Hi all,
I have hashimotos thyroiditis which is responding very well to NDT. My life has been made so much better since I started Thiroyd in January this year. However I do have a persistent problem with severe itching inside my ears which I understand is related to hypothyroidism, the GP's prescribed a spray which helps a bit but it smells like vinegar and stings like hell!!! I just wondered if anyone here has managed to get rid of this awful itch, and if so how??
TIA, Wendy x
Can I ask, is this the outer part of the canal that itches, maybe w flaky skin? It may be psoriasis/dermatitis/allergies and you can apply a little cortisone cream.
Try giving up sugar religiously for a week or two and see if it helps. If it does then it would suggest you might have some kind of yeast or fungus that thrives on sugar.
One that is common is candida. People think of it as being only relevant to thrush, but it can affect all parts of the body including the skin.
Another experiment you can try is buy some anti-histamines of the kind used by people for hay-fever. They can also be used for general allergies too. If you get an improvement in the itching it suggests that you may have an allergy to something in your diet or your environment. If the anti-histamines help then the difficulty comes when you try to find out what you might be allergic to...
If you decide to try either of these do the experiments separately so that you know which is helping (if either of them do).
I have excema in my ears anduse a cortisone cream.
Treepie, I was told it was eczema for a long time, but I only have eczema elsewhere when under extreme stress. So they gave me steriod drops which work, but I wasn't happy to take them long time. Eventually I read about fungal ear infections and looked for antifungals myself.
I use Eumovate cream occasionally and it seems to work.
Ears get hot and itchy at night when embedded in the pillow .
Yes, but what I am saying is that if its not eczema (quite possible if you don't have much elsewhere) and is fungal, then there is no need for steriods, and canesten will probably do the job better.
Ruthi,I did understand your point.Does the skin flake if fungal?
Yes, very much so. At times I scratched out huge plaques almost the size of my little fingernail! But mostly it was much smaller flakes. I am an expert at removing the flakes with various inappropriate instruments. A fine crochet hook, or kirby grip were favourites!
Gawd! the things I confess to on here! Don't tell my GP!
streuth,I use the arm of my specs,lately wrapped in a clean hankie as I kept getting nasty ear infections! Will bear canestan in mind ,think I used it for athletes foot ,not that I was ever an athlete.
LOL! Yes! I tried the arm of my specs, but not scratchy enough. I have been lucky and never caused an infection - but not for want of trying!
Canesten is usally the one they use for vaginal thrush. It was the only one of the antifungals I could find in an ear drop. My doctor suggested deliberately introducing Nizoral shampoo in my ears, but its difficult to dose accurately!
I have also used Canesten sucessfully for what was thought to be the start of Rosacea. When I told the GP what I had done, he said it could be used for that.
They are so grudging when we find our own solution, aren't they? When it should have been their idea in the first place!
I should be having at least half their pay!
Or we could adopt the ancient Chinese system and only pay them when we are well. All those endos would soon be broke!
There'll be an awful lot of poor Endos if NHS goes private!
Oh, I don't know. There seems to be a never ending stream of type 2 diabetics for them to poison with more and more insulin, rather than treating with diet. But they clearly find thyroid disease boring....
Some drugs (Hydrocortisone) can cause T2 Diabetes as well. It has also been said that not treating HypoT optimally can also lead to it. .
Menioning Thrush and Canestan made me think of two things : 1 could i have a fungal infection elsewhere that other creams had only ameliorated. So I got some Canestan after seeing it was good for ,don't laugh, jock itch!
2 . I remembered sitting outside our tent in the Cevennes some 30 plus years ago when my wife was approached by a young woman desperate for some treatment for thrush. All my wife could recommend was yoghurt until she could get to a pharmacy.
Cannot remember if I said avoid the fruit ones.
Hi Ruth
Just saw your post.you may be cured by now...... may help to share , that my son had the same ... quite simple ... steroids feed fungal infections ... hope your on a script fungal cream by now as canister may not be strong enough for the stage you may still be at?
