how do i overcome an addicting itch?

October 16, 2007 12:45 AM

I have a skin irritation on the top of my foot/ankle and I can't stop scratching it.

i've tried neosporin, cortisone, bandages, etc. it heals to a certain point and then gets incredibly itchy.

the irritation is now essentially a shallow (but growing) skin wound that i keep damaging because i cannot resist the urge to scratch. it's got a lot in common with an addiction, actually.

how do i resist it enough for the skin on my foot to completely heal?

posted by Hat Maui to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)

Continue treating it with Neosporin to prevent infection(especially now that it has become a "wound"). They make an anti-itch version now, I think. Keep it covered with something to prevent yourself from absent-mindedly reaching down and touching it. And, to help with your urge to scratch, try this tip: Scratch around it (lightly, though!) If you allow yourself to lightly scratch, or even "tickle," the area near where you're itching, it will satisfy the urge without doing more damage.
posted by amyms at 1:19 AM on October 16, 2007

Hydrocortisone cream is effective at stopping itches.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 2:23 AM on October 16, 2007

might be worth seeing a doctor about.
posted by thinkingwoman at 4:13 AM on October 16, 2007

Ice will make it stop itching without scratching it.
posted by unrepentanthippie at 4:33 AM on October 16, 2007

I find that putting pressure on an itch can help satisfy the urge to itch too.

But cover it. And look at pictures of infected wounds to remind you to quit it. It's your foot. You need those things to walk, you know?
posted by desuetude at 6:11 AM on October 16, 2007

You should get it checked out; my sister had something like this, she tried everything, and when she went to the doctor she found out it was dermatitis resulting from an allergy to formaldehyde, which is a common ingredient in some glues used for shoe production. If she hadn't found this out, she'd still be scratching.
posted by hermitosis at 6:13 AM on October 16, 2007

Are you taking any medications currently? Has anything in your diet changed?
I had the exact same thing and it was an allergic reaction to Tylenol and Advil combined.
The only thing that helped stopped the itching (very temporarily) was Caladryl. Good luck.
posted by czechmate at 6:18 AM on October 16, 2007

Might be pinworm. You can get it from walking around barefoot outside.
posted by Jess the Mess at 6:29 AM on October 16, 2007

Might be psoriasis. A friend had it in the exact spot you are describing.
posted by Sassyfras at 7:14 AM on October 16, 2007

well, now that it's a "wound" you should at least get it checked out. wounds are never good.

i second scratching around it, that's really satisfying.

to prevent scratching that pulls off the scab, which leads to further woundage, a band-aid is your friend. if i don't put a band-aid on something, i will scratch it endlessly.

if it's an OPEN wound, i'd advise against hydrocortisone cream and the like. just go for triple antibiotic (neosporin). if it's just like some rough skin or whatever, definitely go for the hydro, or even better benadryl gel, which is an antihistamine AND an analgesic. it's the only thing that saves me when my hives get outta control.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:49 AM on October 16, 2007

Healing tattoos can get really itchy. To satisfy my urges, I slap the tattoo decently hard. It stops the itch for a little while and gives me something to vent my frustration on. I've seen people do the same thing with hair weaves (as scratching it can damage your scalp/the weave).
posted by nursegracer at 8:35 AM on October 16, 2007

Yep, slapping. Also hot water, just below the threshold of pain, will quell the urge to itch for quite a while. Once you've got some skin there, topical Benadryl is good stuff.
posted by ottereroticist at 10:14 AM on October 16, 2007

Ice really helps me when I get attacked by mosquitos.

nthing dermatologist.
posted by radioamy at 1:07 PM on October 16, 2007

For me it was eczema. I went a few years before going to the dermatologist and got steriods to help the itching. In the last six months I have gotten some - though not 100% - relief from taking evening primrose oil, but supposedly it does not work for everyone.
posted by shothotbot at 8:16 PM on October 16, 2007