Skin-problems and road cycling
Recently, I finally made it to the dermatologist. I wasn’t thrilled. I can call myself lucky to have gotten an appointment quickly, but everything else about it was just as rushed — not thorough.
So, this doctor has an acute consultation hour every morning at eight. Anyone can show up. I was there one minute after eight, and there was already a line, and they just processed people like a conveyor belt.
It didn’t take long before it was my turn. I explained my problem to the doctor and showed him some photos. He said it was likely heat-induced Urticaria. Yes, I had expected this diagnosis since I had done a lot of research myself. I also found that food could sometimes play a role, often wheat, for example. In such cases, an allergy test on the food turns out negative because it’s somehow only activated when body temperature rises. If that’s the case and you know what you can’t tolerate, you can just avoid eating that food before exercising.
So I asked the doctor if it could somehow be related to food, and he flatly said “no” without looking into it further.
Long story short, he advised me to cut out coffee, tea — caffeine in general — and alcohol and prescribed an antihistamine. Apparently, it makes you so tired that you’re no longer fit to drive, and naturally, you shouldn't be road cycling either. That's exactly what he told me. It seems difficult to treat if it only occurs under certain conditions and probably won’t go away, or, on average, only after seven and a half years. Great…
Then, I had to give a blood sample again. I haven’t heard anything about it so far, so nothing remarkable must have been found.
Dejected, I dragged myself off to retraining. The rash limits me most when it comes to sports, which is precisely when I need a remedy the most, but if it numbs me to the point where I can’t even do my sport, then what good is it? Maybe it’ll be useful in the summer when the rash appears even during a simple walk. But the side effects listed on the leaflet are already pretty discouraging.
Taking Measures
For now, I’m trying to improve things naturally. I’ve already started drastically cutting back on caffeine. It’s hard for me with tea because I love black tea, which means I drink several mugs a day — among other caffeinated drinks. I simply enjoy the taste of black tea. I wasn’t drinking large amounts of coffee anyway, usually one mug a day, sometimes two at most. I bought decaffeinated coffee that I can drink when I just feel like having a coffee. Sometimes I drink coffee because I crave it, not because I’m so tired. Energy drinks, I’m cutting out completely. During retraining, I started drinking a can of Monster every day because I always feel a slump after lunch and sometimes have a hard time staying awake and focus in class. Now I’ll just have to get through it.
Sunday Bike Ride
I actually went for a short bike ride on Friday during my lunch break. That was possible because I was in homeoffice for once. So, after lunch, I could quickly grab my road bike and take a short spin — though at a slow pace.
Yesterday, I dared to go again. I conducted two experiments: first, I dressed a bit warmer than I normally would because I had read (and the doctor mentioned it too) that it can help to raise body temperature gradually. Usually, you want to carry as little as possible while road cycling and dress so that you feel a bit cold when you go out, as you warm up quite quickly. The body feels a bit cold at first, then soon heats up. This sharp, sudden contrast could be an issue, so I tried to raise my temperature slowly. After about fifteen minutes, I took off one layer and stuffed it in the saddlebag. After thirty-five minutes, I could feel that the rash was coming back. My feet were itching, in particular. I stopped by a bench and applied ointment to my feet, hands, and the insides of my forearms up to the elbows. I had read somewhere — though only in one article — that the body might only react once like this and then not again (for a few hours, maybe). So I thought I’d try it out. Having to stop the ride to apply the ointment was annoying, and I cooled down quickly in the process. But then I turned back, and the way home was great. It was just as it should be, and I even rode a bit faster — closer to my normal, comfort zone pace. I didn’t feel itchy at all.
Back at home, the rash was still visible, but it didn’t cause any further issues. Only my hands started itching again. I’m not sure why, but I guess it’s because they’re more exposed to the elements — cooling quickly in the wind but also warming up quickly. It’s still too warm for gloves.
In any case, I’m happy that I was able to enjoy at least half of my little tour again! As a conclusion: I think I’m not gonna do the extra-layer thing again, I didn’t feel a benefit from it. It just interrupted my ride unnecessarily. Instead I might try to raise my temperature right in the beginning to summon the hives, treat them and move on. If I can ride itch-free for the rest of the tour, that’s already an improvement.
Music: -
Mood: calm