Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with itch

Make the bumps go away

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:33:55 -0800

You are not my doctor, but you do know something about mysterious skin conditions that disappear without a trace every time I make a doctor's appointment. For about a month now, I've been getting waves of these itchy, slightly reddened, mosquito-bite-looking bumps. They range from about a quarter-inch to an inch in diameter, and from one or two at a time to clusters of dozens. They tend to show up most often at night (before I go to bed), last anywhere from a few hours to a day, then disappear completely for a day or two. When it started they were always on my legs, but lately they've been showing up on my back and chest; right now I'm pretty sure there's one in my lower lip which feels all swollen and bruised. There's no discharge or scaliness, they just look very much like huge mosquito bites (which they cannot possibly be at this time of year where I live.)

I've never had allergies or anything of the sort, haven't had any changes in diet or household cleaning products or clothing or behavior lately, am not under significant stress, and haven't found any pattern to whatever might be triggering them. There was one day when we thought my wife might be showing the same symptoms but it was mild enough that we weren't sure, and it never recurred for her.

My doctor said it might be a viral skin infection of some sort, and suggested claritin to mask the symptoms (which does seem to help a bit) but wasn't able to make a better diagnosis because by the time I schedule an appointment they've always disappeared. If I schedule yet another appointment and show up symptomless again I'm sure I'll get filed under "hypochondriac".

So I turn to you, in the faint hope that one of you will say OMG I had those exact same symptoms, and was able to _________ to make the problem go away forever. Or at least reassure me that these things aren't eventually going to migrate into my vital organs and make a heart valve fall off or pop an eyeball or something.

What gear should I get so I can start DJing with Serato?

cirrostratus — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:11:12 -0800

I want to start DJing with Serato. What kind of gear should I get? I've been dabbling a bit with Virtual DJ and the like and been having some fun but I would like to learn to actually beatmatch and mix well. Messing around on my friend Serato+control vinyl kit was really satisfying. I would like to get a similar setup, but maybe something a little simpler. There few DJ controllers that work with Serato ITCH look just about right but they're pricey. Anyone have any experience with ITCH? Is it worth the money?

If I don't end up throwing down the cash for ITCH then I'll probably get ScratchLive and cheap a set up for it. Will a small controller meet my needs or should I opt for control vinyl? How much money (minimum) should I be prepared to shell out to get started?

Thai-to-English Translation Sought for Butthole Surfers Fan

not_on_display — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:27:52 -0800

Do you speak Thai? Can you translate this song into English?* This mp3 link is performed by the original artist, who remains unknown, and was infamously plundered by the Butthole Surfers in 1987 to create the track "Kuntz" on the album Locust Abortion Technician. Purpose: I would like to do an English-version cover of the original song. Plus, it's a good li'l mystery -- an unknown artist, and the only lyrics translated so far are vaguely about the "itch" that "won't go away....the itch never leaves."*

* [.mp3 file and quote via WFMU's Beware of the Blog]

The best overall way to enjoy your crotch is to not be able to feel it when you walk. Help me return to that, please?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:59:36 -0800

OMIGOD the chafing. Can you help me make it stop? Please? (Details might be unpleasant.) Hi. I'm 29, normal weight, normal to slightly above normal activity level (soccer 2-3 nights a week currently.) That said, I am a little overweight, but not in my thighs. I am also hairy. Not wildebeest hairy, but my happy trail circumnavigates my torso (up my front, down my back, through my legs. Not around my waist, that's just weird.)

My problem here is chafing. Every couple months or so, I chafe pretty badly in that zone directly beneath my scrotum and a the tops of the perianal area. In the past I switched from boxers to boxer-briefs, and that seemed to help, right up until it makes it worse. Sometime, a couple years ago, I elected to eliminate the hair in that area. I messed up and didn't just do the area between the scrotum and anus, but I also did the tops of my thighs. Really bad idea. Didn't realize how much that hair prevents chafing. HOWEVER, it's long since grown back, but I STILL get the issue sometimes.

Couple weeks ago it started. It usually starts on a nice hot day where I walk a lot. By the end of the day I'm trying to walk so that my thighs don't pivot against each other. So the next day I gold-bonded up the junk and went about my business. It got worse. So that night I wore nice loose shorts and put some cortizone on the irritation and went to sleep. End of the next day it was WORSE.

