Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: andius on November 18, 2013, 06:04:00 AM
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Anyone noticed an increase in allergies with menopause?
I developed a weird thing I mentioned on a different thread where any exposure to heat from the sun or from hot water (bath or shower) cause me to have a feeling like pinpricks all over that then started itching immensely. It also seems to come on with sweat from hot flashes.
If I cool off it goes away, but if I don't and I start scratching, I get little welts like insect bites where I scratch.
I've been doing research about this, and apparently allergies increase with loss of hormones in menopause.
I think what I have is cholinergic urticaria, which can be solar or aquagenic or idiopathic in origin. Apparently the mast cells in skin secrete histamine when stimulated which causes the prickling/itching. I haven't read yet about why the mast cells start doing this after menopause or why the hormone loss is associated. It has gotten better since I have been on the patch. Maybe I have too much histamine these days?? Apparently it can be treated with antihistamines, but I haven't tried it.
Anyone know anything about this???
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Histamine levels tend to fluctuate with the level of hormones, especially oestrogen, at ovulation and just prior to the onset of menstruation. Or so I was told by my gp when i queried terrible itching at certain times of the month... so there is definately a connection. x
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I've had this mysterious itching thing for a while now and it makes me want to cry with frustration as I don't know how to stop it. It used to only happen after a shower but it sometimes happens after a bath and now sometimes for no reason at all. Its always my legs or arms.
Last night in bed for example - my right wrist was intensely itchy and every few seconds I had to scratch it until I wanted to scream. Then another random part of my arm would start itching and so on. I was awake until 2.30am. It sounds a trivial thing but it's really not.
Right now my left thigh is itching every few seconds :(
Antihistamine does seem to help a little and sometimes I take them with a painkiller as well just to try and deaden whatever it is that sets the itching off. But I can't take antihistamine every day just in case the itching starts. Some days it doesn't happen at all.
I used to love a relaxing bath but now I dread them.
I have tried to drink more water in the hope that this will help but just when I think it has worked, a maddening itch will start somewhere and I'm back to square one.
I did wonder if last night's episode could be because of a 3 day gap rather then 2 since the last Vagifem. I used to use the 25mcg twice a week but now I use the 10mcg Tues, Thurs and Sun. Having said that, I'm sure I had the itching when I was using the 25cg as well.
You have my sympathy and I only wish I had the answer for you
ariadne xx
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This confirms that itching is part of menopause but doesn't really give any ideas as to what to do about it. It is always worth checking with the GP though to make sure that your thyroid is ok or that your liver function is good. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Itching/Pages/Causes.aspx
Taz x
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Also some medication can give a bad reaction to sunlight :o
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Don't have to bother much about sunlight at the moment ???
My itch is in the middle of my back. Just where I can't reach. It's much worse in bed. I have a hairbrush next to my bed so I can have a good scratch because I can't wake hubby up just to scratch my back.
I have had contact dermatitis for many years but it went into overdrive with meno. My hands have been sore painful. I come out in water blisters which burst and then bleed. I have been known to waken up having scratched my hands until they are bleeding. I have it under control at the moment but it can get so bad.
Honeyb
X
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Honeybun - gloves? We put them on babies who itched a lot ;)
If my itchyness is bad I take Nurofen at night plus an anti-histamine in the evening ...... as the irritation is always late at night >:( I have a shoe horn as a back scratcher.
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I have cotton gloves CLKD. I always end up taking them off in my sleep ???
I can never keep them on.
Honeyb
X
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Interesting topic. I get itchy too, but just thought I was extra sensitive to certain things. Never even thought it could be meno related.
Is there anything the menopause doesn't do to our bodies?
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Thanks for the replies :)!
My liver function tests and thyroid tests are all normal. Good cholesterol and the lipoproteins are great ratios.
The only thing I was taking when this prickly itching thing was bad was vagifem and vitamin D. When I started taking hormones, it took 3 months to go away. I have since been able to be out in sun in swimsuit with no problems.
It is really weird. When I saw the rheumatologist this year to see if I was developing auto-immune illnesses due to this symptom, as well as the vulvar/urethral burning not relieved by hormones, he told me that he had seen in medical literature about gluten sensitivity developing in menopause that was assoc. with burning type symptoms that went away on gluten sensitive diet. I tried this for 3 months without much benefit.
