My skin itches all over, every day, unless I take an antihistamine.

October 12, 2018 9:01 AM

This has been going on for more than a year. The itching is mild, not extreme. There are no rashes, dryness or flaking anywhere, except a little bit in my scalp.

My health is normal. I do have mild allergies to airborne pollen, and some fruits/vegetables if eaten.

What's going on? Please limit open-ended speculation, and I prefer answers founded on conventional, evidence-based medicine rather than holistic medicine, naturopathy, etc.

Thanks.

posted by wutangclan to Health & Fitness (31 answers total)

Forgive me if this is obvious, but since you don't mention it...have you tried swapping out your soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, etc?
posted by phunniemee at 9:03 AM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I don't use any creams, gels, etc on my skin or hair.

I barely use any soap when bathing (only on armpits and crotch), and shampoo only once a month (if that).
posted by wutangclan at 9:03 AM on October 12, 2018

Nobody can diagnose you here. Have you seen an allergist about this recent development?
posted by bondcliff at 9:05 AM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: DETERGENT ... did not think of that. Thanks for the suggestion, phunniemee, will keep that in mind.
posted by wutangclan at 9:05 AM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

SSRIs can do this, as can withdrawal from SSRIs and withdrawal from Zyrtec.
posted by tofu_crouton at 9:08 AM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: bondcliff, I am aware with the limitations of diagnosis by internet, but I do find AskMeFi useful for exploring possibilities, especially those that I haven't thought of (e.g. detergent).

The soonest that I can see an allergist is 3 weeks from now, so it doesn't hurt to ask around in the meantime.
posted by wutangclan at 9:08 AM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: tofu, I have not been on SSRIs for over 10 years. I am not on any medication except antihistamines.
posted by wutangclan at 9:09 AM on October 12, 2018

A lot of wheat products and modified food starch makes my skin itch.
posted by humboldt32 at 9:12 AM on October 12, 2018

Mod note: wutangclan, please just let people respond to the information you've given them. You don't need to (and shouldn't) respond to everything or repeat yourself. If someone says something unuseful, feel free to ignore it.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:23 AM on October 12, 2018

I'd definitely start with the detergent and dry skin ideas. For detergent, try using something like Tide Free or the products made for babies, like Dreft. You want to avoid those dyes and fragrances as much as possible. Also remember it's going to take a while to cycle through all your sheets/towels/clothes so you may still be having a reaction to stuff that's been washed in the older detergent.

For the dry skin: gentle exfoliating (don't go too rough!) when you're in shower/bath, and then a mild lotion. Might be a good idea to start without dyes or fragrances there too.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:23 AM on October 12, 2018

One other thing that's very easy to try: consider lowering your shower temperature. Hot showers feel great while you're in them, but they're hell on the skin.
posted by asperity at 9:28 AM on October 12, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: I have been taking Zyrtec since before it was an over-the-counter medication (probably about 15-20 years straight). If I do not take it for a couple of days, my hands begin to itch like crazy. It is unbearable. If I take my med, it goes away. So don't rule out the anti-histimine as the source of the problem.
posted by possibilityleft at 9:41 AM on October 12, 2018 [4 favorites]

Liver damage can cause itching.
posted by jbenben at 9:42 AM on October 12, 2018 [3 favorites]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but I have another possibility to offer: stress. I go through bouts of (often severe) itching, despite daily antihistamines, gentle detergents, no perfumes, etc. I suffered through another major one this summer, with itching so bad that I had bruised skin from scratching. After multiple dermatologist visits and even a biopsy, the verdict was simply that it was hives. I tried steroid creams and injections, twice-daily eczema creams, etc., with little relief for over six weeks. I had been in the middle of a lot of weird stress... family issues, work challenges, even a bizarre and very upsetting interaction with a stranger. Then, my life calmed down a bit -- we went on an extended family camping trip in a remote area -- and it all suddenly went away. So, while my advice may sound silly, take care of yourself otherwise. Make sure you're getting rest and lower your stress levels, and see if that might help. Maybe I'm the only one who erupts in itching as a stress response, but it can't hurt to try. :)
posted by hessie at 9:44 AM on October 12, 2018 [7 favorites]

Cholestasis causes intense itching without any rash or external cause. It’s caused by a buildup of bile from the liver. Might be worth investigating if no external causes can be found. My sister had cholestasis of pregnancy during her last pregnancy and the itching is absolutely miserable.
posted by catatethebird at 9:47 AM on October 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Seconding hessie. I get itchy, up to actual hives, when I have existential stress. Money, usually, or when I realize I should break up with someone.
posted by rhizome at 10:30 AM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

