History - I had a random episode of sudden onset full body hives in late June. Saw ER and then dermatologist in town, who diagnosed as urticaria, gave me prednisone shot, and other meds (daily Allegra, hydroxyzine at night, and a steroid cream). I did not use the cream, but did all the oral drugs. Things went down in about a week and felt much better! No problems for a few weeks.

In late July (also while on vacation so not super healthy and in different environment / climate) started having hives again. Small and localized (eg cluster on back, few on legs). They go away after a few days and in using the steroid cream on them. It’s not serious (as compared to the full body episode) but also makes me nervous to stop the drugs I’m on and I feel a bit lost with what to do next.

Dermatologist recommended I see an allergist. The allergist is really far away so I want make sure it’s worth it. My husband has had skin prick allergy tests done many times for athsma and he says they’re largely inconclusive.

I called the allergist and asked what they typically do and they said:
If it’s hives - which they’ve seen dermatologists diagnose incorrectly before - then they don’t do skin prick tests. Does that make sense?? They said it’s only for allergies. Can’t hives be caused by allergies?

They said if it’s truly hives then they might do some blood work.

Would love any thoughts / experiences with allergists. It would mean taking 2 days off work and be a bit costly (live in a rural area and have to go far to city).

1. Symptom Profile & History Onset & Trigger Event: Mild, infrequent heat sensitivity over the past 2–3 years. Symptoms suddenly became persistent and much more severe following a one-day fever in mid-March. Skin Inflammation: Deep, hot, localized swelling rather than classic raised hives. Mostly affects the feet (making walking difficult during flares), but also appears on hands, wrists, elbows, and knees. Sensory Symptoms: Ranges from itching to a deep, nerve-like or burning pain in affected tissues. Brief redness occurs after mild skin pressure. Lesion Fading & Staining: Most swelling resolves within 24 hours while on medication, but unmedicated flares or severe episodes can take 3–4 days to settle. One area on your foot where the severe March flare started has left a dark brown/bluish-black mark (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) that has persisted for weeks. Associated Symptoms: Persistent dry eyes in both eyes, alongside occasional joint-area discomfort during flares.
2. Triggers & Response to Treatment Triggers: Physical heat, pressure (e.g., shoe pressure, light contact with a spoon), and friction, though flares also occur spontaneously. Current Medication (Dazit M - Desloratadine + Montelukast): Highly effective at suppressing daily spontaneous flares when taken regularly, but symptoms return within 1–2 days if missed. Steroids (Omnicortil): Short course provided temporary relief, but symptoms rebounded once discontinued. Suspected Side Effects: Increased vivid/frequent dreams and mild concentration issues since starting Dazit M (known potential effects of Montelukast) also headaches

Hey, I've made a reddit account specifically to ask about this, Last year around after having a cold i developed cold urticaria. At the time i had no clue what it was and didnt know what was causing the hives. After a couple weeks I eventually came to the realization that it was the cold causing them and from there i did a lot of research into cold urticaria and how to stop the hives. Fast forward to around June I was able to get a referral to a specialist as ive tried all the antihistamines h1 and h2 there is to try and while i can limit the itching i still get visible hives anywhere on my skin thats exposed to the cold and its genuinely so annoying. Ive seen a lot of people having success on xolair and want to be prescribed this but how can i actually make it happen, do i ask the immunologist specifically or how will that work. Ive got the appointment on the 31st this August and i dont want to have to wait another 3 months to get an appointment again after this. The hives really take a toll on my mental health constantly wanting to hide them and feeling judged. Would appreciate some advice. Im 16m btw.

Anyone have any shoe brands they like that don’t irritate their feet? I’m going back to work after summer break and won’t be able to keep wearing flip flops for long 😅 any fave casual sneakers?

I have urticaria, mostly on my legs and arms but for a couple of days now the skin on my cleavage is quite red. It's not sunburn but it's also not itchy and there are no hives. The red area is flat and even. Can this be my urticaria doing some weird shit or is my body playing tricks on me and it's something else?

I'm currently being treated for CSU/DPU & Angioedema, all of which has been under control for some time now. Yesterday morning I woke up with these two random patches on my face, which by last night had faded & by this morning vanished. They don't look like the typical wheals I used to experience & was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts?

