Eosinophilic asthma and itching!

[Sunnydays1982]

Hi everyone! I have eosinophilic asthma which is well controlled with fostair 200, montelukast, fexofenadine, dymista nasal spray. BUT I am getting sone itching on my body which is driving me mad....can anyone advise if the two could be linked? I have upped my antihistamines so hoping that helps. Thank you! 😊

[madonbrew]

Hello,

I’m just in the process of being diagnosed with eosinophilic asthma and I get really bad itchies on my legs mainly and my face sometimes. Maybe there is a link?

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

Yes maybe, I am completely under control so not sure if it’s a medication side effect or eosinophilic symptom? Driving me mad! 😫

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

I know what you mean! Sometimes I nearly make my legs bleed with scratching.

The meds that I take the same as you are Fostair and montelukast..I take certirizine which has always felt like a miracle tablet in the scheme of sneezing 🤧, but not sure about the itching. Hmm... do you use any moisturiser to help?

[madonbrew in reply to madonbrew]

.. I just looked up side effects of Fostair and it does say itching actually

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

Oh noooo! I love the Fostair 200!! I’ll be so annoyed if it’s that...🤦🏼‍♀️

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

How long have you been taking it?

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

Just over a year now 😬

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Does it feel like it coincides with your itchiness timeframe?

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

No it doesn’t actually as I ve only been itching since the beginning of the summer...as the weather got warmer. I don’t have a rash just itch..which makes it harder to know what exactly is causing it!! 😫

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Maybe it is simply the heat. Do you have any other health issues? ....no need to answer that, but sometimes other things can cause itchiness too.

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

Yes it most certainly could be . No, I don’t have anything else other than eosinophilic asthma (that’s enough!🤣) and I am fit & healthy...so easy to blame the asthma on any other symptom!! It’s such a vague symptom...could be anything really but I ve exhausted so many other causes..washing detergent, shower gel etc I am at a loss!

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Hmm, tricky! Yes ask your doctor or even the pharmacist can sometimes advise.

I can’t pinpoint mine either although I also have chronic kidney failure so possibly that could be the cause?? But interesting that you have it too.Likewise, I don’t have a rash.

Aaaaggghhhg!!!! 😩😩😩

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

Oh bless you! I hope you get sorted too and I’ll certainly keep you updated 👍🏻😊

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

You too! 😊

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to madonbrew]

I have tried loads of different ones but none really cure it as such and I find it’s Much worse when I am hot. My doctor has advised increasing my antihistamines so I m going to try that but might speak to my consultant to see what he thinks! If it helps I will report back on it 👍🏻

[madonbrew in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Yes I would agree it’s worse when I’m hot! I used to always wear long leg pjs to bed but my legs get so hot and itchy I can’t anymore otherwise I don’t sleep.

Yes please let me know!

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

I have non-eosinophilic, non-allergic asthma but also hayfever (which weirdly doesn't really affect the asthma!)

I used to take my fexofenadine only in spring/summer but then noticed I got really itchy when I wasn't taking it - again not a rash but just itchy especially feet/arms. I restarted the fexofenadine and it stopped, tried stopping again and it started up. So in my case it did seem to be somehow allergy-related and helped by antihistamines.

Obviously you're already on the antihistamines so maybe it isn't that - but guess you can see if increasing them helps; I found it wasn't immediately obvious that it helped.

Or as others said it could be a medication reaction, but odd if you haven't started anything recently, and you've ruled out stuff like washing powder which I thought of. A food, or a change in ingredients of something you have a lot?

[SFExpat]

If you haven’t tried E45 Anti Itch cream, do. It isn’t a solution, but may give you some relief in the meantime!

[ninelives]

Hope you find a resolution soon.

The itching inside my ears drives me more loopy that usually am!

[dicof]

I am on the exact same medication as you except a different antihistamine. I have terrible itching of my arms which I always get in the summer- no rash ( except where I make it bleed from scratching) Mine started before all the medication ( I only developed asthma this March) and didn’t respond to moisturisers, antihistamines or steroid cream. I use an ice pack( wrapped up) on my arms to cool it down at night and I’ve found occasional use of a local anaesthetic cream( lidocaine) helps. But you can’t use that if it’s all over- mine is localised you my forearms.

Poor you- I know how awful itching is- especially when it gets worse when you go to bed

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to dicof]

Thanks for your reply! I didn’t realise so many have this annoying itchiness!! 😫

Did your consultant say it could be linked to your asthma?

[dicof in reply to Sunnydays1982]

I didn’t ask and didn’t associate it as I’ve had it a few years and asthma only this year! But I guess they might be related. Certainly eczema and asthma are and I do get generally dry skin

Maybe worth asking your consultant next time?

Good luck

[Singinglouder]

I have allergic asthma, and started itching dreadfully a few weeks ago - legs and feet in my case, probably from a non asthma med. I was on triple dose cetirizine, but remembered that I always used to go through 2 or 3 antihistamines a season for hay fever cos each stopped working after a while - mentioned it to the gp, who swapped me to fexofenadine - no more itch. He also prescribed cream while the tablets kicked in - can’t check name at the moment, but it was mentholated & so smelly I could only use it at bedtime. Worked tho!

