Rashes: When an itch wrecks your life - and NOTHING can get rid of it

When an itch wrecks your life - and NOTHING can get rid of it By DANNY BUCKLAND As a family law barrister John Hayes is used to dealing with complex disputes and navigating tangles of legislation and emotion. 'I used to plunge my hands into iced water or hold something very cold to quell the heat, but the effect was only temporary,' said John Hayes who suffers from chronic spontaneous urticaria The 45-year-old is one of up to 500,000 Britons who suffer from chronic spontaneous urticaria — recurrent rashes or hives that can come on without warning and last for unpredictable lengths of time. ‘Imagine being thrown into a bed of nettles every day for months on end and it going on for years,’ says consultant dermatologist Dr Alexander Marsland at Salford Royal Hospital. 'Some patients consider suicide because they have long-lasting recurrent bouts of itchy and often swollen skin.’ Despite his intense discomfort, John has managed to keep working and enjoys a busy family life — ‘I stay fit, which helps, and the support of my wife has been incredible’. Freed from a painful condition: Last February, John was prescribed the drug Xolair ‘People who get daily rashes for six weeks or more don’t have allergy as a cause.