Hello, @kbhga74. Welcome to Connect. As you can see.....we believe that sharing with other members on this forum is one way to learn more about the condition you have and that's great. What else you will learn as I have is that not every medication or treatment works for everyone.
I had two years of pretty disheartening neuropathic itch during which I frequently went under the light for therapy to relieve all of the itching remains and help heal the open wounds from scratching. It provided some relief....kind of the way your skin feels after being in sunlight. I am concerned about the tanning bed because it is not monitored by a dermatologist or other clinician. The machines are set precisely to manage the treatment time in a graduated course. However, the maximum I reached after four weeks was about 3 minutes. Also, it is important to know that clinical light therapy booths are 360 degrees. That means your entire body is treated at the same time. The staff is also very aware of planning the session to avoid in threat of skin cancer.
Another item you may want to explore is Dermeleve. An OTC, It is available online at http://www.dermeleve.com. The ointment, Dermeleve, is my emergency product. It brings relief in 10-15 minutes and lasts about 6 hours.....time enough to find your medicine that lasts longer.
My other pass-through to you is a product named Dupixent. I waited two years to be approved for Dupixent. It is for an itch that comes from within your body.....not from the wool sweater you just wore for the first time. I do self-injections every two weeks and I will honestly say that I have not had any itching since I started Dupixent. My arms, legs, face, and other skin areas are looking better than they have in several years.
I also have gone through tubes of expensive Rx ointments. Please be careful as some are strong steroids that present other problems. They can cause your skin to become thin and you may be restricted to usage only ever two or three days. Dupixent is steroid free and so is Dermeleve.
How long have you been suffering from this disease? Do you see a specialist at this time?
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris
I was just diagnosed mid-September. I am seeing a dermatologist, but after no response to my last phone call, I’m going to check in with a new dr.
I will definitely look into the Dermeleve. I just started using the in-shower moisturizer to help combat the dry skin. I also am trying this lotion I found on Amazon. It’s a Manuka honey and colloidal oatmeal mixture. Still a bit itchy, but bearable. I have also bought the Sarna lotion that I saw mentioned here. I’m pretty much up to trying anything, except maybe the cilantro smoothies. I dislike cilantro very much. Unless someone can send some recipes to combat the cilantro soap taste.