Chronic Hives Treatment

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Is there anything at all that coincided with the onset of the hives (i.e. starting a new medication, moving, changing diet, other life event)? Have you had any periods, say a week or a month or so where you don’t have them? Are they worse after exercise? Any digestive issues? What would be your diet on an average day - just pick a day this week and describe what you ate and drank. In general, do you feel hot or cold? Any heat at night (i.e. nightsweats)?

Hives can be tricky to figure out, usually herbally we would use some combination of xiao feng wan or zheng zhu an chuang wan, perhaps with jia wei xiao yao wan and/or some type of digestive aid to either clear more heat from the digestion - say shu gan wan, or to mildly strengthen it - like bao he wan.

Clinically there is another possibility, but I think you would have more disrupted sleep and that is kidney yin deficiency which could be part of the chronic thirst, asthma/dryness and the skin heat. Your answers to the initial questions would be helpful in figuring this out.

Most helpful, of course, would be to find a practitioner in your area who can properly diagnose you.

Comment by Archived User

Thanks for the very prompt reply, Chad.

There was nothing significant that coincided with the onset of the hives, except for stress. My periods are very regular, between 26 days to 29 days, with most cycles being exactly 28 days. Bleeding is normal and only lasts 4-5 days, heavier on the first two days. I have no menstrual pain, I do not take pain relievers, and I can exercise during my cycle without any issues. My diet on an average day is normally quite clean, breakfast is normally a banana and water; lunch is rice, lean chicken, steamed gai lan, and a peach and a tangerine, snack is normally crackers and some roasted wasabi green peas, dinner is rice, salmon, bok choy, and the evening is apples and cheese. At night, I often find myself cold, especially in the winter because I sleep in a room with large windows and the coldness seeps in. Even in the summer, I still sleep with a very heavy winter blanket. I do not break into nightsweats unless the night time temperature rises quite dramatically (i.e. 20C +). Hives have been running in my family for a while, both my aunts on my dad’s side of the family have chronic hives, and in terms of kidney disease, my grandmother passed away while she was undergoing dialysis treatment and my grandfather on my dad’s side had passed away due to liver cancer. I also wear glasses, and the majority of my father’s side of the family wears glasses as well. The asthma and lung issues I inherited from my mother’s side of the family. I will take a look at the herbs you recommend, but please let me know your additional thoughts.

Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.

Considering how good your diet appears to be and how your general health is good - you shouldn’t have a yellow tongue coating. This coating often indicates digestive issues (which you may not necessarily have direct digestive symptoms from). A formula combination like xiao yao wan with shu gan wan might be appropriate initially, or you might need to strengthen your digestion in which case something more tonifying would work. I would try to see someone locally.

If you can send in a picture of your tongue, we might be able to offer more direction.