Natural Remedies for Hives - Holistic Symptom Relief

Dry Brushing

Posted by Sarah (Leicester, Uk) on 01/03/2013
★★★★★

Hi, I've suffered with cronic urticaria for 6 months... I've been allergy tested for everything to no avail and am taking constant high doses of certirizine. When very severe I have taken steroids which clear it up for about 2 weeks. After another week of swelling from top to toe (literally! ) I found this website the night before another trip to the Dr for more steroids... Wow... I dry brushed my entire body, had a tepid shower and smothered myself with bio oil (the only thing I had made from mineral oil) before going to bed. My rash is always worse in the morning so I didn't know what to expect but I woke up so the tiniest rash and jumped for joy! As recommended I have also invested in some oil of oregano (capsules for ingesting) and charcoal to try and alkalise my body, reducing toxins and acidity. I thing the suggestion is to apply the oil at night, dry brush in the morning then shower. I hope this helps someone. This is a horrible condition with no medical answers so finger crossed and good luck to you all.

Beer

Posted by Abel (Munchen, Germany) on 10/01/2012
★★★★★

Hello, When I had Hives in the past, Benedryl worked wonders, but now it doesn't seem to help. The two things I found that help are chemical-wise a pill called Cetirizin which is an offshoot of Benedryl, and the second, now don't laugh till you try it... Is Beer! In Germany there is a purity law which Bier can only be produced from Hops, Water and Malt, nothing else. As I was drinking one evening, about two hours later I noticed ALL the hives (welts) were gone! No I don't advocate drinking beer till you drop, but try Hops as a tea, this too has been helping. I boil water, let the hops soak for about 5 min. , add some honey and there you go.

For now, it's five o'clock somewhere, so PROST and good luck! =) Abel.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda, Exercise

Posted by Meez (Jamaica Plains, Ma) on 09/13/2012
★☆☆☆☆

Please read... BAKING SODA MAKES HIVES WORSE BY INCREASING CARBON DIOXIDE... pH NOT A FACTOR...
http://www.jci.org/articles/view/100402/files/pdf

What they found was that adding baking soda to the wheal (hive) slices actually made the wheals worse by increasing carbon dioxide, even though baking soda shifted the pH to alkaline. They increased and decreased the pH using an acid (similar to vinegar) or base (similar to baking soda) but the hives still flared because of carbon dioxide, CO2.

I've had hives for 13 years. Tried every medicine out there and even experimental ones. The only one that works for me now is Methylprednisolone.

I found this forum when searching for things to treat a minor hive flare up I had recently. I was browsing here and read about ACV and Baking Soda being helpful because it changed pH toward alkaline. I decided to try Baking Soda because it was the only thing I had around late at night. I took 2 tbsp's. An hour later I ended up having one of the worst attacks of hives i've ever had. Racing heartbeat, dizzyness, headache, trouble breathing, itching like mad, weakness. It lasted for 2 days straight. I only slept one day for 4 hours.

When I couldn't sleep, or barely move, I started looking up how Baking Soda could mess up my hives. I read that one of its normal function in the body is to release CO2. Then I found the study above.

My hospital, Mass General, now has an online system where I can check all my records back to 1993 when the hives started. This includes blood tests, xrays, reports, etc...

I started looking through my blood tests and the weird thing is that I found in ALL my blood tests i've always had PERFECT pH. BUT , I've also had high CO2 levels since 1993. Which is strange because high CO2 should make blood pH acidic especially over the course 13 years. The baking soda should have helped becaue I have high CO2.

So.. I browsed around and read that any Vinegar, even ACV and Baking Soda cancel each other out when mixed. That's why they fizz. That's means they can't both have an effect. That must mean that there is something in ACV only that is helping people, even if they take both ACV and BS.

I started looking around and found that there are 3 very powerful Anti-Inflammatories in ACV... Caffeic Acid, Ferrulic Acid and Ursolic Acid. Ironically I have already tried all of those supplements two years ago. I didn't know they were in ACV at the time. I found them when I read in different Allergy and Immunology journals that they help reduce Inflammation and are in trials for different diseases.

Caffeic Acid is in Coffee, but didn't know that until recently. Coffee always helps my hives. I thought it was the caffeine at first, but then tried caffeine alone as a pill and it made my hives worse. Last night I found an article that says Caffeine increases sensetivity to CO2. Amazing.

