The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Alkalize
Posted by Mclovin (Saint Petersburg, Fl) on 05/20/2012
★★★★★
I have suffered from chronic hives (daily) since 1994. I have been on every allergy med known to man!
On a fluke, my husband mentioned my pH balance. I went to the vitamin store, bought some pH testing tape and pH-basic herbal supplements. It turns out that I was DANGEROUSLY ACIDIC (5.0)! This morning, my pH levels are 5.8... Less than 24 hours after taking the pH-basic!
Doctors don't want to tell you that a majority of people's problems are pH balance related! They just want to get the pharmaceutical companies money! I really hopes this helps. As someone who has suffered from severe daily hives for 18 years, and popped 250mg of allergy meds every 6 hours, I know what I'm talking about!
Kaopectate
Posted by Rosy (Orlando, Fl) on 01/07/2009
★★★★★
I used kayopectate(sp) on my hives. It worked great. Just put it on like calamine lotion. You can get it at any drug store or wall mart.
OTC
Posted by Middlebunny (Jersey City, New Jersey, Usa) on 09/05/2011
★★★★★
It is me again. I'm posting an update as it might benefit someone suffering from Urticaria/Chronic Hives. While I am by no means cured, I am able to control my hives with two over-the-counter drugs. I take one 10mg Zyrtec and one 20mg Pepcid AC twice a day and this seems to control the hives. I haven't given up on locating a natural solution to this problem; however, the Zyrtec/Pepcid combination is a lot better than Steroids which made me hyper, angry and led to a 30lb weight gain.
Alkalize
Posted by Ruben (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) on 10/31/2011
★★★★★
hi There
I'm having hives every morning for the last 3 weeks
I did some research and after 2 days 90% hives are gone.
1) Checked Body PH balance by testing urine, if acidic PH
If PH
Then you need to do the followoing to bring your balance to 7. 0 and hoping the hives will improve.
a) Take ACV 2tbsp and 1/4 tsp in 8oz/ 1 cup of warn water in the morning and night for 5-7 days.
b) Take Antacid Alkaline Salts 3 tablets in the morning and night. (pH Balance Pascoe)
You should see an improvement after 2 days.
In addition, I'm taking grape seeds 2 capsules in the morning and night instead reactine or benadryl.
Hope this helps..
Ruben
Malt Vinegar
Posted by Janet (Kendal, U.k) on 08/22/2011
★★★★★
I too had hives some few weeks back, and there awful I did get rid of mine soaking in a bath containing ordinary malt vinegar. The following evening I used HP. Compresses of diluted vinegar relieved the itch, burn, cycle. That drive you almost crazy, due to lack of sleep. Wishing you a speedy recovery. Good Luck.
Beer
Posted by Amie (Florida) on 10/26/2024
Perhaps it is the Vitamin b's found in Malt and hops? I will start taking a vitamin B complex and see if that helps.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by C95060 (Santa Cruz, CA) on 06/05/2024
★★★★★
This is an addendum to the post I just submitted. I had stopped on my drive home to cover the hives on my torso with apple cider vinegar (ACV) within 30 minutes of the hives appearing.
- By the time I unloaded the car and got settled at home, all of the hives on my torso, which I had treated with ACV were gone.
- I then discovered a few hives on my thighs, which of course persisted because I did not treat them with ACV, as I was wearing pants on my drive home.
- I wish I could post before and after pictures. There are no more Hives anywhere but the untreated area on my thighs!
- ACV not only stopped the itching right away, but cleared the hives up within a cpl hours!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by C95060 (Santa Cruz, CA) on 06/05/2024
★★★★★
On my way home from dinner tonight I broke out in hives all over my torso. So terribly itchy. This has never happened before. I have no allergies, however I did get a gut feeling that I couldn't eat the fish tacos and I ate them anyways.
Anyhow, I knew ACV stopped the burn from Sunburns right away (much experience with this) and helps with soo many other things, so it was my go to. I stopped by the store and grabbed a bottle and some Benadryl just incase it didn't work.
I folded up a wet wipe from the glove box. Soaked it in ACV, opened it up and laid it on my stomach, then repeated for my sides and back.
The unbearable itching stopped within a minute. I kept driving home and never had to take the Benadryl. Thank God! I did fold the soaked wet wipe and place it on my skin where the seat belt was pressing because that was causing itching. As soon as I did soo the itching stopped there as well. On my way home I took a couple swigs of the ACV and water for good measure.
I'm at home now (25 min later) and they still don't itch and are definitely fading.
I'm soo grateful for ACV!!
