I need HELP! I can't stop ITCHING!!!

[writteninkursive]

Okay... so here's the story.

After I had DS in Aug 09, I had this itching thing going on. It started about 24 hours after he was born, and the hosp staff assured me it was a reaction to the bazillion drugs I was given during the c-section (growl). I let it go, but it was REALLY annoying. It lasted for about 3 weeks after his birth. I used cortizone cream, which helped to some extent and eventually determined that maybe it was PUPPP... because this was my first boy and I guess PUPPP is a reaction of the male DNA in the female body. It made sense. And it went away. I just thought it was unusual that it should happen AFTER he was out of my body.

No problem until about four weeks ago. I had a really, really heavy incidence of vaginal bleeding. I had to use a tampon and three pads at a time and change them every 30 minutes. SOOO much blood. I went to the ER for the bleeding, in which they did precisely nothing and I got a bill for over $2k... . But in the ER before we left, DH pointed out this bright red rash in the shape of a pad on my pubic area. It was hellishly itchy, and I put some cortizone cream on it, which made it way worse.
Days went by and the itching waxed and waned (mostly waxed). I discovered that Benadryl helped to an extent and decided I must have been allergic to the adhesive on the pads (I do have an allergy to adhesive in the form of band-aids and medical tape, but I have never had a reaction to pads before). The rash where the pad was went away (although the skin was leathery and thick for awhile), and seemingly... emerged elsewhere throughout my body.
So the original rash is completely gone. But I have itchy hives on my armpits, my neck, my chest, my arms and legs, my earlobes. The only place I never get the itchy rash is on my head, my hands, my feet, and for the most part my trunk. You can't always even SEE a rash... it's just ITCHY AS %$&* and once I scratch it, little red bumps emerge.
I've tried to consider every possibility. That maybe it wasn't that pads... that maybe we had bedbugs (nope), that maybe we had fleas (nope... and I've had fleabites before and this is DIFFERENT), that maybe it was an allergy to laundry detergent (although it's the same kind we've always used), that it's something I'm eating (can't point to anything). I am just out of options. I don't know what to do and Benadryl really does very little help anymore. I've built up an apparent tolerance to it, and have to take like 3 to get the itching to stop now, and then I'm sooo tired and this is just not realistic with our lifestyle.

ANY advice at all (other than "see a doctor" - we don't have health insurance and they never do anything helpful anyway) is appreciated!

[tessie]

Could it be latex allergy? I think latex is found in adhesives? You could try staying away from it for a few days and seeing if it improves at all? Unfortunately this more than likely means going without underwear for a few days.

I'd also try other medication, although I don't know what you can get OTC where you live. A bath with either oats (stick oatmeal in an old popsock and tie to the tap) or baking soda may help soothe the itch.

Hope you feel better soon.

[writteninkursive]

Thanks for the suggestions. No, it's not a latex allergy (have worn latex gloves and used condoms for years with no side affects). I went without undies for about 4 days after the bleeding stopped to let the pubic-area rash heal.

I'm trying not to use any medications, but I wake up in the morning with deep scratches all over my arms and legs and chest.

I'll try the baking soda bath, and oatmeal if that doesn't work. Thanks!

[Crafty]

http://www.medicinenet.com/hives/article.htm Chronic hives?

[mbravebird]

Have you tried acupuncture? When I had itching after my first pregnancy, acupuncture got rid of it in three sessions, with a noticeable improvement after each session. Hope you feel better soon. Itching is awful...

[karika]

I would guess it is food related, without a doubt. Are you already GFCFSF? I changed how we eat a few months ago. Both dds had itchy patches which resolved without casein in our diet. Also, I had a horrible cough that only went away when I stopped ingesting canola oil in any measurable amount. I even used only organic (if it isn't organic, it is GMO). So recently, I decided to trail it again by eating some of dd1's Earth Balance soy free spread on my rice. I had it in a few other things, but only small amounts. I broke out in a rash on the tops of my feet that really drove me insane. I tried so hard not to scratch, and when I did, I would scratch it raw so that a small amount of blood would be there. I tried coconut oil/ tea tree oil which is my go to remedy for everything. It would help but only if I reapplied often. Straight GSE helped, but had to be washed off a few hours later because it can irritate also. I also tried a hydrocortisone cream that exdh has here, and it made it worse. I figured out it was the new reaction to canola, stopped ingesting it, and it healed finally (had it for about 3 weeks).

My first advice to you would be to pull anything that is GMO from your diet. This would include all HFCS, anything with soy ingredients (vitamin e is soy, alpha tocopherol is soy, there are master lists of all the names for dairy and soy and gluten). If it is not labeled organic or specifically non GMO, it has GMO ingredients. This means most of the foods in a typical grocery store have GMO ingredients. There are no labeling laws in place yet. GMO foods are manifesting as coughs, rashes, fertility issues and more IMO according to the science I have read.

My second advice is to pull all dairy and soy. These commonly manifest as skin issues. If this is not enough, pull corn, then gluten. Maybe even canola, maybe you have the same thing going on that I did. The allergy forum may be more helpful.

[JaneS]

Vitamin C works the same way as Benadryl to neutralize histamine (but you cannot patent a natural vitamin, so therefore hardly anyone knows!)

So... you can either go with sodium ascorbate to bowel tolerance (sa is the form that is buffered, so you can take more than ascorbic acid form). You can make your own sa with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts ascorbic acid.

Or... you can go with my personal favorite, whole foods vit. C with the bioflavonoids in amla, acerola or camu powder. Bioflavonoids in whole vit. C keep the C circulating in the body, chemical forms such as sa and ascorbic acid wash out in an hour or so. You also don't have to take as much whole C, 250mg. is the upper limit. I've had major success with hay fever and whole food C that chemical forms don't tough (and cause me digestive upset).

[ctdoula]

I had a very similar thing happen last summer to me!!! I had an infected tooth & took a 10day course of amoxicillin. On day 10 I started getting hives (allergic reaction). They were a horrible nightmare for a few days (benedryl was the only thing that saved me). But for over a MONTH afterwards, I was itchy itchy itchy. It was different areas, no rash, but if I scratched giant welts appeared.

I basically rode it out & would take benedryl when it got to the point when I couldn't take it anymore. I also resisted the urge to scratch because that seemed to make it worse. I really feel like the more I scratched, the more it itched & it was a self-purpetuating cycle. I really needed to get a few days behind me (I felt it was like breaking the cycle) & eventually took a few regular doses of benedryl to keep it at bay. That seemed to help & it slowly faded away.

Honestly, I would dry a few days of major benedryl to break the cycle. At this point, what do you have to lose?