So in a fit of itch and frustration and pain, I decided to eliminate the hair from the region again, because it felt like it was stabbing me. I know, bright, right? So I naired it, which is what I had done before, being super careful to only get the scrotum/parts where thighs touch scrotum and taint area, NOT the thighs. I only let it sit for 3 minutes, which worked fine before. Apparently my nair was...uhm...expired...and the skin was already irritated, and let me tell you that it fucked me up with a QUICKNESS.

I then washed it off and applied aloe. Bad, bad, bad, bad idea. I've had icy hot on my junk before, this was 1 million times worse. This was me jumping up and down in front of the sink naked splashing water on my crotch yelping. The bulk of that irritation cleared up in 48 hours, I'm back to pre-nair irritation levels now.

SO. Gold bond in the daytimes, loose shorts at night, cortizone some nights and aloe others. It's like 80% healed.

The problem is I can't make it FINISH healing. I wake up in the middle of the night with a feverish itch and usually wind up probably causing more harm than good by scratching it roughly. As the day goes on, I go more and more frequently into the bathroom to scratch.

SO---yes, I considered that it wasn't chafing. I considered that it was crabs or some other fun STD---but it's not. Doesn't uhm...match. It's just massive irritation.
I also considered that it might be jock itch, and I HAVE had that before, but this is soooo low and it doesn't behave like jock-itch/athletes foot. It's seriously just where my thighs touch and where my scrotum touches my thighs. My penile area is clean and clear.

So tell me, what is your most amazing horrible irritation fixer? So far I've tried generic gold bond (wal-mart brand, which I have considered might be part of the problem), vitamin E hand lotion, 100% aloe gel, maximum strength hydrocortizone cream. Please, for the love of god, someone have a remedy. An awesome steroidal cream? A secret remedy?

The only way I can make it absolutely stop itching is to wear gold bond, briefs, my underarmour spandex soccer shorts, and then shorts. No itch, but holy buhjeesus is that uncomfortable.

Also looking for recommendations to keep it gone. I never, EVER want to go through this again.

Body itch when I feel hot

red_rika — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:31:44 -0800

Why does my body itch when i eat spicy food or when i exercise? My body starts to itch when I start exercising or when I eat spicy food. It itches all year round; whether its winter, summer etc. I am staying in Melbourne at the moment.

I googled a bit and stumbled upon this disease-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholinergic_urticaria:
Symptoms follow any stimulus to sweat such as exercise (sometimes called exercise-induced urticaria, see Exercise urticaria), heat from the sun (which could also indicate solar urticaria), saunas, hot showers (reaction to water can also indicate water urticaria), spicy foods which may cause an increase in body temperature or even stress due to blushing or anger.

Well basically I don't have the hives as mentioned as in the website but my itchness is similar to that. However I feel that my skin itches because of dry skin as I tend to have very hot showers. (but I don't itch when i have the hot showers).

Is there any other explanation than dry skin? Thanks in advance

why do I itch? HELP!

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:27:21 -0800

why do I itch? HELP! I started to itch on my hands and feet and it's not going away... Hello,

I know YANAD (you are not a Dr.) ...

A day or two ago, sitting at my cubicle at work, I took off my shoes and rested my feet on the carpeted floor, for maybe 1/2 hour (I was wearing socks). My feet started feeling tingly. Later that day the tingly feeling changed to itchy. I scratched my feet with my hands. But then the parts of my hands that came into contact with my feet began to itch too. As time went on, the intensity of the itchiness began to increase.

Washing my feet and hands helped a bit temporarily, but not much. So did gold bond medicated cream. I thought maybe I had some kind of weird inflammation so I took some painkillers. That too helped a bit.

Well, my hands and feet still ITCH like crazy. Leaving them alone helps (like the itchiness sort of dies down) but not completely.

Now all I can think of is:

-the carpet at work was shampooed the evening before. Could this be an allergic reaction to the chemicals?

-my feet rested under my desk, maybe the cleaning staff didn't clean under there and it was dusty, etc. and maybe this is some kind of allergic reaction to mould or dust (dust mites? or other bugs?)

Please let me know if you have any ideas.

If the itchiness still is with me in another day or two I may go to the Dr. But I'm doubting whether my family Dr. will even have a clue what to suggest, knowing my Dr. she'll probably say, 'oh well you itch, put some cream on your skin. NEXT...'.

