Hives for 3 months, Help

[CheryllM]

At first I thought it was flea bites. I stayed overnight with a friend that has 7 or 8 cats. After 2 weeks of Benadryl, no relief, I went to allergist. 47 RAST tests later, no food allergies. My allergist performed strength tests on other items I use as well as my cat's hair, nothing. Clothes, bedding, chemicals from work, nothing. A couple of weeks ago I had a headache, took Ibuprofen and wound up in the emergency room. Did not connect IB to allergy until 10 days later and took some again. Back to the ER. Have taken many different steriods, allergy meds, all provided temp relief. Allergist ordered a histamine level test that ranges from 0-6, I came in at 11.
Hives come in the middle of the night, I wake up with small spots of blood on arms, legs, back and face from scratching in my sleep as well as spots and welts. They usually attack different parts of my body one at a time. By mid morning I feel better, no spots, dots or itching. I have tried taking a dose of benadryl before bed, not much help.
I have since lost faith in my allergist. I called the other three in my area, they won't take me because I have no insurance. So far I have been able to keep up financially with medical bills, but I need resolution, not run-around. Does anyone have any suggestions as to who I can go to or what I can do?

[marymac23]

One more thing  --I also don't have insurance but I have found a good "teaching clinic" in my area that is associated with the University.  They have reasonable rates and though they haven't found any answers yet, they at least spend time with me.  There may be something lke that in your area. One suggestion they made was to try over the counter heartburn meds as those are also histamine blockers.  They block different kinds of histamines than most allergy meds.  That helped me a little but maybe it would work for you?

[marymac23]

have you considered mold or mildew allergy or something environmental like that?  It is common for hives to be worse at night.  Have you had unusual weather in your climate this year or has anything else in your home or local air quality situation changed? Have you moved to a different house/apartment? ( I have had hives daily for more than 8 months now and in my locale we happen to be having the worst mold count in history due to excessive rain this year. I used to wake up scatching in the night like you.)  Well you may have already considered that, but I just though I would throw it out there.  Good luck, I hope they go away quickly.  I know how miserable it can be.

[ChrisCas]

I have been suffering for almost a month now. I had my girlfriend move in to my house and she owns a cat. I found out within the first week that I was allergic to her cat. After doing my research I found out that one of the symptoms I was suffering from was Allergic Conjunctivitis. An symptom that causes extreme discomfort in the eye. I was constantly wiping away layers and layers of mucus build up. My eye felt like I had sand in it and I could barely see out of the eye(s) affected. I have set up an appointment with an allergy clinic. My girlfriend has said that a friend of hers has had an injection given to her to relieve symptoms of her allergies. I wonder if that will help with me? I want to find out sooner or later if it will rid me of my symptoms, because if it won't we'll have to face the grim reality of giving her cat away. If anyone can help answer my question please post ASAP. Thanks.

[Deeds]

There is a doctor here that I went to ((wish I had gone to her first!)) that did BioMeridian Testing to me. It's great for taking things you think you are allergic to and having it tested against you. You could swab down your cat with a gauze pad and bring that pad into the office and have it tested. Since you've been keeping your cat away from you at night - are your hives gone away?  

[CheryllM]

Doc tested me for food allergies. Nothing. He found I was allergic to a particular shampoo and conditioner. He used strenghth tests for the everyday soaps and chemicals I come into contact with, but some of those things were in plastic baggies. The hives I have show up during the night. My husband and I are thinking that maybe when I was exposed to several cats (7 or 8) that I became hypersensitive to cat hair and the daily exposure keeps it all going. My cat sleeps between me and the headboard on a pillow. After eleven years of him sleeping 'in my hair' I have a hard time closing the door with him outside the room. I know I will have to do it someday, but he is getting so old and his loyalty is so great, I feel I would be punishing him for something that isn't his fault. I guess he is just like a dependant child to me and I will probably suffer until he is gone.

[Deeds]

I do think your husband would show signs if it were bedbugs.  If the allergy test came back that you are not allergic to your cat, I don't see giving him away. I am allergic to dogs (slightly) and we have two labs that are our lives! I would never get rid of them!  I am going next week for something called "BioMeridian testing" because they cannot figure out what ingredient in my Blood Pressure meds are causing me to have severe allergic reactions...I wonder - maybe you are allergic to a food additive or coloring (like yellow #5). Have you tried keeping a strict food diary - you don't have to be allergic to the food itself but, the fillers and colorings and additives... maybe try and eat a very bland diet for a week and see if things calm down. I'm almost 40 and just found out I am highly allergic to yeast and mushrooms - and here I thought my asthma attacks were from "seasonal allergies"...Have they tested you for 'molds'? Do you have a basement in your house? Have you made sure there are NO leaks anywhere ((old ones or new ones)) Mold is a tricky little buggar too!! Mold can make you sick and not your husband... Keep me posted...

[CheryllM]

I don't live in the south. Pacific Northwest actually. If this were bedbugs, wouldn't my husband be showing some of the same symptoms? And the problem doesn't go away when I am elsewhere. I have been to my parents' home, my in-laws home, our motorhome...I have slept on the couch, the floor, and in a vinyl recliner. I have bought all new bedding, that was expensive. I change my sheets and blankets every other day.
In speaking to my husband about it, the only thing we can come up with is that I became hypersensitive to cat hair when I stayed with the friend, then came home to a steady exposure of cat hair because of my cat. And the ibuprofen thing, we figure is just a fluke. With having hives, maybe a slight allergy to NSAIDs became prominent.
I have had my cat for eleven years now and nothing like this has happened before, and finding another home for him is out of the question. Does any of this sound feesible?

[Deeds]

I know this sounds strange but, do you live in the South? Are you SURE it's NOT bedbugs?  Does your problem die down once you are away from your house?  I just thought I'd throw that out there because there has been such a huge resergence of bedbugs.  One way to make sure they say - is to check under your sheets, around your head area of your mattress for them...they migrate towards the 'warmth' of your body at night...

p.s. my coworker suffered with hives for 8 months a few years back and no one knew why...they came...and went and she's not had them back since?!!!