ckaspar

Well not really but kinda. The doc thinks that I have been having hives and "itchy spells" because of all the working out I have been doing, namely the riding back and forth to work. I'm sad. I was told I had to drive for a week to see if that makes it better.

I am not thrilled.

I asked about this being a possibility in the "Training and Nutrition" section but never got a response so I am gonna ask y'all. You guys ever hear of this type of thing before?

no1mad 

Not in the medical field at all, but I doubt the exertion from riding your bike is the culprit. You could be exposing yourself to some environmental cause while on the bike, but that's all. Typical questions are have you recently changed your laundry detergent or body soap/personal hygiene agent? How about any changes in your diet, like something you weren't ingesting before?

spivonious

^ Yeah, increased sweat could increase intake of detergent left on fabrics. You could also be riding through some pollen or mold spores that are causing a reaction. Other than that, I'm stumped. I know I've been getting attacked by mosquitoes on my rides recently. Maybe you're allergic to their bites? Maybe you're brushing against poison ivy?

The doctor is just trying to narrow down potential causes, not stop you from cycling entirely.

treadtread

If the car does help, try the following:
1. Change your route.
2. Cover up when you ride - light full sleeved shirt and trouser - maybe even a face mask to cover your nose? The kind used in hospitals?

ckaspar

Nah, we went through all that. It started after I started riding and doing a workout video at home after the ride. I don't ride leisurely either. I tend to push hard as much as possible. I keep my heart rate over 135 bpm for the 45 minute ride or so and that includes stops at lights which brings the rate down. I do consider my riding to be some pretty hard exercise.

ratdog

There you go, I've help to identify in bold what you're really allergic to....

ckaspar

I could see the intake of the detergent but I have reactions on places that don't normally contact much detergent stuff. My hands were the culprit a few days ago.

I do ride through a bike trail that runs parallel to a "river" here in LA and a park as well. Certainly not from bush contact. I never touch anything while riding. It is all open paved roads.

I am aware what he is trying to do. He even said I could take it easy when riding but driving would be better to eliminate the exercise as an issue.

Another option that he mentioned but was not concerned about was lymphoma. Apparently lymphoma can cause itching but he is not worried about it but is having be get a chest x-ray anyway just for 100% sure.

ckaspar

right!?!?!?!

ratdog

ckaspar,

Was just joking, but on a more serious note, have you happened to notice any changes to the environment along you route? Perhaps nearby construction which may be introducing something which you are sensitive to which may not have been present before?

ThermionicScott 

Excessive exercise has been known to suppress the immune system.

ckaspar

I knew you were joking and I was agreeing. lol

Nothing really new that I can think of.

I'm gonna look up more stuff on exercise and histamine release.

chefisaac

tell your wife the doc said you need to ride more.

problem solved!

ckaspar

You'd be proud of me chef. I rode all the way to the doc. 19 miles and that was to start my day...then I rode to work another 7 miles from the doc...then I am going to ride home another 11 miles.

I say he would be proud because he gave me grief last month when I drove to a seminar 14 miles form my house instead of riding.

ckaspar

https://www.livestrong.com/article/29...ease-exercise/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_urticaria

Seems legit that the exercising can cause issues like I am experiencing. I'll take Thursday and Friday off from riding and that should give me some sort of an answer. 4 days of no exercise. If that don't solve it then it must be something else. I'm also going to try to drink as much water as I can stand to push as many toxins out as I can as well.

ratdog

ckasper,

Any new medications or change in diet? Things like use of niacin supplements will give the same sympthoms.

otis66

It could be what you are wearing during your work out or the detergent being used to wash you clothes. I got a rash once and it turns out the detergent being used to wash my work uniforms was the cause. I had to bring my work uniforms home once a week and re-wash them.

bigbenaugust 

I'd rather cover myself in calamine/hydrocortizone/aloe/whatever and keep riding.

ckaspar

Negative. The only med I take is the anti-histamine I take to keep the itching at bay.

Nah, same detergent we have used for years. I doubt the clothing too because when it started I was riding in work clothes. Now I wear workout clothes and still experience the same stuff.

Been doing that for months sadly.

gmt13

I'd try another form of equally strenuous exercise to see if it has the same effect.

-G

ckaspar

The interesting thing is that it all started when I was riding daily then doing the Insanity workout videos after I got home from work. 2 weeks into the series I broke out for the first time. Since then I have had regular incidents. I finished the Insanity 60 days stuff but have been done with that for a few weeks now. I have continued riding, obviously.

Gonna take tomorrow and Friday off which will give me 4 days off the bike. Gonna try not to take and anti-histamines to see how it all goes.

chefisaac

I am glad you are (finally) seeing my way!

ckaspar

I know right?!?! LOL

Anyway, interesting thing happened to me last night and this morning. I actually felt a little depressed. Certainly not a clinical case or anything but I could tell I was bummed about, sadly, choosing not to ride today. This morning was really weird in that I didn't get ready for riding but was actually getting ready for work, I am used to doing this in the bathroom at work now. It just felt all weird. Hopefully this hive thing gets figured out in the next few days because I am not gonna stop riding.

Funny how we are creatures of habit. In February of this year I never thought of riding my bike to work on a regular basis. Now that I have been doing it so much I feel it has become a part of me and who I am. Here is to an itch free next few days and happy riding again on Monday!!

fietsbob

Any where in from here, on the NW Coast, has been Hot,
heat related stuff has been known to happen..

like lap Swimming?

treadtread

I know exactly what you mean. I drove in today, have to take the bike to LBS for tuneup and possibly wheel truing. Called in yesterday to see if he could give it on the same day (I would have been able to ride then!) But that isn't going to happen, so I had to drive, with the bike in the back. I may miss tomorrow's ride as well, since I will have to go pick up the bike. I'm definitely grumpy today. Had a hard time getting started on my day - just didn't feel like coming in to work. My wife commented on it, but I just passed it off as an off-day. If I had told her it may be because of the bike, she'd have a good laugh! She'll likely guess it anyway - the pitfalls of marrying someone who knows you too well.

Incidentally, you didn't do something like switch deodorants or similar right? I once had trouble because of that.

ckaspar

Funny creatures aren't we??

No. I have not changed a thing. I have actually resorted to not using any type of body cleaner/deodorizer for a few days to make sure but as best I can tell nothing has changed. This has been a 4-5 month ordeal and I am racking my brain trying to come up with anything new and the only thing that has really changed is that I am MUCH more physically active. It used to be, wake up, drive to work, drive home, watch TV, to go sleep, repeat. I bought my bike in February and had slowly been adding days of riding. In May it hit me and has been an ongoing problem ever since. I have read that hives and itching is very hard to actually diagnose the cause when they go on for this long. They may just disappear one day. As I keep thinking the ONLY thing that is out of the norm for me is the riding to and from work nearly daily but I have no plans to give it up. I 'll take meds and live with it first.