Why would someone get hives all of a sudden?
 

My wife has hives all over her legs and arms. They're raised flat patches just like shown on the MD sides. The MD sites say it's probably something she ate or a new medication, but she hasn't eaten something new or taken new a new drug. Any ideas?

I would be interested too because my daughter had the same thing happen just a few days ago.

I went to the Drum Corp International competition at Illinois State University on Friday night. About ten minutes into the show, my arms and legs started getting itchy (I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt). I looked at my arms and legs and sure enough I was starting to break out in hives. When I looked at the bleachers I had my answer...

I worked as a house painter one summer in college. On one job, we had to paint aluminum siding. There is a paint additive (I forget the name) that you add to paint when painting aluminum and vinyl to get it to adhere better. The evening after that job, in which I had worked for 12 hours and my arms were coated in paint, my arms (the only part of me that came into contact with the paint additive) swelled to double their size. I couldn't bend my wrists and the skin was oozing. My arms looked like a very, very severe case of poison ivy. (Which I am VERY allergic to.) I went to the doctor and I was given anti-inflammatory steroids. It still took a week for the swelling to go down.

The bleachers I was sitting on had plastic covers that had been painted and were visibly flaking. My exposed arms and legs were resting on the painted surface.

Laundry soap, fabric softener, lotion, visited someone with new carpet, or a new manufactured home, somebody burning something she is allergic to in the area, brushed up against some plant, may be idiopathic(means your doctor is an idiot and will never figure it out)

Long list, tell her to take benadryl and drink plenty of water

Do they itch or burn? Might just be tinea versicolor, which is totally harmless

I had hives pop up when we got our puppy in March (I'm allergic to them), but they went away and they periodically flare up. I take Benadryl when they do and it helps...

Don't discount the effects of stress. In some people, instead of getting ulcers, they will break out in hives or skin blisters. (I'm married to one of those.)

Les

I have only gotten them once in my life. Never figured out what happened. It could be anything she was around, so the chances of narrowing it down is pretty slim.

On a side note my sis is allergic to dark chocolate. Sucks to be her on Valentines day.

Could be Chronic Idiopathic Uticuria, chronic hives with no clear cause. This may be her first episode but as stated stress can bring this on. No I'm not an MD. My office has done and is doing research in this area so I'm aware of the condition.

Exactly. Once I was convinced I contacted Poison Ivy to the point that I broke out in hives. I am very allergic to it and was clearly stressed out over the thought of getting it again. Once I settled down, it cleared quickly. If they come an go quickly, this is generally the cause. Did you ever notice how some people's neck will get real read when they are in an uncomfortable situation. Similar reaction.

It started about 3:00 am this morning it hasn't gone down any. If it's still there in the morning, she'll visit the doctor.

She says she's had hives before from drug reactions but nothing like this. Many of the hives have joined into large areas the size of 3 or 4 quarters.

I don't think her stress is higher, but she wouldn't tell me if it was. The only thing I can think of is something in the yard (it does not look like poison ivy or any poison plant I've seen) or from the Demon I sprayed in the house on Friday. She's in the yard regularly and I spray Demon once or twice a year since I've known her so I doubt those.

Thanks for the help :)

Yeah, stress will do it .
A femme fatale also.
I had them once .

Almost limitless causes.

Both my kids react to pickles. But not all pickles.

Think it's a specific ingredient/spice in the brine.

Sometimes they react to strawberries, other times they don't.

Hope she is doing better.

Please don't overlook the Demon spray.

A reaction doesn't always happen the first exposure.

She could have accidently ingested some of it and hasn't ever before. (Hand to mouth, or...)

My wife went to the doctor today. He said he thinks it's a combination of antibiotics (she said she wasn't on any medication, but today she told me she was?!), wine, and stress. He gave her a shot and some stress and anti-inflamation medication. The hives seem to be receeding, but she's still itchy all over. I think she's bucking for being a house wife which would cut into my Porsche budget :)