapists, especially in Europe, recommend massaging with camomile preparations to treat skin allergies such as hives and itching.  That sounds reasonable to me.  There are compounds in this herb that have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties.  You can buy camomile essential oil and creams containing camomile at many natural food stores.

If you have hay fever, you should use camomile oil and herbal products cautiously, however.  Camomile is a member of the ragweed family, and in some people, it might trigger allergic reactions.  (Documented cases are extremely rare.) 

...

Vitamin C...To Prevent and treat allergies, Dr. Broadhurst [geochemist with expertise in nutritional medicine] recommends taking 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C with bioflavonoids three times a day.  This sounds fine to me.  One review of some 40 vitamin C studies showed that people who took vitamin C regularly had fewer allergy problems, respiratory infections and asthma attacks.  Vitamin C is a powerful natural antihistamine with no known side effects, except diarrhea.  ...cut back on the amount of vitamin C if you develop diarrhea.

Don't confine yourself to supplements, either.  Plants that are rich in vitamin C include Chinese bitter melon, bell peppers, cayenne pepper, pokeweed shoots, guava and watercress.

...

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).  This is one of my favorite herbs for hives.  It contains a compound called lawsone that works wonders...If you'd like to try this remedy, you'll have to have access to fresh jewelweed, which is fairly common throughout the country...you should find someone in your area who can show you the plant--a local herbalist, perhaps, or an agricultural extension agent.

...

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)....Andrew Weil, M.D., an herb advocate who teaches at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine, suggests using freeze-dried nettle leaf extract to treat hives and allergies.

Stinging nettle is sold in capsules in health food stores.  Dr. Weil suggests taking one or two every two to four hours, as needed.

I have a menacing stand of stinging nettle back behind the barn, so I'd personally opt for consumption of a tea made from the leaves or cooked greens.  You'll need to wear gloves when harvesting the greens, but the stinging hairs lose their sting when the plant is cooked, and the greens are delicious.  Stinging nettle is a fairly common "weed" throughout the country, so you may have access to the fresh herb.

More recent studies suggest that the root may be even more beneficial than the leaves.  Capsules of root material are not yet available, but if you can get the fresh herb, try hanging some roots to dry, then making a tea from some dried, chopped root.

Natural antihistamines.  What doctors don't say--because they generally don't know--is that many plants contain antihistamine compounds. 

My database is full of these plants:  Camomile and wild oregano have at least seven different antihistaminic chemicals, and rue has six.  Weighing in with five we have basil, echinacea, fennel, fig, ginkgo, grapefruit, passion-flower, tarragon, tea, thyme and yarrow. 

Some herbal experts warn that camomile can cause histaminic allergic reactions.  That may be so in some very sensitive people, but here are the antihistamine compounds in this herb:  apigenin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, rutin and umbelliferone.  This set of compounds is a good reason to give the herbs a try.  If it doesn't help, or if it seems to make the hives worse, simply discontinue use. 

For the greatest variety of antihistamine compounds, my computer suggests making a tea with a combination of several antihistamine herbs, including basil, camomile, fennel, oregano, tarragon, and tea.  (Just to clear up any possible confusion here, I'm talking about making a brew using the herbal method of preparing tea and including in it a typical beverage tea.)

I suggest pouring a few cups of tea made from this herbal mixture into your bath or dipping a clean cloth into it and applying it as a compress.  You can also drink it as  beverage, because the antihistamines will work inside your body as well as on the outside.

If this tea helps, respect it and use it.  If it doesn't seem to help, reject it.  All of these herbs, however, are generally regarded as safe.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)....If you have hives, try juicing some parsley and adding it to some other vegetable juice, such as carrot or tomato, to make it more palatable.

Amaranth (Amaranthus, various species).  A tea made with amaranth seeds makes a good wash for hives, eczema and psoriasis, according to the widely traveled medical anthropologist John Heinerman, Ph.D., author of Heinerman's Encyclopedia of Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs and many other books relating to healing with herbs and foods.  To make this tea, add two teaspoons of amaranth seeds to three cups of boiling water and let it steep for 10 to 20 minutes.  If I were treating my own hives, I'd add some jewelweed, too.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale).  When Canadian herbalist Terry Willard, president of the Canadian Association of Herbal Practitioners and author of Textbook of Modern Herbology, developed hives as a result of a food allergy, he simmered a half-pound of ginger in a gallon of water in a big pot for five minutes and added the resulting brew to a hot bath.  After steeping himself for a while, he sponged off with camomile tea (one teaspoon in one cup of boiling water).  "It worked every time," he says.

