Wow-- that really says "viral," don't you think?

But you said that it did respond to antihistamine, yes?  Sometimes viral hives can be really tough that way and only respond to really high doses of benadryl.

Yes!  It seems the doctor's diagnosis of viral hives was correct. 

I had to take 50 mg of Benadryl every four hours for the first 5 days.  After that, I was able to go a little longer between doses, but still needed 50 mg.  Eventually it dropped down more and more, and of course finally I was able to discontinue all Benadryl and not have anything reappear.

 It took awhile for me to be confident it was fully gone, for it had gotten to the point that I could go about 20 hours or so, have it reappear, and then it'd resolve with 1 Benadryl and not come back for another day and a half.

I am glad I was able to avoid taking any steroids to stop it.  I know some would have resorted to prednisone instead of taking all that Benadryl, but I preferred to sleep for a few days lol.

I've made it long enough without any rash or hives, so I'm comfortable saying that it is completely gone!  It took about 10-12 days for it to leave my system completely.  After about a week, there were dramatic improvements both in terms of severity and frequency.  In other words, it was longer and longer between the rash and hives reappearing, it was more minor when it reappeared, and it took less Benadryl to resolve it.  The big shift occurred after it being bad for about a week.

 

Quote from: Carefulmom on March 15, 2012, 10:29:56 AM

To me it looks like it could be scabies.  (replying to the OP)

Out of curiousity, I googled scabies and looked through tons of pictures.  I cannot fathom how that rash looked anything like scabies.

Scabies looks different in each person.  I have seen scabies that looked just like the OP`s photo.  I have also seen scabies that looked nothing like the OP`s photo.  Scabies is notorious for causing itching that is so bad it just drives you crazy.  Viral rashes can itch, but not with that much intensity.  That is the part of the OP that really sounds like scabies.  A long time ago my boyfriend who lived in a different state described this horrible itching rash on the phone.  Scabies is notorious for this intense itching.  The benadryl wears off and the itching starts up again.   I told him on the phone it sounded like scabies.  He went to the doc, doc said no.  Continued him on antihistamine and steroid cream for a week where he could not work because he was on such a high dose of antihistamine that he was too sleepy to safely drive.  Finally he convinced the doctor to give him the rx for scabies and the rash went away a few days later.  Scabies is a contact dermatitis, sort of the way poison ivy is.  Meanwhile, I decided since I had been exposed I should be treated.  It takes four to six weeks after exposure to break out, so doing the math I had been exposed.  I went ahead and did the treatment, the laudry, etc, just to kill anything that might be there.  I had had this very small area of bumps at the base of one finger for about six months.  It itched alot, but never spread.  I never worried much about it, just kept applying steriod cream.  I treated myself for scabies, and low and behold the rash went away.  My scabies was just a few little extremely itchy bumps.  My boyfriend had caught it from me.

Anyhow, it might be scabies, it might not be.  The fever would then be due to a separate virus.  It is  good to know that it is getting better.  If it doesn`t go away when the fever and swollen glands do, I`d consider asking for a scabies rx.  I`d also think about any other contact dermatitis---poison ivy?  poison oak?

To me it looks like it could be scabies.  (replying to the OP)

Out of curiousity, I googled scabies and looked through tons of pictures.  I cannot fathom how that rash looked anything like scabies. 

I know it's hard to tell from a photo, but it looks different from scabies photos I found online.  Also, given that I had low-grade fever and swollen glands yesterday, I think the doctor is right that it is viral hives.  It continues a bit, but now I'm down to taking 1 Benadryl just a couple of times per day.

YKW, are you reacting only in the evening and then it goes away on its own?  Is it happening after you've been outside playing with the kids, so it might be pollen-related?  Also, it's hot here and I'm guessing it is hot there as well.  It's not heat rash, is it?

For the last four days, during dinner prep and until bed, the side of my left breast has been insanely rashy, itchy and full of hives.  WHY?

Thanks for the sympathy and well wishes.  I've decided that pain is much easier to manage than itchiness.

I had mono when I was an infant.  I know, how do you tell that a 6 month old is too sleepy?  My mom swears that I tested positive for mono.

My throat isn't too sore.  Hopefully it'll stay that way!

It's hard to assess if I'm excessively tired given all of the Benadryl I've been taking.  Today, I went 12 hours between Benadryl doses, and I still needed a 2-hour nap, but my body clearly is fighting something. 

I'm making progress in terms of the rash and hives!  I took Benadryl at 7 am, and nothing reappeared until 7 pm this evening.  Of course I was busy helping the kids with dinner, shower, and so on, so I didn't catch it early and take some Benadryl to stop it from reappearing even worse.  Interestingly, the rash didn't reappear until my fever spiked up more and then broke.  I guess my body is fighting this virus in different ways.

Oh, me too-- that looks just miserable, Mookie.