Living with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

The Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Innovations podcast continues with the latest episode in our chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) series. This episode explores living with CSU – from the daily challenges of managing a skin disease to finding relief with the right medications. The podcast is produced in collaboration with The Itch Podcast.

Co-hosts Payel Gupta, MD, and Kortney talk with Heather, a CSU patient. The episode covers effective medicines like antihistamines and the biologic omalizumab (Xolair®).

You can listen to or download the podcast on ItchPodcast.com for listening anytime, anywhere. The podcast can also be downloaded at:

We thank Novartis for sponsoring this episode.

Finding relief with chronic spontaneous urticaria

Heather tells Dr. Gupta and Kortney about her treatment journey for CSU. She shares how living with chronic hives and constant itch affected her life. Heather also talks about ways to improve the quality of life for people with CSU, including approaches that do not involve medication.

Heather and Dr. Gupta both stress the importance of working together with your doctor to manage symptoms.

Key takeaways from this chronic spontaneous urticaria podcast

  • Learn more about the emotions and challenges of living with CSU.
  • Discover strategies to manage itch and situations that can worsen hives (remember, there are no triggers).
  • Understand the importance of therapy and online resources in managing life with CSU.
  • Get tips for starting your CSU treatment journey and how to talk to your friends and family about hives.

 

Podcast timestamps

  • 01:20 – Heather’s journey with CSU
  • 03:40 – Anaphylaxis versus CSU
  • 05:10 – What it is like to live with hives before finding the right treatment
  • 05:50 – Itch and mental health
  • 07:46 – Treatment and mental health support
  • 09:01 – How it feels to know there are no triggers for CSU
  • 09:56 – Allergy testing for CSU
  • 11:02 – Mental health challenges
  • 12:12 – Finding proper medications: antihistamines and omalizumab(Xolair)
  • 14:10 – Feeling relief with the right treatment plan
  • 14:40 – Living with itch
  • 16:40 – Seeking mental health support.
  • 20:03 – Explaining CSU to friends, family, and colleagues.
  • 22:05 – Advice for new patients.

 

Additional Resources