@jbljax and @sonyap yeah, i feel sick to my stomach when I see the Paxlovid commercials. I had several doctors put me on massive amounts of zyrtec and clartin with pepcid...which my body just laughed at. then 2 weeks of prednisone which did nothing and then an even higher dose of prednisone 60mg for 5 weeks. this only altered the way the hives came on. but they still keep coming. but mine is regulated to my face and neck with very distinct borders...so strange.

stress is one of the triggers, i've learned. but then so is whiskey and dust and god knows what else! the planet is no longer safe to live on! lol i'm starting to figure out it might be connected to MCAS and prostaglandin (vs histamine), because my histamine numbers keep coming back "normal" but my PGE2 recently came back as 67 when the range is 200-400. I had to beg my PCP to run this test and when the results came back she didn't even know how to talk to me about it. most drs don't know much about PGE2.

the ONLY thing i've found that works (FOR ME...obvs not providing a medical recommendation) is the supplement Ox Bile. Because MCAS is typically found in the gut and can be connected to the gallbladder, it makes sense (for me) that ox bile is helping me. If i take it fast enough(within a couple hours) at the start of a hives episode, which always begins inside my ears first and then works it's way across my face, then neck, then forehead, i can stop it in it's tracks. But if i've missed the breaking point...it's all over. i've never had gallbladder issues before and now i can feel pain in it almost daily. i swear if this drug has messed up my GB, i'm gonna be livid.

also...you can't itch the hives...they spread like wildfire and it becomes unbearable and lasts weeks vs a few days to a week. aloe helps and ice packs. ice packs all day and night. just stock up the freezer and when they get warm, trade it out for a frozen one. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this too.