Hives are a release of histamine so you could use any over the counter anti-histamine to get immediate relief. Also be sure you have adequate B complex. This is a water soluble vitamin so you urinate out what is not used. These vitamins work with your nervous system and impact your body's over-reaction.
Also, Hyland's has a homeopathy called "Hives" that will give immediate relief. When you break out put one tablet under your tongue and let it melt. Be sure to have a clean mouth (no food or drink) 10 minutes before or after). It should work within a few minutes but you can repeat after 15 minutes if you still have hives. You can take a dose every 15 minutes until you have relief and then stop. Only take them again if you break out again and follow the same procedure. Boiron also sells a homeopathy made from histamine (histaminum) that can be used in the same way. If you want to use a drug there is a fast-acting tranquilizer called Atarax that works great but you need a prescription. I used that as a teen then went to alternative remedies.
I have a lot of experience with hives. I had dermatographism as a teen and later in life got cold hives. They are uncomfortable, to say the least. Good luck...I feel your itch!
Good advice.
I appreciate your response.
I've always suffered from mild to severe hay fever type allergies growing up. Sneeze and runny nose to eyes watering so badly I basically can't see. Zyrtec often helped quite a bit. This is why I at first considered that my body was just reacting in a novel way to new allergins in a new environment.
However these hives have been very different to any I've had in the past. I didn't get them often growing up, usually the other symptoms I described, but when I did, they never lasted for more than a week or so. These have been fairly persistent for damn near 3 months now. More severe or less any given day, and tending to move around. One day calves, next day up to thighs, maybe a day of nothing, then to my back, then head and shoulders. I work with other people highly skeptical of covid and the vax so none of them have gotten the shot, but sometimes I'm around customers who have. When my in-laws visit they usually spend a majority of the day with us, and I have severe flair up the next day that persists for a few days at least. Process of elimination in my mind says all signs point to vaxxers.
Benadryl doesn't do a damn thing aside from calm the itch for awhile and make me drowsy, so I've been taking that before bed. One thing I've done a couple times when they are really bad is make a paste of baking soda and water that I apply to my skin and let sit for 15-20 minutes. I'll be damn if that doesn't work amazingly. My skin is still red and irritated looking after, but the swelling and itch goes away entirely. I will certainly try some of the things you have mentioned, thank you for sharing.
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