I bought the Ferrulic and Ursolic Acid as isolated supplements not in any food or herb. They are actually popular in Bodybuilding. They all helped me some, but I needed enourmous amounts which I couldn't afford to keep buying. In the large doses I had some terrible side effects anyways. In the end I just went back on Methylprednisolone.

I haven't read every reply so I probably missed it, but to me it seems like ACV isn't changing pH at all but it is just the delivery medium for the anti-inflammatories Caffeic, Ferrulic and Ursolic Acids. At first I read that people take ACV and BS to make the pH alkaline. Then I got confused because i've read most patients with allergic disorders have high copper levels. Which means ACV souldn't be needed. Then I read that ACV helps digestion but if in order to help digestion it needs to be acidic to break down food. Then I read that it kills bacteria, but if we had bacteria the immune system wouldn't attack us and cause hives, it would be focused on the bacteria. This actually happens to me if I stay out all night and party. I get run down, get a cold and the hives clear up. :)

Do people take ACV because of the anti-inflammatories in it? Or to try to lower or raise pH? Or is it something I missed? Confussed.. :(

Cool Baths With Starch

Posted by Rsw (Uniontown, Oh) on 07/31/2012
★★★★★

When I used to get hives for many years, I took 50 mg of Benedryl several times a day, as directed. They seemed to come out more at night, probably from the heat of the bed covers, especially on my hands on feet which would swell and felt like I was walking on big rocks. To get some sleep, I would fill the bathtub with cool water and pour some blue liquid starch into the water until it felt "starchy. ". A nurse told me to do this and it helps, at least temporarily. Sometimes you need almost a whole bottle of starch but it is inexpensive. If you wake up and don't want to do the bath, just fill the sink with cold water and some starch and put your hands or feet in for a while until your skin isn't hot and you can feel the hives stop itching. Let them air dry. Good luck! By the way, the stress and excitement of the trip may be a contributing factor. I would get them if I was worried and under stress and also when I was very happy and excited.

OTC

Posted by Michael (Tucson, Az) on 07/05/2012
★★★★★

I was suffering from total body hives for a year, and taking heavy prescription antihistamines which put me to sleep and tired all day. I went to an allergist and he put me on over the counter Zyrtec and Pepcid. (which by the way are both antihistamines.) I buy the generic form of each to save money, and I haven't had a single outbreak in over 60 days.

Hives Triggers

Posted by Blueplanet (Hong Kong) on 06/25/2012
★★★★★

Baking Soda Caused Hives

I never had any hives in my life until recently. On retrospection, I realized that I became unusually obsessed with baking soda on these dates. I suspect that my hives were linked to my excessive intake of baking soda.

Baking soda neutralizes stomach acid, which is needed for proper digestion of proteins. The connection between low stomach acid and chronic recurrent hives was relatively well known and described in medical journals in the early and mid-20th century:

http://wrightnewsletter.com/2011/05/16/itching-for-knowledge/

http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/cond/C42513.html

If lack of stomach acid is a real cause of chronic hives, then should we (victims of hives) include foods that increase secretion of stomach acid?

Hydrochloric Acid

Posted by Blueplanet (Hong Kong) on 06/25/2012
★★★★★

I confirm that soaking the affected areas in diluted hydrochloric acid works. All the blisters either dry up, burst or become scabs. I have no more itching sensation.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Deborah (Dallas, Texas) on 06/24/2012
★★★★★

Hi, last month my husband broke out in hives for the first time in his life. His entire body was covered so we went to the Dr. and they gave him a shot which he had an allergic reaction too (and also didn't help). So a couple days ago when he broke out again and the dr couldn't help help him I did a lot of reading to try to learn about it. He woke up friday with a few hives and by the end of the evening his back and the tops of his arms where his sleeves had been were basically one big hive, plus other little ones around his body. When he got home from work saturday still no change so before he went to bed I put coconut oil (unrefined organic) on his back and arms. When he woke up in the morning every bit was gone on his back and arms. All that was left was the little hives where there hadn't been any coconut oil.