Assorted essential oils.  Aromatherapists suggest using camomile oil to treat hives, and I agree:  Place a drop or two directly on your hives and massage it in.  Speaking of essential oils, the oils of caraway, clove and lemon balm (also known as melissa) are all antihistaminic, according to pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D.  Mixing a few drops of each of these oils into a couple of ounces of vegetable oil will result in a soothing ointment that might help relieve itching.  Just remember not to ingest essential oils, as even a small amount may be toxic....

[Anneatheart]

Hi everyone,

Monday night my 4 year old dd broke out into hives. It really freaked us out, but she was acting fine, just scratching her head. We gave her the benadryl and the next morning they were lessened. They went away with more benadryl that day and didn't appear until Wed. night again. Repeat medicine, she went to school yesterday and was hive free when she came home. Later in the evening, she broke out again. This morning they had 'traveled' to her legs and face. She has never ever been allergic to anything in her life. The only thing I can think of is she may possibly be reacting to peanuts. She had it Monday, WEdnesday and then when she got home yesterday she had some. I don't know if it was just coincidence that the meds wore off at the same time she got peanut butter or what. I did talk to a nurse about it when they first broke out and she thought it was viral, but it just seems so weird.
Could she become allergic to something she had no reaction to before? I haven't changed anything lately, whether detergent, soaps or foods. She did start a new school last week so possibly she picked up a virus? None of my other kids have it, and she has no other symptoms, just happy as a clam.

What a mystery...my husband and I aren't allergic to any foods or anything except penicillin (me) and I get a rash with it. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Ideas?

Thanks a lot!!!

Jessica

[Melie]

My 5 yr old breaks out in them every spring.  Last year was the worst.  He had raised red blotches all over his body.  One eye was almost swollen shut.  He is quite handsome (in this mother's opinion) but he did not look like the same kid.  Last year was the first year it really itched and bothered him.  I can't figure out what it is.  I feel our diet and medicinal practices have improved continually since we've had him.  He used to have bad asthma and other bronchial issues, we haven't had a hint of that this winter.  I am hoping that his hives will also dissapear.  I will be watching this thread to see if anyone has any ideas.  I feel at a loss with this.

[Anneatheart]

It's very frustrating; the hives seem to go away with medicine, but I can't give her benadryl all the time. We eat healthy food, not perfect, but a lot better than the general public. She did have excema as a baby that sort of went away as she got older, so I wonder if it's related.

Hopefully someone will have some ideas to help us!

[Melie]

I know your frustration.  We have over and over thought we figured out what causes it, then we realize we are wrong.  I am thinking it has to be some sort hay fever reaction or something if that is possible.  Can I email you a picture of my son with an outbreak?  I would like to know if yours looks the same.

[herbalmom]

It's very frustrating; the hives seem to go away with medicine, but I can't give her benadryl all the time. We eat healthy food, not perfect, but a lot better than the general public. She did have excema as a baby that sort of went away as she got older, so I wonder if it's related.

If Benadryl helps then it is probably a food allergy causing a histamine reaction. Eczema is often a food allergy & allergies can change symptoms over time. You can become allergic to something that you have been eating or using at any time. As a matter fact, the more you eat or use something, the more likely you are to become allergic. Peanut allergies can be deadly, please be careful. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

[mykidsmom]

Hives are always an allergic reaction.  My son got his first round when he was 14 mos. old and cut 9 teeth in three weeks.  It was more then his body could handle.  He's had them off and on over the years.  It's always an allergy.  You mentioned that peanuts seem to be the only thing you can pin point.  Cut them out.  Any and all sources.  If the hives go away then you know she's allergic to peanuts.  It's quite common to become allergic to something after never having had allergies.  I'm 36 and just discovered I'm allergic to dairy products.  Never have gotten rashes from dairy before, now I do.  They actually say that if you eat one particular thing all the time that it's really common to become allergic to that thing.  Start with her diet, look at any chemicals in the house, etc.  Dryer sheets are a big one, laundry detergent is a big one, peanuts, bananas, dairy, etc.  It will be process of elimination.  If you can avoid the benadryl that would be good but I know it's not easy to with little ones.  We had to use it with our little guy until we could figure things out.  Just do your best to quickly start testing things and it won't take long to figure it out.  After an episode of hives write down everything she ate within the previous 24hrs.  Go from there.

