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Date: Fri, 21 Feb 97 15:37:46 EST
From:    [log in to unmask]

Hi Patti,
I had a very severe case of hives like you describe from the time I was
16 to 26.  The only drug that would keep them at bay was Atarax.  Given
the 50's mentality, and since Atarax was considered and still is also a
tanquilizer, the problems was  diagnosed phychogenic.  They could find no
possible cause for the problem.

A couple things to consider:
Thyroid disease is 15% higher in Celiac patients as oppposed to control
groups.  At the Allergy/Immune clinic in Chicago, the Dr.  stated that in
fact the hives were not psychogenic, as diagnosed in the 50's but rather an
immune response to a dying thyroid.  He teaches it in his class.  If you have
a case of severe hives, that cannot be attributable to anything, aspirin
makes them worse, you can expect a thyroid malunction to show up within 3-4
years.  They don't know why and are not sure what the immune system is
detecting.  But, whatever it is, it's not measurable at this time.  At 26, I
developed hypothyroidism.  He found it remarkable that it took ten years, but
it did happen.

The Dermatology pamphlet on hives describes a condition as Uticaria (sp?).
A form of hives.  The only medication that has success in controlling the
condition is Atarax.

Perhaps you have one or the other or both or maybe they're the same thing.

Dennis