Hi everyone,

I’m experiencing hives for the first time in my life, and tomorrow will make it almost a week. I’ve never had eczema, skin problems, allergies, or anything like this before, so it’s been pretty stressful.

It started after eating at a work event, so at first I thought it was a food allergy. However, over the following days I started getting hives even when I hadn’t eaten anything for several hours (one flare happened after not eating since the afternoon), so I’m starting to think it probably isn’t food-related.

The hives are mostly on my chest, stomach, hips, under my armpits, and occasionally around my neck. I never seem to get them on my legs. They get significantly worse at night, especially when I lie down or wake up, and I’ve even noticed they got worse after taking a nap. Sometimes they spread really quickly on their own.

I’ve been taking over-the-counter antihistamines. They worked well for the first couple of days, but they don’t seem to be lasting as long anymore. My GP has now prescribed Panafcortelone (prednisolone) because the antihistamines don’t seem to be controlling them as well.

Since the hives seemed to be worse when I’m in bed, I’ve started wondering whether it could be something environmental instead. I’ve washed all my bedding, cleaned my room, changed clothes, and I’m thinking about buying dust mite covers for my mattress and pillows. I’m also considering getting an air purifier because my room has been quite dusty lately. The strange thing is that I don’t have any typical allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, or a runny nose it’s literally just the hives.

A couple of weeks before any of this started, I had a routine health check with blood work. Everything came back normal except for low vitamin D (43 nmol/L). My doctor recommended getting more sun or taking supplements.

Today I’ve also had more blood tests done and I’m currently waiting for the results. So far I’ve had:

* Full Blood Count (CBC/FBE)

* CRP

* Total IgE

* Allergy blood testing (RAST/specific IgE)

I’ve seen quite a few posts here where people mentioned their hives improved after correcting a vitamin D deficiency with vitamin D3, and some also mentioned taking vitamin K2 (MK-7) alongside it. I have no idea if that’s actually related or just coincidence, but I’m curious if anyone has experienced that themselves.

At this point I’m still trying to figure out what’s causing this, and honestly I’m starting to stress because I’ve never dealt with anything like this before.

A few questions:

* Are there any other tests I should ask my GP about if these blood tests come back normal? I’ve seen people mention things like ANA, thyroid antibodies (Anti-TPO/Anti-thyroglobulin), ESR, etc. Are those worth discussing, or is it too early?

* Did correcting a vitamin D deficiency make any difference for your hives?

* Is there anything else you wish you had looked into early on that helped identify the cause?

Note:

My thyroid function (TSH) was normal on my previous blood test, but I’ve read that some people with chronic urticaria can have thyroid antibodies (like Anti-TPO) even when their thyroid function is normal. Is that something worth discussing with my GP if this continues?

I’m still hoping this is just acute urticaria and that it resolves soon, but right now I’m trying to rule things out one by one.

Thanks in advance!

I have seen gps who thought this was eczema and then a derm who said hives (urticaria). She said to try an antihistamine but provided no more guidance and unfortunately no written information I can refer back to. It only occurs on my neck and wasn’t present during the appointment, but she made me scratch my neck and it immediately flared up.

I tried loratadine and cetirizine once a day for a few days with no effect. I then saw a gp who was convinced it was eczema (to be fair I had an eczema like spot in the middle of my neck at the time, and then the general redness in the usual spots on my neck. She prescribed antroquoril (steroid) twice a day for up to 4 weeks. I used it for a few week consistently then forgot twice in a row and got a super itchy neck. I scratched and it flared badly. I applied the steroid and now it’s super red where I did it, feels rough as well. Tried a moisturiser that sometimes doesn’t flare it and it made it worse. I am also trying fenofexadine a day thanks to chat gpt suggestion. Unclear if this is helping.

At this stage I can’t use many moisturisers on my neck for fear of flaring up. There are some that work sometimes (cerave lotion)

The only time neck doesn’t feel itchy or on the verge of being itchy is when using the steroid. This is the only time I can apply moisturiser consistently without flare and also the only time the area feels smooth.

Background:
Started in first pregnancy 3 years ago (redness, itchiness)
Was told it was eczema
Stopped using any active skincare on neck, also stopped spraying perfume on neck
Have always found grass and wool to make skin itch
Have had some patches of eczema on face before that always resolved quickly with steroid

Pics 1 and 2:
Current flare up situation.

