DON'T....tell me not to scratch

My motto is if it itches scratch it but not so hard that you tear the skin.

I think I have an idea of what you're talking about. About five years ago, my youngest son got up around midnight complaining that he was itching, he too was covered in hives. In the time it took me to walk ten feet to the bedroom to wake my husband, they had spread to his eyes and lips. My husband got him to the emergency room just as his throat was closing up. All of a sudden he had a reaction to shrimp. We had Japanese food that night that had shrimp in it, and that was the end of that. Through some tests we found out he developed an allergy to shell fish. He was never a lover of shrimp of crab, he'd go for MacDonalds chicken nuggets hands down. The idea that he can't have it makes him want it all the more. Sometimes he'll start harping about it and we'll tell him, 'Go ahead, I have your epi pen right here' He shuts up them. Or we'll tell him the hospital is only two minutes away.

I feel for anyone that has chronic itching. As I mentioned above, I have a little cousin who was born with allergies, his tender baby skin would be dry and itch, it broke his parents and grandmothers heart. He was to little to scratch, then when he could scratch, my aunt said he had little scratch marks on his head and stuff. They had to work real hard to keep him comfortable and moisturized. To be a baby and be tormented by this itching and not be able to tell anyone or reach the place that itches.

I agree with you. Between the vinegar and anti-itch cream, it seems to be making it more tolerable. I have to scratch it though, so I'm rubbing it along the edge of my desk, or taking a stiff hair brush to it. I know I shouldn't but I have to scratch it.

I wonder what makes us get it later in life? This flared up about a year and a half ago. Never had a problem with anything like this in my life. And if I understood correctly from what I've read and what the doctor told me, I'm stuck with it for life now....bummer.

Yes that stinks, that your skin will be like that for the rest of your life... I think the reason why we get these different diseases as an adult is we have the right genes that state we can possibility get such and such.. Then though our activities in life they just kind of spark a chain reaction.. Or it is possible that you have had this problem all of your life and just didn't know about it.. I have a server back problem, I found out four years ago, and that I was living with it all of my life.. Now its too late to really do anything about it... The surgery that I need, only like .02% of all of the doctors in the US do it, and the surgery itself will take 6+ hours, and that is with everything going right... I live in Indiana, and the one doctor that I found was in Texas... I am not going through that kind of surgery without my family around.. and then the rehab will take at least 6 months in a hospital setting... that would suck...

I started this discussion many months ago, since then the tops of my feet have completely cleared-up (for the time being) but both palm are in bad shape. I had it under control. I was mixing two different medications the doctor prescribed me and instead of rubbing it in, I was blobbing it on my palms and letting it soak in on its own. Then about two weeks ago I mopped my floors and didn't wear gloves, between the hot water and the floor detergent and not really keeping the medicine on my hands, I have two bad looking palms. It's weird that the more you scratch, the thicker the skin gets, almost calloused or something. I know what I have to do, I have to get some luke-warm water, soak my hands until they prune, then rub them with a pumice stone, apply the medications and do this two or three times a day until they start clearing up. And make sure I keep lots of hand lotion on them once they clear. I kid you not, I told my husband that sometimes I wish I had the nerve to run a torch over the palms, burn that bad skin off and hope it burns away the itch and new skin comes in. I know that isn't how it works but it sounds good on paper lol. My heart goes out to you, it really does. I work in a department store and I have to wash my hands a good bit because of handling money. I keep extra strength something-or-other hand lotion with oatmeal in it handy, it helps and they don't look white and flaky. I'm with you, I too will scratch until they come up with a cure. Sometimes when I'm scratching, I swear I could actually drool it feels so good. Thanks for responding.

I'm so pleased for you that your feet have healed! I know where you are coming from though, the slightest thing can trigger it again. I try not to use any cleaning products, although I feel bad leaving all the major cleaning to my other half. Luckily for me, he is very understanding. I have a confession to make; sometimes the itching has been so bad, and I can't sneak off to have a good scratch, I wash my hands until the water runs so hot I can't take it anymore. I've realised that this is doing me absolutely no good at all, so make sure I only use the cold tap for the time being. There is nothing better than a good scratch at the end of the day. You're not alone in the drooling!! If I ever hear of a miricle cure, you'll be the first to know, good luck x

I live in southeast Ga and we have all kinds of biting insects. We have a fly called a yellow fly. If one of those things bites me on the bottom of my foot, or anywhere where the skin is kind of thick, I almost go nuts trying to get relief from the itching. My mom reacts to mosquito bites the way you do.

I have a second cousin that was born with it over his whole body. As a baby they had to do all kinds of things to get the poor little fellow relief. It started on the top of my right foot, I thought I was having an allergic reaction to some leather shoes I bought, those 'mules' everyone wares, but that wasn't it. I lived with it about six months before I couldn't take it anymore. The only thing that will give me relief is soaking it with vinegar, it burns like fire but man it feels good, little by little the burn subsides and the itch has stopped. I haven't been bothered by it since I put the cream on it earlier. Sure makes the skin look weird.

I'll get some of that lotion and try it. I woke up scratching this morning. It was driving me nuts. I got a bowl of vinegar, came in here and scraped my palm back and forth across the edge of the computer desk, then stuck my hand in the vinegar for awhile, it burned, but it was a good burn. Then I rubbed that cream on it. It hasn't bothered me since. Of course I haven't done anything today except a little laundry, so my hands haven't been in water. Yesterday I was moving these concrete foundation slabs, I hadn't put my gloves back on and one of the slabs slipped and scrapped down my palm, it hurt and felt wonderful all at the same time. I was tempted to break one and bring a chunk in the house just to rub my palm against. That would be a good way to get an infection huh lol? I bet people that live in real dry climates have fits with it.

This is an itch that can't be dealt with that way. And you can't scratch around it because around it, is it. I'll just have to keep these anti-itch creams handy I guess.