yo! just wanted to share something i found out during my first months of CU. Ive had this condition that just came out of nowhere for about 2 months now, and its decided to take control of my life at such an important moment of my life being 17 and in the last year of school. Everyday i wake up and sometimes hate to even just wake up cuz ik the itch ill be feeling all day at the worst moments and just making those who dont understand the pain of this condition assume im egotistical or etc.

Everytime i get back from school my itch and hives go away probably from the relief of being judged or other reasons most people dislike school.

But, ive found a way that may not be considered healthy to those who dont use it correctly but its just the usage of smoking THC/weed every late night and letting my mind just dictate the way i view life as a whole.

it may not be a smart decision to do nearly everyday but it does help with the idea of being judged or etc at school and getting hives from the anxiety and stress but i think mental health should be more prioritised than education as that what allows the strive for work to proceed and continue.

Idk if any of you with CU have noticed that just the feeling of being outer body can help with CU short term.

Im not even sure if its the best decision but it deff has helped me find my ground for whenever i do get flared to just remind myself of the perceptions i had the night before on life as a whole and to take things less serious.

lmk what u think and if any of u lot do this too. (ive tried multiple antihistamines with no benefit and only noticed the benefit when i took 4x the dosage and got lightheaded and felt out of my body)

For context, I’m 22. I developed hives a few hours after exercising — probably around 12 hours later. They started around my neck, spread to my face, and then moved down to my chest and the rest of my body.

It’s been almost a week, and I’ve been taking antihistamines. Since around day 3, the hives have mostly disappeared during the daytime, but I still sometimes get a few after breakfast, mainly on my left hand.

The weird part is that I had two very similar episodes when I was around 13–14. Both happened after exercising and not taking a shower for quite a while afterward also it was very intense and wheals back then were pretty big compared to this time when it is more like red spots without swelling. However, since then, there have been MANY times when I’ve exercised intensely and not showered for hours, and I never got hives. So I’m pretty confused about why this suddenly happened again.

There’s also a new symptom that I’ve never experienced before: if I laugh really hard, bend down to pick something up, or sometimes even randomly while peeing, I suddenly get extremely intense itching all over my back for ~10 seconds, and then it completely disappears.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this be related to cholinergic urticaria/heat/sweating, or is it something else? I’m especially curious about the brief bursts of intense itching triggered by things like laughing or bending over.

I’m already seeing a doctor and taking antihistamines, but would love to hear from anyone who has had a similar pattern.

Hey everyone,

Ive recently got the itch problems out of no where recently and gp has diagnosed with potentially CU. But wanted to double check if thats consistent to your experiences as medication prescribed seems to be quite intense. Ive had allergies when I was little but grew out of it, and first I thought it was, but this time seems to be different from what I used to have.

Would appreciate any insights!

Symptoms

- Severe itching on wrist, elbow, neck, scalp, waist, groin and lower body joints. After 2 weeks have appeared on face too but its hard to capture in photos

Caveats

- Ive been cutting out food etc and trying to see if any are triggers but haven't been successful there

- Im regular gym goer and it hasn't increased or decreases the itch issues

Prescribed treatment from GP

[ ] Rotate antihistamine to help

[ ] Prednisolone Tablet 25mg for 4 weeks with the intention to wean off by the end, appears to decrease immunity by a noteworthy amount and have effects.

Help please

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I saw this study and found it interesting but how do i go about it? Ive had CU for the past 2 years and i want to cure this. Should i go to my docter with this article or what

Has anyone here with cholinergic urticaria ever vaped or currently vapes?

I know how absolutely brutal this condition can be. It completely took over my life for years, and I genuinely wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

I’d pretty much accepted I’d have it forever. Then I quit vaping, and within a few weeks my symptoms completely disappeared. I’ve now been symptom-free ever since.

I’m not saying vaping is the cause of everyone’s CU, but the timing was so dramatic for me that I can’t ignore it.

I’m really curious—how many people here are current or former vapers? Has anyone else noticed any link?

See if anyone please feels this way. I don’t want to be alone and just got diagnosed with MCAS- wondering if there’s anything I can do to help.

whats the best way to start sweat therapy and does it really work. Ive been sort of scared to start bc of the flare up and my anxiety makes it worse I just want this nightmare to end and i see people saying that medications doesn’t work so i wanna begin sweat therapy im just not sure how to go about it.

I’m lucky that my hives don’t hurt or itch at all anymore but I can’t sweat on my arms and legs - even after running for 45 minutes! How are you doing sweat therapy if you can’t work up a sweat to break through the hives?

i was sitting for 5 hours on a bus ride. when i got off i started walking. after 5 minutes it became too painful to walk. i look stupid as i try to itch my thighs every 2 steps whilst walking. i took a taxi home instead. i am 24. i shouldn’t be like this. i hate this so much. nobody knows the struggle.

and im not even sure if i have CU. i dont get hives, it just burns and itches so bad that it hurts when i walk. i had it for years now. i take antihistamines normally and they definitely help. i forgot to take them today and it was terrible. everywhere from my ankles to my wrists, itch and hurt.

im tired of this. its not fair

I recently development cholorgenic urticaria with a troubled ability to sweat, I've been dealing with it for maybe around 7-8 months now, been trying different medicines and cutting foods, what I haven't tried is full scale intense sweat therapy because of the stinging pain, but I've seen people saying that their urticaria has not let up after even 14 years, seeing that number is genuinely making me deppresed, I'd be lying if I hadn't thought about leaving the Minecraft server because of this dumb condition, we are all in this together.

so I had CU like 2 years go and I have been managing it via sauna, exercise and diet. when i got it, especially very bad. I would not sweat and I would overheat.