And I had that on my head ... went away with a fungal cream script ... nystatin ...
All the best.
Therese.
Brisbane
Qld. Australia.
Well, things have changed a bit in five months. First I treated my Candida, and that enabled me to quit sugar, and go ketogenic, so virtually no carbs in my diet. As a result my ears are heaps better. I have learned of a treatment that kills the fungus most commonly involved in this condition and might eventually use that. But at the moment it's bearable.
Hi aruth
Great to hear your on top of your fungal infection😀
Abd that you chose the sugar free diet ... had to do the same .. is hard at first but, chromium really curbs sugar cravings too😀
DR. Sandra Coubot has a product called Metabocil ... on line is a great chromium formula too☺️
All the best .
'Therese.
I can't find her. Can you post a link, please?
Sorry, wrong spelling.
It's
Dr. Sandra Cobolt & she specialised in all Thyroid issues ... been in Tele... has books & worth visiting if your able.
Good luck.
Therese
I've got it right this time😀
Dr. Sandra Cabot
She seems to be a liver specialist - no wait, she is a specialist in everything judging by the number of subjects she has covered in her books! I tried to read/watch a 20 minute interview on thyroid on her site, and the link is absent or broken. Grrr!
I am seriously grumpy today!
I've taken chromium before with no effect, it was the candida with me. I am still an addict, but recovering (mostly!) And I have reached the stage of being thoroughly suspicious of almost all doctors.
Understand , u had candida years ago.. prescribed Nystatun pills ... & structly no yeast or sugars ... lots of healthier options to eat .
doctors are a plus for blood tests ... are not there to cure us but good st prescribing what is promoted & TGA listed ... we are guinea pigs... take the thyroxine & maintain a 6 mthly blood test...a healthy diet & light exercise for the rest of our lives is not a bad approach .
Yrs she writes books ... iof what she knows works Sandra's a Naturopathic Doctor & has / does treat Thyroid patients throughout the world ... she is very on top of Hashimotoes too.... but, we are in charge of our own bodies & the only ones that know when something's wrong ... blood tests are the only way of monitoring anyone's condition , for whatever reason?
Take your time researching her ... try adding . .Com .au
Her link will take you to her products too.. shows ingredients of the chromium formula is a blend that works as I tried it for years while taking thyroxine .
Anyway, ibtubg 60, i may have had more years of managing this then you ... trust me ... she's brilliant ... join her talk site & email alerts , are a great way to stay informed.
Bye now
Therese
Not sure if you have s good endroconoligist ?
Good to have one aside iof your doctor , keep them informed of your condition in between your doctor as they treat lots of patients with Hashies daily ,... doctors probably see one a month , if that.?Specialists have more experience & know of all the right blood tests or you could' be going around circles for life.
Unfortunately , we are prone to candida if our antibodies go haywire... is also part of Thyroid blood tests that your doctor eould gave fine.
Naturopaths Do know what Eitks with thyroxine & supports Hashimotoes.
I could'nt live without them all... have saved my life😀
Patience, commitment & staying healthy will be worth it ... just does'nt Happen overnight.😀
All the best
Therese
Sorry about the text misprint 😳😀going too fast ... & it's not the thyroxine ... 😀😀😀
Dr. Sandra Cobot clinics
&
Sandra Cobot.com
I have this too - wakes me in the night, doc. said just use moisturiser! Would you be kind enough to tell me what spray you use ? my annual bloods/ health check due and I want to get this sorted (if poss.!!!) Thanks
I'm on 150mcg of thyroxine
try changing pillows... my ear itch was caused by duck down/feather pillows
I have had this, or something like it, since long before my hypo started. In my case it is a fungal infection. Effectively it is dandruff in the ears.
Canesten solution (which is in drop form) is the best I found. It doesn't cure it, but keeps it at bay for a reasonable time.