Patti

[sarah2be]

Interesting that this should come up as my toddler just had a similar experience a few weeks ago.  She suddenly broke out in what appeared to be hives that started on her hands and feet and then would spread to her face, torso, etc.  Her hands and feet even swelled up the first day or so, which was quite alarming.  She did not apppear to have a fever, except in the evening, or when it flared up and that was only  99 and it would last for an hour.  We also used benadryl and it took care o of the hives.  The recurrence of hives was about every 24-48 hours for about 7-10 days.  Then the hives stopped and she had diarrhea for 3-4 days, although appeared to be her old self again.  That was the end of it.  None of the rest of the family got it and she is just fine now.  I, too, thought it was some new allergy at first-or perhaps 5ths disease or hand, foot, mouth disease but she did not have the high fever associated with those.  After lots of reading and internet research, I concluded that it was probably a "nonspecific" viral infection, which does exhibit itself with rash at times, esp. in young children.

[CAndy]

We have a lot of allergies, food and otherwise, in this house, some very serious. That one sounds like something she ingested.  I wanted you to know that the easiest way to find out what it is would be an elimination diet.  Allergies will get worse and worse every time you are exposed to an allergen.  There is an excellent book that will help you if you are unfamiliar with elimination diets.  It is "the allergy self help cookbook" by Jones.  Also there are natural helps other than benadryl (which contains several common allergens).  Hylands has a product called hives.  I use it instead of an epipen.  It will stop my throat from swelling up and allow me to breathe.  If I don't have any on me I have to drink ice water continually to keep the swelling down.  It also helps new hives from forming.  It is not a miracle cure but it takes the edge off, and I take it everywhere.  If you juice plantain and cabbage that will make the hives swelling go down on the outside and give some relief.  Just rub it on with a cotton ball.  Green tea is also a natural antihistamine.  Even if it's not food related this will help.  Fever is very common with severe hives outbreaks.  Hives are an immune response, so sometimes if they are fighting off a cold and their immune system is down they will break out in hives from what would normally be a mild food allergy.  This makes it hard to identify.  Often with elimination diets you can identify them when they haven't eaten the allergen in a while.  The body thinks, Oh were fine now, not going to be poisoned anymore.  It cleans out the mucus in the system that it put there to protect it from the allergen.  Then you eat it and your body has no defence, so you have a reaction.  This is very simplified, but hopefully this helps you in some way. 

[born-an-okie]

Just thought I'd add this on, just as another possibility.  Though I haven't had this problem in years, I used to break out in hives from getting too cold.  I think it was due to overexposure to really cold air conditioning for several hours that occurred several times.  It was always made worse by stress.  Stress can sometimes even be the cause of hives.  So, starting at a new school might have a lot to do with it.  I haven't had a problem in a long time, but I am much more careful about dressing warmly, and I take a sweater with me to anywhere that I know tends to be over air conditioned like movie theaters, church, etc.  It seems to be a specific temperature range that I have problems with 60-70 degrees.  Good luck finding the cause, it just might be the stress of a new school situation.

[Anneatheart]

Wow, I hadn't thought of hives being from stress, thanks. I am leaning more towards a viral type thing because she hasn't had peanuts in a few days and is still breaking out, except now it's more on her legs, neck, face than her trunk area. It's very hard to know what to do because she acts perfectly fine, no fever. She's already Fifths Disease, Hand Foot Mouth, and Roseaola, those all have fevers with them. She has no cold symptoms, no gastro problems, nothing. She already has a dr. appointment scheduled for Tuesday, so if the problem persists hopefully we'll get the dr. to look at it. I am still not confident in my home remedies yet; my kids are so little and when something comes up I forget everything I just learned!