Any good tinea versicolor remedies?

LolaGeek — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:02:55 -0800

I've had tinea versicolor for a couple years now, treated with prescription ointment. The ointment doesn't seem to be working anymore, and I don't know what else to do. Please help an itchy lady. Two years ago, a dermatologist diagnosed the itchy, red, scaly patch in the middle of my chest as tinea versicolor, and I started using a prescription ointment - Ciclopirox Cream 0.77% - to treat it. After several months of twice-daily application, it started clearing up slightly (was still scaly, but the redness and itchiness were mostly gone). I continued using the ointment once a day, and the patch of skin stayed about the same. A few months ago I went back to the dermatologist because I was running out of ointment, and what I had had expired (also, it was time for my mole check-up). I got a new prescription of the same ointment.

Recently, the condition has gotten much worse. The patch has grown vertically, is much redder, and much itchier. I have to make an effort not to stick my hand down my shirt and scratch my chest in public, and when I do scratch it, there's been a couple times that I broke the skin (not sure if this is because I scratched so hard, or because the skin is a different texture and therefore more fragile). I've been using the ointment twice a day, and also using Selsun Blue in the shower, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement.

I'm getting worried now, because the weather is getting warmer and my cleavage is only going to get sweatier (which seems to be the original cause of this condition). Before I go back to the dermatologist for the second time in three months, is there any other treatment I could try? If I do go back to the doctor, is there another medication or treatment I should ask about?

Also, side question: is it possible for me to spread this to other areas of my body (e.g. by drying off with a towel)?

The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. (or megapixels and HD Video?)

DrAlbin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:17:14 -0800

Buy the Canon 450Xsi or wait for the 500TSi? I have been on the ledge about to take the leap to DSLR from point and shoot. I have read previous posts for newbie’s, read the reviews, went to a store picked the associates brain for a half an hour, picked up and tried (as much as you can in a store) the different brands and models. I finally justified spending $700+ for a Canon 450xsi. This week was going to be the week. And what does Canon do to reward me for my future purchase? They announce a new version of the camera to be released "early May".

Would it be more beneficial to wait till "early May" for the Tsi (the extra $200 isn’t going to be an issue if it's worth it)? Or take the plunge and buy the Xsi (even though with the new release the XSi will probably drop in price in "early May")

Question is not so much "What should I do?" rather "What would you do?"

Video wouldn’t be a huge selling feature, I have a decent Vid cam, just not HD.

Help my gum sockets stop itching (or at least itch a bit less)

NikitaNikita — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:36:43 -0800

How can I calm my itchy wisdom tooth sockets? My gums are crazy-itchy at the sites where I had 4 wisdom teeth extracted last Thursday. I know that this is likely a sign that they are healing, (and at least this isn't the dry socket pain I had two days ago!) but is there any way i can calm this insane itching of my gums? It's making me quite bonkers today. The oral surgeon said he never heard anyone complain of itching before, so no suggestions there either.

Thanks!

Tooth issue. Should I go see a dentist?

querty — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:49:40 -0800

Tooth issue. Should I go see a dentist? One of my lower front tooth has been weird lately. Is as if I can feel the nerve endings inside the bottom of the tooth. The feeling is sort of a tickle or a slight itch. Not painful, definitely not a cavity (right?), but an annoying tickle. I thought it would go away in a few days, but it's been almost a week now.

Is it time to pay a visit to the dentist?

Things to note:

- toothpaste used - Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Extra Whitening (have been using this for many years)
- no recent changes in eating habits (sugar intake is low; no candy/pop/junk food)
- brush twice and floss daily

Itchy sunburn

gttommy — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:56:50 -0800

I'm recovering from a body sunburn, most of the pain is gone but now I'm painfully itchy. Should I use some moisturiser cream or should I let my skin dry out to accelerate the process? The itchiness was so bad I could not focus and had to leave work. Your thoughts are much appreciated.

Shoo flea, don't bother me...

nzydarkxj — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:38:55 -0800

Fleas! But different... I'm not intending to kill any fleas, I just want to get them to stop biting me and/or make the bites stop itching! Fleas LOVE me. They find me and bite me all the time, and I'm pretty allergic to the bites... which can become huge itchy bumps lasting weeks, and scars because I eventually break the skin, if not on purpose, in my sleep.
I live in Chile. There are fleas all over the place in the city (stray animals, public transportation, etc...) but I feel treating my house (As shortened reasoning, we have no animals, I have never seen a flea in the house, and nobody else seems to think we have a problem in the house) will not help. I also dont feel they stay/live on me or my clothes. Kind of like hit and run bites... er bite and hop away.

