Itching All Over My Body! New Research! 5/15/12

I have to share my story with anyone who is suffering with this problem. I thought it was over, but I still suffer with this problem. The itching has returned slowly but surly. I have suffered with this for over a year and a half of my life and it is horrible!!! I scratch myself till I bleed. I found hope through doing some much needed research. I have tried everything on the market including precriptions from doctors and nothing has worked. I am still frustrated, but I have found some real answers.

I have no rash what-so-ever. These are the precriptions I have tried with no relief. I have been given 3 rounds of Prednisone 10 days at a time, Hydroxyzine 50 mgs(which makes me drowsy) every 6 hours, Claritin, Benadryl, Allegra, Desonide cream for my face and ears, Fluocinonide for my head, triamcinolon ointment for my body, Clobetasol cream for my private area, Cortaid, anti-itch spays and and psorisis shampoo and scalpicin (which caused my head to burn) and even treated myself for scabies and head lice. I have gone through shear hell and NO RELIEF what-so-ever!!!! I did find that Cortizone 10 works the best.

I went to quick care numerous times and was given the same precriptions over and over. I went to the emergency rooms. Twice I was given a shot of steroids but no relief except to knock me out. I went to see allergy doctors and was given a patch test and was told it was mulberry and green beans. I went to a Dermatoligst and they said my histomine level was extremly high after they wrote my name on my back with a dull object "which is part of the answer".....but the problem was still there. I thought it might be my animals because I have 3 cats and 2 dogs but it wasn't that either. I took a laxitve and cleaned myself out because I thought maybe it was from constipation. I even checked for bed bugs.

I also weaned myself off of any meds I was taking to see if they were the reason and they weren't. I stopped drinking coffee and milk and sugar and salt to see if they were causing it but still no relief.

I am still suffering with this problem but I'm not giving up. I was told there was nothing more they could do for me. I still went to another Dermotologist and there is where I got some relief.

I was given a precription for Doxepin and it helps! I take 25 mgs at bedtime and I don't feel drowsy the next day. I sleep well. You can take a much higher dose as your doctor will allow if needed. I am fine on 25 mgs which is the lowest dose. Although Doxepin is used to treat depression it is also precribed for itching by several allergists and dermatoligists.

If you are taking other medications for depression you need to check with your doctor for interactions because there are interactions. I also started taking Triple Omega 3 and that is also helping. It may raise your blood sugar if you are diabetic. If you are a bleeder, Omega 3 may thin your blood so check the website on Omega 3 before you start taking it. Also I found a good remedy if your ears are itching on the inside. Take a Q-tip and put a drop of mineral oil on it and drop it inside your ears.

If you are hesitant about taking medication for this then I would just try the Triple Omega 3. I'm not sure because I took all 3 together. If the Omega 3 works alone let me know. The brand of vitamin I use is Nature Made. You can find it at Walgreens. I also started dinking a suppliment called Elations.

There are several Urticaria conditions you may want to look into. I found one that has discribed my condition well. It is called Dermatographic Urticaria where heat (even from my own body) causes me to itch. My body stores too much heat. I use cold packs and cool air helps and also not wearing restricted clothing. The simple pressure of clothing can cause itching. Also I am allergic to my own sweat even while not excerting myself. Can you believe that? You may want to do some research on the various types of Urticaria. They mention a drug called Cimetidine for this skin condition. I am going to try it. Scalpicin burned my head and cortizone 10 cream has worked the best.

Also I keep thinking, what did I do differently when the itching began and one thing I did do differently was to use the public washers and dryers in the apartment complex I was and am still living in. I may be allergic to the soaps etc; that other people are using. Maybe they are using too much soap and then I use mine too. I never itched when I used my own washer and dryer. If this is true then I can see why I'm itching, because I wear the clothes and sleep in the bed clothing and lay my head on the pillow cases. The biggest culprit would be the towels if you think about it. Anything dense like a towel would soak up soap and when you take a shower, what do you emmediatly afterwards...dry off.

June 28/2011. More Research

I've always believed there is a cause for a problem. It just doesn't come out of no-where. The doctors just wanted to call it Ucardia and leave it at that but the suffering was unbearable so I have kept searching, and it finally paid off. I suffered with this for 2 years and 3 months of my life and it effected my lively-hood each and every-day. I never dreamed it could be 2 small houseplants I had had for that long, but it was. It was Knat's. They were eating me alive! I threw out my beautiful plants because my health and well being is more important. Since then I have killed 10 strays in 3 days that remained in my home. I'm sure I will find more. I use a spray bottle and drown them because their hard to catch. I actually had a dule with one to keep it from biting my face tonight. It came at me 3 or 4 times. I didn't realize they were so aggressive.

I FOUND THEIR NEST -REVISED 7/13/11

Then I found their nest/breeding ground. I kept looking because I kept seeing more. There was a ridge around my bathtub and I took my shower head and flushed it out and alot of black mildue came out and then I sprayed raid inside the ridge. I have not seen a Knat since. Knats love moist areas where there is a leak or someplace where moisture can build up. Spray all cracks to make sure you get them all and then close the door of the room so you or your pets don't inhale the bug spray. Wait a half hour and then ventalate the room. I put a fan in my bathroom and ran it for 2 hours to dry out all of the moisture.

