I've had chronic hives for years. Sometimes they last for just days, usually months; also included angioedema. I am NOT allergic to anything but myself. I had a blood test which revealed I have something called 'high affinity epsilon receptor'. You should ask your immunologist to test you for this; it's a kind of auto-immune problem, thus, the usual over-the-counter drugs (claritin, zyrtec, etc.) don't work for me. It took my dermatologist to finally help me! I took prednisone for three weeks--the first week 60mg, second week 40mg, third week 20mg. After the first day, the hives disappeared, and stayed gone for 4 months. After that, they re-appeared, but not as bad, so I didn't have to take the prednisone regiment again. Lastly, they came back a week ago for only two days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This may not work for everyone, but it's worth talking to your doctor. Good luck to everyone who is suffering.View Thread