Hydrochloric Acid

Posted by Blueplanet (Yuen Long, Nt, Hong Kong) on 06/24/2012
★★★★★

I contracted severe hives on my palms after applying a deet based mosquito repellent on mosquito bites. I have already stopped using the repellents, but the hives persist. I have tried many things but to no avail. I have finally found some relief by soaking my hands in a solution of diluted hydrochloric acid. The itching sensation has gone, but I am not sure if the hives will come back later. I will post back.

Oil Pulling

Posted by Kr (Roanoke, Va) on 05/04/2012

I totally get the not being able to talk about your hives! :D

Baking Soda

Posted by Kr (Roanoke, Va) on 05/04/2012

So.... why are you posting "yea" for baking soda if you are taking Zyrtec? Obviously it is the Zyrtec keeping your symtpoms at bay.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Jose (Salt Lake City, Ut, USA) on 02/27/2012
★★★★★

About 2 years ago, I started having hive outbreaks that completely changed my lifestyle. Initially I and the multiple doctors I visited had a difficult time identifying my body's reaction as hives. They started by appearing as crescent shaped welts as well as targets, or circular welts with clear centers. Not long after, however, these outbreaks became quite severe. Tightly clustered hives formed super hives the size of dinner plates on my chest, back, and legs. I also experienced deep tissue hives that I could feel below the skin and near joints, which caused painful swelling. In addition, as if things were not bad enough already, I also suffered from pressure hives--too much physical pressure actually caused hives! I couldn't even carry a basket at the supermarket without my hands swelling from an outbreak.

Eventually, I found a naturopathic doctor that helped me identify my outbreaks as an immune dificiency. It turns out that I developed an allergic reaction to gluten, which was basically in everything I was eating. At the time all this happend, I was in my mid-thirties and in relatively good health. Cutting gluten out of my diet helped tremendously, but I found a few things that helped with my condition prior to receiving my diagnosis.

If I did nothing, my outbreaks would pass within two or three days, which was just far too long for me, so I found a few different ways to move the hives out of my system within a day to half a day. In some instances, I was able to rid the current outbreak within a few hours.

1. Cayenne pepper. I took cayenne pepper to increase blood circulation. I added 1/4 tsp to a glass of water (8 oz) and chugged it once or twice a day. This might be too much for some people (it was too much for me at times), so I would recommend experimenting with this measurement. As bad as it was at times to drink this concoction, it was worth the relief.

2. Physical exercise. Again, the idea was to increase blood circulation. I joined a local field hockey team and we played 3 times a week. This was better than a treadmill because it was fun, I made new friends, and I got the serious cardiovascular workout I needed.

3. Sea water. I was visiting the Dominican Republic for a wedding and had a breakout every single day that I was there. I discovered, however, that taking a dip in the ocean soothed my outbreaks and got rid of them pretty quickly. I never actually tried it but perhaps an epsom salt bath would also help? Anyway, I include this here in case it helps someone reading this even though I only used it during my visit.

4. Juicing. Hands down this is the best thing I tried for hives AND my gluten allergy. I bought a single auger juicer for about $260 (US). The reason I decided to juice is because I not only wanted the vitamins and minerals, but I wanted to make sure I was also getting the live enzymes that come from juicing. I mostly juice vegetables and some fruit. Initially, I juiced every day for about 3 weeks. I made some form of green juice and had a tall glass of it right away. After that time period, I juiced a few times a week instead of everyday. By the way, I'm not talking about juice fasting. All I did then, and continue to do now, is incorporate juicing into my existing diet.

There are obvious benefits to juicing, and with a little research you can find certain recipes for different ailments. I have a favorite one that I make specifically for heavy metal toxicity, which I suspect is the cause of my pressure hives. The overall result from jucing? I rarely have any hive outbreaks anymore. They're all but gone. I can also have foods that contain gluten such as pasta, breads, ketchup, soy sauce, beer.... The list is endless. Although I can have it again, I'm choosing a cleaner diet. I'm able to carry a basket at the supermarket again and I want to keep it that way.

Toothpaste

Posted by Natasha (Auckland, New Zealand) on 02/07/2012
★★★★★

I have never had hives before but two weeks ago I started getting them first on my legs. Then on my arms. At the beginning they were small in size. Later they appeared on my upper arm, underarm, neck and even face. It was itching crazy. Immidiately after I scratched them, they was growing in size and was looking like raised flat topped bumps.