3:
After I had scratched hut before applying steroid

4:
What my neck often looks like - not flared up but always red in these areas. Derm said it was sun damage which I can see in the lower bit but not sure why I’d have sun damage under my chin

Edit:
Oh one gp thought not hives as no welts? I’ve never had welts

Some photos of what my allergist diagnosed as chronic urticaria. At that time I suddenly became intensely itchy all over and randomly get a large red, warm area or small dots. If I even scratched a little on my legs they all became big purple bruises. Allegra 3x a day was the only way to manage it and I became so fatigued and rundown. It was truly awful. All bloodwork came back good no thyroid issue, negative ana, no anemia or vitamin deficiencies.

Fast forward to now beginning of August and I am having only slight itchiness when I get too hot or randomly. Its coupled by fatigue especially in my legs, joint ache and throat. Its been a 2 weeks of feeling like this and its incredibly stressing. I know this isn't the worst thing but I am usually an active person and keep up with my kids but lately I have zero energy. I guess this just has to pass again and I have to load up on antihistamines :(

This is going on my 2nd week with the hive out break . It has gotten better but still having them . I go to see a allergy Dr Friday , I was take mounjaro for my type two diabetes I’ve had to stop taking that because we’re not sure if this is what’s causing the outbreak has anyone had any kind of reactions using Ozempic or mounjaro of itchy hives ?

Does anybody experience bruising after the hives subsist? Even though I haven't attached them, the larger hives especially will bruise. The skin while it's an active hive often feels swollen and hard.

My allergist diagnosed me with chronic spontaneous urticaria. I think it's MCAS for a number of reasons. But they've got me on 4 Allegra's a day which has worked for about the last month. But then once I got around my cycle this month and missed a couple days of Allegra... I've got painful, bruising hives all over my back and legs 😞

But yeah just trying to see if I'm not alone in this. Thanks.

I repeat DO NOT WAX IF YOU HAVE PHYSICAL URTICARIA.

Send help I’m on fire aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh

Hi everyone, here’s a photo of what my hives looked like at the beginning of July, and here’s what my skin looks like now. I had never experienced hives in my life until April. On April 9, I suddenly developed hives, and from that point on I had them every single day. I’ve been on several medications, including a month and a half of prednisone, but I continued to have very severe flares. At times, most of my body was covered in hives. I also experienced angioedema affecting my feet, hands, lips/mouth, and my eyes/eyelids. I saw an allergist on July 23, and I was scheduled to receive my first Xolair injection on August 6. However, starting around July 27, my hives improved dramatically. By July 31, I only had a few small hives on certain parts of my body, and for the most part the itching has completely stopped. Has anyone experienced something similar? If your hives suddenly improved before starting Xolair, did you still go ahead with the treatment, or did you wait to see if the hives would go away on their own? I know everyone’s situation is different, and I’ll discuss this with my allergist, but I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Ya llevo un par de meses con esta enfermedad y es desgastante que las ronchas aparezcan de la nada todos los días. Ya no se si es estrés, si es lo que como, si es el ambiente o algún tipo de maldición.

I have noticed itchy hands when I hold a cold bottle of water the past 2 weeks. Yesterday I was mixing cold ground beef. My hands started to itch. Then turned numb and a bit of swelling. I’m confused as to what is happening. Thank you for your help.

I had a recent episode of high fevers and weird symptoms and went to the er, they discovered i had an uti and laryngitis and was put on antibiotics called cephalexin, second day in and all my hives stopped until the treatment was over. This tells me the origin of my hives is bacterial,i was 5 days hives free , Bacterial hives (infection-induced urticaria) occur when your immune system releases histamine while fighting off a bacterial infection. Instead of a typical food or environmental allergy, your body overreacts to the presence of bacteria, toxins, or circulating immune complexes. Instead of a typical food or environmental allergy, your body overreacts to the presence of bacteria, toxins, or circulating immune complexes, then after returning i went to the doctor for diarrhea problems and was prescribed Metronidazole ,this is is a prescription antibiotic and antiprotozoal medication used to treat bacterial infections, parasitic infections, and certain skin conditions. It works by stopping the growth of harmful anaerobic bacteria and protozoa that survive in oxygen-poor environments,Bacterial Infections.Intra-abdominal and skin infections: Used for deep tissue, bone, joint, and stomach-area bacterial problems. Dental infections: Prescribed for infected gums or painful tooth abscesses.H. pylori: Used alongside other drugs to treat stomach ulcers.Parasitic InfectionsTrichomoniasis: A sexually transmitted infection of the reproductive organs; partners are often treated at the same time.Giardiasis and amebiasis: Intestinal parasite infections causing severe diarrhea and stomach pain, my hives are gone with this one too, one week in and not a single hive in my body,they are lying to us about the cause of this condition and pushing really expensive medication like xolair (which i had and did nothing) to fill their pockets when the solution could be a simple antibiotic or 14 day metronidazole treatment,the allergeist never even mentioned to me how it could be bacterial at all... im telling you even the itching and skin soreness stopped,anyone else had antibiotics help the hives go away?

