ITCHY

[beenee]

Can someone tell me why I'm so itchy these days? At night, I scratch my legs, scalp and hands to the point of drawing blood. I havent had any major changes in my diet, washing powder, shower gel, moisturiser etc. I have had eczema on my legs before - can it be so spread out? Is it the weather? Is there any non-presciption ointment I can use?

[rekstout]

Could certainly be the drop in temperature - many skin conditions are aggravated by cold, dry weather, eczma being one of them. Oilatum products are very good for dry skin/eczma and try to avoid dairy products which can aggravate eczma. If it persists or worsens - of course - see your GP or a dermatologist. Could be an alleagic reaction to something your are exposed to or are eating but if nothing has changed then that is less likely. Have you had new carpets or furniture recently? Using new household cleaning products, recent exposure to animal hair?

[ipek]

I get eczema breaking out in a different place each year, last year feet, this year hands! Apart from the things already mentioned by way of causes, I find mine is made worse by worry and stress, I go on holiday and it miraculously clears up. You may be worrying about something either consciously or not. A topical application I find soothing and moisturising is Aloe Vera gel from shops like Holland & Barrett.

[bluedolphin]

Incessant itching could be caused by Lymphoma. A friend of mine was diagnosed with this 4 years ago. It is a very serious condition. I would definitely run it by my GP if it continues.

[Cetti]

Trying to break the itch/scratch cycle is really difficult - the nervous system is very complex and it appears when you stop itching it one area it starts up in another - night time is the worst when everything is warm. If you've seen a GP and he's ruled out anything specific, it just might be stress. Cutting out sugar would be helpful - something I found helpful was using one of those 'skin polisher ball things' ( the name escapes me!) to get rid of dead skin, which makes things worse. Aqueous cream ( Boots) in a large tub is useful to wash with and also doubles up as a moisturiser. Aloe Vera is the best skin calmer there is cream,gel whatever - - Boots or any Health Shop. Oilatum products are good but very slippery in the bath/shower so be careful if you use them. I really do hope you feel a lot better very soon.