Help?

[Gabbyeva54]

I have been having a really hard time sleeping as each and every night I scratch myself to sleep I wake up sticking to my blankets or the clothes I was wearing. Some nights I am so desperate that I take adult benedril ( I am 14) just to knock me out . Someone have any idea to stop me from scratching so much?

[Shell567]

Hi Hermione54,

Some general tips to reduce itching/scratching can include keeping nails short and wearing gloves or mittens at night; using cotton sheets and duvet covers (not wool blankets); wearing cotton pyjamas or nightdresses; not getting too hot; not getting too cold (this can dry out the skin); avoiding harsh soaps, bubble bath and bath oils (only use mild, fragrance-free products); applying moisturizers and emollients to prevent your skin from drying out (seek advice from your doctor).

Keratolytic lotions can be applied to the skin if you have skin flakes or scales. Some of these lotions also have anti-itching ingredients (seek advice from your doctor and/or pharmacist).

Other tips from the First Skin Foundation include:

Applying a cool compress to the skin, e.g. a cool, wet face cloth.

Adding baking soda or oatmeal to a lukewarm bath.

Applying Calamine lotion - but this can be drying.

Not using products with 'caine' in them, e.g. Benzocaine. They can make the itching worse.

firstskinfoundation.org/con...

[Jingo]

Hermione54

I can relate to the problem myself as in years past I also had trouble sleeping with the constant irritation of exczema. The truth is I had no tolerance for the itching and that was because all I wanted was to be asleep, so I couldn't resist scratching myself - this is probably your problem.

I highly recommend oatmeal baths, use emollients such as double bass and aveeno as regularly as possible as it is when the skin is dry it irritates more, keeping it moist soothes it. I personally avoid creams that dryout such as sudocreme as they caused me further discomfort.

If the exczema is a tall infected, see your doctor and get some steriod cream and possibly a course of antibiotics.

Good luck, Jingo

[reef]

Hi Hermione54,

You remind me of my condition 5 months ago but it might be a different skin problem to yours. You certainly need medical advice because there are a large number of skin disorders and it's not easy to diagnose in the early days of the itching. I do hope it's one of those passing skin conditions. However, if your condition does not improve within 2 or 3 months I would strongly advise you to ask to be referred to a dermatologist. They can make specialist tests that are not available from GPs.and in some cases early detection can help. Best wishes