After my extra long gym session on Tuesday, I went back to the original routine on Wednesday. Nothing much different, except that I felt 2 km on the treadmill was tough. But that was to be expected. I usually fare a bit better if I had a rest day. It was the usual 1 hour drive home. When I got home, I took off my clothes & realised that I was red from the neck to naval, all over to the side of my body. My back was completely clear. I didn't think much of it. My face always got flushed after jogging so I thought that was the case for my body even though it had never happened before. I took my usual as-hot-as-I-can-tolerate shower. Immediately after, I started itching. It was when I finally started to develop red, raised welts on my arms (near my armpits), groin & upper thighs that I realised that these were hives, which meant the neck to navel patch was nothing but 1 gigantic welt.
In the event of an allergic reaction, antihistamine is your best friend. I did everything the same, wore the same clothes washed with the same detergent, ate the same thing everyday (it's easier when you're trying to lose weight), came in contact with the same things. I really couldn't figure out what I was reacting to. I went to bed & had another flare up between 12 mn to 1 am. I tried very hard to ignore the itching but I couldn't sleep. Sometime later, I don't know how long, I finally drifted off to sleep. Needless to say, I went to work sleep depraved & the histamine circulating in my body made me really drowsy. I already knew I was going to take a day's rest from gym so I went to work in my normal clothes.
When I got home from work, I had a cooler than usual shower so as to not aggravate the situation, had dinner & took another dose of antihistamine. Everything was fine so far, no new welts, no itching but I just wanted to take 1 more dose to be sure. Went to sleep & was woken up by incessant itching at almost 1 am. This time on my lower arms & wrists. It was crazy. I had antihistamine in my system & yet I got another flare up. I had a good look in the morning & found welts on my entire lower arms, wrists & back of my right hand. I also had new welts from the back of my thighs just under the butt all the way to the back of my knees. I was like, "What's going on man?" The last time I had hives was 17 years ago.
I had already skipped gym on Thursday so I refused to skip it on Friday too. I was asymptomatic other than feeling somewhat drowsy. By the time I got to work, the welts had flattened & the redness more subdued. Perhaps it was becoz of this attack, I felt I wasn't in tip top condition. 2 km, like on Wednesday, felt difficult. But I've told myself before that 2 km is my absolute minimum so I pushed on & completed it.
Coming back home, I was kinda apprehensive. Twice, I've flared up in the middle of the night at the same time no less. It's gone from my torso out to my limbs. I just had this feeling that whatever it was, it was leaving my body (becoz it was moving away from my core). Taking a risk, I didn't take antihistamine after dinner. Here I am, Saturday morning, no more flare ups at 1 am, no more new welts, all previous welts have faded away. I wonder if it was an allergic reaction to something external at all. For some reason, I have this feeling that my body released a load of toxins & it was that which I reacted to. There's no way to prove it since it's a psychic feeling & I don't think I'll ever have confirmation.
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