I itch so bad I want to peel my skin off!!!

junimead
  • By junimead · October 26, 2010 at 8:36 pm · 40 replies
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So I'm not sure if this is stress (I had a death in the family a couple of days ago and am stressed over that among other things) or if this is medication related or health related and I'm frankly embarrassed to call the dr. But for about the last 24 hours I have all over body itch. There is no rash, and the only "lesions" if you can call them that are from me scratching. I would love to hear if anyone else has ever had this as a reaction to stress, I can't remember ever having this before. For medication, I take toprol xl 50 mg 2x a day, lisinopril 5 mg 1x a day, aspirin 325 mg 1x a day, and pepcid 40 mg 1x a day and ultram as needed (I rarely take it because it makes me so nauseated) none of these are new meds and there's been no change in my diet, water or soap. No change in laundry detergents or anything either. All I know is this is driving me nuts and I don't want to bother my dr who treats me like a hypochondriac anyway. Any ideas out there? Thanks everyone!

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brebre

http://www.medications.com/se/lisinopril/severe-itching

Check out this site.

bre

martzj

Hi juni,

This meant acute hives in my case....from prolongued extreme stress post heart attack. It went 2 years without being recognized by a doctor.

I hope you find some relief soon. I'm able to quell that maddening itchy skin crawling sensation w Xanax as needed.

take care,
Jaynie

missingabeat (Inactive)
  • By missingabeat (Inactive)
  • Reply 350661
  • October 26, 2010 at 9:50 pm
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Hi,

I agree with Jaynie. Sounds like hives, even though there's no rash. That may develope later, or not.
If it continues for much longer, I'd suggest seeing a
dermatologist. Good luck

Blessings,

Cherrise

goingstrong

If your meds are generic, it could be a new provider of them to YOUR pharmacy. that could mean new ingredients or fillers. Ask your pharmacist to see if they are using a new vendor.

Suzytwonewknees

Hey Juni

I get this too. Drives me nuts too. No reason. Just sudden itches. And doesn't go away no matter how much you scratch. I have scratched until I'm raw. Just thought it was nerves. Or part of the Fibromyalgia??? Seems to come for a few months, and then go away for a while. The only disease I have read that this can be associated with is MS, but my doctor laughed when I asked about this, and said I certainly don't have MS. So I just deal with it, Sometimes Aloe cream helps a little. So you are not going nuts. Just another fun thing to deal with.

Johnwen

Try a low dose OTC Anti-Histimine.
Diphenhydramine hydrochloride aka: Benadryl
Is probably the most effective for itch relief.
Some people it makes sleepy, it' the active ingredient in most OTC Sleep aides. So it would be wise to try it when you don't have to drive or be active.
Hope this helps!

Leaj

It could mean your liver is not behaving, some medications cause liver enzymes to go up and that can cause itching sometimes so bad that you scratch your self till you bleed.

Bloomy

I also have this problem. I like vaseline or coconut oil to help sooth it. Mine is definitely part of my fibromyalgia.

junimead

Thanks everyone! I have been taking benadryl, but it's not helping the itch so much as it is making me sleepy and taking more naps. I am going to go ahead and call the Dr today even though he'll probably tell me it's nothing, lol. I'm glad I'm not the only one that ever has this, I just wonder what my trigger was and why it hasn't happened before. Thanks again to everyone ((((hugs))))
Juni

VTway

Juni-
First, I am sorry for the loss of your loved one. My first suggestion would be the old standards as taking a soak in a bath with epsom salts. The bath alone may help.
This could possibly be a reaction from the death in your family, most especially if it was someone very close to you, or someone you have wished you were closer to.
When I lost my mom and dad, both suddenly and unexpectedly I had all kinds of odd symptoms. Of course I was in a daze and in shock for quite some time. My primary care doctor gave me a low dose of valium (probably not much different than xanax) that helped me make it over the hump of dealing with their deaths.
If nothing else, your doctor may be able to give you some sort of cream that would help the itching. I wouldn't hesitate to call the doctor and let him know what you are currently dealing with and see if he can help you - that is what they should be there for.
Hope things work out for you.
VTway

Reruho

Juni
I hope you called your doctor because itching is a sign of a possible allergic reaction. It is better to be on the safe side. I am not crazy about mixing medications, so I would not advise you to take Benedryl, even though that is a pretty standard treatment. I would worry about it masking the reaction.
If it is stress related your doctor can give you some valium to help with the stress.

