Hi Gang,

I am cross posting this in the exercise and general discussion forums.

I am training for a half marathon. After 2 weeks off due to end of year production quotas,I got on the "dreadmill" for a long run.

2 miles in I was overcome with this intense itching around my entire trunk (aka stomach AND back). No amount of itching satisfied it.

It was finished by mile 6 but it was a miserable hour and a terrible way to start my run.

In the mirror, one could see my stretch marks had turned bright purple, with cherry red dots and they have stayed that way for about 48 hours.

I have a row of itchy bumps on my right thigh.

I have not changed my diets, these clothes have worn before with no problem (aka I know they dont chafe), and i havent changed my soaps/detergents.

So, I looked this up on the internet and there is something called "Physical allergy" where the mast cells degranulate in response to exercise. The solution is to take an antihistamine BEFORE working out.

This solution is viable BUT I developed it just out of nowhere literally. I dont understand WHY it has started now. Further, I wonder whether it will be a recurrent thing.

Does anyone else have this problem? I really dont want to be taking antihistamines several times per day. Alternatively, the literature reports people have DIED after developing swelling in their trachea and airways.

Any home remedies to alleviate this? One I read is that I should quit eating high histamine foods, but that is my entire diet (i.e. nuts, meats, wine, sauerkraut, fermented foods, pickles).

-Concerned and wanting to know why

Skinny

Hi Gang,

I am cross posting this in the exercise and general discussion forums.

I am training for a half marathon. After 2 weeks off due to end of year production quotas,I got on the "dreadmill" for a long run.

2 miles in I was overcome with this intense itching around my entire trunk (aka stomach AND back). No amount of itching satisfied it.

It was finished by mile 6 but it was a miserable hour and a terrible way to start my run.

In the mirror, one could see my stretch marks had turned bright purple, with cherry red dots and they have stayed that way for about 48 hours.

I have a row of itchy bumps on my right thigh.

I have not changed my diets, these clothes have worn before with no problem (aka I know they dont chafe), and i havent changed my soaps/detergents.

So, I looked this up on the internet and there is something called "Physical allergy" where the mast cells degranulate in response to exercise. The solution is to take an antihistamine BEFORE working out.

This solution is viable BUT I developed it just out of nowhere literally. I dont understand WHY it has started now. Further, I wonder whether it will be a recurrent thing.

Does anyone else have this problem? I really dont want to be taking antihistamines several times per day. Alternatively, the literature reports people have DIED after developing swelling in their trachea and airways.

Any home remedies to alleviate this? One I read is that I should quit eating high histamine foods, but that is my entire diet (i.e. nuts, meats, wine, sauerkraut, fermented foods, pickles).

-Concerned and wanting to know why

Skinny

Wow, I had not heard of this before. Good luck and be careful. I think you should consider going to the doctor and getting an epipen prescribed. Allergic reactions are certainly nothing to mess around with.

I don't know if mine is the same issue as yours, but... A few years back i developed intense itching all over (like scratch my skin off itching). Like yours, seemed to appear over night. No rash, no signs, just itching. Tried everything to calm it, new soaps, new lotions, no lotions, etc. Tried allergy tests and allergy shots. Nothing worked. One day i decided to take Zyrtec (or the generic version from Sam's) and it was instantly cured. Well it went away at least. I take one very morning. If I go more than one day without, the itching returns. And only Zyrtec works. I've tried Claratin and Allegra, but they do nothing. Super weird but it has stopped. No idea what causes it and I've had enough of doctors telling me they don't know either. Thought losing over 80 pounds might fix it but nope. Seems I'll be taking zyrtec for the long run.

Did they break out the big word, idiopathic to describe your itch? Which is a fancy way of saying, we have no clue what is causing it.

My wife had a fever the day after her gall bladder surgery a few weeks ago. They were pretty sure it was not related to the surgery and they said it was idiopathic.

I wish they would have. At least they would have sounded smarter in their ignorance. They flat out told me "no clue."

Since RNY ( 2.5 yrs ago ) I have all types of weird skin problems. In January of this year, I was diagnosed, by an Allergist, with Dermographism which can occur when on'e immune system is not working to notch - such as in a person who had just finished losing 125 's - and then is trying to dealing with significant stressers ( that's for about 10 different discussions ). I have been taking prescription Reactin for 6 months now, I have also developed more allergies since that time. The long term reactin use as well as a hormonal injection that I needed to have around the same time have cause me to gain back about 3 lbs in the past 6 months, See an allergist!!

Thank you! I will!

I have been under a lot of stress due to end of the year here in the government and work quotas.

I have also been away from the gym. I kept up the figure skating (which kept me cold) but not the running so after too weeks off and getting hot....

I did jog for 13.1 miles this weekend on the dreadmill and nothing happened. Notably, I kept my heart rate in the mid cardio zone instead of the peak area (i.e. I was going turtle slow...people wonder how I managed to jog at such a pace...and kind of laugh at me).

But, I didnt itch and I did finish my 13.1 miles.

So they can laugh away, but I could not have done this when I was 285 lbs!!

As a sever allergy suffer, I can honestly say that you can develop allergies at any time in life. There are ways to manage them and if they become a problem then I would speak to your DR. It's amazing but the human body can be allergic to anything, even breathing. Crazy I know. Good Luck.