Severe Hives in Pregnancy: Causes, Relief & What to Do

Question
My friend is 17 wks pregnant with her 3rd child.  Every night for the past couple of weeks, she's broken out in severe hives from head to toe.  Her ob recommended benadryl but it's done nothing.  (She's never had these symptoms with previous pregnancies, by the way.)  The hives are so bad that she cries to the point of nausea and takes cold showers during the night to dull the pain.  She's tried oatmeal baths, changing her laundry soap, etc.  It's always much worse when she sweats.  What could possibly be causing this and what else can she try?

Answer
Your friend is, obviously, allergic to something that is causing the outbreak of hives at 17 weeks gestation. It may be PUPP (Urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy) which can be treated with steroid creams. If it is so bad, she should get a consultation with a dermatologist. Until then, the treatment of choice is Benadryl 50mg every 4 hours.