I quit wearing makeup in menopause due to sensitive skin developing around eyes. I maybe wear makeup 3 or 4 times a year now instead of every day. Had to change soaps and shampoos and detergent also. I never had an allergy before this in my entire life. Always able to eat or do anything!!
Andius
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I developed an allergy to lots of different types of fruit before I went onto HRT andius. It is a common aspect of menopause but I didn't know that at the time! Now I am off HRT I again can't eat oranges, or tomatoes without coming out in an itchy rash on my arms and back. I put up with it though as I do love oranges!
http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/allergies/articles/understanding-menopausal-allergies.htm
Taz x
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Well I never knew that. Hormones are linked to so many things. It explains why my mild dermatitis has increased so much when I do the same things I always have.
Thanks Taz
Honeyb
X
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I also used to develop a different type of blister rash on my arms when on the progesterone phase of HRT. I didn't link it into HRT until I started the conti type and the rash was there all the time and then, when I stopped HRT last time the rash disappeared only to reappear again when I restarted. I always used to get a rash before a period but didn't even wonder whether it was hormone related!
Taz x
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My mouth can't tolerate jams, it begins to burn .......... :(
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Dear Ariadne/Andius
I have come across your posts whilst searching around the forum. I have posted myself today about the fact that I am suffering from urticaria (hives) and wondered if it was menopause related. The symptoms you described are exactly the same as what I am experiencing.
It gives me some comfort to know that I am not alone in this. I am currently trying to alleviate it with anti-histamines. But I have a doctors appointment next week so will see what that brings out.
Pussycat xx
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Hello pussycat. I'll be very interested in how you get on at the doctors as I'd like to know what the cause is. Mine seems only to be related to contact with water - just like a Gremlin ha ha- remember them?
I developed a rather elaborate routine for bathtime.
Room had to be very warm
Dressing gown and clothes had to placed on radiator
Bath water had to be really hot ( I thought that was odd but it seemed to help)
Once bathed, I had to avoid my skin getting cold so dried my arms and chest while still in the bath!
Put hot dressing gown on immediately, then dry rest of body
I am in remission at the moment. I have noticed this before - maybe its seasonal. have no idea why the itching has stopped for the moment, it will be back sometime but its great not to have it right now
Good luck! I hope you get some answers and relief from the itching.
Ariadne xx
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Pussycat:
Please post what you find out from the doctor. I have noticed that my gets worse if my estrogen patch dose is lessened. I'm am sure my symptoms are somehow related to estrogen.
Andius
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I certainly have been through a nightmare and learning curve these last few months with the itching and skin rash. My symptoms were very similar the posters.
Getting an appointment to see my doctor or any doctor at my surgery has been getting harder and a telephone appointment would not do as someone needed to look at the rashes.
I made the fatal error of going to the pharmacist who immediately made a diagnosis, insisted he was 60% sure ( he was a 100% wrong!) caused me to be horrified and I got an appointment with a doctor at the surgery I have never seen before ( she was Chinese) who merely glanced at the rash, said we go by symptoms ( I itched terribly at night) told her what the pharmacist had said and she prescribed cream form to cover myself in and my partner! and said had I been in any residential homes!!! and had skin contact, the only places I had been and had skin contact in the last eight weeks was the physiotherapist, and the only crowded place was the hospital with OH. We had not been anywhere else except the supermarket and I had been ill over Xmas with that throat and chest virus, she then said scabies, I looked at her in astonishment as I thought that was some medieval disease.
When I got home I googled and wish I hadn't, OH said it was impossible but we will use the cream, we then read the leaflet and found it was an insecticide trade name Permethrin, had to be kept on for 8-12 hours and then washed off and everything in the house had to be cleaned.
That's when the nightmare began my skin reacted and was much worse and became sensitive and I could not beat clothes next to my skin it crawled and I felt pin pricks all over, Oh just got dry itchy patches. I finally got to see my own doctor and she said do not put any more of that cream on, its not scabies, I told her I had made an appointment with a private Dermatologist and she said she would write to him, she also sent me to the hospital for blood tests.