My general doctors in the US had not quite understood and wanted to prevent by housecleansing rather than treat the bites.

A specialist/dermatologist I went to here was useless. The general concept here is that you need to clean stuff and the problem will go away, which does not seem to by my case. (Ex: SO and I share a bed and he veeery rarely gets bites) The dermatologist I was prescribed an expensive bottle of something labeled "Dry skin lotion" that didn't help.

I'm wondering
a) Is there a way to make my skin or body less attractive to the fleas? They somehow prefer me (foreigner, perhaps different body temperature) and at times I have dozens of bites in one area. I always have bites within hours of reentering the country. I'd prefer not to smell like a chemical though.

b) how do I stop bites from itching?!?!
Bites are horribly aggravating and my relief attempts are always short term, though the bite stays for about 2 weeks. I've tried benedryl, cort-aid, a type of vaporrub type gel, lotion, scratching, and even breaking the skin... which is the only slight relief I get.

Itchy Butt = Jock Itch?

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 06:18:08 -0800

My rear end itches. Could it be jock itch? A few months ago I had my first case of jock itch. My first clue was, well, the itching, and the distinct discoloration of the skin between my legs. I self-diagnosed via a handy description of what jock itch is and what it looks like from some website, bought some Tinactin, and my problem cleared up! Hoorah!

But now, life has thrown me a curveball: I have an itchy butt. Specifically, an itch in the gluteal cleft (sounds better than butt crack but I doubt any of you will have any clue what I'm talking about). And after about a week of itching, I figured it was about time I consulted people who are not my doctor, and might not even have any medical training.

I've read a few related AskMe's, and its not relegated solely to the anus, its also above (ends right about where I can feel my tailbone), and just a tiny bit below.

I've read talks of worms, hemorrhoids, even cancer (everything on WebMD is cancer). I just want to know, is there a good chance this is just displaced jock itch? Can I use the same cream I used from my previous case? I don't think there's a rash, but then again I'm... sort of a hairy guy, so, I couldn't really say for sure.

I've also moved back to school recently and started using their tree bark which they refer to as toilet paper, if you think that could factor in at all. Another factor is that I'm once again sharing toilets with the guy who I'm pretty sure led to my original case of jock itch. Could be a coincidence, I guess, but I am definitely not ruling it out.

Thanks for looking after my butt, AskMe!

What is wrong with me?

i_love_squirrels — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:14:53 -0800

I have been to 3 GP's and 3 specialists over the last three years and no one can tell me what is wrong with me. My main complaint is shortness of breath, fatigue, very itchy skin with no rash and congestion/ringing in the ears. I'm at the end of my rope. Can anyone help figure out what is wrong with me? In 2005, I began to have extreme fatigue and shortness of breath and occasional ringing in my ears plus very, very itchy skin all the time (no rash though). Then the ringing gradually became more frequent and in March 2008, it became constant and so has ear congestion. I don't get sick too often but when I do it always leads to bronchitis and a sinus infection.

I also get chills frequently and sometimes have a mild fever. Anyone who comes in my office tells my how hot it is and I think it's strange because I'm wearing a sweater and feel fine. My hair has always been dry and grown slowly but in the last couple of months I've begun losing more hair than usual. My formerly oily face is very dry, my throat is hoarse and it is hard to swallow and my nails grow slow and my cuticles have shriveled up and are cracking. I used to have rapidly growing nails and such beautiful hands that strangers told me so and people accused me of wearing fake nails. I also suddenly put on 10 pounds in March and cannot fit into any of my pants and only half my skirts. I'm not overweight and the weight gain doesn't look bad but it is strange to me how I just suddenly put on weight.

Anyhow, this is what I have tried/ruled out in the past three years:
- gave up smoking in November 2005.

- Summer 2006: gave up being a vegetarian because I thought the fatigue and slow nail and hair growth was due to lack of nutrients however, eating red meat didn't improve these symptoms.

