I think I have Hives..help!!!?!


Question: I think I have Hives..help!!!.?
I knelt in a fire ants nest the other day and had tons of bumps appear on my legs... the next morning I had what looked like acne....it has since spread all over my face and itches and stings...What should I do other then go to a doctor considering this isn't serious enough to pay medical bills for... Will touching them spread them.? What should I do.?Health Question & Answer


Answers:
First of all, be careful. If you are having an allergic reaction it can get very serious. Don't be afraid to go to the doctor, despite the bills, if it gets any worse...especially if you have any trouble breathing. Since it has been over a day since this started it will probably not get any worse...but in the future it might get bad quick.

Over the counter medications can work pretty good...such as the antihistamines. Allergic reactions cause their problems by acting on the histamine receptor in your body--antihistamines block these receptors. Benadryl is your first choice...it will make you drowsy but it works great. You just have to make sure that you take it regularly, about every 6 hours. The pill is the best...don't even bother with the cream if it is covering a large area of your body. Benadryl is a histamine-1 blocker and works well with histamine-2 blockers, such as Pepcid and Zantac. Yes, these are usually used for stomach upset, but they work well for allergic reactions such as hives too. Take them just like the bottle says, but make sure that you take them regularly.

After a day or two taking the Benadryl, if you are still having problems you can switch to Zyrtec or Claritin and continue taking the Pepcid or Zantac. Zyrtec and Claritin are both histamine-1 blockers and are less sedating than Benadryl, so you won't end up spending all of your time in bed. Just make sure that you don't over do it with the antihistamines...take either Pepcid or Zantac, either Zyrtec or Claritin--and don't start taking Zyrtec or Claritin within 6-8 hours of taking the Benadryl.

With regards to the pills, all of the brand name drugs that I mentioned are available in generic brands that are just as effective as the brand names and cost a lot less and all are over the counter in the U.S. As the pharmacist if you need any help finding the generic versions.

You can consider hydrocortisone cream to apply to areas that itch particularly bad. Hydrocortisone cream has a lot of side effects (like causing your skin to become thinner, and such) so use it sparingly and for no more than 3 days in a row.

Health Question & Answer

go to the Dr. if any way possible or you may have hives for weeks. If you can't go to the Dr. try over-the-counter benedryl [generic is good] and a topical creme of cortisone in the highest strength they have. Health Question & Answer



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