I have had chronic hives for nearly 2 years now. Prior to this I was perfectly healthy, and never have been allergic to anything! It came out of nowhere. I have done every elimination diet, removed all perfumes and dyes from my life, tried every antihistamine (massive doses) and even the H2s (pepcid, tagamet etc) Nothing touches them except the prednisone which is only a band aid that makes you gain weight over time. Plus it's bad for your liver etc. I did find (by accident) that Ibuprofen reduced my symptoms (but for many with hives this will make them worse, so be careful) I have been to 6 different doctors (dermatologists, allergists, even Eastern medicine.) I went to the Mayo clinic as they are supposed to be the best! They pretty much told me "you have chronic hives and we don't know why" (No kidding?!) I spent thousands of dollars trying to find things that help. So far nothing. My last resort will be Xolair which I have started the process and should start within the next week or so. I hope you find relief soon.