intense itching

[orangetriangle]

Hi does anyone else going through the menopause suffer from intense itching
it's driving me mad it can be on my wrists ankles feet and hands including palms of my hands. I have been put on HRT which is tablets and gel tablets 2 weeks out of 4
My last period was just over a year ago and I am 56. The HRT has helped with the almost constant hot flushes ro a point
I have got vaseline handcream and body lotion which helps to a point
hydrocortisone cream seems to make it worse
sometimes my skin is red raw and my legs can itching so much it actually bruises them.
to top it all I am also diabetic so I need to be careful it doesn't become infected
It seems worse at night does anyone else experience this or have any advice other than stop scratching! I only wish I could

to be honest I think I need to make a note of when the itching is at its worse
I bought some of the antihistamine that was recommended up thread today to see if that makes a difference today is the first day of the two week progesterone tablets so I think I need to note down when through the month the itching is at its worse

Itching can also be a symptom of anaemia so might be worth bearing that in mind.

It's called formication and it's caused by lack of oestrogen. How long have you been using the gel? You may need to increase it.
Re the progesterone, if you haven't had a period for a year you are post menopausal and can take them daily without a break.

thanks been using the gel for about six months I am unsure if I had a proper period in Sept or not but it was a very small bleed so not sure i have fibroid as well that I am waiting to see a gynaecologist for its a long wait!!

Two pumps is quite low. I was on seven when I switched to patches as gel wasn't absorbing.

I didn't get on too well with patches they kept falling off etc

Hi. I have insanely itchy feet and ankles these days, especially in the evening, but I've had eczema all my life so I assumed that made me more prone to it. My ankles and shins are really beaten up - broken skin, bruises etc. I'm sort of used to it having had eczema for so long. i've developed tichy eyes recently which I could really do without but I'm expecting it's a phase that will pass.

Have you had a liver function check ?

I’m going through this right now , it’s awful. Did you find anything that helped x

Like what for example, interested because my lower legs itched at only really at night for a good while, ended up with scars all over them. Got booked in with Healthcare assistant who said oh, looks like scabies 🙄🤦‍♀️
GP saw me, after things had died down, said no i don’t agree it was that. So never found out. Then I read after finding out I have slight fatty liver, that this I think I read, can happen with that.

i came on just to ask this, I don’t know if it’s menopause but I’ve certainly got some hormone thing going on and one thing is itching, at times it feels like I’ve got things running all over me it’s awful
hope you get a solution

I found taking a daily anti hestimine helps

Jesus I’m suffering from this too. Fexofenadine has no effect. Doctor prescribed cetirazine which also has not helped. It’s all over my body especially my arms and upper back and chest. Hydrocortisone cream is helping a little. I have blood test on Monday. It’s brining me to tears it’s so debilitating

I feel your pain, as I’ve also had this. It was awful. For me, it was my hands and my face - really itchy and red - I couldn’t sleep for itching. I read up on things (when I couldn’t sleep!) and for me it seemed to be some kind of histamine intolerance. I took some histamine binding stuff (charcoal based I think) to lower my levels, cut out high histamine foods and ate as low histamine as I could and took antihistamines and eventually calmed it. It’s really tedious though… I appreciate it might not be this for others, but there’s an article here which I found interesting. https://balance-menopause.com/uploads/2021/09/Histamine-Intolerance-1.pdf

I know it sounds a bit Goop and woo hoo, but I was desperate and it helped so sharing in case it helps anyone else.

Me too with the ears! And my poor mother was the same RIP, I recall she constantly complained of her itchy ears

I clicked on this because this is happening to me. I don’t know if I’m menopausal as I’m 44 and on the pill but I do not know why it’s happening. I was starting to worry it was MS or something.

Itching is one of my biggest meno symptoms. I use anti histamine alongside my 4 pumps of oestrogel and 1 utrogetsan daily. I find as the pump nears its end my symptoms return. I also use soolantra for my itchy facial skin and eyelids. rosacea arrived along with peri.

my theory is demodex increase plus body temp rising . I have also read some dull nerve ending science stuff.

I feel your pain xx

I found taking a daily anti hestimine helps

@orangetrianglemake a note of your symptoms in comparison to your tablet/gel regimen. It’s taken me a while but I’m am convinced for me it’s the progesterone. I’ve recently stopped my 4th iteration or HRT as my eczema flares up so badly it’s debilitating. Hopefully I’ll find a variation that works next time 🤞

thanks they won't up my prostegene any more as I have fibroids and it apparently feeds them and makes than bigger they are looking in to doing a hysterectomy i am also on two pumps of the oestrogen at night which I think does help with the hot flushes there doesn't seem to be quite so many at night still enough though. can't wait for it all to end
At night my feet are burning sometimes as is my back I just drift off them boom major hot flush and im awake