I will say that I had something similar happen. A day or two after my brother-in-law died, the skin on my forehead peeled off. I was about an inch above the hairline and 2 inches below. It looked like a bad sunburn. No one could explain it. It took about 3 weeks for the redness to go away.

If you have scratched your skin raw, I would recommend an oatmeal bath. Take a cup of oatmeal and whiz it in a food processor or blender. You can buy it too at the drug store, but why if you already have it at the house. The oatmeal will help with the itching and won't sting like the epsom salts will. Your tub will look nasty after wards but it all rinses away. Yes, be sure to rinse out the tub because the oatmeal will turn rock hard.
Reta

Otter

My best guess is hives. Which I got from taking Plavix. My doc guessed either lisinopril or plavix as the cause. I stopped the plavix and the hives gradually went away. In his experience many folk respond to lisinopril with hives. An allergic reaction. Hope it goes away for you soon, as it is not a fun experience.

Desianne (Inactive)
  • By Desianne (Inactive)
  • Reply 363710
  • November 24, 2010 at 4:11 am
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Hi junimead, I've had a nervous itch (I've been tested for everything under the sun) for about 35 years now, no exaggeration. NOTHING works on it. I get welts that used to last up to about 48 hours and I always have bruises from scratching. My itch is called angioneuroticedema (catch the "neurotic"). It is everywhere I have skin, honest! I have ZERO allergies. I've had trouble with severe anxiety all my life, which I inherited from my biological father whom I never even met. THIS is what helps - getting my mind off it. When I first developed it, I obsessed over it and that of course made it worse. Once I accepted it and stopped focusing on it the itch, though it didn't go away, lessened. I honestly just don't care about it any more. Whenever I think of it, like now, I'll feel it but I just go on and do something else. When my sister was dying about 3 years ago, the itch became very intense. I hate the scratching, but I refused to focus on it. It makes a huge difference. Even before my beloved sister died, the itch had calmed down quite a bit. I wish it were an allergy because I'd be able to find a medicine to take it away. My attitude is one of acceptance, and that has made all the difference. I've met several others with this; it's not that common though. I hope in your case it's something a medicine or lotion can help at least alleviate it. I realize I could have a lot worse things than this (I'm 65 years old). By the way, I have one grown son who doesn't have it, thank God. I'm itching now because I'm paying attention to it but I'll get surfing the 'net and focus on something else. I'm very sorry you have this; but don't give up, it just might be different from mine in that yours might have a physical cause. I wish you the best of luck, but I can tell you this - if it is indeed anxiety, you can still live a perfectly happy and productive life if you DON'T focus on it. I'm laughing a bit here because I'm scratching which means I have to move onto something else. I'll come back and check on you. Chin up!

redmysticangel (Inactive)
  • By redmysticangel (Inactive)
  • Reply 363722
  • November 24, 2010 at 6:33 am
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The only severe itching I have is the rash on my legs from my edema. It comes and goes with the itching but the weeping rash is always there.
I finally looked on a website with a slide show of different skin conditions and found out its a specific kind dermititis caused by bad circulation in the legs.
The recommended treatment is 1% hydrocortisone cream twice a day and it has worked wonders on mine!
However, you can't use the cream AND benadryl at the same time because they both contain antihistimine.
Sounds like yours is nerve related to me but with the lisinopril being one of your medications you should definately check with your doctor. Could be the stress just brought out that part of your reaction to the drug too...

I'm very sorry for your loss & you have my deepest sympathy.

Gentle Hugs
Deb

ckgoduto

I have experienced what you are going through since July. Back then I thought it was mosquito bites. With all the hype about bed bugs this past year I thought it was bedbugs. I steamed and cleaned my house. I've gone to 4 different doctors. Two were internists, 1 allergist and 1 dermatologist. One of these docs even took a biopsy of one of my hives which turned out it is an actual hive nothing else.

I have topical creme to stop the itching and also take something by mouth at bedtime along with 1 mg xanax. I take zrytec every morning. I also wash in Dove as the doctor ordered. I have stress in my life always. My husband was in the mental ward again for the ompteenth time. The doctor said it is NOT caused by stress it is not related, nor is it anything you are eating. This allergist said he couldn't even do an allergy test to determine the cause. Just let itself work its' way out.