- Summer 2006: two GP's in a row suggested I was stressed and anxious. I had just started a new job in a new city and my fiance moved in with me. I thought it was plausible so I tried anti-anxiety pills but they didn't do anything but make me more tired which was no good. Tried a second anti-anxiety pill and had a severe adverse reaction which led to insomnia, pounding heart, and very dialated pupils. The ER doctor and my doctor had the nerve to tell me I was having an anxiety attack until the hours of vomiting started then they realized I was not making it up. I swore off trying anti-anxiety medication. A second GP did a full bloodwork and said nothing was abnormal.

- August 2006: tested for Lyme's disease in 2006, bloodwork showed nothing. I gave up trying for awhile thinking maybe I was stressed out.

-November 2006: My fiance and I thought living near a concrete plant and having roaches was the cause of my symptoms. We moved. Our new apartment had worse roaches than before. Continued to think it was the roaches. My new GP prescribed Astelin and Flonase. She did a full blood work up and didn't find anything abnormal.

- in January and February 2007 I had a horrible chest cold that lasted more than 8 weeks. GP tried a Z-pack and Albuterol and inhaled corticosteroids. I eventually got over the cold but no improvement on the shortness of breath or fatigue. She became concerned and referred me to a pulmonologist.

- saw a pulmonologist in February and March 2007. X-rays and MRI returned no abnormal results. Was diagnosed with possible asthma.

- in April 2007 my GP told me since the pulmonologist didn't find anything and I didn't respond to Albuterol or inhaled steroids that I likely had mild asthma aggravated by a cockroach allergy. I thought this was reasonable because our apartment did have roaches.

- November 2007, we moved back to Washington D.C. and have lived in a roach-free home for ten months now.

-December 2007, had a particularly bad bout of ear congestion upon waking and very loud ringing in the ears. Took antihistamines and the ringing stopped after 36 hours. Developed an ear infection, took a Z-pack.

-February 2008, two particularly bad bouts of congestion upon waking and ear ringing. Again ended after 36 hours. Each episode was about 2 weeks apart. Mild external ear infections followed.

-late March 2008. mild but constant ear ringing and congestion always worst upon waking. Thought it was due to all of the tree pollen. Waited for pollen season to end while enduring the symptoms. Took benadryl for a couple of weeks and then Claritin for six weeks. Took Flonase this entire period too, twice a day.

-Visited an ENT who said I had no sign of ear congestion though he barely looked at me. Had a hearing test done, that was fine.

-June 2008, mild outer ear infections, constant ear congestion and mild but persistent ringing or roaring, then a terrible sinus infection that lasted nearly six weeks. I saw and allergist and tested positive for allergies to penicillin and dust mites. I told him all of the medications I tried and about the inhalers and such. He said he couldn't think of anything new to give me. He gave me some RhinoCort Aqua. I take the bottle until it is empty but it doesn't help. I get a neti pot and use it 2-4 times a day. After almost two weeks, it cleared up my sinus infection. I still use it but it hasn't helped my other symptoms. Stopped drinking coffee, sodas or alcohol. Eliminated cheese and milk and ice cream. Began getting very dry eyes that wake me up in the middle of the night. I get up rinse them with saline and go back to bed. This has become a nightly ritual. I also often wake up with a tickly cough.

-July 2008, We bought a new natural latex and organic wool bed and pillows and put high quality, fully-zipped up allergy covers on them. I began sleeping with a HEPA air purifier next to my side of the bed and a sheet over me and the air purifier so I get clean air all night. The bed and air purifier are nice but it doesn't cure the shortness of breath or fatigue. Also began taking sublingual B-vitamins and high quality multivitamins three times a day. Started getting irritating tics near my right eye. The shortness of breath has worsened a little and I frequently have this light dry cough. There's is no phlegm, my throat just feels irritated and "fluttery."

-Late July, I began to walk 45 minutes to work and home for the exercise. I figured it would lift my mood, energize me and help me get back into my pants. Instead, after I get to work, I get so unbelievably tired and feel like I have to push myself out of the chair. I'm too tired to finish a sentence and sometimes, I just don't. I get home and I’m exhausted. I just sit listlessly on the couch for an hour or so. I began oversleeping and not hearing the alarm. My husband has to try three times to get me up some days.

I recently talked to my Mom who is hypothyroid reminded me that I used to be treated for hypothyroidism and urged me to go to an endocrinologist. I researched hypothyroidism and was very surprised to see it fit all of my symptoms including the obnoxious ear ringing and disappearing cuticles.