Laundry Soap With Bleach
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 03/10/2024
★★★★★
Tide Powder Detergent with Bleach Crystals for Hives
It was 1970's and Kim was 7 years old. She broke out with a case of hives. Her father started a hot bath and put Tide Powder Detergent with Bleach Crystals (about half of the normal amount used in the washing machine) into the bath water. He had Kim get into the bath and soak. She said to felt like it was burning. After 30 minutes of soaking, she got out of the tube and the hives had stopped spreading. The next day, her mom took here to the base hospital (he dad was in the military). She told the Dr. what her dad did and the Dr told her that daddy saved your life.
L-Lysine
Posted by Gustavo O. (Scotts valley ca) on 01/04/2024
How much were u taking daily?
Baby Oil
Posted by Misty (New Mexico) on 12/23/2023
Have you done 24hr urine Histamine clearance test? If so sorry, I dealt, still started again from hives, everyday 2010 till 2019. Nobody wud listen to me, nor acknowledge that I have them.Finally went out network found an allergist who was most sympathetic toward me with the issue. That was 2018, but they had go in network, had return to the place that basically threw me out in 2010 & 2017. Looking at Histamine clearance in 24hr urine results from out network dr came up with game plan. I was, am desperate. Started giving me Cromolyn Sodium, it is medication put into water, ingested 4x day. If I put any kind of lotion, oil, baby oil onto my skin while hives acting up makes it a million times worse. There is more to this tale, but if you are just find out if it is NOS hives or from Histamine Intolerance, it could be helpful for you.
Sorry if you have already done this test and I am rambling. Good luck.
Baby Oil
Posted by PRISCILLA (Belize ) on 11/15/2023
Hives have taken over my life. I have done every single test and spent thousands of dollars, and there is no end. Right now I am at home and my lips are swollen. Will try baby oil but I just need a real break from the hives. PS: I watch what I also eat.
L-Lysine
Posted by Siraj (Pakistan ) on 08/31/2023
★★★★★
Please, I'll highly recommend L Lysine for Chronic Urticaria to cure. I'm using from last 2 days and it's worked.
I'm tired of using Prednisone' antihistamine 'fexophndn' desloratadine' zyratec ect' but all useless.
Iodine
Posted by Mary (Raleigh) on 08/27/2023
★★★★★
Hives iodine fix
I had hives appear on my face last year. Major stressors were the cause. I had allergy testing and nothing came up. Went on steroids and this eventually resolved the situation and the major stressor went away. Fast forward a year later and major stress came again. Hives reappeared. Went back on steroids and they helped until I stopped them. Searched here and desperately tried iodine. What a difference. I do 6 drops in a bottle of water twice a day. So far hives are starting to resolve and heal. Will continue until they are gone.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Patricia (Eureka, NV US) on 08/05/2023
★★★★★
First Ever Case of Hives!
I have no idea what triggered this. Dowsing with a pendulum tells me nothing! I came on about 3 hours ago. I took 2 Benadryl about an hour ago. Then I took a spray bottle with ACV into the shower. Rinsed it off with fairly hot water. But coconut oil on after the shower. I don't know what stopped the itching. But it's 95% better. Still red and welty. Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!
Dietary Changes
Posted by All Dogs Go to Heaven (USA) on 08/04/2023
Hi Karin, I have some information that may help you. Sea salt is a natural antihistamine. I discovered this when I researched why salt made me feel better. My sodium levels are always low or low normal. The normal dose is a teaspoon per day in divided doses. I need more. Also, liposomal Vitamin C helps. I take quite a bit. Avoid being dehydrated, as this increases histamine. There is also an “H” block supplement you take with meals. I have found that chocolate and tomatoes increase my need for salt drastically. Of course avoid anything aged or fermented.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 01/27/2023
★★★★★
My story about using ACV to treat hives. A female friend came over to my house to visit me and while she was sitting on my couch, she started to scratch her back as if something was biting her. She then started to itch on her thighs, legs, torso, all over her body. She thought maybe a spider was crawling on her. I got up to go look at her to see if I could see a spider. Instead, I saw welts and raise bumps appearing on the skin as I was looking at it (craziest thing I've ever seen). I recognize it immediately as hives. I told her she was having a hives outbreak and for her to go too my bathroom and strip off all of her clothing and stand in the shower. She looked at me like I was crazy but I guess the itching and the raised welts appearing all over her body took priority over getting naked at my house. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of windex window cleaner from under the sink, opened it up and poured the windex solution out into a container. Gave it a quick rinse inside the bottle under the faucet and re-filled it up with apple cider vinegar. I ran to the bathroom and directed her to stand in the shower with her hands up in the air above her head. I proceeded to spray her all over with 100% ACV. She complained about how awful the ACV smelled. I told her the worse was yet to come. She had to stand in the shower soaked in ACV for 10 minutes. She started yelling at me at this point. Once I was done spraying her down with ACV, I started the bath tub so she could soak in it with 2 cups of ACV added to the bath water for another 25 minutes. After the bath soak, she dried and got dressed. We took pictures of the welts to show her doctor for an emergency office visit she schedule. I asked her if the itching and symptoms were gone and she agreed. The hives never came back and she showed her doctor the pictures of her skin. She told him what I had done to her and the doctor said: Your friend saved your life!
