Hives back again. three times within the last 6 months.

Have you managed to identify what is causing the hives or any clues what you may be allergic to, it is so hard when you have something chronic keep coming back Can you use something like calamine lotion to calm the irritation ( can you still get calamine) I m sure if not there are other anti itch creams
What sort of antihistamines are you on ?
Ask your doctor to get you a dermatologist appointment
There are other medical problems that can cause hives like thyroid, diabetes have you been tested for these kind of things
Chronic itching is horrendous and can really pull you don’t I do hope you can get some help soon but I d ask for more test to find out what’s suddenly turned your body into this state something must be going on
Sorry I m not more helpful but I could feel how upset you are and nighttime is always worse
Good luck

Has your GP actually examined you? Are you absolutely sure it is hives and not something else. ?

Jeanie. Steroids aren’t usually given for hives? are you sure it is hives. Antihistamines up to two a day are usually the treatment and trying to find out what your allergic to. You may need blood tests to determine the cause. Hope you feel better soon .

katyj exactly what I was thinking you aren’t normally given steroids for hives
What was the three months of medication you were given ?
Is it hives ? What test did you have it definitely sounds as if you need more investigation

I remember taking one dose of Floradix magnesium and coming out in huge very itchy hives. Perhaps there is something you are allergic too. In any case I think the doctor needs tn investigate more.

tn to

Thank you for all your responses and advice and suggestions.
I am under the care of an Immunologist who I see twice a year at the hospital. Have had the condition for over 55 years but in remission for many years.
It normally comes with heat when I am away on holiday and some trigger which is not known.
The March hives started when I was abroad but continued after I got back home for 8 weeks, it went after high doses of antihistamine and a short course of steroids but is now back again.
Last December when I had it I was given a Steroid injection at the hospital and that cleared it up within days.
I've managed to get a prescription thru the 111 service thank god for the NHS what would we do without them. Antihistamine and Steroids but my GP said not to use Steroids at this time so unsure what to do.
I can put up with how it looks the lumps and the soreness but the itching is horrendous.
None of the itch creams work but I use a shower emulsion for washing myself which does help for a time.
I took a 500 mg of paracetamol last night so got some sleep.
It's something I just have to put up with, I'm trying to think positive, there are far worse conditions.
I felt so low last night thanks everyone.

Have you tried Anthisan cream? This always relieves itching for me from any bite, sting or my plant allergy. Yours sounds really bad especially as you have suffered from this condition so much over the years. Could be worth a try. I always keep a tube in.

25Avalon
I have not used Anthisan but have something similar for bites which come in a small tube and they are very good for that purpose.
Do you know if Anthisan is sold in larger containers? It is worth a try if it is.
My rash covers my whole body back, front, legs, arms, neck, scalp the only place it doesn't itch at the moment is my palms and under my foot.

Jeanie that sounds awful to have to put up with, no matter whether there are worse things or not. I found it hard for one day. I do hope you find something to relieve it.

I only ever had an attack of hives once, when I was under a lot of stress, preparing to move house with two toddlers under my feet and husband already working away. Nothing worked, though forty odd years ago, steroids were not commonly used. After we moved, I contracted viral meningitis, necessitating a long period of bed rest. The hives went. I do not recommend this remedy, but is your hives in any way stress-related?

I was thinking 'stress' too. I know many of us think we are pretty much unaffected by this virus situation, but yesterday out of the blue I had a huge black cloud descend.
Has this happened to you, gradually, over the weeks and is putting on your brave face stressing you so that your vulnerabilities (hives) has resurfaced? All subconsciously, without you realising just how stressed you are?
I've only had hives twice, on my legs and trunk and the itching is unbearable - I remember standing in the shower one night and pouring neat domestos onto my hands and rubbing it all over the blisters.
It stung like H*ll but the pain was such a relief after the itching it was worth it and I got to sleep that night, I didn't try it again and I'm NOT suggesting you try this BTW.
Anthistan does help but I couldn't find any bigger tubes either, although I didn't try Amazon - and I didn't contact the manufacturers, or even ask my pharmacist - all of which might be worth trying. Its a bit expensive to keep buying the standard tubes.
The airosol WaspEze also helped for short periods - but again expensive in large quantities. Try Amazon.
I must say, your GP doesn't sound very sympathetic. You need something stronger than paracetamol for the pain of the itching.

