About a year ago, I noticed that I'd started to be itchy. Consistently itchy, mostly around my torso. When I saw my doctor, I asked about it and she diagnosed eczema and gave me a prescription for cortisone.
Now, to be fair, I have a whack of allergies (environmental, food, chemical, etc.) and I had some wicked eczema as a kid. I have one toenail that still grows in two pieces, after damage to the nail bed from eczema. But I was still a bit surprised, because there are no signs - no redness, swelling, rash, cracking - nothing!
So, I filled the prescription, smeared it on faithfully for a while and it tapered off. I spent the summer having the odd flare up of itchiness, usually on my feet, but nothing too consistent. Then about two months ago it started up again. All over my body. Literally from my scalp to my toes. Constant, nagging itchiness that would get to the point that I was almost in tears. I find myself mindless scratching and I don't notice until I've raised welts.
I am NOT going to marinate in cortisone. I've changed my laundry detergent, my shampoo and conditioner, my soap, my deodorant and I made Stuart run a late night trip to the grocery store for oatmeal for a bath. I really don't like colloidal cleansers, but today I broke down and bought some Aveeno. I'm going to try just drowning myself in moisture for a while and see if that helps.
I've been taking one of the newer antihistamines all along and it doesn't seem to be of any help. The other thing to try is one of the older antihistamines, but I'm afraid it would work. Sadly, they also tend to shut down any kind of higher brain function, which isn't a great long term answer.
The thing that I can't stop thinking about is the fact that I don't have any physical sign of eczema/dermatitis. Nothing. Which makes me wonder if the itchies are just a symptom of something else? But what?
1 comment:
Sorry to hear that you are suffering like this. I hope someone can find an answer.
Years ago, I had small red lesions on my skin (I still have a few, but nothing like then). I went to see "the guy who wrote the book," literally. He didn't know what they were. That's when I started to wonder if dermatology was a bit like voodoo but less reliable.
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