Hi, I am new to this site, and just started doing some online research to try and find some answers... Doctors can't seem to help, and i'm becoming really frustrated. For the past four months, I have had hives and random swellings (sometimes a lip, sometimes an eye lid, sometimes a finger). In the beginning, I had them only every 3rd or 4th day, with little regularity. For the past 5 weeks, however, I have had quite severe hives **every** single day, with little variation in intensity. They are pencil eraser to quarter sized, sometimes merging into big groups, covering my legs from the tops of my feet to my hips, the lower part of my torso, and my arms. The one place on my body that has remained relatively clear is my chest and upper back. They are unmercifully itchy, and antihistimines (i've been taking the new claritin hives relief) aren't working nearly as well these days they used to. I have been to a gp, who didn't even let me finish with my bizarre symptoms before he started writing a prescription. I then moved on to an allergist, thinking that it had to be an allergy issue. She did the scratch-test for 49 foods and also cats, and all came back negative. She also did a blood test and found that I had elevated levels of ana. She reccomended that I stop taking a sulfa-based antibiotic, bactrim (i had been taking off and on for 3 years for acne), which I did. After these original tests, my symptoms became increasing worse, and I went back 6 weeks later for further testing. She had little to suggest, since I had changed shampoo, soap, etc., so she did another blood test, this time including celiac sprue in the mix. It came back negative, but I still had elevated levels of ana. She recommended that I see a rheumatologist, which puzzled me. The only link I have found on the internet between rheumys and hives is lupus, so i'm hoping that someone here can tell me i'm not crazy!! my mom has lupus (a very mild case) and she also has celiac sprue. I don't know if this makes a difference, but any info that may help...