The Dermatologist I saw was very good and said you have not got scabies , you never had and to prove it he gave me a hug and held my hands. He said that I had chronic uticaria and putting that cream on had made my skin even more sensitive, he drew his finger across my chest and it showed up red, he said I was atopic and talked about Mast cells and the release of histamine, I do come from an atopic family and have had Hives a few times in the past and once my eyes swelled up like golf balls when cutting the grass those these episodes only lasted over nigh, nothing like this attack.
He gave me a prescription for skin oil to put in the bath, a steroid cream and anti histamines, it has burned itself out now and I just have a few spots that look like bites.
My own doctor has said she thinks it was delayed reaction and the stress of OH nearly dying last year and I think she is right
http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/stress/art2431.html
The upshot of all this is that the house is spotless and I have had clean sheets daily for nearly a month after reading about scabies on google, totally unnecessary, but even the thought of it makes me shudder, we even bought a steam cleaner but it is still in its box unopened ::)
The moral of this I suppose is not to rely on a pharmacist to diagnose, I have yet to see him but when I do I will take pleasure in telling him how wrong he was, he even said nonchalantly that it was going around! I will tell him that his mistake cost me over £200 pounds including all the paranoia.
I am not sure about the hormone connection I know that estrogen enhances the immune system and progesterone dampens it, it could be that the loss of progesterone at menopause increases the chances of Allergies.
,
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For anyone being driven mad by Uticaria and Hives, this site (blog) is very good.
http://themenopausehistamineconnection.wordpress.com/
This blog put me onto Olive Leaf Extract
http://themenopausehistamineconnection.wordpress.com/'s=olive+leaf+extract&submit=Go
http://falconblanco.com/health/supplements/oliveleaf.htm
I have started having a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil daily (OH has too) the real stuff has a fruity bitter taste but I am getting to like it, already my skin feels much softer and the spots have gone and my skin feels back to normal.
I am still taking a very low dose antihistamine in the evening as I still get the prickly feeling now and then, but the redness on my chest after a bath is much much better.
The Dermatologist gave me an anti histamine diet to follow but that's a little harder to maintain.
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I have been hoovering our bedroom particularly on my side of the bed, I also bought an anti-allergy pillow on Thursday and my snuffles are less!
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I now have an ultra sonic dust mite remover that you plug in, it lives under my bed.
Here is the blurb
•Natural Aid
•Reduces dust mite population
•Helps prevent allergies
•Reduces asthma and allergy symptoms
•Totally safe to humans and pets
Protect an entire room from dust mite allergens
The Dust Mite controller works by emitting an ultrasonic sound, which disrupts the feeding and reproductive/growth cycles of dust mites. This reduces the population of dust mites and therefore the allergens produced.
A mains powered device to control dust mites - even the two million often found in a double bed. Dust mite allergens are thought to be related to half of all rhinitis and hay fever. Chemical-free, ultrasonic protection for a medium sized room up to 62m³.
The Dust Mite Controller simply plugs into your socket and emits a complicated range of ultrasonic waves covering up to 62.8 cubic metres. These sounds interfere with the feeding a reproductive cycles of the dust mite, immediately reducing the amount of allergens produced (faecal matter) and over a period cause the population of mites to decrease.
Product Highlights
The Dust Mite Controller can help with:
•Itchy Eyes
•Runny Nose
•Skin Rash
•Sneezing
•Snoring
•Wheezing and coughing
It has very good reviews.
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I can't use those because we keep stick insects ;D
Good Hoovering is working for me, also I should eat local honey but keep forgetting to buy some …… :(
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I am allergic to certain anti-persperants that i have used for years. This only happened when i started going through the menopause so there probably is some connection.
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Hi ladies
Have seen nice lady doctor and had blood tests. Didn't find anything major. Doctor said could be anything setting it off. I didn't have urticaria at my friend's house one night and realised she has a leather sofa and wooden floors. So have hoovered my carpets and sofas big time as I think it could be dust related. I also think coffee has an impact. Being hot and feeling stressed does too.
I am taking antihistamines when I need them and this is helping. The doctor didn't confirm it was meno related but said it could be. The blood test did show I was post menopausal.
