Itching!

[stonecreek]

DO ANY OF YOU ITCH? I KNOW IT HAS TO DO WITH THE PMR OR THE PRED. mY ANKLES ITCH , THE TOPS OF BOTH HANDS ITCH, MY LEGS, MY CHEST! I CAN HARDLY STAND IT! TOOK BENADRYL AND ALL KIND OF ITCH CREAMS. I CALLED THE RUMMIE AND THEY SAID CALL MY GP DR. I CALL HIM AND HE SAYS GO TO THE RUMMIE. AM I ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM? I TAKE 2,5 MG. PRED. THANKS MUCH STONECREEK

[Hidden]

Hi stone creek, oh it is so irritating when it happens. I have had several bouts of itching that lasted up to a couple of weeks. I have gone through everything I use and nothing changed. But as pointed out to me it doesn't mean manufacturers haven't changed something. I took the dye off my coated pred but no difference, then it stopped as quickly as it started. You are doing the right things. I ended up using double based gel and everytime I itched I put the gel on. Given that it ended of its own accord twice at higher doses of pred I don't know if dry skin was the problem. There are several related posts on it. Fingers crossed it goes. It almost had me crying in frustration several times.🌻

[jinasc]

Check with your Gp that it is not Hives.........this not a common side effect but it is a side affect. It is one of the known 83 (we can add two.......Brain Fog and Treacle Brain they are not listed😉😉

Prednisone oral tablet can cause a serious allergic reaction in some people. This reaction can cause a skin rash, which can include: ... red, itchy rash that affects one or more patches of skin.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

A lot of people complain of having developed allergies/itching and it may be related to the immune system dysfunction that also underlies PMR. At higher doses of pred these allergic reactions may be suppressed but as the dose reduces they appear.

I developed an allergy to something in wheat starch, definitely not gluten. At higher doses of pred I could eat wheat without much problem, I can't at lower doses. I noted when the symptoms appeared/disappeared in relation to what I had been eating and decided wheat was involved. No wheat, no itch.

[stonecreek in reply to PMRpro]

thanks a bunch

[Christophene]

No I do not itch. I am on 8mg Prednisone. But ordinary Witch Hazel works well for itching when I have had mosquito bites. I do not take any coated Prednisone. If you are taking an opiate type painkiller like codeine or tramadol, they do cause itching.

It could be seasonal ,exposure to plants,sun, insect bite,etc. I have dry skin and if my scalp itches,it's time for a shampoo. Not everything we experience is related to PMR or Prednisone or drugs for vasculitis.

New laundry detergent? New soap? New medication? New fabric? Pets in home? Fleas from pets? Insect bite you may not have felt? If it really bugs you, ( no pun intended) 'you should see your GP.If he can't help, ask for a dermatology or allergy consult .If you have air conditioning, a filter may need to be changed.

Is there a particular part of your body that itches? Or all over? Sorry for your discomfort. You ironically may need a topical cortisone cream. I have a prescription for 2.5% hydrocortisone cream for "in case". I never use it, but I do take it with me on vacation b/c very vulnerable to mosquito bites. In US. 1% hydrocortisone cream can be bought over the counter. Ice will help if there are particular places. Avoid very hot showers or baths. You will itch more.

Maybe an allergy to something in your diet? Best ....

[Christophene]

And just thought, no perfumes, essential oils (made me itch terribly) scents, bath salts,; cosmetics non-allergenic) try not to scratch. I imagine that would be hard. Likely will go away. I recall being on Penicillin once and it caused itching. I was only 14; I had a bout with nasal polyps; they were from allergies to things you can't avoid like mold,fungus,pollen etc. They had to be surgically removed,but my allergist who did all the testing was furious with surgeons who gave me penicillin which caused me to itch. I remember the allergist calling and yelling at the surgeon. "Who gives an allergic child penicillin?" The allergist was ahead of his time and custom made a serum for me which he gave to my father to give to our local GP to give me a shot once a week. I grew out of all that and into PMR.

[Marymon]

When I go to bed after about half an hour I get hives on my hips, lasts for an hour or so. It started when I got to about 8mg and I have put it down to an allergy to tomatoes. Now on 5.5 mg and still with me.

I find a bag of peas or similar from the freezer wrapped in a towel does the trick. Aloe Vera

lotion or Calomine lotion cools them off.

[Thomas45]

I no longer have PMR. I did get down to no prednisolone, except when I have had bouts of asthma, and my inflammation markers are normal. I still follow PMR discussion.

What I now have is another auto-immune disease, chronic urticaria (hives) and food intolerances. It came about as a very rare side effect of a beta blocker, prescribed by a well-meaning hospital doctor when my irregular heart rate went over 200 beats per minute during an operation to remove my appendix.

After 7 weeks, on Christmas Eve 2017, I started having intermittent painful rashes anywhere on my body. I am prescribed antihistamines.

After about a further 7 months I've developed food intolerances. I can no longer eat granary bread, oranges, grapes, tomatoes, bananas or tomatoes without getting very painful rashes.

I see it as an auto-immune disease as for 7weeks some ingredient of the beta blocker had a reaction which my body couldn't stand any longer and so created rashes. The first GP I saw didn't believe it was caused by a beta blocker so I took it for another month before another GP in the same medical practice assured me that the beta blocker was the cause. It then took two months to be weaned off the beta blocker.

I still have urticaria, sometimes painful. I'm told my body will go back to how it was before the beta blocker but it may take several years, or it could be sooner.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Thomas45]

I had the same problem with an ACE inhibitor, luckily while still in hospital - the consultant recognised it immediately I showed it him but i'd had 2 or 3 days of it getting worse because the ward staff were a bit brainless, one nurse offered me a wet washcloth to ease the itch!! Now I do my own research and make a bigger fuss about drug problems,

[Linny3]

I know just what you mean. I am going to itch the skin off of my ankles. My head gets really itchy. I spent quite a bit of money trying out different shampoos and conditioners until I decided it is the pmr/pred causing it.

One note; an old wives tale says 'if your palms itch , you will come into money.'

Just a thought

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Linny3]

Has it worked yet? Hasn't for me!!!

[Charlie1boy]

Hi,

I think I put out a post on this subject about a month or two ago.

Anyway a lady in our village told us about a year or two ago that if you suffer from itching, then check all your washing materials/ hair shampoos etc etc to see if any of them contain chloromethylisothiazolinone. If they do, then it is recommended that you change them.

I know that this has worked for some people, but I am no medic., so no guarantees!!!

Good luck.

Paddy

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Charlie1boy]

It may appear as methylchloroisothiazolinone - chemists aren't fussy!

[Bfp1]

Hi I have outbursts of itching on thigh and both feet. I take anti histamene immediately as nothing else helps. It is unbearable. I put cold water on them and rub cream into them while waiting for the anti histamene. I don’t know what it’s linked to but am going to explore as it is so itchy I feel like I want to rip my skin apart and and have done so in the past. Let me know. I have anti histamene in every room and every bag such do I need it suddenly.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bfp1]

Why not take an antihistamine regularly if it helps?

[Bfp1]

Total empathy. I could rip my feet off and a patch on my thigh. I take anti histamene. Tablets. Cetirizine and fexonfenadine. Benadryl just makes one dozy. And still suffering. Loads of moitstiriser proper stuff dermal every day. Much worse when I overhear. It just starts randomly. The

Other day I sat

With feet in cold

Water waiting. I have told all docs as it is I tolerable. I have had it before for a while but never as bad as

This. Ripped my skin and bruised myself

With a credit card to try to stop it. Good luck xx