Home Symptoms Urticaria

Urticaria — what to take?

Urticaria = a rash with erythematous, itchy, migrating wheals that appear and disappear within hours. Acute (under 6 weeks) or chronic (over 6 weeks).

5 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for urticaria

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Causes

Allergies (foods, medications, insects), infections, physical factors (pressure, cold, heat, exercise, sun), autoimmune, idiopathic (in 70% of chronic urticaria the cause is not identified).

OTC treatment

Non-sedating antihistamines are first line - loratadine, cetirizine, bilastine, fexofenadine, desloratadine. In chronic urticaria the dose can be quadrupled (under medical supervision).

Sedating antihistamines in the evening (hydroxyzine, diphenhydramine) help when itching prevents sleep.

Montelukast (Rx), omalizumab (Rx, biologic) - for refractory chronic urticaria.

Angioedema

Subcutaneous/mucosal oedema, often associated with urticaria - lips, eyelids, tongue. Laryngeal angioedema with dyspnoea is a medical EMERGENCY - possibly requires adrenaline.

What to avoid

  • NSAIDs (aspirin, ibuprofen) may worsen urticaria in some.
  • Alcohol, excessive heat, intense exercise as triggers.
  • Foods rich in histamine (aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish) in sensitive individuals.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a physician or pharmacist. For diagnosis and treatment, consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for urticaria

Urticaria doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for urticaria

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for urticaria

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For urticaria most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for urticaria runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Swelling of the lips, tongue, throat
  • Dyspnoea, wheezing
  • Hypotension, feeling faint
  • Urticaria after a new food/medication
  • Lasting over 6 weeks (chronic)

Frequently asked

Common questions

How long does urticaria last?
Each wheal lasts under 24h. The full episode - from hours to weeks. Chronic urticaria - over 6 weeks, requires evaluation.
What triggers urticaria?
Foods (seafood, nuts, strawberries), medications (penicillin, NSAIDs), infections, stress, cold, pressure, exercise. In chronic cases, the cause is often not identified.
Antihistamine isn't helping - what do I do?
Consult your doctor - the dose can be increased (2-4x) or combined with antileukotrienes; in severe cases omalizumab.
Urticaria after exercise - what is it?
Cholinergic urticaria - small wheals with sweating/exercise/heat. Antihistamine + avoiding triggers.

See also

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