Itching my way to insanity
December 4, 2017 7:30 PM   Subscribe

YANMD and I plan on going to one, but would like to know what I'm in for because it might be a few days before I can get in. Details and pics inside.

Started on my calves (pic1) (pic2) (pic3) now on my hip, possibly NSFW but pretty sure you can't see anything,(pic4) and basically I feel like itching all over at this point even though I'm sure that's not the case.

I've done the moisturizing thing with aloe lotion, didn't help. I've done the selenium sulfide, didn't help. Should I just take an oatmeal bath??? I'm doing *really* good about not scratching but sometimes I fail.
posted by one4themoment to Health & Fitness (14 answers total)
 
Response by poster: Those are just sample pics but it's basically all over my lower legs (knee to ankle) not my feet and not above my knee until the whole hip thing.
posted by one4themoment at 7:34 PM on December 4, 2017


What has changed over the last week?
posted by halogen at 7:37 PM on December 4, 2017


You can try topical cortisone or Benadryl cream, or take some Benadryl orally. That is likely some sort of reaction/rash of some sort, so an anti-allergy medicine, or just a topical anti-itch cream.

However, IANAD, and I defer to any doctors who come in and have different ideas. But that is what I would do.
posted by brainmouse at 7:37 PM on December 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


Could be chigger bites? Those itch like absolutely crazy. If so, my experience is you just have to wait it out.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:39 PM on December 4, 2017


Response by poster: Nothing has changed in the last week really, it's progressed super slow so I'm not alarmed. The hip itch is the newest and it started maybe a week and a half ago? My first guess was fungal hence the selenium sulfide.
posted by one4themoment at 7:41 PM on December 4, 2017


Maybe eczema 'the itch that rashes'? It can definitely be maddening. When mine has been out of control, the doctor always had the best stuff (prescriptive steroidal ointments).
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:48 PM on December 4, 2017


There’s no harm in trying the oatmeal bath. Pulverize some oatmeal fine as you can and mix with cool water (it should look milky). Soak the affected area as long as you can stand it, then let it air dry.

This is what I did when suffering from a terrible mystery rash that no doctor wanted to treat due to my pregnancy. It didn’t clear up the rash at all, but it helped some with the itch and kept me from completely scratching my brains out until the weak steroid cream I was eventually prescribed kicked in.
posted by Diagonalize at 8:17 PM on December 4, 2017


I had a case of hives on both legs that only answered to Benadryl cream. Not the gooey Caladryl slime, but the cream in a tube.

My hives were accused of being viral or fungal, but ultimately didn’t respond to fungicide or register as any virus on lab work. They did FEEL really allergic — inflamed and itchy from WITHIN, the way mosquito bites do, and I had a history of weird skin reactions when I walked past some random plant outside. Eventually, whatever was triggering the reaction seemed to depart from the background scenery of my life, and I hope I don’t meet it again.

Good luck finding the culprit. In the meantime, slather on that Benadryl cream.
posted by armeowda at 8:40 PM on December 4, 2017


Go see a doctor - s/he can prescribe a higher % cortisone cream that will take care of it in short order - and also catch if something not right is going on.
posted by Toddles at 9:22 PM on December 4, 2017 [1 favorite]


The winter eczema season just started, with the recent drop in temperature and humidity.
posted by JimN2TAW at 5:32 AM on December 5, 2017


Have you changed any of your soaps? How you wash your clothes or linens? How about your diet? Do you go to a gym? Athletes foot and ringworm are something you may have picked up there. Cortizone creams and Benadryl are awesome. Lotrimin is good for fungal things.
posted by PJMoore at 6:32 AM on December 5, 2017


Ah, that does look familiar - the itching is damned maddening, ain't it?

I've had good results with anti-fungals - as PJMoore said, looks like a variety of ringworm (especially Pic 3) - tolnaftate and clotrimazole. Both are cheap and available OTC, so definitely worth a try. But of course, IANAD.

But anyway, good luck on a cure. I feel your pain, bro!
posted by dono at 7:20 AM on December 5, 2017


Itching is awful; you have my sympathy.

Based on past experience, if you notice that your skin gets hot to the touch or red, especially over a large area, you may want to go to the doctor as soon as you can possibly get in; I had a very scary bout of cellulitis several years ago that started with an itchy rash and then became a conflagration of Bad. If you start seeing signs of infection, jump on it.

Otherwise, the big thing is to try to keep yourself from scratching because you'll do yourself more damage...
posted by oblique red at 7:40 AM on December 5, 2017


That looks like my winter dry-chafy-itches-so-bad-I-end-up-whacking-it-with-something-because-pain-is-the-only-thing-that-helps leg crap. Clean sheets, lukewarm/cold showers, oatmeal soap, drying thoroughly, then massaging in two coats of Cerave makes it stop.
posted by notquitemaryann at 7:12 PM on December 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


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