Awful Itching

[Ladykay]

I have had the dreaded P for two years now .

Have tried more meds then I can remember , salve's , UV treatment's , all to no avail.

I keep hoping for a cure or something that will tone it down some.

The itching is what takes me to the edge ,
I cannot stop from tearing myself to shreds ,
needless to say what that's like.

I've tried every OTC itch creme, everything from the Dr., including with hydrocortisone.
anything someone suggests and nothing helped,
In a fit one night in the bathroom I used some Vagisil feminine hygene creme that happened to be there , WALLA ! , it stopped itching .Repeat...It STOPPED ITCHING !

It does have Benzocaine in it ,which probably is the ingredient that works , I'm not a doctor and perhaps you should ask your
pcp if it's safe for you ?

Nothing is worse than that itching.

[PTener]

Hello,

Itching can drive me whacko. The best overall relief I have found for the body is oatmeal baths. Aveeno has oatmeal bath packets, or you can make your own. I had tried all the cremes and lotions, including
Vagisil. The oatmeal baths are more soothing, and I think helped heal, as they help moisturize.

Mix one cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup powdered milk in a blender/processor and pulverize. Dribble in 2 TBSP apricot kernal oil. Place in a loosely woven cloth pouch and put in tub as it fills.

I hope this works for you as it is inexpensive and does not harm in any way.

Peggy

[PFR226]

Hi!
I too have used the Aveeno with good success. This spring my itchy arms were the worst. I filled the sink with warm water, sprinkled in the Aveeno and used a facecloth to bath my arms. After about 5 minutes I was feeling much better. Hope it works for you too.

[mama]

Well-----In a recent fit of itching that almost tore the skin off my forearms I grabbed a tube of Rhuli Gel. What relief! It's got menthol in it so if that bothers your skin I would suggest not using it. Unfortunately Aveeno doesn't help me too much. Now, Vagisil-----that's interesting! And I definitely wouldn't rule out anything. My philosophy is whatever works!!

[beachbound]

I use aveeno lotion as soon as I get out of the shower in morning and apply it again at night. When really nuts, I have used their oatmeal baths and they are super.
For the fasted (and cheapest) relief, I use ice cubes. Just seems to numb it.
Sue

[kellyr]

Hello,
I'm another big fan of Aveeno Oatmeal bath treatments (there are two kinds. I prefer the intense bath treatment). I also add Neutrogena sesame bath oil to the mix. My skin is soothed and soft for hours!

-Kelly

[cereal]

Hi, sometimes I don't know which is worse the itching, the crust, it's all awful... I'm classified as having severe plaque p. Instead of saying where do I have it, it's where don't I have it. My doctor prescribed doxipin for the itching. It does work for me. I take 20 mgs 3 times a day. I'm wondering if benydril would work? If anyone has tried that let us know if that helped the itching.

[sanky]

Hi, I too have suffered with intense itching!
I also like the Aveeno Oatmeal baths. The best moisturizer I found is Cetaphil, in the tub - at my worst I would go through one to two tubs a week. I used benedryl, pills not cream, which helped for a while - then I got a percription from my doctor for Atarax. It really helped though it made me drowsy. Hope this helps!
Hilary

[shawgirl]

For my "severe" itching, my doc prescribed Atarax. It works to a point but does not take it away completely. However, it makes me drowsy and I usually fall asleep in "mid-scratch," waking up from my nap not itching as much.
Gloria

[natrouse]

My mother always put me in a bath tub with oats when I was a kid and today with p I find myself back in the bath with oats to sooth the itch. Cetaphil works best for me also to help from dying out.

[debber_1]

I have tried so many products for itching and none seem to help very much!

