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Chronic Hives..driving me nuts!!

I'm a 29 y.o female who has had hives 9 months.  When I first saw my doctor he gave me a course of steroids, that didn't help at all.  I have tried all sorts of antihistamines... Zyrtec, Claritin and now i'm trying Chlor-Trimeton. All of them not helping much anymore.  I have read article after article about hives and the more I read the more down I feel about it.. not being able to find a cause.
I have had an allergy test and I have high allergy to dust mites.  How can you totally free your home of dust mites!  I have used Tea Tree oil in my washing machine for my towels, bed sheets and clothes.  I have had a blood test, which was pointless.  I'm not sure what else to do.. you forget what it was like to be itch-free!  My hives started on my back.. extreme fiery red itch.  But recently it hasn't been on my back at all.. its now my arms and my legs, occasionally my chest and tummy.  Extremely itchy, very warm and alot of welts.  Its driving me nuts!! People say "it will take its course", well i can say for myself and i bet alot of others, its not that easy.. it is EXTREMELY uncomfortable.. extremely!
I have read about Quercetin, a natural antihistamine.  Has anyone tried this at all and has helped relieve there hives?  I have also read Mint helps and also Sandalwood oil helps too.  I prefer natural remedies personally but I will do whatever for them to go away for good.  
Has anyone had relief from doing a Total Detoxification program at all? A remember reading a gentleman's log and he had gone to India for AYURVEDA treatment.. i can't seem to find his log anymore though.  He left a website http://www.ayurveda.org/

I would appreciate any help or information that anyone can give me. I know how you all feel out there!  It's not fun. Best of Luck everyone.
Thanks again.
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Avatar universal
It is a difficult concept but 90% of the sufferers here have auto immune urticaria, our own bodies are attacking our sub dermal layer of skin, it's basically a runaway immune system response like many other that cause a variety of hard to treat diseases. The triggers for this are very unlikely to be foods, infections etc or if an infection has triggered it then it has a life of its own, curing the infection won't stop the urticaria. There may be no obvious cause or a variiety of causes. I found mine which is the hormone insulin produced in hypogylemia but everyone's can be different. There is no cure, i control mine, more or less, bya low cal diet and taking anti histamines. Unless you want to risk your health by taking meds that dampen down your immune system that's the best you can hope for. cheers
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Avatar universal
I am a type one diabetic and went my first 10 month round of chronic hives back when I was in college.  It followed being scratched by my friend's pet iguana, though no doctor's could find any connection.  They assured me the only thing iguanas are known to carry is salmonella which doesn't manifest itself in hives.  After taking so many benadryl a day my hands were shaking (I was also on perscription strength hydroxyzine, allegra, and zantac), I finally convinced my university doctor to give me a medrol dose pack.  The other doctor's I was seeing in two different states would not perscribe steroids due to my diabetes.  This doc just told me to watch my sugars and we gave it a shot.  After the five day treatment, the hives were gone for about a week.  Then they came back.  He gave me a second five day course of treatment.  They disappeared for a little over ten years.  I've gotten married and had two children...no hives.  Then, out of the blue, in August 2011, I broke out again.  I've had hives pretty much every day since then.  This batch of doctors have told me that in 90%+ of all cases of  chronic hives, they never determine a cause.  I'm being treated with hydroxyzine and zantac again with benadryl when necessary.  They tried me on three different types of steroids, one I took for over three months which was a blood sugar nightmare and caused me to gain over 20 pounds.  Nothing seemed to be helping.  Then my sister mentioned reading something about aspartame being linked to cases of hives.  I figured I'd give it a shot and cut it out of my diet.  It's almost like magic--I stopped drinking diet sodas and consuming any other food products that contain aspartame and viola--no hives.  I have an occassional bump or two, but nothing like the head to toe coverage I'd been experiencing for over a year.  It's only been six days so far, but I have hope that once the rest of the aspartame gets out of my system I may remain hive free.  Here's hoping.
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Avatar universal
  I also have what the ARMY called Urticaria Angeiodema. I never during my active outdoor life had this prior to service. I joined in 2001 and was discharged for this in 2003. During my career I was told I was getting bit by spiders for a while then they told me they didn't know what it was. Up until I was getting ready to deploy to Iraq they didn't care they noticed when I have a prescription for 20 epi-pens they wouldn't let me go. So I was discharged. Now 10 years later I continue to get them chronically almost everyday. The only fix is prednisone (steroid) pills which I've been told is bad for the body. I've talked with my current doctor and he saidhe can't say the military caused this but something they gave me could have effected my system in a way I get this now. The first time I had this was after getting the row of shots in 40th AG prior to basic. So with time they do not go away mine has only gotten worse.
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Avatar universal
I just started developing this hives and at first I freaked out.
This is a quick fix atleast stops the itching and burning for a while and must the times the hives go away.
They do come back,that's why it's a quick fix but you can continue with your day.
Splash white Vinegar on your body or go in the bathtub and pour a good amount in there.
I usually apply it where the welts and hives are and they stop itching immediately.
Just be careful because your body is absorbing the acidity of Vinegear.
It says to use apple cider but a Dr. Friend of mine advises I use reg white vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar,contains to much sugar.

Good luck to you all!!
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Avatar universal
Hi have you noticed a connection between insulin levels and your urticaria, i say that because insulin is a powerful (and very necessary) hormone that in excess can 'shock' the body and is a possible urticaria trigger, i'm not suggesting you stop maintaining insulin but that you work on better regulation and see if that helps
cheers
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Avatar universal
Hi Montgomery,

Its not the depression that causes the urticaria but the other way around, the release histamine affects the brain chemicals, it lowers available seratonin
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