If you find a cause or cure for the "hives", please let me know. I never know when one will burst out on my arm, leg, face, belly, shoulders, legs or arms. I always have new ones every day and the old ones dissappear.

I also have lymphedema arm from having my lymph nodes out during my breast cancer. Since I've been itching and scratching the itches, my arm has swollen and the doctor gave me a script for a new arm sleeve. I can't afford to get an infection in that arm or I will be in the hospital with a strep or staph infection.
Even when I wear the sleeve, I get hives underneath it.

CSIII

junimead
Sorry to hear about your itching. I have had my legs itch so badly that I would scratch until they would start bleeding. The thing that stopped that for me was a second Singulair, one in the morning and the second in the evening. I've had minor itching off and on since, but nothing that would drive me nuts. I hope you are able to find relief soon.
My best to all
Dale

nikky

Junimed
Have u been exposed to mold? I have an auto immune disease that sparked a horrible reaction to mold exposure...looked like bites and itches like crazy! Once removed from the mold the itching and bumps were gone. I feel for u! Miserable

crfranki

First advice....if your doctor thinks you are a hypochondriac.....CHANGE DOCTORS...he apparently does not want to treat people who have ailments...he wants to only treat people who don't need a doctor....Second...for your Fibro...are you taking a STATIN???? I quit about a year and a half ago...lmmediately, no more pain!!!! Then six months later my doctor gave me Savella for Fibro...which I no longer had...The idiot almost killed me. Savella side effects....horrible, horrible!!! sorry if this doesn't make sense...but I think you said you had Fibro...try stopping the Statins for a few weeks. See what happens.... with the pain...

spacemonkey36 (Inactive)
  • By spacemonkey36 (Inactive)
  • Reply 364770
  • November 27, 2010 at 9:30 am
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This is so weird to read this-I just figured I was having a reaction to yet another soap or something. I mean, there's the possibility of meds, but the itching on my back, hands, and arms, has been intense for about a month.

But what do you say to make an doctor appointment.

Why are you coming in?

Because I itch.

So (don't) scratch it.

Then they give you contradictory advice, or a referral-and you wait longer for more contradictory advice. Or something expensive that the insurance doesn't cover, if I ended up going to a dermatologist. But knowing doctors, they'd look at my list of meds and say to stop taking all of them, and I'd be fine.

In pain and crazier than hell, but at least I wouldn't itch?

Hmmm. Think I'll take Reta's advice-cuz the oatmeal baths work-and I just buy the stuff at Costco these days... I have 1 cup FOR breakfast, and 1 cup AFTER breakfast, LOL, but it's true.

Good Luck & God Bless,
JJ

catpurr
  • By catpurr
  • Reply 365238 · In reply to 364358 by CSIII
  • November 28, 2010 at 10:14 am
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Gosh, Dale, You and I have sooo much in common! I have had itchy legs(shins) for so long too. I have actually scratched til I bleed. Gastro-Anaphylaxis too! You and I are the only "Masto-ers" that have so many symptoms alike(that I know of). My Dr. wont give Singulair 2x a day for me. I suggested it bc I read that u do. Thought it might help, but he said "no" its only to be used 1x a day (?). Im so frustrated, bc lately I have been Flairing alot! Trying to decide what to do about my job(Self/employed Hairstylist, 26 yrs.) It seems that I have become de-sensitized to everything I have always been exposed to. I even had a horrible reaction after being outside for a couple of hours working on grapevine wreaths. My forearms break-out in a bright red, raised rash and I feel like my lungs dont have enough room to expand. Every muscle in my body hurts and my skin feels sore(like a sunburn w/out the redness.?) Its like I need to Detox, bc when I do nothing for a few days, I feel better,so therefore I work more, bc Im working more I start flairing again! Its just so hard! I get really down, bc I have always worked so hard, and have a passion for what I do. Im not a quitter. I feel like Im giving up or giving in. My family all tells me that Im in denial. Any advice? I feel so desperate. I keep hoping and praying that a cure will be found for this horrible, chaotic disease or that the next time I go to the Dr. ,he will say;"we made a mistake, you dont have it". Wishful thinking....or....Denial. :(( I hope this post finds you well!

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