[lisanurse]

Hi, I'm new to this site, but I saw this post and I just had to reply to it.  My son is 18 mo now, and about 6 mo ago he just broke out in hives - and it looked really bad, and kept getting worse.  I gave him benadryl, and it did let up some.  They would come and go, and they were mostly on his torso, but some on his arms and legs and face.  At first I thought it was a food allergy, but then after eliminating all possible causes, he got worse!  He didn't really run a fever, and the rash didn't look like anything like fifths, or Hand Foot, Mouth or any of those childhood rashes.

I ended up taking him to my pediatrician (whom I really trust) and he said it was definately hives (ideopathic urticaria is the technical name) and could be viral.  He said I didn't have to give him anything for it it would clear up on its own with in 6 weeks.  But he gave him some Zyrtec (a prescription antihistamine that lasts for 24 hrs) just to help with the visible symptoms.  The hives ended up lasting for 6 weeks, then they just went away. 

Throughout all this the zyrtec would help a little, but never totally cleared it up.  So what happens is a virus enters the body, and for some reason the body has an allergic reaction to the actual virus.  It's kind of rare, but can happen.  Hope this helps. 

[mykidsmom]

I'm thinking God has a really good sense of humor here.  I've always felt pretty confident dealing with hives because my son has had them so many times.  Cocky?  Me thinks so, now!  Saturday at 5:00am my son came in covered head to toe in baseball size hives.  There wasn't a spot on his body not covered.  Face and all.  Benadryl didn't touch it.  Hours later we finally tried Zyrtec out of desperation.  Nothing.  Didn't touch the hives.  We could not figure out what he was reacting to.  He's still the same today.  We finally took him to a doc in the box this morning because the doctor I talked to last night refused to treat him without seeing him sense it was such a bad case.  We drove and hour to the doctor and when we got there the hives were gone.  Came home instead of seeing the doctor (why bother?) and we weren't home 30 minutes he was covered again.  The only two things we've been able to pin point are some neosporin we put in a bad cut Friday night and we had our roof torn off and replaced last week and they shingled over his bedroom on Friday.  Maybe putting shingles on stirred something up??? 

Nonetheless, we can't get a handle on these hives.  The kid is miserable.  Neither benadryl or zyrtec is working.  Not even for a half hour.  Tonight I tried aloe vera gel all over his body.  It seemed to help take the itch out for a few minutes.  I'm giving him black elderberry syrup every 4 hrs, an herbal throat coating syrup every two hours (they seem to be in his throat right now) and he's using Ricola herbal cough drops to try and sooth his throat also.  I was going to try peppermint oil mixed with olive oil tomorrow as a rub in on his skin. 

Any other suggestions?  We're getting desperate.  The next step is some major high powered steroids and we are really trying to avoid this.  Does anyone know how long it takes neosporin to get out of the system or a roof to outgas?? 

As for house stuff, we are going to bleach wash his bedroom walls tomorrow, we bought all new hypoallergenic bedding today, we bought a large hepa filter system for his bedroom today.  But really, I don't think it's his bedroom at this point.  But the neosporin and roof are the only two new things that happened last week.  He is coming down with croup so it's possible he's allergic to that virus but if that was it the hives wouldn't go away when he leaves the house. 

Thanks for any suggestions -

patti

[healthybratt]

We drove and hour to the doctor and when we got there the hives were gone.  Came home instead of seeing the doctor (why bother?) and we weren't home 30 minutes he was covered again.  The only two things we've been able to pin point are some neosporin we put in a bad cut Friday night and we had our roof torn off and replaced last week and they shingled over his bedroom on Friday. 

Reading this makes me think it is something in your house for sure.  You were gone and he was fine and you came back and so did the hives.  Can you take another out of the house trip to make sure?  This would help you to pinpoint the cause and since you mentioned the roof is different, obviously this would be my first thought, but it could be something else.

Also, does it make a difference in different rooms of the house?  Is he worse in his bedroom and better in the tub?  Just thinking out loud.  These types of things can be so frustrating.

Hang in there. 

[mykidsmom]

We're still fighting the hives on my son but we did find out that roof shingles have a boat load of formaldyhyde (sp?) in them.  He's so chemically sensitive that it's possible being right over his room the chemical leached into his room. 