I saw an endocrinologist today and he shrugged his shoulders and said he doubted I had hypothyroidism. He asked if I was depressed, I said no, I have a pretty happy life, I have a job I love, I'm married to a great guy, have great friends, I've started my own design business on the side and have no real money problems. I've got a pretty good life but sometimes I feel sad because I just feel awful. He said I needed to go to a psychiatrist because I felt sad about feeling tired all of the time. I told him not to insult me and he begrudgingly wrote a script for a thyroid test and a sonogram. I won't know my results for two or three days. In the meantime, I'm left wondering, if this isn't it, what the heck is it? I'm running out of ideas and I'm scared I won't figure out what it is until it's too late.

Personal Medical history: I have never had surgery or been hospitalized. I am allergic to penicillin. I don't take any medications other than the ones described above. I never take aspirin and I take an ibuprofen maybe 3 times a year. In high school, I was diagnosed with mild hypothyroidism despite being very underweight and not having an abnormal blood test. My symptoms were sleeping 15-20 hours, being cold and tired and my hair fell out. I took Synthroid for about 9 years and then my tests were always normal and perhaps being a stupid college kid and moving across the country I just stopped taking the meds. I thought I was fine. That was in 2000. I felt more or less fine until 2005.

Only other medical history: When I was in 7th grade I slipped on a plastic bag and broke a tiny chip off my elbow. I wore a cast for a few weeks. In high school, I had a back-injury due to slipping on a wet linoleum floor which led to a few months of physical therapy. In college, my knee was dislocated in a freak dancing accident. That's pretty much it.

Family Medical History: My mother has hypothyroidism and she had a goiter which went away upon treatment with Synthroid. She has also had fibromyalgia, acute appendicitis and Hodgkin's disease, which is now in remission of going on 3 years. My grandmother had an allergy to mold, her gall bladder removed and died of emphysema because she smoked for 60 years. My half sister has endometriosis.

Claritin for an eight-month-old?

Asparagirl — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:33:24 -0800

Putting a child under the age of two on Children's Claritin for his allergies...advice, or first-hand anecdotes? Our eight-month-old baby has multiple allergies and excema. He's tested positive on skin tests for both food (eggs, oranges, garlic) and environmental (mold, dustmites, weeds, grass, you name it) triggers. His main symptoms are transient excema patches on his cheeks, neck, the insides of his elbows, and the backs of his knees; horribly itchy skin on his hands and ankles; and occasionally a stuffy nose and red eyes. The itchy skin, in particular, often wakes him up in the middle of the night, sometimes multiple times -- and thus, wakes us too. We put long sleeves and socks on him and cover his hands so he can't scratch. It doesn't help much.

We run both a HEPA filter and a humidifier in his room, and I've eliminated his trigger foods from my diet since I'm breastfeeding (though not exclusively). His allergist prescribed him topical steroid cream for his occasional excema flare ups, which works well if you use it every day for a few days, but I would rather not use steroids on a kid long-term. We also give occasional small doses of dye-free children's Benadryl (at night only). That works on his allergies pretty well -- for a whopping four hours. We also use Aquaphor on his neck and other allergic patches, and that seems to work well.

His having allergies isn't so surprising, since pretty much everyone in my family has moderate-to-terrible allergies of some sort -- but we all take (or occasionally take) medicine to deal with it. So I'm really wary about putting such a young kid on anything, because it could easily become a long-term medicine.

But with his persistent allergies, his pediatrician now recommends putting him on half a teaspoon of Children's Claritin every day. While this is over the counter, there is very little information out there on Claritin's effects on young kids, especially under the age of two (nevermind that he's under the age of one!), and nothing about long-term effects. One dose of Claritin also lasts for 24 hours, unlike Benadryl's 4-6 hours, and I really don't want him to be zonked out all day. I've also found disturbing anecdotal reports on the web about kids on Zyrtec (not Claritin, but similar) developing sudden behavioral issues.

So, anyone know a kid who's been on Claritin so young? How did it work out? I really don't want to put such a young kid on a somewhat-untested-on-kids medicine, but I can't stand to see him suffer with his allergies either.

