WHY AM I CONSTANTLY ITCHY?

[cbquestion]

Please help because this is making me utterly miserable.

I'm always quite an itchy person. I get itchy hands and feet and arms a lot anyway. I also have unidentified urticaria, for which I take a daily antihistamine and have an epi pen.

But for the last week I have been itching all over from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. Arms, neck, back, torso, breasts, legs, hands. I'm like a flea ridden disgusting walking itch.

Scalp and face seem to be exempt. Everywhere else is fair game to the blasted itch.

Any suggestions?! Please 😩

Bumping

I have absolutely no idea but I feel your pain. For some reason it has been an itchy summer. I'd love it it someone had a tried and tested solution. I'm considering Eurax lotion like I used when DC had chickenpox

Watching with interest. I've always had itchy skin (eczema) and always seem to have a patch that plagues. But the past few months has been terrible. I've scratched myself until it's bled sometimes and never in the same place. I've checked all the obvious things-washing powder/shower gel etc.

I have thought of going to the doctors but I'm worried they'll just think I'm time wasting..

I'm suffering in exactly the same way at the moment. I've been to the GP because I have sciatica type symptoms along side if and have had tests to rule other things out so I've been told thats it's stress - it's been a horrendous year.
I'm currently smothering myself in lanacane which does seem to provide a little relief in the worst areas but if you haven't been to the doctor you should go and get checked out

Dry skin can make you itchy. Maybe try moisturising a couple of times a day and see if that helps after a few days?

Have you had any blood tests OP?

I get this. Sometimes it is dormant for a few weeks, then it starts on my scalp, on my shins, around my breast, groin and in my eyeballs!

I take this. I get it on prescription. It's the only thing that works. Sometimes just a normal antihistamine will do, but if it builds this is the only thing that will keep it at bay.

About 6 months ago I was taking it every day but now maybe once a fortnight?

I have also used Eurax for a temporary relief which does work for me.

I hope you find something OP, it's unbearable.

Whoops totally outed myself there. Oh well.

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It might be whatever body soap you use. My DH is allergic to sodium Laurel sulfates (SLS) and most fragrances/perfumes. So he cannot use any body washes or deodorant bar soaps. He would itch head to toe if he used them. We buy him natural bar soaps like Suma or Norfolk Handmade soaps.

I’m sat here itching so watching with interest - we have recently changed soap so wonder if it’s that? No change of laundry powder or anything.

I also have urticaria and it’s not that this time - just itchy skin. Bizarre!

On a side note SLS is in now most toothpastes and it actually gave him mouth sores. So we have to use natural toothpaste with fluoride...only brand I could find that he didn’t react to was ecodent.

@PhannyMcNee
Yes, and this can happen even if you don’t change soap because companies will change their ingredients every so often so that a soap that was once ok becomes not ok.

Have you had tests to rule out liver function issues? That could be worthwhile as raging itching can be related. Otherwise, in terms of symptom relief: cool packs are surprisingly effective.

You aren't menopausal are you? It can sometimes be a symptom as skin gets drier

Also avoid soaps with “sodium hydroxide”. This is lye and tons of people react to it with red itchy skin. Popular brands that market themselves as natural but are not really natural use this ingredient a lot. Lush is one.

Is it pollens on your skin? Do you have pollen allergy, I know you say your on antihistamines already. Bare skin uncovered during the summer could be being aggrevated by sticky pollens sticking on you. Do you shower off at the end of each day? My dd has all differing pollen allergies (amongst other things has epipens for peanut allergy too). Another thing if you do suffer the pollen issues is to dry your clothes and towels inside or tumble dry to avoid the allergens. With my dd, we have often wondered about low iron causing the annoying itch, so shes currently on an a-z vitamin. Do you get eczema? Thinking of contact allergies, dd found she reacts to certain preservatives in cosmetic toiletries by patch testing. Very interesting. Dustmite allergy? Food reaction? Dd has all these so any questions feel free to ask.

I don't want to frighten you but have you considered diabetes?

Several years ago I tried a new (to me) brand of 2 minute type noodles when my DC were ill and I was trapped in the house, so I KNEW this was the only new thing g I had come across. Around 30 hours later I came out in a mild all over body hive which was really itchy.

I looked up the ingredients and there was an MSG variant that was allowed here but had been banned in Australia and US, and this was a known reaction.

So having experienced that, I'm wary of unknown additives in food now.

@PhannyMcNee I had this with bloody Fairy washing tabs. They changed the scent and made the labelling tiny so you couldn't see it.

OP, have you done a FODMAP exclusion diet? Worth trying, but only with a nutritionist to assist. I paid about £100 for that.

Right,

Massive sigh of relief that its not just me.

I was itching every where it was getting me down. Thought it was hives, stress etc. Went docs had all bloods taken, practically a pin cushion (checked for white bloods, liver, b12 as I'm veggie, hormones, etc) ... All came back normal and no action required.

Felt like a right time waster! Anyway they gave me some steroid tablets to take over 3days and fexofenadine which is a prescribed antihistamine, the histamine really helped.

Always see a doc in case though to double check.

It could be sweat trapped, prickly heat etc.

Low iron. Get some blood tests.

I'm going to try iron tablets and see if that helps - have been feeling very tired lately so could be related.

I do think I have a pollen allergy so I'll start to shower twice a day instead of just in the morning.

Probably worth me paying to get some allergy testing done - the allergy clinic weren't interested in identifying the cause of my urticaria, they've just put me on 180mg fexofenadine daily. It's not helping with the all over itch.

Not had blood tests but will consider whether to battle for a docs appt.

Always get itching checked out OP, it can be caused by liver problems.

This is a bit of a long shot, but do you use an inhaler for asthma/ copd? Last year was miserable for me with constant itching, despite taking antihistamines and avoiding SLS in washing priducts.

I cannot tell you how many pyjamas and sheet sets I threw away after bleeding all over them.

It turns out that I had developed an allergy to the inhaler I was using. Within days of changing my inhaler, the itching subsided. The resultant scabs (sorry, tmi I know) took about seven months to go.

I now use E45 bath oil in the shower and moisturiser and least twice a day.

I've had way too many health problems in my life, but it was this constant itching that really brought me to my knees.

You have My deepest sympathies and I hope you get it sorted soon