Medicated Foot Powder
Posted by RW (OH) on 09/16/2022
Hi Renee,
Your post brought back memories of having giant hives for many years! My doctor, back then, gave me a refillable prescription for 50 mg of Benedryl that I took for many years. Now, I have memory interruptions that I believe came from that and other statin and sleep meds prescribed, but the Benedryl works fairly quickly. Another thing that helped was a suggestion from a nurse to use liquid starch (comes in a quart or gallon bottle, I believe) and pour it into a cool bath until the water feels “starchy, ” and just soak for a half hour or so. Not sure if this is available at grocery stores still since people seldom starch their clothes any more.
I hope you get relief soon. Best wishes.
Medicated Foot Powder
Posted by Mama to Many (TN) on 09/14/2022
Dear Renee,
That was a creative solution! So glad it helped!
We have used nettle leaf for uticaria hives and for autoimmune diseases.
For acute hives I take 4 capsules of nettle leaf. When I need them for chronic allergies, I take 4 twice a day, or as needed.
About 10 years ago my daughter, who was 8 years old at the time, had multiple health issues, including migraines, asthma and suspected juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. I started to give her nettle leaf capsules twice a day as well as home made milk kefir with L. Caseii probiotic (and others, but I think that one was important.) After doing this daily for about a year, her health had improved dramatically. She still has a touch of allergies, but hasn't needed albuterol in years. She has no joint problems and is a runner.
Nettle and Milk kefir would be some simple things to try...
When she was little our house was surrounded by fields that were constantly sprayed with roundup. I have sometimes wondered if her health issues started with toxic air and water back then.
I trust you will continue to find solutions that work for you!
~Mama to Many~
Medicated Foot Powder
Posted by Jay (Canada) on 09/14/2022
Try borax. Washing affected area with borax as required should provide quick, lasting results with no side effects. Take collagen for the arthritis. Let us know how it goes.
Medicated Foot Powder
Posted by Renee (Boston) on 09/14/2022 41 posts
★★★★★
I started getting urticaria hives about a year ago, around the same time I developed rheumatoid arthritis - so I believe it's an auto immune dysfunction in my body. The doctors only prescribe Zyrtec, which doesn't work. I thought mine were caused from ibuprophen so I stopped taking that but still got hives anyway. I get them 2x a week but can go 2 weeks without so I have no idea what triggers them. I just started lysine this week but woke up with a swollen face today, upper lip and cheeks. So not sure if lysine is working, it's only been 3 days though.
Last week I had giant hives all over my legs and they itched horribly. I tried witch hazel, cortisone cream and aloe, no relief. I remembered that I used medicated foot powder on my dog's itchy skin and it stopped her itching and calmed all the redness down. It worked for my hives! I wish I could stop them from coming in the first place but for now I have a way to stop the itch. My face and lips don't itch, only the other parts of my body that get the hives. I'd rather them there and itch than have such a swollen face that you can't go out in public because you look like a monster.
Try the foot powder or jock itch powder, I think any medicated powder will work. I'm going to try AC vinegar and baking soda to see if that helps. I'll update and let you know if lysine works too.
Borax and DMSO
Posted by Renee (Boston) on 05/25/2022 41 posts
Thank you, yes I have read that. The cream I used was almost pure emu so I'm assuming it's OK. It was hand made by a person who suffers from multiply muscular ailments with all natural ingredients, which were very few. I think next time I make a batch I am going to use organic coconut oil because the other stuff was very expensive.
Borax and DMSO
Posted by Art (California) on 05/23/2022 2440 posts
Renee,
I am glad the DMSO/Borax/Cream has been helpful for the other two uses you mention.
On a related note, you might want to review the ingredients in the "cream" that you are using to see if there are any ingredients that you would not want "in your body". Many creams and lotions have ingredients in them that you would not want "inside of your body" such as petrolatum, aluminum starch, fragrance, methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, dimethicone, carbomer, phenoxyethanol, etc.
When you apply a cream to your skin and let it dry, many of the ingredients remain on the surface of the skin. If you apply DMSO an hour or 15 minutes later without washing the skin well first, the DMSO may allow those unwanted ingredients to breach the dermal layers and that may not be healthful.
DMSO can often allow the wanted ingredients to traverse the dermal layers and potentially go systemic, but it can also allow unwanted ingredients to do the same.
I would like you to be aware of a potential downside to the method of delivery you are using.