For folks whose kids get hives, we found the best topical soother to be aloe vera.  I just rubbed it into his whole body (he had hives head to to) and while it was cold going on it did soothe his itch for a time. 

Something to try next time your little one gets hives.....

patti

[Mrs. Dugger]

I just wanted to let you know my story wth hives, because I almost died from them.  I became allergic to wheat and melon when I hit puberty.  Apparently hormonal changes can cause you to become allergic to things you weren't before.  Anyway, it started off as "random" reactions with hives.  They always started on my hands or buttocks and spread to the rest of my body.  They went away with benadryl.  One day we noticed that they only appeared when I exerted any physical energy.  Got out of breath, ran, whatever.  But it was so random that we couldn't figure out what it was.  Just eating wheat didn't cause a reaction so we coudln't pinpoint it.  We never even suspected wheat or melons.

Then we found an allergy specialist who was willing to give me the blood allergy test.  This test is wonderful!  You just give them a blood sample, and they test for allergies in the lab.  It turned out I was allergic to wheat, rye, and melon.  An elimination diet would never have shown this because the reactions only appeared in response to excercise, randomly.  I think this is because I had leaky gut. 

Anyway, I think it's worth it to get the blood tests.  Then you will know for sure what it is without a lot of experimenting! 

With me the reactions got worse each time (over a few years) until I almost died from anaphylactic shock.  That's why I feel so strongly about it, I just don't want to see that happen to another kid.

[herbalmom]

We are usually able to pinpoint what is causing my son's hives.  In this case, it took much longer then usual.  At first we thought it was outgassing from our new roof.  But it ended up being what it usually is - his teeth.  Whenever he gets teeth, has loose teeth, etc. he gets hives.  He has an extra tooth growing in his palate behind his two adult front teeth that we knew was going to have to be removed but the dentist and us had decided to wait until he was 9 so he'd be a little more mature.  Unfortunately, that extra tooth is pushing up against his adult teeth causing friction and inflammation which is causing stress to his body.  Hives are usually either caused by an allergic reaction or by stress.  For my son, it's nearly always stress related to something going on in his mouth.  So that extra tooth has to come out sooner then we were planning, but we were going to have to do it anyway.  It's just that having to wait several weeks is really frustrating because his immune system is so weak from so many weeks of severe hives.  Two days ago it was the stomach flu, now he has a bad cold.  Arrrghh.  Still praying they'll get us in sooner.   We're using black elderberry syrup and mangosteen to try and build his immune system for now.

Patti

I moved this quote into this thread because I thought it would be better to answer it here than in the prayer request thread.

Patti, is your son taking a GOOD multi? Super Mom is fantastic but from what I understand the pills are large. Special 2 from NOW is the same as Super Mom & comes in a vegi capsule that the daily dose is 4 & the capsules are about the size of size "0" capsules. My children & I all have allergies & chemical sensitivities & we all take them & have been very happy with them. His body will use up nutrients MUCH faster than average so he will need higher doses than average to support his body. After a while, you may want to switch to Special 1 (same as Super Dad) because Special 2 (Super Mom) has a lot of iron in it but it also has more vits & detoxifiers in it. If the caps are still to large, the vegi caps contain powder so you could re encapsulate it into smaller capsules. Also, one of the kids opened one & mixed it in water & said it didn't taste too bad.

Some other things that may help: support the liver. Hives cause histamine release & the histamine causes hives. The liver detoxifies histamine. Milk thistle is good for that & so is dandelion.

Massive amounts of vit C. Vit C detoxifies histamine. It will also help detoxify the chemicals from your new roof. Read Let's Get Well by Adelle Davis for more info about this. I think it's out of print but you should be able to get it at your library. Find the most nonallergenic Vit C you can & give him LARGE amounts. Most Vit C comes from corn but you can get it from sago palm which is less allergenic. Detoxifying ANYTHING uses up MASSAVE amounts of Vit C. For something like this you want to totally saturate his tissues & give to bowel tolerance. The best way to do this would be to either encapsulate pure vit C powder yourself or to buy one that contains ONLY vit C powder in gelatin or vegi capsules. The reason for this is because tablets have binders & you don't want anything that could give him the runs or set off a reaction. The idea is to take at least 1000 mg of vit C an hour for an adult, probably 250-500 mg for a child until you get the runs. This tells you how much your body needs before the extra is spilled over into the intestines- to "bowel tolerance". You then give slightly less than that each day in divided doses to keep the tissues fully saturated with vit C so it is available in large enough amounts to detox when needed. This can work out to be a VERY large amount- some adults have needed in the neighborhood of 20,000 mg or more per day when in situations like your son's. Taking vit. C to bowel tolerance has been around for a long time so I'm sure you could find out more about it on the web. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

