Chronic spontaneous urticaria was something I had never heard of before. Two years ago I suddenly started coming out in hives which would start on my feet and spread all the way to my head, often making my eyes and throat swell up. I would wake in the night from scratching my feet and I would know it was starting again. The doctor placed me on fexofenadine and cetirizine, but still no relief so I was then sent to a dermatologist.
Patch tests at the dermatologist came back negative as did the blood tests for nut allergies and this was when I was diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria. I was at this point prescribed monetlakaust to take in the evening on top of the fexofenadine and cetrizine. There is no telling when it will break out and course after course of steroids on top of all the other medication still don’t control it.
Finally, my dermatologist offered me a pioneering new treatment called omulazubab, which is a four-weekly injection administered by the dermatologist into each arm for a duration of six months and increased my fexofenadine to four a day along with an increase of the cetrizine to four a day. This injection is in addition to the four cetrazine, four fexofenadine and the montelaukast that I take a day. With this injection my symptoms are drastically improved. Gone are the days where I have to cover myself up as I look like I have measles. People no longer stop to stare as I have a rare skin condition and my confidence has returned.
It felt amazing to not have to call in to work sick as I looked like I had been punched in the eye if my eyes swelled up and just to be able to wear what I wanted was a relief, as by this time summer was here so I didn’t have to think twice about putting on a t-shirt and exposing skin.
Unfortunately, after the six months my injections have stopped and my urticaria has returned and I await my licence to be approved for another six months of treatment from the dermatologist.
The eight weeks waiting to see the dermatologist to review my progress feels more like eight months as by now my urticaria flares up several times a day and three courses of back to back steroids have yet again failed to ease the symptoms. This is depressing as the confidence I felt after the injections working was amazing and now I’m back to where I started, only this time a lot bigger as the steroids have caused weight gain and I’m self-conscious of scraping as it looks like I have something contagious, which of course I do not. I must add that the nurse that administers my injections is just wonderful – having such a lovely nurse makes the whole ordeal a lot easier. I look forward to seeing her as she’s so down to earth; the relationship we have after 18 months of treatment is more like going to visit a friend than a nurse.
I will update you further in my next blog after my visit to the dermatologist.
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Hi Fran
Thanks for your post, its good that the medication helped even if for a short time and we hope you get the go ahead for another round of injections. Your blog will be a light at the end of the tunnel for some of our members, keep up the good work and we look forward to hearing from you again.
Kind regards.
on December 17, 2018 at 1:39 pm talkhealthtalkhealth