Medicines for hives (pharmacy and home options)

Depending on the type of urticaria that the person presents, the doctor may prescribe different antihistamines, and if these are not enough to reduce the symptoms of the disease, other medications may be associated. In addition to this, the treatment can be complemented with home remedies, such as a bath with oatmeal or a mixture of green clay and aloe vera, for example. 

Urticaria is a skin reaction, the main symptoms of which are itching all over the body and the appearance of spots on the skin, which can be caused by various factors, being potentially serious, especially if it is caused by a drug. If during an episode of hives the person begins to feel short of breath, they should go to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Pharmacy drugs

Treatment will depend on the person, age, type, and severity of the hives. Generally, the drugs that are used initially are antihistamines, despite this, in some cases, it may be necessary to complement the treatment or replace the antihistamines with other drugs. 

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Antihistamines

The following are the most often used antihistamines since they have less adverse effects, particularly sedation:

Loratadina;

Desloratadine;

Fexofenadina;

Cetirizine;

Levocetirizina.

 However, the doctor may recommend other antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine or hydroxyzine, which are more effective than those mentioned above in the treatment of hives, but the sedative effects may be more pronounced.

When H1 antihistamines are inadequate, supplementing an H2 antagonist such as cimetidine, ranitidine, or famotidine, could provide additional benefits. Another alternative is the drug doxepin, which is an H1 and H2 antagonist.

Other medications

In some cases, the doctor may add other medications to the treatment.

Montelucaste : it is a drug that, although it acts differently from antihistamines, it also helps reduce allergic symptoms.

Systemic glucocorticoids : they  are useful in the treatment of delayed pressure urticaria, vasculitic urticaria, or chronic urticaria, which generally do not respond satisfactorily to traditional treatment;

Hydroxychloroquine  or colchicine : which can be added to treatment after hydroxyzine and before or in conjunction with systemic glucocorticoids, mainly for the treatment of persistent vasculitic urticaria.

Ciclosporin : which can be effective in patients with severe chronic autoimmune or idiopathic urticaria who do not respond satisfactorily to other types of treatment and / or when the required dose of glucocorticoids is very high.

Omalizumabe : are monoclonal anti IgE antibodies, indicated in the treatment of chronic urticaria, induced by the activation of mast cells and basophils by an antibody.

These remedies are generally used in more severe cases, when the use of natural remedies and antihistamines are not effective. You should always go to the doctor before deciding to perform treatment for urticaria and also during the use of these medications, since many of them have side effects that can harm health.

Home remedy for hives

An excellent home remedy for mild cases of hives, to complement the treatment indicated by the doctor, is to take an immersion bath with 200 g of oat flakes and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. When exiting the restroom, let the skin to dry naturally without using a towel.

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Another glorious natural remedy for gentle cases of hives is to use a mix of inexperienced clay with oil of peppermint and thirty cubic centimetre of burn plant everywhere the body. Add all the ingredients in a very cup, combine well and apply to the skin, departure it to act for some minutes. The skin should then be rinsed with lukewarm water.

Other measures that can help are to wear light, comfortable and not tight clothing, preferably cotton, avoid too abrasive soaps and opt for those that are gentler and have a neutral pH, apply mineral sunscreen before leaving the house an