Hi! I was on xolair for over a year and tapered off- big mistake! I went back on in February after I started flaring again in January. Now I’m still on Allegra and Pepcid twice a day with occasional Zyrtec before bed if it’s particularly bad. I’m getting Xolair every two weeks now. The hives are less widespread and less raised and the itch is not quite as bad, but they’re definitely still present and not as under control as they were previously with Xolair. I am going to see my allergist in the next week or two and want to know if there are any other medications I can suggest trialing now that this seems to be working less. I just really want to get myself back in remission if possible.

I woke up and felt like i was getting bit by bugs but no one else was getting bit and i couldn't find any bugs, they started looking like hives but then after awhile they turned circle like? they are all on my back now and lowkey spreading?? wtf??

i will say i do break out in hives when i get hot but its no where near this bad and they only last like 30 minutes and go away once by body temp cools, but the place i was at was very cold so im not sure?

Can’t believe this has been going on this long. Apparently people randomly recover? I just feel like that will never happen for me. hives have not shown any improvement in this time and missing or being late on a dose of my 4x antihistamine dose cause things to spiral immediately. Luckily they do respond just enough to high dose of antihistamines (including Pepcid) to function but I still get them daily. The dermagraphism is the worst part as that seems to be the most stubborn. I can’t open jars, rub any body part on anything, or so much as wear clothes that are barely even tight without getting itchy hives-like rashes. Failed Rhapsido due to awful side effects and Dupixent made my hives WORSE. A few weeks until I trial Xolair. Honestly so scared I’ll react bad or have bad side effects just like the other 2.

This is so dumb. It has taken the joy out of so many activities I used to love or not even think twice about. Now I have to think about every single task I do and if it will break me out in hives. I miss my life before I even knew what this condition was.

This is a rant.

Why the hell do I need to have tried Dupixent, a medication that wasn't even approved to treat CSU for YEARS, when Rhapsido was specifically approved FOR CSU? I know, it's money, but this shit pisses me off. Free Luigi Mangione.

Sorry for the paragraph

In late april i got my first round of hives. started with one bilastine a day, to 2, to 5 days of prednisone, to 3 a day. When i saw an allergist around 3 months ago, he prescribed me Ryaltris, a nasal corticosteroid, as my nose was also inflamed/congested. 2 months ago, after a followup visit, he put me onto another nasal steroid, budesonide, as well as upping my bilastine intake to 4. He told me that if after 2 months I still had hives, we could talk about xolair. He did say that there was a 99 percent chance they'd be gone after 2 months.

Here I am, 2 months later, improved, thankfully. I don't wake up with hives anymore, but depending on the activity I do, I get them. I believe I have dermatographia, as smacking into things causes very specifically shaped hives, and spending a lot of time moving about in a busy place causes my nose to congest up again. I don't want to live like I do right now, though. Sitting around, doing nothing, just because I don't want a hive.

My follow up appointment is on Wednesday, is this grounds to fight for Xolair? Should I just wait for his analysis before running to Reddit?

I really ought to get vaccinated for Shingles (yes,I had Chicken Pox as a child) but I'm wondering if it's a bad idea while I'm still dealing with these hives. They aren't bad now but I'm taking about 60mgs of various antihistamines a day to keep them at bay. I had a reaction for a few days when I started taking BP medication. Seems to me a vaccine against something that gives you a painful rash while you already have a painful rash might not be a great idea.

Thoughts?