Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) - Health Tips

For patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria, the body produces immunoglobulin E (IgE) in response to an inflammatory trigger. IgE then naturally attaches itself to receptors on an inflammatory–or mast–cell, prompting the release of histamine and causing inflammation that leads to the presence of hives and any other symptoms of CIU. If your chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is unresponsive to standard antihistamine medications, your allergist or immunologist could prescribe Xolair (omalizumab) infusion therapy. Xolair is a biologic drug therapy that interrupts the IgE/mast cell reaction and can reduce CIU symptoms. This effective treatment is administered via biologic injection to patients 12 years of age and older every two to four weeks.