developing allergies..?

hello :)

basically i was hit with a bout of urticaria about a month ago, i have no idea what caused it. it lasted about a week, it seemed to react more when my body got hot.. but i dont think this is what caused it in the first place.

i first had urticaria when i was about 3 years old, i am now 20 and inbetween these years i havnt had any sign of allergic reaction again until now.

i am currently suffering with it again, it developed a couple days ago, although this rash is different, its perminantly everywhere on my body, unlike before when it moved around a lot. i cant get a bath/shower without it breaking out even more and it extremely itches. i havnt changed my shampoo or body wash or anything like that. i have what looks like eczema as well in places. i've never had eczema before in my life!

i havnt changed my diet or anything, but recently i've been experiencing what feels like heartburn/indigestion a lot, it happens most nights and is very uncomfertable. i dont know if maybe this is a food intolerance? i've heard food intolerances can be linked in with rashes.

i'm wondering if i've developed an allergic reaction/food intolerance to something in my everyday lifestyle. unfortunately i have to wait another month for my allergy testing at hospital..

so what i'm wondering is, can you grow out of being allergic to something, and then develop it again in a later stage in life?

thankyou to anyone that can help!

Welcome to Healingwell :) I'm sorry to hear you are having a difficult time. Yes, allergies can occur at any age even with or without past incidences.

If you think that you might have food allergies, try keeping a food diary. Record what you eat, no matter how small and record any reactions. You might be able to find the culprit. However, if it is from the chemicals or preservatives in the food, that might a bit harder to track down. A food diary is hard work but sometimes it can be worth it.

In the meantime, until you can have your testing done, try switching to a mild soap such as Cetaphil. Do not take hot showers, but rather luke warm and see if it helps. Don't scrub your skin, but pat dry. Wash your clothes in a dye and scent free soap. Do not wear any colognes or perfumes. If you have dry patches, use a gentle lotion made for atopic skin - Cetaphil has some great ones and I really like their lotions. At night, you can try taking Benedryl to help with the itching but if you haven't taken this before, be warned that it can make you a bit sleepy the next day. Benedryl also has creams, lotions and sprays that you can use on various spots when you itch.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

---

SHERRY
Moderator-Allergies/Asthma and Alzheimer's, Co-moderator-UC
~Left sided Uc-'92**Unable to tolerate ALL mesalamines**
Colazal(9 daily)/6mp(50mgs)/Bentyl-Prilosec~allergies-Singulair/Zyrtec~Reynauds Syndrome~OA-Tylonel Arthritis~Scoliosis~Sacroilitis~Dry eye-Restasis/GAD - Klonopin (.25mgs)

Hi Panda -
Sherry is so right! I acquired allergies to sunflower seeds and sulfites, from feeding birds and eating processed foods. My allergist had me keep a food log/diary, which helped me figure out which foods triggered my reactions, which were reflux and tachycardia.

I also had skin problems, dryness and itching. The allergist said to pat not quite dry and apply a light, non-perfumed oil or hypoallergenic lotion before I even got out of the shower to keep as much moisture as possible.

If you think you might be having a problem with bread or wheat, watch that your choice of lotions doesn't contain this either. Wheat can cause an allergy later in life just like other allergens can.

---

Alcie

I agree about the food diary. Also start reading those labels and writing down common things you see. It's sort of scary when you read what's in our food, but you'll start to see patterns that hopefully will give you some insights.

Not only do I agree about above, but aos in answer to your question Yes you can grow out of allegeries and yes you can redevolop them as well as any new allergies any time.

---

Don't Care Bout Nuffin No More, Guess I shouldnt even be in this world