Definition:  Urticaria pigmentosa is a skin rashing that usually affects children and young adults.  More rarely, it affects adults.The rash erupts with reddish-brown spots that turn into hives (histamine swellings) when they are externally aggravated.

Cause:  Hyperactive Immune System, possible some auto-immune activity.  These spots contain too many mast cells—immune cells to fight skin infections and thus there is a hyper abundance of histamine when cells get disturbed.The histamine  causes urticaria (hives, itching, and flushing) and can result in a keratosis or benign hyper-pigmenting of the skin.  People with U.P. genetically have large numbers of mast cells compared to others.  But they can become much less reactive with natural, constitutional treatment.  From the natural health perspective, we’re suspicious of insulin-driven inflammatory patterns.
(Suggest removing refined carbs and sweets from diet for a minimum of 3 weeks to give the immune system a reprieve to evaluate the sensitivity to this pathway.)

Prognosis: Most children who develop urticaria pigmentosa before the age of five will outgrow it by their teens. When U.P. starts after age five, the excessive collections of mast cells will sometimes involve the internal organs and cause further complications.  In areas of sun-damaged skin, or in time of hormonal imbalance (adrenal stress coupled with estrogen), or liver toxicity, the pigmentation will settle in an discolor the skin with keratosis.

Treatment: From my practice, the herbal antihistamine approach helps — thus ACX (Vitamin Detox) and Ga (Adrenal) are prominent formulas and should be used over an extended period of time.  (For children, these formulas are available in liquid extracts:  CXACX and CXGa.   I think the new PAIN
(Anti-Inflammatory) formula would be an applicable here as well.   Also, with all inherent auto-immune or inherent disregulation situations, the OXOX (Activator Cell), OXCC (Cleanser Cell), and #5 (Stabilizer) can be applied with excellent effects. These are also available in liquid form. 

When episodes occur, covering the area with AO (Aloe Vera 4x) has helped some cases and thus can reduce the need for benadryl, etc., or worse, steroids.  A goodly percentage of such allergy patterns respond favorably to magnesium supplementation.  And most children are on a magnesium-depleted “Standard American” diet.
   
Note 1:  Patients with U.P. should avoid aspirin, opiate-meds,procaine hydrochloride, alcohol (both drinking and topical) polymyxin B, hot baths, and vigorous rubbing of the skin. Rubbing can release histamine which can cause itching, flushing and urticaria—thus aggravate the delicate condition.

Note 2:  Look for other allergies that “gang up” on the immune system. Also look for high eosinophils which are linked to allergies and gut parasites.  Not a bad idea to screen for parasites (nose-picking, bruxism, etc.)

Note 3:  Behind so very many cases of “genetic predispositions, metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead, aluminum, etc. Even young children are showing that they can accumulate significant amounts of toxic chemicals and metals at early ages. Some are more sensitive than others. Using the most excellent CLNZ (Toxin Chelator) and REL (Chlorella) should pay a big dividend in such a case.

Best wishes,
Keep me posted on what you find and how success is obtained,
                                                                                               Dr. Jack Tips