really embarrassing itchy skin for 6 years, feeling very low, please advise...

[upthegardenpath]

I'll try to keep it brief.
My DC is now 7.5 yrs old and I've had this itchy skin since she was 1 or so.
I have been to several GPs, all of whom looked at it and were puzzled - some thought maybe psoriasis, others quoted eczema. I was even referred to the beautifully named Vulva Clinic at St.Mary's Hospital and advised by a register there that because there are a few blocked pores in the skin, I should have them excised under local and this may help.
Funnily enough, the thought of having my bits operated on didn't really inspire me to go back.
It's very embarrassing because the itchy skin is only in my outer labia bits - the skin starts to itch whenever I am too hot, whenever I set, whenever I am too warm at night, or sometimes when it just wants to. It's the kind of itch that can send you round the bend and you can't ignore. I have literally ripped the skin apart at night, on occasions, and drawn blood. There is the odd little spot that comes up now and again, then goes away, these are very sore. The skin scales too, massively, like a moulting snake. It is only in the skin where the pubic hair is, never further in nor out.
Things I have done - changed diet, eliminated most dairy and cows milk, reduced wheat and hardly ever eat bread or yeasty things, changed wishing powders and fabric softeners - now only use tallow free and eco brands and extra rise cycle on machine, wear cotton underwear mostly, don't wear anything when I sleep (haven't for years - get too hot), put an ice pack wrapped in a small towel between legs when I sleep 9really helps to keep area cool and itch away), have tried every anti fungal cream known to man without success, tried oral canteen and no real difference there either, put a drop of tea tree oil in warm water as a quick rinse twice a day (this gives relief), never wash with soap down there (only water), have tried vaseline and several remedies for eczema and psoriasis but anything too oily or designed for dry skin seems to make it worse (even if skin does fee l drier there when it's itchy).
It usually flares up around my period (I am 44) and around ovulation, then settles a bit for the rest of my cycle. Chlorine flares it up too, so can't swim in pools any more. I am a few kgs overweight, so am trying to do something about that too.
Hasn't done wonders for my sex life, as it is often worst around the times I would feel like it. Am desperate to return to normal.
In April 2014, it disappeared completely and I had a totally itch free month. I was away in France for easter and thats when it started to go away. I was eating your typical holiday diet away in france - so all the sorts of things that normally make it worse like brioche every day and lots of cheese and red wine - but it disappeared. That has never happened since. Once back in UK, it slowly returned.
Currently having acupuncture as I tend to keep damp on board and retain water quite a lot at various points in my cycle. Currently typing this whilst sipping dandelion tea as I've heard it can be very useful in expelling excess fluid. I'll try anything.

I so want to setback to normal but nothing I do seems to help.
Oh, last time I had a smear test, I was told I had candidiasis, yet all anti candida stuff hasn't helped either, including eliminating all foods that can flare candida up for a month.
Sorry if this is very long - I didn't want to miss anything out. I am very tired from itching most nights at some point and would just love to get back to normal. Thank you.

As you've tested positive for candida I would personally go all out on that. I know you say you have, but I found that it was very difficult to get rid of, and the usual methods did not work. I had to keep going for ages before I managed to get rid of it, trying different things.

Have you tried live yoghurt on the itch?

On a different tack, my nephew had appalling eczema covering literally his body. My sister spent ages every day covering him in cream. The GP said it was the worst case she had ever seen and he would be on steroids for the rest of his childhood.

My sister took him to her trusted alternative practitioner, not particularly hopeful that anything could be done, who established that it was caused by sensitivity to a fungus in his gut. She prescribed stuff to kill the fungus and normalise his gut flora. It all, every single bit of it, disappeared. If I hadn't seen it for myself I wouldn't have believed it possible.

So could be candida and/or there may be other funguses lurking, could be eczema or a combination of the two.

If you'd like the practitioner's name I can PM you. She's in London.

Hi I feel compelled to reply as I have had very similar itch and discovered the cause. I appreciate my cause may not be the same as yours but I discovered I was allergic to bleached toilet roll and sanitary products. I switched to Eco leaf toilet roll and natracare sanitary products and the problem ( just as you describe) was gone within a week. Worth a try?