They thrive on houseplants whether`they are overwatered or not, dirty dishes, cooking oil, spices, old cooking oil, bananas and other fruit, standing water, cat feces and humans. Yes they bite humans and will cause a major itch and the itch from one bite can radiate through your whole body. The itch can last for up to 3 days. It is crutial that you wash the area of the itch throughly with "soap" and water emmediatly after the knit bite and apply ointment. This will calm the itch in about 3 minutes.They can also burrow into your scalp if you have oily hair or you don't wash your hair that often. I keep my hair in a pony tail, so now I take my pony-tail out and throughly run my fingers around my scalp a shake them out. They have probably been making babys in my hair because my scalp was sore where I pulled my hair together. That's probably why the Scalpacin burned my head when i used it. They were probably laying eggs which caused my scalp to be very tender on top. Now I use baby powder to absorb the oils. In fact you can use baby powder on all the moist areas of your body because they like moist areas. I use a fan in my rooms to keep them off of me. That works too. I make sure I put the fan where it will radiate all around the room but not in my face. I put it on low and that seems to work well. And Always make sure to wipe your kitchen counters and soak your sponges with diluted bleach water or spray Clorox Cleanup after oil spills or splatters and pour the water thats left down your sinks. My itch is 98% gone. I'm sure the residual effects will subside. If you have read the other part of my hub you will see what I went through to get to the point where I am today. I feel so calm now and it feels good! When I had the problem, I felt so anxious and hopeless. Now I can look forward to tomorrow and feel the calm.

Revised 9-21-11 New revelations;

I still believe Knats are a contributor because I just killed one in my kitchen this evening. They try to burrow themselves in my hair so I brush my hair with quick strokes to get them out. When I wash my hair I make sure I scrub my scalp and rinse throughly. Now I have some new research to share with you. This may sound a little grose but if it helps someone the way it's helping me, then that's a good thing. As I look back on the last 3 years I've had to endure this I notice that the gases in my body weren't escaping so I've been taking Gas-x everyday after a meal. You can take 1-2 soft-gels a day. Also I am adding Fiber one bars to my diet. They are only 90 calories each. Both of these products work. The itching is subsiding. I believe the reason is because gas is being released from both parts of my body. If gas gets trapped it can cause problems. It doesn't hurt to try something, especially if it works! Good luck!

New Research 10/9/11 New Research;

Well, if I had done the procedure correctly I wouldn't have had to suffer with this for 3 and a half years. I had no idea that head lice required a 3 (three) step process. I only did one step, which was to shampoo with the lice shampoo and comb the nits out. Well little did I know there is a kit that contains all three items. The shampoo, the hair gel and the spray. Without the gel the process is useless. The gel makes for easy combing to remove the nits. Do not wash your hair for two days after the treatment. Just rinse out the product and dry hair as you normally do. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Repeat the entire treatment in 7-10 days. You can also have body lice as well. The lice shampoo is good for that as well. Do not put on eyebrows or eyelashes or inside vagina. Body lice hide in the seams of clothing. Animals do NOT carry lice. The only place lice can survive is on humans (the host). If you cannot wash all your worn cloths right away then Put ALL clothing that you have worn in plastic trash bags and secure for 2 weeks and then wash in HOT water and dry in HOT dryer. LIce will die if the host (humans) within 24 hours if the host is not present. Lice can cause health problems if left untreated. I was beginning to have kidney problems and bowel problems. My creatnine levels were rising and i was having an onset of amemia from the lice feeding on me for 3 and a half years! I am taking iron pills as suggested by my doctor. I still believe knats contributed to the problem because Knats feed on head lice.

NEW FINDINGS THAT SHOCKED ME!!! REVISED 10/14/11

My cat has Mange! Which is animal scabies. I noticed a bald patch in the center of her head with burrows in the skin/like tunnels. She also has a lot of dandruff which is also a sign of scabies. She has been sleeping with me everynight. She loves to sleep next to my head. The reason I have had this ongoing problem for over 3 years is because I never noticed it or had her treated. She will be seeing a vet tomorrow. I am giving her 2mgs of benadryl per pound to help with her discomfort. Shes not showing any signs but she has to be uncomfortable. You still need to follow all the safeguards as you would with head lice. Cats and dogs can pass this on to humans and other animals under close contact. There are special dips and medications and shots for animals and should be done under a physicians care.

More Research 10/21/11

Humidity levels in your home can cause major ploblems such as itching. If the humidity is too high it usually means there is a source causing it. Humidity levels over 50% indicates moisture arising from somewhere. It could be mold or mildue spores, dust mites, condensation from your air conditioner, water dripping (loose hose or connection under a sink or behind a washer and dryer or your fridge having condensation. These types of problems need to be addressed because any one of these can cause major health problems such as allergies, itching, breathing problems such as asma. My humidity level in my apartment is at 60% so I am going to speak to my manager about my discomfort. Hopefully they will send a mold inspector to see what the problem is. In the meantime I am airing out my place and putting fans next to potential wet spots to dry them out. Hopefully this doesn't blow more spores into the air. I also turned my heat on to dry out my place. It did help, but the problem came right back. My itching and snezzing has subsided today but we'll see what tomorrow brings. Whatever I find out I will share with you...my readers, in hopes that you may find something here that will help you. This is, as I'm sure you all well know, a very difficult and frustrating/time consuming thing to live with.