I was searching everywhere for some remedy and decided to try using tooth paste. I rubbed it onto hives and minutes later itching disappeared!! Hour later the hives were not swollen any longer and started to dissappear fully.

I don't know if it will help me to get rid of them fully, cos I tried this today, so I just have to wait and see. At least it helps to get rid of itchiness for sure.

Nettle Tea, Quercetin

Posted by Ursula (Weston, Florida, Usa) on 01/05/2012
★★★★★

I gave my 10 year old son quercetin 500 mg with bromelein caps a few days ago and he hasn't had hives since then. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this might be his cure or at least the best way to manage his daily hives.

My son has had hive attack daily for the past two years. They appeared suddenly out of the blue and have plagued him ever since sometimes multiple times a day. We never go anywhere without Bendadryl and Zyrtec and sometimes even those don't work so well. He also had about 20 NAET treatments with a chiropractor that gave him marginal results while he was getting them but had no long term results.

Raw Rice

Posted by Christian (Salt Lake City, Utah) on 12/20/2011
★★★★★

I have a family remedy that my parents have saying, wash grains of rice (it has to be raw rice) then with your mouth, chew until it it becomes a white paste- this only works on acute hives though.

Nettle Tea, Quercetin

Posted by Lindsey (Columbus, Ohio) on 12/05/2011
★★★★★

I have had 2 bouts of Hives after going gluten free. I believe contact with gluten is the culprit but I'm not positive. I had a very untimely breakout before Christmas and the only way I got through it was to drink tons of nettle tea and taking quercetin. Both suppress the production of histamine which causes the itching and ill side effects.

There are great supplements out there that contain both. I can't believe this hasn't been posted yet!

Hydration

Posted by Ali (College Park, Md) on 12/03/2011
★★★★★

For months, my husband started having itchy chronic hives (diagnosed urticaria) basically all over, including lip swelling. It mostly appeared at dawn time. A couple of times, it was even accompanied by difficulty breathing and wheezing. We eliminated one thing after the other, with no avail. A blood test showed nothing wrong and our doctor scheduled us for allergy testing. OTC allergy meds helped but only temporarily.

I started doing lots of research on-line as I didn't want my husband to be dependent on meds forever. Finally I came across this website talking about water treatment for hives, and I thought why not. http://www.topix.com/forum/health/hives/T3JE7RJD4S1FFOBUM/p5

Within the first 48 hours, his itching got less. We canceled the allergy appointment. Within a week, the hives still came but less. He also stopped drinking coffee totally (apparently it's very dehydrating). It took about two months of drinking water about 8-10 glasses, and now the hives are completely gone, thank God! The water has also helped his eczema itching as well. We also had liquid oil of oregano at home (search youtube for an easy painless way to take it- it's strong). Please DO give this a try, and I'll post this on a couple of sites in hopes it may help someone else.

Banana Peel

Posted by Rsw (Uniontown, Oh) on 11/23/2011

Liquid starch (the blue liquid) in cool water (use in sink to soak feet or hands, or in bath for whole body, enough to make the water feel starchy) will relieve the itching of hives. Soak for as long as you can and do not rinse.

Banana Peel

Posted by Sarah (Littleville, Alabama, Usa) on 11/23/2011
★★★★★

Rub the inside of a banana peel anywhere you have hives. The itching will be gone in a second or two. You won't be sticky or anything, it soaks in just like lotion, nice and dry, not greasy. You still need to figure out the cause if it's a chronic condition, but you won't itch anymore!

L-Lysine

Posted by Patricia (Los Angeles, California) on 11/04/2011

I have suffered with chronic Hives for the last 4 years!! Woke up with my eye closed shut or my lips all swollen.... I am so grateful to find this page & all the wonderful information, for the first time I feel that I am not alone & not losing my mind!! Thank you so much to all!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted by V. (Orlando, Fl) on 10/02/2011
★★★★★

I have had hives for over a year and a half now. I got it a month after the passing of my grandmother who raised me. Many doctors discard the fact that emotional changes can trigger hives, yet there are some that do not discard that. In my case, I have been diagnosed with chronic urticaria. I have experienced it all, swelling of tongue and throat, and huge welts on my skin and even my face! I was so desperate because I have been to 2 specialists, and all they do is keep prescribing different anthihistamines and steroids like prediscone, which I hate because the relief is temporary, yet the side effects are horrible and more permanent. In my desperation, I said to myself there has to be a natural way to cure this.