[mykidsmom]

Thanks, herbalmom.  He does take a very good multi.  Although I was going to try the beeyoutifu one when it comes out to see if there's a difference.  I actually just recently did some checking to see if dairy allergies could cause his immune system to be so weak that it could cause hives when his body is under stress.  It can.  My girls and I all have dairy allergies and I had removed dairy from our diet but not my sons.  I finally just took us all dairy free unless it's raw cow's milk because that doesn't seem to bother any of them.  But I don't have a good source for it right now.  I've heard of the vit. C tolerance thing. 

Thanks for the info.  It's all good.

patti

[herbalmom]

Thanks, herbalmom.  He does take a very good multi.  Although I was going to try the beeyoutifu one when it comes out to see if there's a difference.  I actually just recently did some checking to see if dairy allergies could cause his immune system to be so weak that it could cause hives when his body is under stress.  It can.  My girls and I all have dairy allergies and I had removed dairy from our diet but not my sons.  I finally just took us all dairy free unless it's raw cow's milk because that doesn't seem to bother any of them.  But I don't have a good source for it right now.  I've heard of the vit. C tolerance thing. 

Thanks for the info.  It's all good.

patti

Special 2 is the adult vit & it is the same as Super Mom but since its powder in a capsule you could adjust the doseage. The kids & I were all taking Twin Labs Allergy multis which may also be a good choice for him since they are VERY hypoallergenic & also high potency (they don't have iodine though since you can be allergic to it, if he's not have him take kelp as well.) But we were all AMAZED at the difference when we switched to Special 2. It's very possible that a kids vit is just not going to be potent enough for him esp in the anti stress vits. Diary could definitely be part of it. When my son gets hives, he likes to take vit C powder, sweetener & water to make a drink similar to lemonaid & it does help his hives but we don't make it anymore because I was worried that the strong Vit C would be too acidic for his teeth. I hope you find something that helps, he must be miserable. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

[ARmom]

This thread has been a big help to me this week.  My 6 yo dd has been having hive outbreaks for 6 days now.  It started out slow with 24 hours between episodes, then became more frequent every 4 to 6 hours with more and more hives each time.  I've been giving her the max dose of benadryl every 4 hours and a lukewarm bath when they get itchy.  When she gets out of the bath we put on aloe vera or miracle salve.  The occurrences seem to be fewer and farther between now with less hives each time.  I sure hope that this is a good sign.  Also she sleeps through the night without having an outbreak, but usually has one shortly after she gets up.

Now for my theory.  All 4 of my kids have had an upper respiratory virus in the past 2 wks.  3 of them got better in the prescribed amount of time and this one, who is usually the most healthy of the 4 and usually bounces back quicker than anybody. just didn't get better.  She began to develop secondary bacterial infections, green mucus from lungs and nose and a double ear infection.  The hives started a day before I became aware of the ear infection.  Here is my theory: I know that the ear infections are clearing up and the hives also seem to be getting better.  In my research I read that hives can be caused in some cased by infections and viruses.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had an experience with viruses or ear infections causing hives.  My dd has had viruses before but this is her first ear infection.  I also read that 70% of the time no specific cause is found, and that this could go on for up to 6 weeks.  Our water bill will be through the roof.  I'm not ruling out other causes but for now this infection/virus thing is my #1 culprit.

Like I said earlier this thread has given me some really good ideas and I would love to here more ideas and experiences.

[YoopreMama]

Camomile (Matricaria recutita).  Aromatherapists, especially in Europe, recommend massaging with camomile preparations to treat skin allergies such as hives and itching.  That sounds reasonable to me.  There are compounds in this herb that have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties.  You can buy camomile essential oil and creams containing camomile at many natural food stores.

