Comments for Words Less Spoken

Comment on Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria by Lyndon

Lyndon — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:02:54 +0000

Gloria,

Thanks for sharing your story. I know how incredibly frustrating it can be. I’m willing to share anything I can with others. I’m not sure that there is anything I can add beyond what I’ve put in the initial post and my followup posts at a blog I started for CIU: http://hivesrelief.wordpress.com/

If there are specific questions you have, I’d be glad to try to answer them, but I’m not a doctor and every person’s experience with CIU is very different.

Recently, a MD commented on my blog post about his patients recovery with CIU after 4 consecutive days of 30 minute tanning treatments. Something about a mild/moderate sunburn seemed to cure their CIU. I’m not endorsing it, but I am curious. Currently, my CIU is dormant or controlled by the vitamin regimine and a Zyrtec a day that I described in my blog post. Should it flare up, I will definitely try the tanning option.

I certainly don’t want any compensation for anything.

Best wishes

Comment on Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria by Gloria S.

Gloria S. — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:32:06 +0000

How can I contact you directly? My fiancé is suffering from severe chronic hives. Although he has been suffering with a mild case for over 15 years, they have never been this severe. He was just in the hospital for a few days; he has had to miss work and cannot even find peace during the night, as he itches uncontrollably. His spirit is broken. I know that you have found some natural remedies that have proven effective. You also know what it is like to live/have lived with chronic hives. If you could share your experience/natural treatment with him, I would truly appreciate it and will compensate you for your time. God bless.

Comment on Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria by Robin

Robin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:33:05 +0000

Hi, all of this information is very helpful and as was said everyone is different and what might help one may not help another. I have had CIU for 17 years. Yes, and I am fed up and sick & tired of being sick & tired. I have tried everything more than twice on different ocassions. I have just been approved for Xolair shots, in which I will receive next week hopefully. If any one is interested and has tried everything under the Sun, Cyclosporine, Xyzal, Plaquenil, or known as Hydroxychloroquine, Clarinex, prednisone, and any other meds that has been mentioned. Go see Dr. Patricia Lugar @ http://www.DukeHealth.org I know that Xolair is very expensive, but there is ways to work with that situation where you can afford it. I understand that Xolair has a 99.9% success rate for those with CIU. I will keep everyone updated with the results. Thank you.

Comment on Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria by Lyndon

Lyndon — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:31:42 +0000

Dr Keenan, Thanks for sharing your experience. A few tanning sessions are cheap and easy enough that I’m sure anyone struggling with CIU would be willing to give them a chance. I’ve read a lot about Vitamin D deficiencies as related to CIU and take additional Vitamin D daily. That would certainly explain a lot. I can tell you that in the past getting my scalp sun exposure has caused my psoriasis to disappear for a few weeks. Will definitely give it a shot!

Comment on Living with Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria by Robert Keenan, MD

Robert Keenan, MD — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:11:26 +0000

I am a physician. My first wife had Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU). It drove her nuts and made me feel impotent because every prescription I tried to treat her with did absolutely nothing. This went on for several months. She was beside herself. About that time, I decided to take her on vacation to lift her spirits. Because she was fair skinned and worried about burning in the Florida sun, we both went to the tanning booth 3 or 4 days in a row. For me, it readied me for the Florida sun. For her, her urticaria disappeared once and for all, never to return. You don’t have to kick me in the head twice for me to understand something that is as plain as the big nose on my face.

In my practice over the years, I have seen and treated a great many patients who complained about having CIU. I told them all the same thing: Go to the tanning salon 4 days in a row for a 30 minute session and tan. Hopefully, you will get a little burned. A little red skin is the key to a successful treatment and this is a lot easier to suffer through than CIU. I never charged any patient for this office visit. In every instance, the patient’s CIU disappeared once and for all.

Tanning is, in essence, a cheap form of phototherapy for the skin. The slight burn from the tanning lights, in ways I will not go into here, drastically alters the underlying physiological processes of the skin. With this change, the processes that govern CIU is altered and the patient is “Cured”.

Try it, you’ll see! And when tanning helps you, pass this advice on to every other distressed person afflicted with CIU you should meet.