I took a couple Aleves to get relief for a headache and my body broke out in hives. I did not think much about taking Aleve as I had never had a problem with it before. Little did I know that my hives condition would be greatly elevated by taking Aleve. An hour after taking the medication, my body became intensely itchy. Most of all the palms of my hand itched the most. They itched so bad that they became numb. No amount of scratching or ice could relieve the itch.

Then my whole face began to swell up. My lips protruded a half inch, my nose double in size and my eyes were almost swollen up. I felt like I was going to burst. This is just a warning to anyone who is having hives and considering to take Aleve. Do NOT do it. Even if you’ve never had a reaction to it before, like myself, you will have a horrible reaction.

I hope the photo below doesn’t scare you but that’s exactly what  looked like hours after taking Aleve for my hives.

Swollen face after taking Aleve

Benadryl for Hives

Benadryl is an over the counter  (otc) antihistamine used commonly for treating allergy reactions such as hives. It is one of the strongest antihistamines and works for a majority of people suffering from hives breakouts. The scientific name for the active chemical in Benadryl is Diphenhydramine hydrochloride.

Hives is a skin reaction which produces red raised itchy bumps on your skin. When you introduce something into your body which your immune system sees as a threat, your cells will release histamines into your blood stream. Histamine causes your blood vessels to expand and release blood into the surrounding tissues. This release of blood is what causes the redness in your skin associated with hives.

An antihistamine such as Benadryl will suppress your immune system so that it does not release as much histamines which is causing your hives and other allergic reactions. One major side effect of Benadryl is that it will make you drowsy. Over time, the drowsiness will go away as your body gets used to the drug, but if you start taking Benadryl for the first time or after a long period without the drug, make sure you’re not doing anything which requires alertness.

If Benadryl doesn’t work for your hives, or you need an antihistamine drug which doesn’t cause drowsiness then consider taking Zyrtec or Claritin. You’ll find generic versions of Zyrtec in many pharmacies.  You don’t want to rely on drugs for too long because of the long term effects on your body. If you discover that you’re getting frequent breakouts of hives, you should learn the causes of your hives. Eliminating the causes will reduce the likelihood of future hives breakouts.

In addition to drugs, you may try some home remedies for hives such as the ones we provide on our site. The first step to take if you’re having frequent hives breakouts is to seek the advice of a medical professional such as your family doctor or a dermatologist. At the least, they will be able to tell you what steps to take to cure your hives.