My welts or itchy hives rash started appearing when I was in 8th grade. I was scratching my back and the nurse was checking students for MS. She checks me and asks me if my parents beat me!!! Also, during that year my friend slapped my arm with her whole hand and left the whole handprint on my arm. The print was there the whole period and I was stared at and pointed at.

The next year, when I was a freshman, people started noticing that I welted if I was scratched or flicked. The kid behind me, and the other kids around, thought that it was funny when he would flick me in the back of my arm and it would welt. The welts or skin hives burned and hurt, but it was funny to them so it didn’t matter that I told them to stop. I always felt like I was weird because I have never known anyone to have this condition, and until recently, I did not know that it was a disease and others had it.

I always tried to explain to my nurse at the high school but she had no idea, so could not help me. My mom thinks that I am a hypochondriac, so she would never take me to a dermatologist. Even now, knowing that I have dermographism, I have to bribe her to come to a dermatologist so I can prove it to her.

Dermagraphism or this itchy hives rash is very uncomfortable and very embarrassing. I believe that I have a severe case of it because of how ridiculous it gets. I take off a sweater and my face breaks out in hives minutes later from where the neck of the sweater rubbed. As weird as it is to say this, I cannot pop a pimple anywhere except at my house, because of how embarrassing the welt is.

Geniveve – April 11, 2008

I first got this itchy hives rash and dermatographism in 2003 after having the rota virus (a gastro virus). I had it quite severely I believe. The dermatographism was not really under control for the first few years and I tried several different medications until eventually it was controlled by taking one Zyrtec a day.

Recently, I have switched to Polaramine, as I am trying to get pregnant and Zyrtec is not safe to take during pregnancy. I am not sure if this is related either, but I have recently found out that I do not ovulate naturally and after doing some research on Zyrtec, I found that it could effect ovulation! I was very annoyed that no doctor has ever told me this, as I have asked several different doctors if there were any problems with being on it long term and they all said NO!

Polaramine is not as good as the Zyrtec, but it is doing enough to stop me from going crazy. Most days I am fine but on the odd occasion I get uncontrollably itchy after water related things such as having a shower, shaving my legs, going to the beach, going in a pool or the river, after which I have to take a Zyrtec and ride it out for about 20 minutes until the tablet works. During that time I feel like a mad woman and once the itchiness subsides I feel weak and exhausted!

I am pretty nervous about my itchy hives rash and dermographism and pregnancy as I am not able to take polaramine during the third trimester, so I have no idea how I am going to survive. I have never been able to go more than a couple of days without the medication. I would love to hear from other people that have this annoying disorder and natural treatments you have found to work.

Erin – April 7, 2008

My itchy hives rash and dermatographism started with intense itchy feet. It would happen mostly at night and move up my legs. There were no bumps at first, but then over time, it got really bad and I got a rash all over my body. Every doctor said I had allergies to something, but when I saw the allergist, she did the tests, and I was not allergic to anything.

It was a dermatologist that told me what this condition was. Since then, I take 25 milligrams of Hydroxyzin - a miracle because it is totally gone. I take one at night and if I miss a dose, I can feel the itch coming back. The dermatologist told me it is caused by a virus, like the histamine cells are being attacked from the inside, not from an outside source.

The weird thing is, I know someone else who just got this itchy hives rash too, who had never had a problem until he met me. Also, my 4-year-old daughter is starting to show signs of the itchy hives. I don't think you can put kids on that kind of antihistamine though, so I sure hope she does not have it!

Kelly – April 7, 2008

I feel so relieved I found this itchy hives rash blog. It has not only given me a chance to learn about my condition (hives/dermatographism), but it has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders knowing that it is an actual condition and that I am not alone. For YEARS I have been going through this not only dealing with the itchy hives rash but also trying to hide it cause it is super embarrassing. I heard it was hereditary and I'm pretty sure my mom has it too but shes never talked about it.

Anonymous - April 1, 2008