What do you do for Neuropathy itch?
Good morning everyone. I am desperately in need of help with what is called Neuropathy itch. I have SFN (small fiber neuropathy) and am a medical cannabis user for pain. I don't know what to use for this itching. It appears that it reaches through several skin layers. No matter how much you scratch you make it worse, not better. Once you start itching, it's over....your are stuck scratching.
Have you tried certain baths? Oatmeal? I have a steroid cream called Triamcinolone Acetonide. Not exactly a wonder drug. Is there a better one?
The itching results in a terrible level of anxiety. I try to run away from it and cannot. It reminds me of summer in Minnesota when the mosquitoes launch their attacks. I am female with "O" negative blood which they just devour.
Even if you have a solution for other than neuropathy, please share and I will happily do the research. The stress of isolated living and a form of depression that is about our global community also creeps in.
The only thing that works right now for food is gelato.......Salted caramel, if you please. I hope you are all well and blessed with good health today.
Chris
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Skin Health Support Group.
Good evening @katcollins. Because your reply was to @saltryoldcurmudgeon and not me.......a bell was ringing as I remembered that Connect @mention name. Greetings to you @katcollins and of course to that @saltryoldcurmudgeon once again.
Here is what I replied at that time: "I have found and qualified for a 100% solution and that is Dupixent. I have not had one single itch since my first dose in July. My scratched-up arms and legs have healed and I am both excited and grateful. This is the solution for "itches" that are generated internally. You self-inject 300 mg twice a month. Topical allergens, e.g. clothing and cosmetics can still be a problem so I just avoid them except for those selected by my dermatologist. She hasn't been wrong yet. And she does advise ointment thickness rather than creamy. If you want additional information, let me know. Or you can just go to the site ….dupixent.com."
In the meantime, I agree with putting your hands in the ice water. You can also just wrap an ice pack around the affected areas with a towel or blanket on top. That simple application always helped me. Let me know if you have additional questions or concerns about the impact of Dupixent on my life as a whole.
May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris
Thank you for the suggestions. I will inquire about the Dupixent. This is a new road I am travelling and I have much to figure out. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Kat
Chris, so how long have you been using Dupixent? And is it still working as it did when you started?
Christina Anderson is my Dermatologist. Where do you live?
Good evening. I have been using Dupixent every other Thursday since August 2022.
Dupixent is still working extremely well for me. I have not had an itch flare of any kind since the first injection.
Chris
I am on the West Coast, willing to travel or do phone consult, for the right help.
I have used the Benedril spray and it helps some.
I’m not sure if you still suffer from neuropathic itch, but wanted to share my possible solution. I suffered with chronic hives for about four or five months, a few years ago. I went to an allergist, dermatologist, and then a rheumatologist. What they came up with was an allergy tablet, accompanied with Benadryl and an acid reducer. The Benadryl gets rid of one type of histamine and the acid reducer, believe it or not, takes care of the other histamine. The acid reducer is Cimetidine. I finally got relief from the hives, but several years later, I developed the neuropathy itch. I already took Benadryl in the evenings so whenever the itch would develop, I would take a couple of the acid reducers. Within about 20 to 30 minutes, time for the medication to get into my system, the itch went away. I keep this by my bedside all the time. I buy the generic brand from Walmart. I hope that this helps you or anyone else who is suffering from this type of itch.
Hello @smoreland, Welcome to Connect. Thanks for sharing your experience with neuropathic itching. Have you also been diagnosed with neuropathy?
Greetings. My general practitioner is the one that advised me that due to a back injury, years ago, there was most likely nerve injury. He said that this would be causing the neuropathic itching. I have not been diagnosed by a neurologist.