Will My Hives Ever Really Go Away?

I have accepted that for people like me, chronic hives suddenly appeared one day out of the blue, and then stuck around day after day after day...

But I am finding it much harder to accept that one day my hives might disappear just as randomly and mysteriously as they appeared. Perhaps this is indeed exactly what will happen to me. I truly hope it does. That would be wonderful.

But how often in life, do problems just vanish into thin air? I am skeptical.

Chronic hives do go away (for some people)

It’s not a pipe dream to think one day I might wake up hive-free and this whole ordeal will be over. According to the Cleveland Clinic, for about half of people with chronic hives, the hives go away within a year.¹

I’m now in year 3 of living with hives, so I suppose I’m not in that fortunate first half. I have not lost hope though, because the average person with chronic hives will have them for 2 to 5 years.²

But what happens if I get beyond year 5 and nothing has changed? Am I doomed to live with hives for the rest of my life?

Adjusting to life with hives

As with most things in life, over time, I have adjusted and adapted to my new reality. I have found this to be somewhat true with hive management. I have adjusted to the things I can control, like taking medication twice daily and being mindful of my triggers. I know I will not go into anaphylaxis because I know my hives are not due to an allergy.

However, after all this time, I still have not adjusted to how completely random and spontaneous hives can be. When I have a big event, like public speaking or being in a wedding, the anxiety of “what if I have hives all over my face?” is very real. It feels like no amount of medication or trigger avoidance can fully convince me it will be OK. Sometimes it’s fine, and other times, the hives win. I can’t see myself ever fully adjusting to this.

What if the hives do not go away?

So, how will I feel if I still have hives after the 5-year mark? No doubt, pretty disappointed. One thought that helps me cope with chronic hives is the notion that this is temporary. Not knowing what exactly “temporary” means is something I am trying to make peace with. The fact that not everyone gets to say they were temporary also bugs me.

If I still have hives after 5 years, maybe the journey will have changed for me. Maybe physically, I will feel better. Maybe I will be on different medication by then. Maybe I will have learned new ways to manage my triggers. Who knows?

I would love to know what you think about all this. Do you ever have doubts that your hives will go away forever? Have you experienced this or do you know someone who has?

Please leave a comment below!