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to Singinglouder]

Thanks for that info! Funnily enough the doctor has just prescribed me some menthol cream so I’ll see if that helps. That’s interesting that the antihistamines need to be changed...I have been on fexofenadine for a while now. I’ll up the dose and see how I go 😊

[Singinglouder in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Don't know how widespread the resistance to a particular antihistamine is, or if it's just me being peculiar again, but thought it was worth mentioning! Hope the cream works, too 😊

[Singinglouder in reply to Singinglouder]

Menthoderm mine’s called - duh! Should have been able to guess that one 😂

[mylungshateme]

Hi I have severe uncontrolled allergic asthma and eosinophilic asthma too. I'm on spiriva, relvar 184/22, montelukast, avamys, loratadine. I have horrendous itch too, was on fexofenadine 180mg then it was doubled due to itch on hands, feet and leg swelling and hives... ended up being referred to hot clinic for bloods and chest xray but all ok. In the end it was thought reaction to fexofenadine so it switched back to loratadine all seemed to calm down at least to a more manageable point until this week 😱😬 flared up again... only difference is my prednisolone has been decreasing by 10mg weekly so now on 10mg maintenance dose as opposed to 40mg. Am also confused about this itch? It's awful and almost makes hands and feet sore... also some kind of rash on my chest this time. 🥴 if you find a cause or solution please let me know!!! 🤣😂👌maybe just part of eosinophilic asthma as a few of you seem to have it? Are any of you on biologics out of interest? I'm on waiting list.. x🙂 p.s also take 12mg piriton ontop and double loratadine and prescribed zerobase gel and emollient also a menthol cooling cream but nothing seems to work.

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to mylungshateme]

Thanks for your reply! My itching is mainly my chest area! I have increased the antihistamines to 2 x 120mg fexofenadine...started yesterday and things have calmed down a bit today...thank goodness! Hopefully that’s all I need to do!! Will let you know if I can shed any light on the situation when I have spoken to my consultant.

Def seems as though it’s another quirk of allergic asthma! 🙄

[mylungshateme in reply to Sunnydays1982]

It's very strange it seems asthma is far more complex than what the general public are led to believe 😂🤣. Were a quirky bunch! Haha. Yea I have it on my chest too with a strange like cluster of spots which aren't acne or hives.. no idea but I've left a voicemail with respiratory nurses! So if I get any info I'll let you know! 🙂

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Hi

Eosinophilia (high eos) have been linked to itchiness/urticaria/angiodema etc in the past i think tho I’m not sure if the levels 😅.

For me I have ‘idiopathic angiodema and chronic urticaria’ but I can also get the urticaria triggered (like from grass which I’m allergic to or cold). I don’t know if you get a rash/hives/swelling alongside your itchiness but if you do it’s worth taking a photo when it’s flared and showing your docs 😅. So far all I’ve found that helped is antihistamines really (or for the angiodema cold therapy 😅). I know that both urti and angi can also be triggered by excessive IgE (for allergic asthmatics) (I have both eosinophilic and atopic asthma so I’m not 100% sure on the root of mine 😅)

And it’s commonly know that there’s a strong connection between asthma and eczema

Hope this helps 😅

[mylungshateme in reply to EmmaF91]

I think we're just highly allergic people.. 🤣😂🤪 the Joy's of asthma, Hayfever and eczema..

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to mylungshateme]

Yep! Although I had loads of allergy tests and they couldn’t find what i m allergic too! 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️ It’s like a needle in a haystack....so I just think ‘give me all the meds and i‘ll be happy!!’ 🤣🤣

[mylungshateme in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Out of interest are you on prednisolone? Something respiratory nurse said yesterday she thought I'd maybe become a bit immunocompromised with steroids and that's a part to play in itching. At least that's what I think she said I'll double check when moved to respiratory ward. 🤪

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to mylungshateme]

Hey! No I m not, only my steroid inhaler. I ve increased my antihistamines and I think that’s helping now...will see how it goes!!! Hope you are better soon ☺️

[mylungshateme in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Aww there goes that theory then 😂🤣🤪. And thank you.

[Sunnydays1982]

Hi everyone! An update on the itching! A dermatologist has diagnosed me with Cholinergic urticaria! I have never heard of this but is linked to asthma. I have an increase of medication to sort this out 🙌🏻😊

[kdr112]

Do you mind sharing what medicine he gave you for the itch? I have it terribly.

[Sunnydays1982 in reply to kdr112]

Yes sure! So he had said 180mg of fexofenadine x 3 times a day and to up my montelukast from 10mg at night to 20mg. Also just to note we found I am iron deficient so that also makes you itch! As I was already on a low dose of fexofenadine and the 10mg montelukast he said that’s why I have no rash & only itch...if I wasn’t on them he said I would be covered in hives. I hope that helps?? 😊

[kdr112 in reply to Sunnydays1982]

Thank you very much!