So, here is what I have done, and have been doing for a week now, and let me tell you, even though I cannot say yet that the hives are permanently gone, the difference is pretty much close to it. So I really hope this will help some of you: First, ACV does work. You have to however, get the organic ACV! That is very important! I started drinking ACV and it has tremendously improved my breakouts! I no longer get big welts, and I do get a few small breakouts on my legs, but they dissppear quick. Haven't had swelling since I started drinking ACV. The other thing I found really helps with the itching besides the good o'l aloe vera plant, is oatmeal body lotion! It's miraculous! Oatmeal is an anti itching agent. I rub it on my skin everyday and night, and the itching is gone almost instantly! I also use castor oil to rub on my skin! Yes, the combo of castor oil and oatmeal lotion really helps. There is something about the castor oil, that helps diminish the welts and stop them from coming out and spreading. They sell the castor oil you can rub on your body at the beauty section of any health food grocery store. It's amazing! So you may want to try this to see if this brings as much instant relief as it has done for me. Good luck and God bless!

Baby Oil

Posted by Julia (Jacksonville, Florida) on 09/30/2011
★★★★★

I had hives for 3 months straight and I just had to tell everyone- I tried everything and nothing worked from Apple Cider Vinegar to castor oil to claritin. The only thing that has worked is baby oil ( the one with mineral oil). I never post anything online but I am posting this hoping to help someone because the baby oil is miracolous and anyone that has hives knows that they are really annoying.

It does not matter the brand just baby oil made with mineral oil. I am using the store generic brand and I have not had any hives for a whole week! I am so happy I want to shout!

L-Lysine

Posted by Janet (Kendal, U.k) on 07/31/2011

I use either or but not both. the HP is so diluted as not to have affected my face, however I did don a shower cap because I didn't want it bleaching my hair.

I would wash the face with a cloth rather than submerging in it and avoid the eyes.

GOOD LUCK. IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT WITH ME.janetwhiteside(at)live.co.uk

L-Lysine

Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 07/30/2011

RE your daughter not liking apple cider vinegar, try hiding it in Apple Juice.

L-Lysine

Posted by Jfm (London, England) on 07/30/2011

To: Janet from Kendal. Thanks for your interesting reply. Just wondering if I've understood you correctly. Would I use both the vinegar and the Hydrogen Peroxide in the bath at the same time? (2 cupfuls of each)? I know what you mean about the Hydrogen Peroxide, just the name of it scares the hell out of me. I think because it sounds so chemical, I have visions of some mad scientist with a test tube in a laboratory with Hydrogen Peroxide bubbling away in it.

I don't know if you will know the answer to this but is Hydrogen Peroxide safe to use on the face? Is it dangerous if you get it near your eyes?

I will also try and bribe my daughter to drink some Apple Cider Vinegar, she tried it once and hated it!

Thanks.

L-Lysine

Posted by Janet (Kendal, U.k) on 07/30/2011

RE-bathing in Vinegar I used the plain old malt , much cheaper only used a couple of times a couple of cup fulls to a bath. Was a bit scared to be honest with the HP, but same with that. (and I am still here.!!! Lol. )but the relief I got was instantely felt.

The burn, itch, pain cycle was broken. Let me sleep far more restfully. And help me feel much better all round. I continue to do the above once a week to maintain but but never felt this good in months.

Maybe you can persuade your daughter to drink a little too I do but ACV with BS. it alkalise your systom which I believe was the root of the problem.

Hope she feels better soon , for anyone that hasn, t had this to contend with it, s a blessing because it, s damned right awful.

P.S be great to know if it helps her. :)

L-Lysine

Posted by Jfm (London, England) on 07/29/2011

To Janet from Kendal, Uk. Thanks for your reply. When you say your hives have now gone was that due to bathing in the AVC or Hydrogen Peroxide? If so, what quantity of AVC or HP did you use in the bath? And how long did it take before you completely got rid of the hives? Thank you.