If you have hay fever, you should use camomile oil and herbal products cautiously, however.  Camomile is a member of the ragweed family, and in some people, it might trigger allergic reactions.  (Documented cases are extremely rare.) 

...

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)....Andrew Weil, M.D., an herb advocate who teaches at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and author of Natural Health, Natural Medicine, suggests using freeze-dried nettle leaf extract to treat hives and allergies.

Stinging nettle is sold in capsules in health food stores.  Dr. Weil suggests taking one or two every two to four hours, as needed.

More recent studies suggest that the root may be even more beneficial than the leaves.  Capsules of root material are not yet available, but if you can get the fresh herb, try hanging some roots to dry, then making a tea from some dried, chopped root.

Natural antihistamines.  What doctors don't say--because they generally don't know--is that many plants contain antihistamine compounds. 

My database is full of these plants:  Camomile and wild oregano have at least seven different antihistaminic chemicals, and rue has six.  Weighing in with five we have basil, echinacea, fennel, fig, ginkgo, grapefruit, passion-flower, tarragon, tea, thyme and yarrow. 

Some herbal experts warn that camomile can cause histaminic allergic reactions.  That may be so in some very sensitive people, but here are the antihistamine compounds in this herb:  apigenin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, rutin and umbelliferone.  This set of compounds is a good reason to give the herbs a try.  If it doesn't help, or if it seems to make the hives worse, simply discontinue use. 

For the greatest variety of antihistamine compounds, my computer suggests making a tea with a combination of several antihistamine herbs, including basil, camomile, fennel, oregano, tarragon, and tea.  (Just to clear up any possible confusion here, I'm talking about making a brew using the herbal method of preparing tea and including in it a typical beverage tea.)

I suggest pouring a few cups of tea made from this herbal mixture into your bath or dipping a clean cloth into it and applying it as a compress.  You can also drink it as  beverage, because the antihistamines will work inside your body as well as on the outside.

If this tea helps, respect it and use it.  If it doesn't seem to help, reject it.  All of these herbs, however, are generally regarded as safe.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)....If you have hives, try juicing some parsley and adding it to some other vegetable juice, such as carrot or tomato, to make it more palatable.


Ginger (Zingiber officinale).  When Canadian herbalist Terry Willard, president of the Canadian Association of Herbal Practitioners and author of Textbook of Modern Herbology, developed hives as a result of a food allergy, he simmered a half-pound of ginger in a gallon of water in a big pot for five minutes and added the resulting brew to a hot bath.  After steeping himself for a while, he sponged off with camomile tea (one teaspoon in one cup of boiling water).  "It worked every time," he says.

Assorted essential oils.  Aromatherapists suggest using camomile oil to treat hives, and I agree:  Place a drop or two directly on your hives and massage it in.  Speaking of essential oils, the oils of caraway, clove and lemon balm (also known as melissa) are all antihistaminic, according to pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D.  Mixing a few drops of each of these oils into a couple of ounces of vegetable oil will result in a soothing ointment that might help relieve itching.  Just remember not to ingest essential oils, as even a small amount may be toxic....

HEY!  I was just reading this in the same book! 

Never thought of "natural" antihistamines for treating my itchiness...can't wait to give it a go!  Thanks! 

The Vitamin C is good food for thought, too--thanks!

The Dead Sea Salt baths work great for me and dabbing it on helps w/ itchiness, too, but I like doing other things....

[ARmom]

This thread has been a big help to me this week.  My 6 yo dd has been having hive outbreaks for 6 days now.  It started out slow with 24 hours between episodes, then became more frequent every 4 to 6 hours with more and more hives each time.  I've been giving her the max dose of benadryl every 4 hours and a lukewarm bath when they get itchy.  When she gets out of the bath we put on aloe vera or miracle salve.  The occurrences seem to be fewer and farther between now with less hives each time.  I sure hope that this is a good sign.  Also she sleeps through the night without having an outbreak, but usually has one shortly after she gets up.