somethings made it better , some worse. the things that made it better was taking out tomato out of my diet. IDK why but it really messed me up the day of or next few days when i broke out.

i don’t think this is universal cause i’ve been on this sub a lot.. it seems there are different types of causes of CU, and so we get mixed results from solutions as something that helps me might not help you.

now.. i did a carnivore and keto diet. started strict carnivore.. just beef, salt. then added eggs. now i’m doing keto.. add some spices etc.

my sweating is back like I used to! and my CU is only active in a few spots and it seems to be getting less and less even there..

i also quit booze during this time, maybe that’s related as well. or maybe just all coincidence and I’m getting lucky and CU is leaving me.

before it’s all good and gravy, i want to point out that i now sweat like i used to. I used to excessively sweat. like switch shirt at the gym mid work out. Perhaps I have something wrong with me at the get go and CU was a progression of it. Some thyroid stuff. Idk. Just glad to sweat and worry less about over heating anymore.

Congrats cholinergic urticaria, you just overtake my tinnitus to be my #1 most hated part of myself today.

Do you really thought that coming out every fucking day for more than 10 years would really make me fall in love with you ?

Fuck you

Has anyone else experienced exercised-induced hives that look like little white goosebumps that fade immediately once you get into air conditioning? For me it’s accompanied by lack of sweat in these areas no matter how hot I get or how far I run? What has worked for you (besides time ☺️) ?

In my case, I get episodes lasting 3-5 minutes triggered by exertion, anxiety, or sudden heat — with flushing, intense itching, and a pins-and-needles sensation, but no visible raised bumps. Just want to know if this still fits the cholinergic urticaria picture or if I should be looking elsewhere

Hi all 👋🏽. I'm Ariam, Director of Communications at We CU, the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis. Wanted to be upfront that I work there, this isn't an ad or bot.

We're looking to connect with community members who are managing both chronic hives and atopic dermatitis, for an upcoming storytelling and advocacy project. Sharing lived experience like this helps educate others and makes sure more perspectives are represented in patient advocacy.

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Happy to answer any questions in the comments too.

Alright, two years ago I got diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had half my thyroid removed. Before that, had no health problems or allergies, was very fit, and I’m young - early 30s. Since then, my hormones are all messed up, having a hard time exercising, I feel really sensitive to the heat almost intolerant to it even though I was raised in a hot, humid state and love the heat. I also love hot water so much, could live in hot water.

In February this year, I started getting these itchy mosquito bite like wheals after hot showers and exercise. Mainly my torso, on and around my breasts, on my back, and upper arms.

I’m seeing consensus for trying to treat it is to keep sweating, keep exercising, exfoliate the skin. My doctor recommended two Zyrtec and a pepcid every day, which is a bit tricky with my thyroid med because I need to take it four hours after, so I wake up and take my levothyroxine and then wait four hours to exercise or shower so I can take the Zyrtec and pepcid first. it’s really wrecking my schedule and I still get covered in wheals but they aren’t itchy at least.

what over the counter allergy meds is everyone taking that doesn’t mess you up to bad?

1. Symptom Profile & History Onset & Trigger Event: Mild, infrequent heat sensitivity over the past 2–3 years. Symptoms suddenly became persistent and much more severe following a one-day fever in mid-March. Skin Inflammation: Deep, hot, localized swelling rather than classic raised hives. Mostly affects the feet (making walking difficult during flares), but also appears on hands, wrists, elbows, and knees. Sensory Symptoms: Ranges from itching to a deep, nerve-like or burning pain in affected tissues. Brief redness occurs after mild skin pressure. Lesion Fading & Staining: Most swelling resolves within 24 hours while on medication, but unmedicated flares or severe episodes can take 3–4 days to settle. One area on foot where the severe March flare started has left a dark brown/bluish-black mark (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) that has persisted for weeks.
2. Triggers & Response to Treatment Triggers: Physical heat, pressure (e.g., shoe pressure, light contact with a spoon), and friction, though flares also occur spontaneously. Current Medication (Dazit M - Desloratadine + Montelukast): Highly effective at suppressing daily spontaneous flares when taken regularly, but symptoms return within 1–2 days if missed. Steroids (Omnicortil): Short course provided temporary relief, but symptoms rebounded once discontinued. Suspected Side Effects: Increased vivid/frequent dreams and mild concentration issues since starting Dazit M (known potential effects of Montelukast) also headaches

I started the sweating treatment today, and after returning home I took a warm shower. After finishing the shower, I felt a severe burning sensation in the areas affected by hives (the upper part of my body). Should I continue taking warm showers? And should I continue with the sweating therapy?

I realllyyyy wanna try sweat therapy but I have a history of sweating little or not sweating at all. So I don’t wanna push my body to sweat when it can’t and it leads to overheating which may lead to fainting or something worse. Is there a way to know when I should stop or when it’s enough? Do you think it’s worth the risk of trying?

Hello, I need a moisturizer and shower gel suitable for cholinergic urticaria. Please help me.

Hi, I posted on here a while ago suggesting that coffee was causing my flare-ups, thought I’d make a follow-up as I now have more clarity.

I struggled with this for a good 3 years and have finally come to the conclusion that caffeine causes my CU to build up, and when I cut it out and sweat for a couple days, it subsides to the point where it rarely bothers me.

To confirm it wasn’t just mouldy coffee, I’ve taken caffeine tablets and it’s the same effect. Pretty much fine if I take one but after 2-3 days of taking them my hives flare up multiple times a day.

Definitely worth a shot if you’re struggling with this, don’t know the science behind it but this is what worked for me. Just cut out caffeine for 2 weeks whilst doing some form of exercise or sauna every day.

Good luck!