Thank you Minmooch.

I have been with endocrinologist. Had all sorts of tests but they cannot find a reason but I myself feel it is definitely hormonal.

I will certainly take a look at EPO as it would most likely help,with other symptoms,as well.,

Good advice Bichonsrock.very helpful.

Giving up dairy ended my sons skin problems

I was going to say the same as Bichonsrock .....I am allergic to sanitary towels, tampons and toilet paper, and facial tissues/kitchen roll if I use them on my eyes.

I've switched to a mooncup (I know this isn't for everyone) and cloth sanitary towels. I can only use Cushelle or Tesco Soft toilet paper and Kleenex tissues without getting a rash and cracked, sore and swollen skin.

I always carry tissues with me now because if I use really cheap public toilet paper, then I get an almost instant reaction that takes a few days to settle down.

I had similar difficulties below decks. Dreadful - waking myself up scratching, drawing blood, being literally unable to stop scratching once I'd started, and the snake scales too. I consulted a medical herbalist who suggested I try kefir, a fermented goats milk thing which is much nicer than it sounds (just yogurt really but a particular strain). The MH subscribes to the view that psoriasis/eczema etc begin in the gut and that kefir is an efficient way to repopulate the bacterial fauna. So I got a little sachet of kefir culture online and some goats milk and started making and drinking it, working up to half s litre a day and when I had too much (the grains grow and you can culture more milk) I would put the extra into a bath along with a sock filled with oatmeal under the tap and it was very soothing. I'm not saying it's a miracle cure or anything but my skin is fine now and improvement was visible within eight days. Might be worth a go.

Thank you iamcurious and bichon - I will definitely give that a try.

Acupuncture worked very well - had 4 sessions over a month and itch almost gone. Then acupuncturist had a death in the family, so I haven't had a session for over a month now - itch has returned, albeit not as badly.

Definitely also affected by my 'internal damp' and 'cold'. he did moxibustion with the acupuncture, to 'warm' me and it was lovely. More energised and well than I'd felt in months. This damp, cold rainy weather for seemingly weeks on end, doesn't help....

I have the itch problem, and also increased discharge (but normal discharge, not thrush type, just lots of it!). I've had 3 operations since July and more antibiotics than you can shake a stick at, so initially I just assumed it was thrush and treated myself for that. Didn't help, so Dr prescribed steroid cream. Also didn't help, only thing that helped was taking anti-histimines.

Booked in to have some swabs taken over the Christmas period, as itch was driving me crazy, and it came back that I had a staph infection, so was prescribed antibiotics for that. Just finished them but unfortunately still itching. Arghhhhhhh.

Update: tested negative for candida at last smear. Haven't had any treatment except a few sessions of acupuncture to tackle damp and general lack of energy. It seems to be working. I now only have itch when I ovulate and first day of period, but not very badly. Very little or nothing at night. I'm not using any creams for weeks now. No itch during the day as a whole. I am soon relieved. Not promising anything, but try acupuncture maybe - nothing else ever worked for me this well.
iamcurious have you kept up with the kefir drink and baths, out of interest, did the itch ever come back if you stopped the kefir? I wish i could try that, but I generally steer clear of dairy in larger doses, as it clogs me up, especially in winter.
ilovefluffysheep you have my deepest sympathises too. I haven't taken antibiotics in years, as whenever I did in the past (rarely) it tended to bring on a thrush attack. Maybe try something new - acupuncture? Kefir? It's worth it, just to say you've tried that too, if nothing else

To Beebar, if you happen to see this thread,

My DD (4) suffers from all the RSS symptoms every time we stop the steroid (Cutivate, on the top end of the potency spectrum). I have looked at itsan.org and some more stuff from around the Internet which all confirm to me that it is RSS/TSW.

If I may, can I ask how you got the GP to listen to you about this and what (if any) they did to help. And any other resources (UK based) that you found useful.
Thank you very much