The other thing that has made a huge difference to both my dandruff and ears, to the extent that neither itch very much any more, is changing to conditioner only hair washing. (The Curly Girl method, but you don't have to be curly to use it!) I use Aldi tea tree conditioner which is cheap, silicone free, and agrees with my hair. And I only use silicone free leave in coditioner. Both dandruff and ear flaking are still there, but at maybe a 10th of their previous level, and perfectly bearable.
It might be that the tea tree has something to do with it, but I used tea tree products before, when I was using sulphate shampoos and silicone conditioners and they didn't help. I suspect the harsh sulphates irritate the skin, and promote oil production which provides a perfect home for the fungus.
Ruthi , is Canesten solution available without prescription? If it is, who sells it?
Yes, its off prescription. And I just buy it from my local chemist - yours may need to get it in, but all the wholesalers carry it, even though not many GPs know about it.
It's awful, feels like somethings moving around in my ear, no solutions, seems to be another of those "just putting up with it" issues!
For anyone interested in trying Ruthi 's suggestion, this is the stuff you want :
medicines.org.uk/emc/PIL.13...
You could print out the above leaflet (the Patient Information Leaflet) and take it with you to the chemist.
Another related document just for info - the Summary of Product Characteristics :
I have the same thing and I scratch in my sleep then it weeps and bleeds, the doc told me it was excema and has prescribed betnovate which did nothing, my nurse changed that to elecon, which did help but she left the practise and the doc will only prescribe the cheap version monastate or something which does nothing. I use olive oil once a week and germolene every night, with it having antiseptic and anesthetic it helps ease the itch so I can sleep
I have been researching and it could be linked to candida so that might be something to look at
Thank you for your helpful answers. I am going to ask my GP to take a swab as after reading through the replies I see candida comes up a lot.. I will keep you updated when I get my results.
Xx
I am now CURED ! I had crazy itchy ears for 5+years ... get now cured by putting a leaves of a natural plant in my ear! long story... Send me an MP if you still need...
Hi Wendy ... sorry to hear you have
I was diagnosed with It after a serious Riss river virus, 27 years ago...& the birth of our 1st Son... seems those 2 experiences , drained my andrenals !
I follow doctor & Naturopathic assistance...take 75 mcg Thyroxine every morning before breakfast...
However, I have never experienced ear itching? could it be a fungal infection as that can itch like crazy as it manifests itself into weird places.☺️ may need a script for a strong cream .??,use an ear bud to line the ear .. but, sprays itch when drying up.☺️ Same as moist ears get itchy while drying ... as our ears sweat too.
Also, did you say you take Armour... pig extract as I was keen to try it too ?
I have managed body aches & pains , light gym dance aerobics , over the last 27 years to feeling it's all back again, even though levels are all good etc.
Not feeling like going to the gym anymore but exercise keep very active in other ways as I feel better moving around .
I suspect thyroxine must have side effects , such as long life joint pain 😔
I follow a gluten free diet, organic chicken, grassfed beef , all salads, green olives , olive oil, ... almond & coconut milk.. & youghurt , quinoa,brown rice,
Lots more healthy foods are all alternated in different recipes weekly .
no alcohol , sweets etc...
Eat all organic veggies , limited kinds of Natural fruits ,... blueberries ...apples ,
My Naturopath helps keep me healthy. .. supplements of mediherb Radiola, Liverton, ginger liquid, turmeric, grape seed extract , Vitamit D & a thyroid B complex & 6 selenium drops per day , Slippery Elm, I must say it does take a bit of self control & commitment , is disappointing when I still feel so much body pain ..especially Joints ...
I have heard some really sad stories of people that are so big from this disease ... does scare me...
My weight stays in -between a size 14 16.... is fustrating, when fuming dies hit 14😀 Body pain limits me to gardening though , Shopping centres , beach when on holidays, local beughbourhood...are always great to walk... never rid of the joint pain though.
Any feedback is welcome, from anyone out there, fir new & supportive ideas to manage Hashimotoes😔 While on Thyroxine .?☺️
All the best with your itchy ears☺️
Therese
Brisbane
Qld
Australia
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