[PJ Leary]

Hi Ladykay,

First, welcome to the board! There are many nice and helpful folks who post here.:cool:

Intense itch is difficult to really describe to someone who has not had the experience. I find it excruciating.:eek:

While I also like Aveeno bath products, I can also recommend a product called Balentar. It is otc, but you might need to ask the pharmacy to order it. When ordering, check for price & size, it is a bit expensive, though you only need a couple of caps full per bath. Balentar is a tar product, so the tub needs to be cleaned directly after use to prevent possible staining.

As far as the atarax is concerned, I have a tip for you all. It generally will only make you drowsy for the first 48 hours of continual use. My fab derm says that one can use as much as 200 mg daily, and that it works best when taken continually.

After the first 48 to 72 hours, it won't make you drowsy any longer as long as you continue to use it regularly.

Good luck at finding some relief!

[tvcats]

I've tried Claritin & Allegra -- to no avail. I can't take Benadryl, so don't know if it would work or not. I find that warm baths with rich moisturizers in them help for awhile -- sometimes long enough for me to get some rest anyway.
I have also tried the Eucerin itch-relief spray. It works fairly well for me when I can't get to the tub to soak. But I found it expensive.
Mostly I just try to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Did I say moisturize? ;)
As a newbie to p -- I am still learning. So I don't have a lot of experience. But I've found a lot of great tips here. I will have to remember the Vagisil.

[ARL]

Did any of you try drinking the dandelion tea? So far since i started drinking it,,the itching eased up so much,,,try it,but i also have been moisturizing,,with a combination of creams & oils,big time................arl

I've just lost my first day of work as a direct result of my psoriasis. I spent the entire night itching, crying & bleeding. I tried benedryl, it didn't work. Don't bother with it. I'm ready to try a little pillow therapy. That would be asking my husband to put a pillow over my head until I stop breathing. I am a new comer. This is my first message/reply - whatever. I'm finding it so helpful & comforting just reviewing everything in this forum. I'm on my way to the store to pick up a script for itching (haven't a clue what has been called in). And while I'm there I'm going to fill my basket with a sample of every remedy I've read here this evening. I work in an operating room. I truly need to sleep! :(

[coachG]

Hi ladykay and einna...........welcome to the board!!!There are plenty of us "itching" people around here, so you should get some great advice.:)

I have also been prescribed atarax for itching, but since I don't take it everyday, it makes me drowsy. Besides that I end up taking it when I begin itching and then I have to wait for it to "kick" in, by then I have scratched myself to blood!!. When I want instant relief, I grab the bags of ice, or a bag of frozen peas, and within a few seconds I'm ok.

I hope you find what you are looking for out of this site and please come back and post......Welcome again!!:) Best of luck to both of you.

Pamela...thanks for your encouragement. I would need about 12 dozen bags of ice. The only place I am not affected at this point is my hands. How does one stick an ice cube one's ear? As you can probably tell, I tend to use humor to express my agony. Once again, thanks for our support. Seriously, there isn't any where I'm not itching at this point and soaking all night isn't feasible. I need to be alert and am hesitant to take the oral meds. I'm so relieved that there are others out there to listen. Are their any meds that don't make your drowsey, yet stop the itching?

[LottieBay]

Have you looked at the thread about Dandelion Root Tea? There are several people who are drinking it and are getting relief from their itching. I just started it last night, so I have no testemonial, But it can't hurt!
I do have a hint for inside your ears, though. If you can get some lidacaine gel (like dentists use before they inject novacaine) use a q-tip to apply it inside your ear. It will give you temporary relief. If your Dr. won't prescribe it, then ora-gel is the next best thing. It's just not quite as strong. Or lanacaine will work.
just some Ideas..better than pillow trerapy :p

Margaret

[makeitgoaway]

I use the Atarax (10-20mg.) only at night for the itching because of the drowsiness and also because I don't want to become dependent on it, if that is even possible. During the day, the two best lotions that I have found are Neutrogena anti-itch lotion and wallgreens aloe vera with lidocane. It's the blue stuff that regular people would use after being in the sun in the summer. The lidocane acts as a numbing agent. It works very quickly.

Hope this helps!