January 20, 2003
All of my life, I have been prone to breaking out in hives. Mostly, I would
have a few hives wherever my clothing would rub me. There have been two occasions
when I broke out pretty badly over an extended period of time. The first time
was when I was a teenager, then again in my mid twenties.
On both of these occasions, doctors were unable to determine the cause for
my hives so they attributed them to stress, despite my argument that I was
not overly stressed. However, antihistamines were successful in getting and
keeping my hives under control on both of these occasions.
In February 2004, I began getting hives again. It was just a few more hives
than usual, but over the next few weeks, my hives began to increase. By mid-March,
I was getting hives over about 40% of my body on a daily basis. I tried over-the-counter
antihistamines; each one would stop working after a few days. When I was not
able to get relief from anything available without a prescription, I called
my doctor. She prescribed a very sedating antihistamine that worked for a
few days before the hives came right back.
I went to an allergy specialist. He conducted all kinds of tests to see if
I was allergic to something or if I had some underlying infection. These tests
were negative. He also added several other antihistamines as well as steroids
to my growing list of prescriptions. Each addition would provide relief only
for a few days. I sat in his office week after week, face and body swollen
and covered with hives, and cried.
Because this doctor had no answers for me, he said that I was depressed,
and prescribed an anti-depressant. This angered me because I knew that I was
not depressed.
A friend felt that there must be some holistic remedy for my condition, and
suggested that I search the Internet for a solution. I told her that I was
desperate enough to try anything. I came upon a story of a lady who had a
very similar situation, and had been helped by acupuncture. I clicked on a
link to locate an acupuncturist in my area, and came across Dr. Yang.
Dr. Yang told me that it would take between 6 and 15 treatments to relieve
my problem. My hives were relieved immediately after my first treatment, only
to return 24 hours later. I had several business commitments in the upcoming
weeks and could not afford to be sedated by antihistamines or distracted by
hives. I decided to see Dr. Yang on a daily basis for the next several days.
I received 6 treatments over an 8-day period. More than 2 weeks later, my
hives have not returned.
I was surprised to find that it is not at all painful. In fact, Dr. Yang makes
the whole experience quite pleasant.
Sincerely,
Janet D.
