Hives - contact dermatitis?

[LisaS]

it seems something in my environment is intermittently giving me hives - I'm guessing a contact dermatitis.

First noticed - Fri 5AM - woke with itchy knuckles and found small welts on the backs of my hands and proximal finger joints - mostly right hand.
Used benedryl gel.
Last night: noticed itchy hands when getting ready for bed, hit with gel again, then saw small welts on upper arms and shoulders as if following sleeve area of t-shirt - only on outer arm not inner arm surface. Hit with gel again.
This morning: went out for about 15 mins and while driving home, developed 2 nickel sized raised welts on one knee. Took an oral antihistamine.

suspects:
None - except Thursday I moved a throw for the dogs from one of their beds to a corner of my bed. I obviously handled it, could have knelt on it, could have tossed a t-shirt inside-out on it (sleeve transfer) etc.

actions:
everything is getting laundered and/or vacuumed today.

question:
is there anything else to do to get rid of whatever this allergen is? Am I missing anything?

[tkinsley]

Not contact dermatitis, Lisa; sounds like urticaria. Treat with benadryl ORALLY--not the cream, doesn't work well and many people do develop a contact dermatitis to this eventually.

In most acute (less than 6 weeks of daily or near daily hives) urticaria, the cause is often post-viral. It goes away. If it persists beyond six weeks, get seen.

Of course, if you develop lip, tongue, eyelid swelling and/or you can't breathe, get thee to an ER.

-Tina

[LisaS]

post-viral - that's interesting.

I really only used the gel because I had it and I couldn't find the benadryl - finally found it this AM

thanks Dr. T !

eta:

Of course, if you develop lip, tongue, eyelid swelling and/or you can't breathe, get thee to an ER.

when I got in bed, it seemed like my lips were tingling - so of course I had to get up and look. Nothing. Still tingling. So I stayed up another half-hour just to be sure nothing was going to spread when I was asleep. I know, silly me.
It's been so darn dry down here though with the recent Santa Anas (single digit humidity) I think that could be contributing something as well.