Chronic itching, no response to various diets or skin treatments

I hope something works for you. Unfortunately, and especially as we get older, we turn into our own science experiments. Everyone is different in what triggers us. When I had to go gluten free, my GI symptoms cleared up in a few days, but my rash took a few months.

With weight loss, bloating , bowel changes and itch it would be beneficial to have a consultation with your primary and testing to rule out internal causes
and review all of your medications.
If the scalp is a seborrheic or mild psoriasis condition you likely have seen a
dermatologist. I rotate shampoos on a daily basis at least 4 times a week:
OTC selenium sulfide, 3 % salicylic acid, zinc pyrithione and Rx ketoconazole shampoo. Leave the foams in contact with your scalp for a few minutes and
gently massage. They are not likely to irritate your forehead. You can also buy
1% hydrocortisone lotion such as Dermarest.

The weight loss and abdominal symptoms are concerning.. see your internist for a thorough physical and labs. Check for any swollen lymph nodes.
All the best🙏🏻

Hello, I feel for you. I’m a 77 year age woman. I was diagnosed with SLE about 4 or 5 years ago, plus Hashimoto’s. Men, as well as women can have SLE; so have you been tested? The various symptoms could very well be SLE as I experience them as well. For the never understood symptoms I found that Zyrtec almost always cures the itch at that time. I, too, was athletic and suddenly I became weak. At times I know I should eat but I’m not hungry. I eat no meats. Only seafood as in 1993 it was determined I was allergic to all meat, including eggs. My horrible rashes were on my legs ultimately after huge red itchy areas were diagnosed as “eczema” meaning, nobody knows what is causing it and always was placed on prednisone or antibiotics and given a steroid topical cream. Which did not help. I’ve scars from scratching so much. But the leg rash went away after the diagnoses and I can no longer have gluten, dairy, wheat, no cruciferous vegetables or anything from the nightshade family. I’m sure I’m forgetting something.
After being diagnosed, I told my doctor to just treat my symptoms as had been done by various doctors in the past.
Nobody believed I had SLE as no rash on my face. My cousin has discoid lupus. Her face looked like my legs with the horrible itching, etc. I believe I have had or have sjorgen (everything is very dry). I’ve had some rare eye issues as well that were autoimmune related and have always been told all these may come back. I had Graves about 15 years ago. It was bad enough I took propanol for a year. I was told it was in remission. I could go on.

I would suggest being tested for autoimmune issues, and I hope this has helped.

As a nurse I’m alarmed by the weight loss which can be clinically significant for cancer! You need to see your primary physician right away and he will refer you to a GI Specialist as the itching can be related to a build up of bilirubin. Is the itching localized to scalp or elsewhere? If localized hopefully not a GI cancer and just an autoimmune reaction. But you need to clearly be evaluated for the weight loss.

You've mentioned food elimination but have you had the 5 Day Extended Patch Test? If not Google this test. I've had the True Test Patch Test twice and learned of over a dozen contact allergens I need to eliminate for life. This is not a food test, or the simple 30 minute environmental patch test. It takes 5 full days with patches placed over the entire back torso for 5 days. It's expensive, over $1,500, but most medical plans and Medicare covers this test.
Like you I have dealt with several autoimmune issues. Eczema (3 different types) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, CLL. Since patch testing and following the yeast elimination plan, I will get to, all forms of eczema have been in remission for 5 years and my CLL disappeared without treatment over 15 years ago without explanation or any treatment or change of diet or contacts.
Many mentioned Candida. If you haven't already read The Yeast Connection Handbook, by Dr. Crook, MD do so. It's short and simple and can buy a used copy cheaply. I not only eliminated dozens of my positive contact allergens from either contacting me or off gassing into me but followed the Crook diet plan diligently. No more corticosteroid shots. No more sleep deprivation from the maddening itching always more noticeable and acute at night.
A note on off gassing of allergens, one of my allergens is to memory foam because of an element in rubber, Mercaptobenzothiazole, MBT, which is used to accelerate the blending of materials, like in elastics and memory foam. Memory foam off gasses this element. I had purchased a mattress containing memory foam about 6 months earlier. It had a dust mite cover and a heavy cotton mattress pad. Previously I had this internal and external itching for a few years, but it exploded after sleeping on this mattress for a few months. Thank goodness for this 5 Day Test or I would never have been able to identify part of the reason for my itching, burning and taser like stinging. That said, I also had to detox my body of yeast. Mind you, I did not have any classic female yeast symptoms. I had to kill off the yeast colonies residing in my colon, which we all have. These colonies create waste which passes though our intestinal linings and into our blood stream and raise our histamines. The Dr. Crook book explains, in layman's terms why this happens.

Many, many thanks for your email. I plan to jump all over the 5 Day Extended Patch Test and the book by Dr Crook. Will let you know how it comes out.

F. Bernard Forand
fbforand@gmail.com
860-918-1118

Thanks very much for your comments. The itching is mostly located in the scalp and the forehead. I will follow up as you recommended.

Thanks very much for your recommendations. I will follow up with my practitioners as you suggested.

I want to mention I had testing for neuropathy. Nothing was ever found.