See a doctor, a blood test can tell if your liver is aggravated. Not a bad idea to stop alcohol, if any, for a while.
Find the mildest unscented detergent for your clothes, wash them only when really needed.
Use mild unscented soap. Oatmeal is said to be soothing, and it shoudn't be too hard to find hand made soap with oatmeal. Liquid 'soap' is almost always detergent based; soap is milder, as far as I know. Consider using baby wash.
Most parts of your body don't need soap, so take your shower, but only soap the sweaty places. I do this in winter when it's dry and my skin is itchy.
Wash your hair less often. I'm washing my long thick hair about every 3 - 4 days and it doesn't need more.
posted by theora55 at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2018

If you're not using any skin creams, you could have dry skin. Look for dermatologist-recommended, unscented products from brands like Cetaphil and CeraVe.
posted by radioamy at 10:51 AM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

Have you had a Patch Test? You should ask the allergist to schedule one. I had the North American Series, but they'll be able to advise. It sucks, but it's worth it.

I'm allergic to dye, for example, orange, blue, and black. Jeans give me a rash. I'm also allergic to innumerable other things, including adhesives, fragrances, metals (did you know that there's cobalt in multivitamins? I do now!), and additives. Most of my allergies are super mild but taken all together I was having severe skin issues for years before I figured it out.
posted by lydhre at 11:35 AM on October 12, 2018

Try using soap on your whole body when you shower or bathe, and shampoo more than once a month. It could just be dead/dry/dirty skin.
posted by colorblock sock at 12:08 PM on October 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

A family member has polycythemia, and has had liver disease which was related to the polycythemia, and both conditions can cause terrible itching. It's impossible to tell whether you have either of these, though.
posted by altolinguistic at 1:06 PM on October 12, 2018

Seconding (or thirding?) hessie. I used to have terrible "allergies" - mostly rhinitis, but also bouts of hives and itching. Was patch tested by derm and discovered I am allergic to nothing. He told me that, anecdotally, when he has patients like me who clearly have allergy symptoms, but don't react to anything, it's usually women between the ages of 40 and 60. The prime stress years. Now, when I start to sneeze and itch, I can take steps to reduce the stress, and the symptoms disappear.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 1:07 PM on October 12, 2018

(4th?-ing) -- You have an issue with your skin, and dermatologists are doctors specializing in the skin. It could be stress, detergent, whatever, but the place to start is talking to a trained medical professional.
posted by matrixclown at 1:39 PM on October 12, 2018

Yes! Skin is our biggest organ, cleaning your pores and exfoliating is actually really really healthy!
posted by jbenben at 1:39 PM on October 12, 2018

I would think you should start with a regular doctor and let them suggest specialists that you could try (maybe make the allergist appointment now if you don't want to delay it further, but just go to a GP in the meantime).

If you're itching ALL OVER rather than because of actual skin irritation, it could be something systemic that you'd want to rule out upfront and ASAP with blood tests and such.
posted by space snail at 6:37 PM on October 12, 2018

Itchiness can be a symptom of thyroid issues, so you might want to have your doctor do a thyroid panel to check.
posted by SarahElizaP at 6:42 PM on October 12, 2018

Dust mite allergy?

They make me itchy like crazy if I don't take my daily Allegra.
posted by Sauce Trough at 9:17 PM on October 12, 2018

Itchiness is also a symptom of kidney disease.
posted by pushing paper and bottoming chairs at 4:17 PM on October 13, 2018

I was having this problem and it was because the down in my pillow had escaped my allergy control pillow case and was all over my bed. I went back to a foam pillow and it's much better now.

If you're a woman and the right age, perimenopause can cause all sorts of weirdness.
posted by fiercekitten at 11:55 PM on October 13, 2018

Response by poster: Conclusive answer: antihistamine dependence (especially in the case of cetirizine aka Reactine, Zyrtec, which is exactly what I take) ... the itching is a documented withdrawal symptom: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5124431/

So I had to go cold turkey on the pills and just put up with the insane itching for about a week, but it eventually went away.
posted by wutangclan at 12:28 AM on November 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

Very interesting! A reason to flip around to Claritin and others from time to time.
posted by rhizome at 9:36 AM on November 1, 2018