I think I have chronic hives, but don't know if it's another type of allergic reaction. I went to an allergist once and it was not helpful. Every day I get hives, mostly on my arms, but also on my legs and hips/waistline. Sometimes it seems to be pressure related- like after I have my arm against something hard for a while, sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. Sometimes it's just one or two "bumps", sometimes my whole arm/leg swells up with itchy "welts". If I scratch it, it spreads. It is not contagious. This has been going on for about a year and a half now. I received the chicken pox vaccine, and have tried taking Claratin/Benadryl on a regular basis, but after a time the effects wear off. Any thoughts on how to control this?