Actually, an allergy comes from an OVERreactive immune system and high doses of steroids are sometimes used as a treatment, to suppress the immune system. So it seems more likely that hives would come when someone with CAH is UNDERsuppressed.

My daughter, who suffers from chronic hives and has symptoms of LOCAH (her 17 ohp levels are in carrier range, but she definately has symptoms and is now being treated with a low dose of prednisone), has had 2 episodes that I can remember of a possible adrenal reaction to allergy. One was a reaction to cephalosporin (she had already had hives to penicillin and should never have been given ceph., as they are related). She broke out in giant hives all over, her fever spiked, and she vomited. We knew nothing about adrenal issues at the time, so she was given no treatment except to take her off the ceph.

The other time was when she started the chronic hives 3 yrs ago. She ate shrimp (which we have since learned that she is highly allergic to) and several hours later broke out in hives. Another 24 hrs later she woke up during the night and came into our room and said her chest hurt. It was probably swelling (internal hives) in her esophagus. I asked her if she was having trouble breathing and she said no. She was standing by our bed and her legs just wouldn’t hold her up and she just collapsed there. She had a fever, but I don’t think she vomited. Again we didn’t know anything about adrenal issues or severe allergic reactions, so since she was breathing ok we did not take her to the ER. I know now we should have. But since discovering her hormonal problems and learning about LOCAH, I’ve wondered whether that was an anaphalactic reaction to the allergy or an adrenal crisis.