Now for my theory.  All 4 of my kids have had an upper respiratory virus in the past 2 wks.  3 of them got better in the prescribed amount of time and this one, who is usually the most healthy of the 4 and usually bounces back quicker than anybody. just didn't get better.  She began to develop secondary bacterial infections, green mucus from lungs and nose and a double ear infection.  The hives started a day before I became aware of the ear infection.  Here is my theory: I know that the ear infections are clearing up and the hives also seem to be getting better.  In my research I read that hives can be caused in some cased by infections and viruses.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had an experience with viruses or ear infections causing hives.  My dd has had viruses before but this is her first ear infection.  I also read that 70% of the time no specific cause is found, and that this could go on for up to 6 weeks.  Our water bill will be through the roof.  I'm not ruling out other causes but for now this infection/virus thing is my #1 culprit.

Like I said earlier this thread has given me some really good ideas and I would love to here more ideas and experiences.

Hey all, I wanted to bump this up again just to see if any of you have had a similar experience.

[YoopreMama]

Thanks for the tip on chamomile assisting externally w/ itchy skin...I bathed w/ it (and oats) and it was very helpful.  A friend also gave me some salve w/ lard, chamomile oil, comfrey and red clover in it.  Very soothing. 

[YoopreMama]

Love that Green Pharmacy book!

For the greatest variety of antihistamine compounds, my computer suggests making a tea with a combination of several antihistamine herbs, including basil, camomile, fennel, oregano, tarragon, and tea.

I'm going to add stinging nettle and mint...I bought some chamomile essential oil in jojoba oil and applied it to my skin.  Seems soothing w/o trapping in whatever I'm detoxing.  If I can manage the itching, I don't mind the rash--I think it's productive!   

Here's another tea:
ALLERGY / DECONGESTANT
(Infusion)
1 part nettles
1 part peppermint
1 part mullein leaf
1 part comfrey leaf
1/2 part eyebright
1/2 part licorice
1/2 part rosehips
1/4 part marshmallow
1/4 part elder berries
1/4 part hyssop
Mix. Boil. Sweeten if necessary. Drink.

[mykidsmom]

Love that Green Pharmacy book!

For the greatest variety of antihistamine compounds, my computer suggests making a tea with a combination of several antihistamine herbs, including basil, camomile, fennel, oregano, tarragon, and tea.

I'm going to add stinging nettle and mint...I bought some chamomile essential oil in jojoba oil and applied it to my skin.  Seems soothing w/o trapping in whatever I'm detoxing.  If I can manage the itching, I don't mind the rash--I think it's productive!   

Here's another tea:
ALLERGY / DECONGESTANT
(Infusion)
1 part nettles
1 part peppermint
1 part mullein leaf
1 part comfrey leaf
1/2 part eyebright
1/2 part licorice
1/2 part rosehips
1/4 part marshmallow
1/4 part elder berries
1/4 part hyssop
Mix. Boil. Sweeten if necessary. Drink.

Can you explain to me what you mean by "parts?"  Where do you get the herbs? I would do anything to get my son off of benadyrl and zyrtec right now.  He's going to be a hive fest until his adult teeth finish coming in.  I'd like to try this.

Thanks

patti

[YoopreMama]

Good question!   

If I thought I'd use it often, I would mix up a big batch of it and then make a cup of tea as needed. So, having said that, I would use the parts as ratios...1 part = 1 cup, 1/2 part = 1/2 cup, etc.  Then, I'd brew about 1/4 cup of the mix (that might be strong for a child).  I'm sorry that I don't deal w/ exact measurements.     OR, I suppose you could deal w/ smaller measurements like teaspoons or tablespoons (1, 1/2 and 1/4).

I buy many of my herbs at the local co-op in their bulk bin section.  I can get a small baggie for a few coins.  If they weren't all available, I'd make use w/ what I could find.  The ones listed w/ the Green Pharmacy are some of the best recommended ones (plus nettles and mint for flavor).  Those are easily found...I sweeten w/ maple syrup.   

I'm sorry I couldn't be more precise...those are just my ideas for what I'd do.  I'm sure you'll get some more specific suggestions here.   

I did notice that the chamomile oil helped w/ the itchiness of the hives last night.  You could use chamomile tea bags, or steep some dried chamomile in oil, or buy the essential oil of chamomile or buy the essential oil already diluted in jojoba oil like I just did (at local co-op/health food store).

Hope that helps!