Hi,

Thanks for your query.

I think you are suffering from urticaria as per your history. Urticaria is a kind of skin rash notable for pale red, raised, itchy bumps. They appear usually after an itching episode and disappear spontaneously in most of the times. It may have an allergic trigger and on exposure to that it appears. It may also be idiopathic. Sometimes it may be drug induced. Escitalopram group of drugs may cause it though in your situation its possibility is rare as because you are taking this drug for 5+ years and you didn’t mention any history of such episodes previously.

Physicians can rarely determine any particular cause of disease for urticaria. Extensive allergy testings for a prolonged time can be done to detect allergen though cumbersome procedures. You should consult an allergist and take his opinion. Meanwhile you can consider using loratidine (anti-histamine) once daily and ranitidine (antacid) tablets once daily for symptomatic relief. Please get them prescribed from your primary care physician.

Hope I have answered your queries. If you want to know further you may write back to me.

Regards,
Dr Arnab Maji

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