Before I knew that I had lupus (but the doctor suspected it), I had one case of hives that caused a trip to the ER, as my tongue and throat were swelling. The hives were popping out so fast, the ER doctor and nurses were able to watch them "bloom." I didn't associate the hives with anything, because the doctor told me that hives are usually caused by a food trigger. However, your question made me wonder, so I went online and found the following article. Very interesting. You probably should talk to your doctor, because yours are ongoing. Mine only lasted about a day.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lupus/expert-answers/lupus/faq-20058011

Thank you so much for your helpful response. I will definitely check with my doctor, as these are not going away! It will be interesting to see what she says. Thanks again..

I had angioedema once and was admitted to the hospital with it.angioedema is a form of hives.my whole face and eye and lips swelled badly.

I feel your pain all too well. Hives can definitely be associated with auto-immune disorders. I have Tumid Lupus. It is pretty rare and is confined to the skin. I break out on my forearms primarily. The itching has been so bad at times, like you I scratched until I bled and bruised my skin. Atarax is a good prescription to take, also I take Zyrtec and Ranitidine (Zantac). I have had this since December 2001, but wasn't diagnosed until November 2004. The lupus and hives definitely tend to "overlap". The sun is not my friend and can make the itching, etc. much worse. Mine is pretty much under control, but still happens. If I get too bad, my dermatologist will prescribe prednisone. It works, but coming off of it can be very difficult. Hope this helps in some way. Good luck.

VirginiaAnn...did you have a doctor tell you that the hives could be caused by an autoimmune disorder???

Yes, my dermatologist said that the two could overlap. I think since Tumid is confined to the skin that its easier to have both at once. I hope you can get some relief because until someone has the horrible itching, they can't imagine how bad it can be. Please let me know what happens. Hugs....

Thank you for your kind words. You're right, unless someone has experienced it...you have no clue how awful it can be. I'm on prednisone on a regular basis, so guess it would have to be increased or something. :-(

Sometimes Lupus lesions can appear as "hives". The appearance of hives or lesions is different from person to person. I have a sallow complexion, Lupus lesions on my skin look like scalds from boiling water....I have no itching, but a throbbing burning sensation. Psoriasis is also connected to Lupus (my half sibling has Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) - I have SLE and Psoriatic Arthritis, but am not affected by Psoriasis of the skin. You are on the right track to mention it to your doctor....and try not to scratch or inflame the skin any further....I know it's hard, but you don't want to get and infection on top of an already painful condition.

My sibling and I were both given Cyclosporin (Neoral) you may wish to try this - it is a potent drug - and you cannot consume alcohol whilst taking it. You also have to have regular blood/urine screens as it can affect your liver. I take it constantly and it has helped.

I too started with hives prior to being diagnosed. They were so bad, it felt like they would never go away.

Overlook: that's how I feel, like they will never go away. And the thing with these is that I'll get an area on my skin out of the blue that itches...so I scratch it but the problem is that it doesn't relieve anything, it just makes it itch more and more until I'm almost bleeding. Then I get raised patches... after a while it will subside, and then it will be somewhere else. Sometimes all it takes is for something to touch my skin to start it off. I'm ready to scratch my skin off. :-(

I have been having welts, hives and my lip swollen from allergic looking reaction. No one is helping! No changes in my life , nothing new, lupus dr said appears medicine related. I have stopped all meds except thyroid. Still keep having flare ups for a month now. So frustrated

Do you notice if they get worse when you have advil type products?

The breakouts I experience are vasculitis & they can itch to drive you nuts. I think this problem & similar are traits that can be experienced with lupus.
I know for me two major triggers can be certain foods & lifestyle events. I'll break out by early evening sometimes & upon reviewing the day can usually take steps to quiet it down.

I can not find any source for my rash, I feel like I have rolled around in a bed if insulation, itchy and burning feeling my face is so burned feeling, it feels like I had a shot of Novocain under my skin in my face and a heavy feeling, slightly swollen and a raised rash and then the welts pop up in random spots all over. I take Vistaril,Famotidine, and 5mg of prednisone a day just to keep it half calm, feel awful all the time. No insurance until June so I don't know what I will do when I run out of steroid, that's all that keeps me from looking like a freak with bad Botox on my face and welts down. My rhumey, thought it was a med reaction, but I stopped all my meds for a month now except for levoyhyroxine which I have taken since I was 10 and still have problem

@rms1
I had no insurance for 3 years, but prednisone was fairly inexpensive, costing about $5 per month. When my doctor transitioned me to hydrocortisone, the price was higher - $15 per month. Call around to different pharmacies, such as Walmart and Walgreen's. Ask what the cost will be without insurance. Sometimes your out-of-pocket cost is less without insurance than with it. Of course, I'm not sure that still applies with the enactment of the ACA. Hope this info helps.