Hereditary Angioedema

1 medicine

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare inherited disorder causing recurring episodes of swelling under the skin and in body cavities, triggered by low or dysfunctional C1-inhibitor rather than allergy. Long-term management can include danazol to raise C1-inhibitor activity.

Danocrine

Danazol

50/100/200mg

Danocrine is a womens health medication containing Danazol, available as 50/100/200mg tablets.

from $1.19 / tablet View

Key facts

  • HAE is a rare inherited condition causing recurring episodes of swelling beneath the skin and in body cavities such as the abdomen, driven by low or dysfunctional C1-inhibitor protein.
  • Unlike allergic swelling, HAE attacks do not respond to antihistamines or adrenaline. Episodes can last two to four days, and swelling that reaches the throat can become life-threatening.
  • Long-term prevention can include danazol, a synthetic hormone that raises C1-inhibitor activity and lowers attack frequency; dosing is kept at the lowest effective level to limit side effects.
  • Anyone with HAE should have a clear action plan agreed with a specialist and seek emergency care immediately if throat swelling develops.

What causes the swelling

Hereditary angioedema is caused by low levels, or poorly functioning levels, of a protein called C1-inhibitor. Without enough active C1-inhibitor, the body loses control over a chain of chemical signals that make small blood vessels leak fluid into surrounding tissue, producing swelling under the skin and inside body cavities. Because the mechanism is different from an ordinary allergic reaction, the swelling does not come with hives or itching, and it does not respond to the medicines that treat allergies. Attacks can affect the face, throat, abdomen, and limbs, and abdominal attacks are often mistaken for other causes of severe stomach pain.

Keeping attacks under control

Long-term management focuses on reducing how often attacks happen and how severe they are. Danazol has been used for decades to raise C1-inhibitor activity and cut attack frequency. Because it acts on hormone pathways, it sits within women's health medicine more broadly, and doses are kept as low as possible while still controlling attacks, since higher doses carry more side effects. Alongside preventive treatment, people with HAE need rescue medicine on hand to treat an attack as soon as it starts.

When to seek help

Anyone with HAE should agree a clear action plan with a specialist, carry acute treatment at all times, and seek emergency care immediately if throat swelling develops, since airway involvement can become life-threatening within hours.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.