[QUOTE=Crankin;488708]Yep, Catrin, you described my situation exactly. If I scratch, I immediately get huge red welts/hives.

I have this problem in the winter months. There's no regularity to it and I have no idea what causes it. I'm not stressed and I've had allergy tests done with no conclusive evidence. My dr. told me to take 1 tablet of Loratadine whenever my skin starts to itch and hives appear. The Loratadine does the trick in taking away the itch and welts. My daughter started experiencing the same thing this past year ... again no regularity or clue why, but she takes Loratadine whenever needed. After about a week, we no longer need to use the antihistamine - until the next episode, which could be a month or longer. Sometimes it seems there's no explanation for this condition.