Im in UK too! hehe! Yeah i know what u mean about elephant woman, i get tht aswell, lol! I have been on daily antihistamines for about 2 years, was put on them as suffered from rashes everyday tht often got infected, the list has just grown and grown since then as i have progressed from rash to very bad rash to even worse rash to anaphylaxis! lol! i now take desloratadine 5mg twice a day, chlorphenamie(piriton) 4mg once a day(4 times if having any kind of reaction or recently been in anaphylaxis, telfast 180mg once a day and ranitidine 150mg twice a day I only used to take steroids for 5 days after an attack but as soon as i stopped the steroids i had another attack so i never got off 40mg, thats y i went on to long term steroids, the idea being to reduce the dose slowly to wean me off them, this didnt work either. we were in the process of trying to find a maintainace dose for me but have had attacks at 10mg and below so far. first time i got down to 4mg, second time 5mg, third time 10mg, i then kept having further attacks even though i was on 40mg which required iv hydrocortisone, iv piriton and nebulisers so now im remaining on 40 until i see the immunologist on 9th july! il prob look like a hippo by then! I take Alendronic Acid once a week to prevent osteoporosis as a pesult of steroids, yeah im 20 and on a drug for post menopausal women! I agree about staying positive,it is hard as it affects my work, plans, whole life really! my friends always say thy wouldnt be able to cope but uv just gotta try and get on with ur life havnt u! xxxxx