Just one more meno thing to live with! :-)
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Chemicals in curtains and carpets can annoy our immune systems too ………. we ought to replace our bedroom carpet this year but don't know if to buy a new one or 'go' wooden with rugs :-\ ……….. I think a carpet looks tidier upstairs though ……
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Five years ago, we went to Switzerland for our silver wedding anniversary, which was lovely. One hot and sunny day, we went to a small town down in a valley, which was a real sun trap. It was hot!! I could feel the skin on my chest was catching the sun a bit, but it was bound to, as I had a v-neck top on. When we came away from there, however, my chest felt slightly burned and started to itch. The itching increased and I could feel little blister-y things cropping up there. By late afternoon, wherever I went, people were staring at my highly impressive collection of blisters which were by then all over my chest. I remember having coffee somewhere and a couple just couldn't take their eyes off me - it looked as though I had some awful skin disease! Can you imagine - all these smart Swiss people with their impeccable presentation in everything they do? I was so embarrassed! After trying the Anthisan cream that I'd brought with me and one or two other quack remedies, eventually a kind and knowledgeable chemist advised me to take antihistamine tablets and they solved the problem, thank goodness. By the time we got home, most of the blisters had gone. But I was sure this was hormonally induced; I was still having periods then and it was day one, but my cycles had been going a bit erratic for a while. However, I always make sure my chest is covered in the sun now. It's definitely worth a hot flush or two, compared to a chest that looked like the surface of the moon!
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This is called photoallergic eruption dulciana and the last time I had it was when I went to Greece, like you I went to the Pharmacist and was given some cream which helped a little and was told to keep out of the sun ( I was on holiday in Greece, the sun was the whole point ::)) and not to put any sun cream on the area because it could cause photosensitivity, he was right of cause and it did not go until we came home.
Since then I am very careful in the sun especially on the chest area, and since the Uticaria flareup even after a hot bath my chest is red for a while.
This also happened when I was on the contraceptive pill years ago, when I went into strong sunlight, it stopped after I came off it.
Here is some info http://mysunallergy.com/the-4-most-common-sun-allergies-photosensitivity/
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Here's a Tip
A member on MM recommended this years ago and I have used it ever since
PIZ BUIN® Allergy Lotion (sun protection)
Available in SPF 15-30 and 50+
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Thanks silverlady. From what you experienced and from what it says in that link, it looks as though my suncream was probably what set it off.
Oh well, I'm not a sun-lover anyway, so now I've got the perfect excuse to stay out if it! :)
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Thanks very much for the tip about the sun allergy lotion, too, Silverlady. I'll definitely look out for that one!
:thankyou:
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Something else to bear in mind about photosensitivity
http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/showthread.php't=63937
I have read that estrogen refines and thins the skin and progesterone thickens it.
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When I was on radiation treatment I was told NOT to sit in the sun at all. So I wore a straw hat when outside ……. also some medications can cause sensitivity to sunshine, certainly ADs are known to cause problems!
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Dont know if this will help but for years i have suffered with a condition called aquagenic piruitus. Basically my skin dosen't produce enough oil. So when i get wet from swimming showers night seats etc I itch like crazy.
Spoke to a gp and advised to use oilatum in my bath (it does help and is cheap) Fortunately I now spend most of my summers in Spain and a suntan helps due to melanin so dont suffer all year round like I used to.But I sympathise.
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:thankyou: Lyanne
Do you get good support abroad?
Did I tell you that I had changed my pillows to anti-allergy recently - in fact now my nose overnight is too dry ::) but when in the camper on Friday night, I was snuffly ALL NIGHT :( …… back in bed, nose was better ……..
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I personally have never needed medical help abroad, ( only there from June to Sept) But my husband has and I can't fault them they are much better than here.
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Have to agree there Lynanne.
No sign of Uticaria and itching now, skin all healed.
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Good News for you both!
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Just an update- yesterday got my final blood test results that was 8 in total, and all normal :)
Want to thank rosebush for her recommending Dermol cream ( an antimicrobial emollient cream for pruritus and especially for eczema and dermatitis) you can get on prescription but I got it on amazon, I thought I had had rather a lot on prescription already ::) it comes in a 500mg pump container. I can honestly say it has really worked at getting me back to feeling comfortable in my skin, and stopped the skin sensitivity to my clothes.
Thank you rosebush x
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8)
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Here is what I have learned so far about the Histamine response.
http://healthypixels.com/?p=1044
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Daily mail today
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2599180/Rashes-When-itch-wrecks-life-NOTHING-rid-it.html