NEW FINDINGS 11/4/11. I AM SO SHOCKED!!!

I have a staph infection and so does my dog! How did I find out? I knew I felt like something was eating me alive and it was all over me from head to the tops of my feet. Everytime I itched I would pick these little specs off of my skin. I kept them in a medicine bottle. I knew there was something on me! Anyway, i went to see a new dermotoligist and I begged her to culture these things. The culture came back POSITIVE for staph infection on my skin. I was precribed Bactroban Nazel Mupirocin Calcium Ointment 2%. It's an ointment that goes inside the nose twice a day for 5 days. I was told to also do bleach baths using one quarter cup of bleach to my bath water 3 times a week for 6 weeks. My itching is truly gone!!!!!!!!! I have been itchFREEEEEEEEEE for 4 days!!!!! I am so HAPPY!!!!! Now I just discovered my dog has it too! Dogs can pass the staph to humans and humans can pass this to dogs as well. He has a crusty area by his tail and the hair is gone in the area too so I put some of the ointment I have on it (I did research first before I applied the ointment and it's ok)......but he still needs to go to the vet tomorrow and get on an antibiotic like Cephalexin or Erythromycin and his own ointment. Anyway, skin scraping is the way to go if you suspect this on you or your animals. Also I need to emphasize on this! If your child picks his or her nose (which is where the staph infection originates) it can enter the blood stream which can cause itching all over too! Hands should be washed! Also my Dermatoligist recommened this lotion which i found to be better than anything I've used and think I've used everything. It's called CeraVe. It also comes in a body cleanser. It's over the counter and it helps re-build the skin. It work's wonders!!!

New Research 1/4/12

Itching will also occure if your child eats his or her bugers because bacteria collects in the nose. Try putting bandades on their index finger to stop this. If this is the reason for their itching, you will notice a difference in a couple of days. It takes at least two days to notice a difference.

New Research 1/13/12

Did anyone know that you can contract yeast on your scalp and it can itch like crazy? Yes you can. Here is a link to a home remedy http://www.ehow.com/how_5723194_cure-yeast-overgrowth-scalp.html. Check it out. Also there is a ITCH RELIEF CREAM which is over the counter made by MONISTAT and I have found this cream to be useful on your body too.

New Research 1/21/12

Hormones also play a big part in the drying out of skin all over your body. Here is a website that will explain this more in detail and what we can do about it. http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/menopause-dry-skin-hormone-connection http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/menopause-dry-skin-hormone-connection. Here is another website that explains this in more detail and a natural herb that can help ease discomfort called Macafen http://www.34-menopause-symptoms.com/itchy-skin.htm.

This is unbelievable! Toilet Paper! New Research 2/15/12

I cannot believe what i just came across from someone right here on HubPages. You have got to read this artical! http://bkcreative.hubpages.com/hub/Is-Your-Toilet-Paper-Hurting-You-Ow.

New Research 2/27/12 Contagious Mites http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dandruff.html Walking Dandruff can be a serious problem.

Here are two more conditions that wll cause severe itching 3/6/12 These conditions are referred to as; Intrahepatic Cholestasis and extrahepatic Cholestasis. I have provided a link to each one of these conditions. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Cholestasis,+intrahepatic and http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cholestasis/overview.html

New Research 3/7/12; This is serious! I think I may be allergic to my cats acne. I noticed black spots on my cats chin and I had to use tweezers to remove the debree. I then cleaned the area with peroxide. I haven't itched since. I won't let him sleep with me till this is cleared up. Here is a website about the acne. It doesn't mention being allergic to it, but I know my itching has subsided. I will also post some pictures of it. http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/acne.htm and here are some pictures of the acne, http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=107386

New Research 5/15-12; There is a parasite (Dermodex Parasite) that not only effects animals but humans as well. Here is a site where this person suffered for 34 years without any relief. I'm going to try the soap that is recommended to see if I get any relief. It's worth a try. The soap has an ingredient in it called Sea Buckthorn oil. You have to buy it at a health store and it's only $5.00 a bar. Anyway, here is the site that explains this in more detail, http://www.keratosispilaris.org/treatment-options/5029-34-years-later-cured-demodex-parasite.html. If you can't get to the site just type in Dermodex parasite.

I also checked some more websites and there was another product that some people were using and finding some relief. The product is called Sarna anti-itch. It comes in a lotion.

I know a lot of you may have read this artical before I revised it but it has taken me this long to find some answers. I hope some of my new research will help. I will add more research as I go. All this information can be researched on the web if you need more info. I pray you find relief and...if you do find relief please share it by commenting here to give others hope who are suffering with this...Thank you!