Art
Borax and DMSO
Posted by Renee (Boston) on 05/23/2022 41 posts
★★★★★
After reading on here for days I decided to pick and choose several remedies from various people that I thought may seem to work for my arthritis. One of them was the use of a combination of Borax with a mixing cream, rubbing it into sore spots and then adding DMSO on top. So I have been doing that to inflamed areas for about a week. I am not sure if that is reducing my inflammation or the internal use of Borax or the combo but that isn't the reason for this post.
The reason I am writing is because the Borax/cream/DMSO appears to have extreme healing properties! I suffer from chronic urticaria on top of the arthritis. I get giant hives weekly and take antihistamines for it. Regardless of how many antihistamines I take, the hive usually lasts at least 24 hours. The other day I put the mixed concoction and added DMSO to the hive before bed (it had just appeared that evening). By the morning it was gone!!! This has never happened! The hive is always there until about 24 hours have passed.
On top of that, I was stung by a bee yesterday. I usually get a big red itchy swelling for days after. The sting started to itch and burn right away as usual. I ran in, did the same thing I did to the hive and within 5 minutes the sting was gone!!! I find this to be a miracle. I am still amazed by this. I am not exaggerating. This worked really fast!
When I get a chance I will find the recipe I followed and update here.
Chickweed Tea
Posted by Madelyn (Idaho) on 05/15/2022
Yes, KADI. You can absolutely drink chickweed tea! I buy a pound of organic, dried chickweed at a time and use it to make tea. I like to boil about a quart of water and add a handful of chickweed. Cover and let steep 4 or more hours. Strain and drink. It's delicious and very nutritious! Totally safe to drink during pregnancy.
Chickweed Tea
Posted by KADI (England) on 05/14/2022
Can you drink that tea also?
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Laurel (Milford DE ) on 02/20/2022
Have you tried a Rheumatologist for blood work? Maybe it's an inflammatory problem or immune system disorder that triggers the hives. Also, Dr. Nicole Apelian and Claude Davis have several books on natural remedies to help manage conditions. https://thebookofremedies.com.
You might be able to message her to ask what book would be best to read first for your son.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Forge On! (Midwest Of Usa) on 01/06/2022
★★★★★
Yes, drinking ACV (ALWAYS diluted! ) helps. However, my 2-cents here......I had shingles on my face & eye over 10 years ago. Using DILUTED ACV in a spray bottle (or gently dabbed) helped relieve / reduce itch. Probably also prevented scarring......
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Pat (Nashville, TN) on 01/05/2022
What exactly do you do with Apple cider vinegar? Drink or bathe with it?
EC: Poster from 2016 probably drank it.
Niacin
Posted by Penny (Fresno, CA) on 06/13/2021
★★★★★
Niacin Rush for Hives
Your article on niacin is timely. In 2013, I had hives so badly for months that I could barely function. Back then, my cure ended by just one good niacin rush [300ml]. Recently, I presumed it was fleas, so attacked that idea for weeks, when I then realized, NO, it's hives! I then took 300 ml. niacin, got an itchy rush, did it again a few days later, started to slowly recover. Then, a week later, BY ACCIDENT, I took 1000milligrams!! I survived it better than I thought, & now days later, I believe my full-body hives are seriously on their way OUT! True that I had to bear with rather uncontrollable itching for 1.5 hrs. via the niacin, but that's it. I'm SO relieved this idea occurred to me as a possible way to flush my skin. I was in hell. I hope this helps someone else!
Probiotics
Posted by Karen (San Francisco ) on 01/30/2020
★★★★★
Had terrible hives nearly everyday for a year. Now they are gone. I took a basic probiotic for a few weeks and also avoided gluten. Apparently my hives were a gut issue. Wheat seems to be a trigger, bit a wheat free diet alone didn't rid me of hives. Wish I had known about this earlier! A short course of probiotics was a very simple fix.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Sunshine (Montreal) on 08/16/2019
How can I help you Maria? Could you elaborate a bit on what is going on for you?
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Charity (Faithville, Us) on 08/13/2019
Dr. Batmanghelidj wrote in his books that histamine is a dehydration signal . Dehydration is a mineral /water imbalance. Histamine can cause hives . So if one mineral or water is out of balance you can have many things happen, Hives, runny nose ,itchy skin or eyes, headaches, nausea, digestion issues, brain fog, fatigue , vomiting. Stress makes the body produce cortisol and that further dehydrates the body. Swimming or bathing takes water out of the body. Mineral salts hold water in place. Bile is slowed or stopped by cortisol and also by low fat diets. Take ox bile supplements to restart bile flow. Bile is needed to absorb nutrients when you eat or drink. I am still trying to learn how to be well. Blessings, Charity
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Maria (California ) on 08/13/2019
★★★★★
Thank you for this post. I need some help. Not sure what is causing my hives.
