Evening Hives, Joint Pain, Swelling Fingers

I am a 25 year old female who have been experiencing pain in my wrists/hands and knees for about 2 months. I figured it was because I worked at a desk and walked a lot. Then one night I got a hive-like rash all over my legs, arms, stomach. This was the first time I'd experienced any type of skin problem and I was horrified. I figured it must've been a new lotion or fabric softener I wasn't used to and forgot about it. The rash was gone in the morning.

But that was just the beginning. The hives reappeared each evening, un-provoked and my joints kept aching. I once took a 1-mile walk through the park and came home in so much pain I could not bend or keep my legs straight. Any minor pain stays inordinately long and can be debilitating. Still, the hives come back each night.

My Primary Care Doctor prescribed Prednisone which helped immensely. I took it for one week before I met with a rhemotologist who blew me off and told me the wrist pain was due to using a computer and I just needed to get a wrist guard be be ergonomically evaluated at work. He said the rash was probably a borderline auto-immune disorder that would go away in "30 days."

Twice my thumbs have swollen like balloons.

I have had blood tests, urine test, the works. I have borderline autoimmune "something" with a high inflammatory marker. Whatever that means. Neither doctor offered a solution and I am still suffering weeks later.

Should I get a third opinion? Does this sound like an auto-immune disease or carpal tunnel? What would cause an auto-immune "thing"? I am healthy, active, etc. I live in a ground floor apartment that may have minor water damage. Could mildew be a cause? I need someone to point me in a direction. The hives are embarrassing and uncomfortable. And the pain makes me feel much older than my 25 years.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
If you have mold in your house, then the joint pain and allergy could be due to mold. This has to be ruled out by an allergy test. Please consult an allergy specialist. Well, joint pains with rash can also be seen in SLE, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, polymayalgia rheumatica and chronic fatigue syndrome. Gout, though typically affects the great toe, can cause thumb pain and swelling along with a rash. Hashimotos Thyroiditis is another possibility. Hayfever and rheumatoid arthritis too should also be ruled out.
Another possibility is reactive arthritis, which could have occurred in reaction to something—in this case rash. In this case you need to rule out the cause for the hives or urticaria. Urticaria is usually triggered by allergens, such as drugs, foods, insect bites, inhaled substances, in response to sunlight, cold, heat, stress, exercise, or a viral infection. Other common allergens are pollen, mold, dust, pet dander, or cosmetics. Food allergies like to gluten and alcohol too should be looked into. You may need to consult an allergy specialist. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Take care!

[Rachillightfoot]

Thanks for the response! Is there any reason you can think of that the hives would only occur in the evening? I have virtually no signs of rash, hives, welts during the day, but around 8pm, I am a hived, spotted mess. I've tried not drinking alcohol, forgoing dinner, traveling elsewhere... but no matter where I am or what I do I still break out! It's the most bizarre part of the whole thing.

[Tertia92]

I'm experiencing the same thing! The pain in my feet is nearly unbareble, I can hardly walk. My hives have only come up at night too, I don't know why either. Did you find a cure or a reason they are appearing??