ExD I think you may be right regarding me suffering from stress although I hadn't considered it.
Looking back over the weeks of the lockdown I have been busy carrying on as normal but I have been very weepy at times.
My friend told me of her sister of 79 and nephew 47 both had the virus and were in hospital. I was very upset to find out later her nephew had died. Thinking about this young man and everything he had to live for, being fit and he looses his life. I thought about my own son and how I would feel and couldn't stop crying.
There are days when I have been feeling low.
Hubby as just gone to collect my prescriptions. I spoke to the Pharmacist and I have to stay in for the course of the Steroids as they do effect the immune system.
Thanks everyone

Oh you poor soul that sounds horrendous I do have (not hives) something that is always affected by stress whenever it happens I can trace it back to being a stressful time even happy stress like travelling to see a loved one can bring it on I have had it throughout most of lockdown just this last week free fingers crossed
I mentioned calamine lotion earlier On no one took it up can you not get it any more? I just remember how that used to calm itching of chicken pox down is it so old fashioned it’s not produced any more I know itching from eczema can be eased with oatmeal in a bag in the bath water is that worth a try too
Itching is the pits I had a very tiny bit of athletes foot which drove me completely crazy I could have cut my foot off unfortunately I ended up with cellulitis which is very scary so now I try so hard to not scratch anything
I do feel for you I think itching is worse than pain and to have it everywhere is bloody awful

My husband had this a few years ago. He was on strong antihistamines for two years. One day they just disappeared and when we thought about it, realised it was stress induced. He used to get horrendous ones on his face, causing people to treat him like a leper.

Jeannie99 as far as I am aware Anthisan only comes in tubes. It has never failed me and I dare not be without it in case my allergy comes on when I would otherwise scratch my hands to bits. You don’t need a lot of it.

Sorry if this is a daft question, but have you tried e.g. Lanacane for the itching? I had a bad itch problem last year and it did relieve it. Tube of cream, you can buy it in Boots. There’s another similar, also available off the shelf, I think it’s called Eurax.

E45 itchy cream is good I’m using it at the moment for excema might be worth a go.

Jeanie, Im a bit late to this but my immediate reaction after reading your post was to think of worms and stress. Both can cause outbreaks of hives though its seems to be one of the less common symptoms with worms. I speak from the experience of both.

I had SEVERE hives 7 years ago. I went to the doctors several times. Was referred to a consultant. No one ever helped me get any answers.

It went on for over a year and was awful. At times, the whole trunk of my body was covered in lumpy, red, itchy hives. It was bordering on being unbearable. I tried lots of things. Anti itch cream etc. Nothing worked.

Then one day the ONLY cream I could find was Canesten thrush cream. I rubbed some on a particularly itchy area and it helped slightly. So I bought an over the counter oral thrush pill (about £10 from the chemist) and it helped! So I went to several chemists and bought several more (because one chemist will only sell one pill) and took them over the course of a week.

The hives completely went and I've never had them again. My GP said I'd clearly got a case of undetected thrush although I didn't have the typical symptoms.

Oral antihistimines stopped individual attacks. But they didn't get rid of it.

I had hives on and off for a year after an initial attack whilst on holiday in Turkey. I finally saw a specialist who told me I might never know what caused it and to try an exclusion diet. I couldn't do that because of my job. Try Eurax cream for the itch if you haven't already. I sympathise with the itching as it's torture.

Poor you.
I have skin which reacts to some triggers but it's difficult to pinpoint what.
The other week my legs came out in hives and a red itchy rash after I'd finished a course of antibiotics. A friend suggested yesterday it could have been that and then sitting in the sun which triggered it but I'm not sure.
Antihistamine and aqueous calamine cream worked, it's better than calamine lotion.