The fuzzums! They're everywhere!

giraffe — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:58:32 -0800

Can you recommend a yarn that won't make me feel sick? It seems that every time I knit, a bunch of tiny fiber fuzzums fly off the yarn, directly into my face. As a result, my eyes and cheeks itch, bits get inhaled and choked on, and my day is pretty much ruined. I have worked with exactly one yarn that has not caused this reaction and it was Moda Dea's Bamboo Wool, which did not shed at all for some unknown reason. I guess acrylic yarn doesn't bother me, but what I have tried has left this weird sticky residue on my fingers, and that's just gross.

I was thinking that maybe I was allergic to wool or something, but a soy/cotton blend did the same exact thing to me a few days ago. Google seems to think that I could be allergic to whatever the yarn is being treated with, which doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Oddly enough, I can wear knitted things once they're done, it's just actively working with the yarn that bothers me for some reason. Knitting with a bandana over my mouth and nose stopped the inhalation problems, but still made my exposed face itchy (and made me worry that someone would mistake me for a train robber).

So, 1) can you recommend specific yarns that will not go all fuzzy on me? and 2) can you teach me how to figure out if a yarn is going to make me sick before I buy it? The soy/cotton yarn seemed perfectly innocuous and solid until I started working with it. I would like to figure out how to make cables without condemning myself to an itchy, fuzzy grave.

Back brush leads to bad itch

TheManChild2000 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:30:48 -0800

Why do I get a really bad itch on my back after using a back brush in the shower?

How do I get this scabby dry skin to heal?

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:48:50 -0800

How do I get this scabby dry skin to heal? Anon because it's in my groin and itches like hell... For the last five years I've had the same patch of skin which is very dry and itchy. I regularally end up scratching it so much it bleeds. Even at it's very best it has a couple of minor scabs on it.

I've seen a couple of doctors and they've both told me that it's a sweat rash. They've given me cream (that doesn't work) and packed me on my way. I'd tend to believe them because the only time it's ever really been comfortable was on holiday - two weeks of wearing swim shorts, lying in very dry heat and dipping in the pool. It doesn't move around or grow, it just exists.

Diagnostically I think I'm sorted.

So I'm turning to you guys because I want to clear it up. Doctors seem unable to help, can you? I know YANMD, and I'll take any type of answer you throw at me...

Creams (like Lush's grapeseed based Cosmetic Lad) ease the itch but not enough to hel me heal. Talc helps a lot, but only for very short periods. Petrolium jelly type things make up feel uncomfortable.

What else can I try?

Scratch mine, and I'll scratch yours!

NotInTheBox — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:05:31 -0800

HELP!!! My boyfriend and I are bumpy and ithcy everywhere!!! Nothing helps and it's a terrible nuisance. What could this be and any suggestions for remedy? So, at this point I am too busy and low on funds to seek a professional's help... And not quite to my wits end with this. That's why I am asking for your advice. My boyfriend and I have had random, very small, itchy bumps EVERYwhere on our skin for the last month. They come in one area, we scratch them off or until they are scabby (yes, this is gross and probably not helping) then they heal and reappear elsewhere. At any time I might have a patch on the belly, one or two bumps on my leg, one on the underwear line, four on my arms and so on... They are terribly ithchy. The appear all throughout the day. I have scoured mine and his beds for bed bugs. We have tried bendryl and baking soda baths... I've switched my laundry detergent to anti-everything no allergy stuff. We can't figure it out. We are both very clean people. We both have a cat but neither of our kitties are itching. My roommates are not affected. We don't have any known skin diseases or disorders or other allergies. Any ideas???? A parasite??

Who do I see for a butt rash?

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:11:45 -0800

Never-ending, super itchy, flaky butt rash. What kind of doctor do I see? Male in his 20's here. Rash between the cheeks has not responded to Lamicil, 1% hydrocortisone, gold bond or yeast infection cream. It comes and goes on a weekly basis and has been for months. It itches so bad that lately I'm up half the night scratching. Bits of skin are flaking off.

My fiancee is making me go to a doctor because we have exhausted all over-the-counter possibilities. At my local hospital/clinic, I have the option of seeing a GP, a dermatologist, or a gastroenterologist. I would feel most comfortable seeing the gastro guy, if only because he (and it will be a he, if I get my way) looks at and puts things up butts on a daily basis and I am terrified of and embarassed about going to the doctor for my delicate issue. I have had hemmorhoids in the past and perhaps that could have something to do with it, but I'm not sure if gastro guys deal with the, erm, external issues relating to the butt. Or do I see a dermatologist for what seems like a skin issue? Or a Family Practicioner (GP), who might treat stuff like this on a daily basis? Who do I make the appointment with?

