Random question to you all….I have ET, I’m on Pegasys and have been for a few years, I also take aspirin. This year I’ve been bitten a lot (I have always been a tasty meal for little bugs!) and whilst I try not to scratch the bites we all know that sometimes it’s not possible. I’ve found that my skin is quite fragile and a little scratch has caused a lot of damage to my skin. Has anyone else found this? Is it due to the meds or ET? Or is this unrelated and just a symptom of getting older (I’m only 40)?
I’ve now discovered citronella bracelets and they seem to be keeping the bugs at bay.
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NCB1983
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While Pegasys can cause skin reactions like rashes and itching, I have never heard of it making the skin more fragile. There are other medications that can cause this issue as well as aging. You seem a bit young for aging to be the issue though.
I wonder if part if the issue is that the propensity of PEG to cause itching + a bug bite = more itching than usual. Not sure that there is any science to that thought.
PEG did cause some significant itching/rashes for me. Fortunately, a daily antihistamine (Zyrtec) resolved the issue.
Glad to hear you found the citronella bracelets. I use a similar carabiner tab I can attach to my belt or backpack.
I like the idea of the citronella bracelets, will try those, I get bitten a lot and use a few drops of citronella mixed into a small tub of skin cream-I use E45, put it on everywhere skin is exposed, very effective against midges.
I’m wearing one on my arm and one on the opposite leg as an anklet. Seem to have been effective this far! I like the citronella in moisturiser idea! When I’ve run out of bracelets I might try that!
Can’t put my finger on what is different, but before I was diagnosed I remember if I scratched my arm because of an itch, a spot could appear that bled a lot and would take a while to heal and if I knocked it, it would bleed again. I even went to the doctor once as on close inspection it looked like a tiny hole or minute crater, for want of better words to describe it. She did a referral but it never came through and I didn’t chase it because suddenly it went as quickly as it came. Have had a few of these occur over time but less since I have been on peg. I could even go as far as to say I think skin on my arms has thickened slightly but have noticed it has always been able to produce a ‘little spot’ if I scratch it too much. Not sure if this is similar to what you are experiencing but I put mine down to the ET when I look back in hindsight.
Hi, I have no experience of Peg but when my nephew who was in the army told me many of them take a spoonful of marmite every day 'to keep the flies off' I tried it on my horse, she loved it and it seemed to do the trick so I started taking it myself and had very few midgie bites after that. When I started on hydroxy NOTHING including my once loving cat would come anywhere near me....so hydroxy may be a bad boy but at least it keeps the flies off!
I am so going to try the marmite trick!! That would be amazing if it works for us! Beats smelling of citronella (which I don’t mind but it means there’s no point in wearing perfume!)
I’m glad I asked the random question on this blog site. Thank you everyone!
I love everyone's 'random' questions, it brings up some many interesting and often humorous responses. To be honest I dislike marmite but apart from 'keeping the flies off' it is also full of B vitamins so everyone's a winner.
I am also on aspirin and a blood thinner which I believe is the cause of my easy bruising. I had the problem long before I started Peg. So no I don't think it is the Peg.
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