Began suffering from hives, and can a new watchband cause this, even though the rashes are not on the watch arm, but the legs and trunk?

Watchband reactions: Reactions to watchbands tend to be related to the presence of nickel in the band. Nickel is a metal that some people have a reaction to (irritant contact dermatitis) when there is prolonged contact. The reaction takes place at the site of contact, and is usually a red rash sometimes with cracked skin, rather than hives.

Workup/Mgt: If you are experiencing hives and intermittent abdominal symptoms, this is indicative of an allergic reaction. You may have ingested something that you are allergic to, and many adults have peanut and shellfish allergies. I would suggest allergy testing be included as part of your workup, and avoidance of any food that leads to these symptoms. For treatment, an histamine available over the counter