Itchyness/Psoriasis/ Eczema

Do you buy the menthol separately, please?
Or is it an all in one cream?

I've still a few pence left from buying up most of Boots the chemist.

One of the best creams I've found is 2% menthol in aqueous cream. The menthol is very soothing, especially if you keep it in the fridge.

I'm familiar with many of these problems. I find that having a hot shower or bath can make them worse, so I'm surprised by some of the comments. I try to keep the shower temperature to a minimum, though not cold - brr..

My advice, based on personal experience to anyone suffering from these problens is, as follows:

Buy toiletries, laundry soap and cleaning agents that do not contain any perfume.

Discard fabric softener and use vinegar instead.

Wash all garments, bed linen and towels that smell of perfumed washing powder in as hot water as possible, rinse with vinegar on a cold cycle, then repeat the cold cycle without vinegar. Afterwards run the empty washing machine on a hot cycle to get rid of any residue.

If you have to use a tumnble dryer, clean and rinse the filter before drying your clothes.

Keep a diary, where you make a note of what you eat, drink and wear every day for a month. It may help you pinpoint what causes flair-ups, thus indicating what you actually are reacting against. With the evidence of your diary to hand, it should be easier for your GP, dermatologist or specialist dealing with allergies to see what is causing the trouble.

Be very firm with friends and family who assure you that you cannot be allergic to their clothes, perfumes, pets, tobacco etc. etc. etc. You can. People can be allergic to anything under the sun and to the sun itself!

It is a lot of work tracking down the source of itching, etc. but worth making the attempt.

If antihistamines work, fine, but they are only dealing with the symptoms not curing the problem, and many people find themselves sleepy or dopey when taking antihistamines.

I don't know anything at all about keto, and while I'm not ruling it out, it's perhaps the worst possible time for me to find out and give it a go.

That's not an excuse, honestly.

MissAdventure, I am was a psoriasis sufferer. I found, inadvertently, when trying to lose weight, that as I followed a Keto way of eating, my psoriasis disappeared! Along with 4 + stone in weight. I came off after 2 years (it's really difficult (for me) to plan/weigh/shop/cook every day). My psoriasis has stayed away for a further 2 years, touch wood! After a lifetime of suffering. I'd def recommend it - the release from pain, discomfort and lotions and potions is immense!

I've had all of these creams prescribed at some point, but I haven't tried that one with the hydrocortisone at the same time.

The creams all sit on top of my skin and seem to do nothing at all.

Do you have a recommendation for the hydrocortisone, please?

I've got the horrible patch on my leg that I'm convinced is going to end badly unless it's sorted.

amzn.eu/d/9i4lOQv

I found this was the best cream, out of many I tried, for a severe all-over eczema flare up/skin reaction to a Covid booster.

I used a thin smear of hydrocortisone cream on the worst patches for a few days at a time, after using the Aproderm all over.
I was told by a doctor doing it this way creates a pathway to help absorb the steroid, otherwise it just sits on the surface and isn't as effective.

At its worst I couldn't wear a bra and had to wear a t-shirt inside out as the seams irritated my skin.

Any cream with liquid paraffin as an ingredient made it worse.

I took antihistamines, especially at bedtime as apparently cortisol levels rise overnight.

I still use Aveeno Baby bath/shower gel.

I switched to a non-bio laundry detergent and stopped using fabric softener.

You all have my sympathies, it's horrible feeling uncomfortable in your own skin ☹️

keepingquiet

What has your GP suggested? I suppose you could eat plenty of food high in Vit D, which would be a more natural way of getting into your system.

Maybe it is an allergy to the compound itself, and not so much the Vitamin.

I don't know any alternatives I'm afraid.

An infusion has been suggested, but when I asked if the would also make me sick, the consultant said "Yes, probably".

I've had chronic spontaneous urticaria since 2020. Sometimes the itching is so bad that I take ice blocks to bed. It's always worse in the evening and at night. At one point I was on seven anti histamines a day, still on four cetirizine a day. My local hospital which is good in some departments, had an utterly useless dermatology department. I'm now seeing a consultant at St Thomas's, who specialises in urticaria and feel much more confident that the treatment being offered will be helpful.

What has your GP suggested? I suppose you could eat plenty of food high in Vit D, which would be a more natural way of getting into your system.

Maybe it is an allergy to the compound itself, and not so much the Vitamin.

I don't know any alternatives I'm afraid.

keepingquiet

About twenty minutes after I've taken it, however I do, up it comes.
It must be as soon as it hits my stomach.

I take calci-d now, but vitamin d is still low.

I find Cera-Ve moisturiser cream very cooling and calming for my burning, itching legs.

MissAdventure

Ah, that's a step in the right direction then, lemsip.
I am deficient in vitamin D, I know, but the pills make me really sick.
I also have low platelets.

I can't recognise my skin compared to how it was a few years back.

Vit D is fat soluble so should always be taken with food, preferably something with high fat content such as milk or dairy products.

It's really wearing, this constant itching.
Especially when nothing gives relief.

Thanks for this information. My husband is suffering terrible atm

Ah, that's a step in the right direction then, lemsip.
I am deficient in vitamin D, I know, but the pills make me really sick.
I also have low platelets.

I can't recognise my skin compared to how it was a few years back.

results of my blood test show I am low on Vitamin B12 so I googled 'does low Vit B12 cause itchy skin, below is the result.
Yes, low vitamin B12 can cause itchy skin:

Paresthesia
A warning sign of severe B12 deficiency, paresthesia is a disturbed perception of the skin that can cause itching, burning, tingling, or prickling.
Skin lesions
Cutaneous lesions that don't respond to conventional therapy can be a sign of B12 deficiency.

I find if I eat a lot of tomatoes or a lot of tomato paste on pizzas etc. I itch half the night. It took me a while to make the connection!

Lemsip you have my sympathy. My skin tends to break out in itchy patches for no obvious reason. I use Zerobase, which doesn’t contain lanolin, to wash with and as a moisturiser and this works well. If I do get an itchy patch I put some on the itchy area before I shower to prevent the skin drying out further. It was originally prescribed but can be bought over the counter. Hope you get relief soon.

thanks for quick responses,, I shall look at the links

fancythat
I have sent you a PM. re. Psoriasis. I didn’t want to derail this thread which is about the wider topic of skin irritations.

Contact dermatitis is very common, I get it from certain scarves or jewellery and use a cream from Boots a sort of E45 cream which helps.I also always wash new clothes/ accessories before wearing them.

Esmay

I sometimes I think that my love of soaking in the tub with bubbles sets my skin off .
It can burn and itch .Sudocream and /or Aloe Vera gel soothes it .
In the Autumn , I had a lot of intense itching around my waistline and thought that it was the beginning of shingles, but it calmed down .

The “bubbles” sound a likely culprit.

Esmay
How often do you do that?
If we are talking once a week, fine. But if, say, everyday you are washing away all your skins defence against the nasties.