And what precisely should I say on the phone when they ask why I need to visit? I can't just say that I have a mysterious rash around my anus. Maybe that I have a "rash in a delicate area"? Does the receptionist always need to know the dirty details?

You'll be itchin' like a hound, the minute you start to mess around...

jonmc — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:36:52 -0800

ItchFilter. Over the past few weeks, I've developed a rather nasty itch. I haven't changed detergent or soap recently, and I haven't been anywhere near nature so it's not poison ivy or anything like that. So, I'm thinking it's something I picked up at work.

I unload and sort product at a large second hand bookstore. A large portion of the books brought in are old and covered in lots of dust, others are brought in often in garbage bags by homeless and other street people who aren't all that clean themselves. The boxes and garbage bags they bring the stuff in is often moldy, dusty, or even sticky. By the end of the day my arms, shoulders and lower legs are itchy as all hell. There's redness but that's probably from me scratching. I've also worked in dirty enviornments before and never got anything like this. I'm wondering what I picked up and what I can do about it.

(I recognize all the usual caveats; YANAD, no substitute for medical care etc. I'm just looking for ideas to maybe avoid all that if possible)

Seriously. What's up with my anus?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:07:45 -0800

Hi there. Remember me? Well, I'm back, and my butt problems continue. So I went to see my doctor about my itchy butt (he saw through the hair just fine, BTW), and he diagnosed me with pruritus ani, which is latin for "I have no idea why your ass itches." No hemmeys or fissures, no pinworms, just an unidentifiable urge to scratch my anus. He told me to switch from boxer briefs to plain old boxers (to help keep things aired out) and to keep using hydrocortizone cream for the rest of my life... and never, ever, EVER succumb to the urge to itch. Easier said than done.

I followed his advice, and for a short time the itching seemed to go away, but it's recently flared back up. Basically it works like this:

- Nothing feels out of whack down there (no skin flaps or bulging veins).
- No blood on my toilet paper or in my stool.
- No pain from bowel movements. In fact, my BMs don't seem to have any affect on the state of itchiness.
- Sitting alleviates the urge to itch almost immediately.
- Standing and walking aggravate the condition.
- Hydrocortizone doesn't always do the trick, so I've recently started using a generic version of Benadryl cream, which seems to be a little more effective.

Despite having two huge health care systems in my town, neither of them have a Proctologist. Do they go by a different name these days? We have several colo-rectal surgeons, but they seem to extreme for Mr. Itchy Ass 2007. I don't want to go back to my regular doctor, because, frankly, I think his prognosis was a bit weak.

Has anyone out there had a similar affliction? How did you ever find relief? Please help?! My anus is killing me!!! And I don't want to see any IANAD bullshit... I already figured as much.

how do i overcome an addicting itch?

Hat Maui — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:45:19 -0800

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?

Newfound sympathy for scruffy indie bands

kidsleepy — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:07:10 -0800

Beard itch, except I don't have a beard. Help! My face has been itching for the past 10 days or so. It's not red, peeling, bumpy or any other kind of rash symptom, just incessant ithcing. I itch on my jawline, cheeks, chin, neck, and ears- basically everywhere a beard would grow (well besides the ears). BUT I'm a chick, and I have no beard. It's worst at night and first thing in the morning when I'm laying down with my face on my pillow or sheets.

I haven't recently changed my laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, lotion, medication, or eating habits. I've been popping Benadryl and slathering on hydrocortisone lotion. What is going on and how do I fix it before I claw my face off?

Why do my hands itch?

carsonb — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 08:27:06 -0800

Why do I have itchy bath-hands? If on occasion when I sleep with a t-shirt on, say on a friend's couch, I get sweaty around the head and neck. This is something I'm used to, so not really any problem there. But if I manage to tuck my hands up around my shoulders and sleep that way through the night, I wake up with wrinkly hands that itch like mad. The wrinkles are akin to when you spend too much time in the tub. Why do they itch? And what can I do to alleviate the itchiness?

I don't use any skin treatments currently, nor am I experiencing any skin issues aside from this occasional one.