I thought I read some about itching on this board but I can't find it now. My DH complains of his back itching and he scratches until welts come up sometime. I have recently been applying avenna anti-itch lotion and it seems to ease it short term. Anyone else dealing with this? It is not recent but sometimes worse than others. I have been using Dreft and hyperalergic soaps for a long time
DH doesn't itch but I do. Ths minute I get into bed. I finally discovered it's the detergent I use on the sheets. He might have an allergy. Worth a thought, anyway. Good luck.
It isn't shingles, he has had it for years. I had him to a Dermatologist and he had me change to Dreft and no fabric softner. Prescribed an expensive cream which didn't help any more than the Avenna. Also, changed to Dove soap. I agree it may be allergy to meds, but I don't see that I can do anything about that. Just thought I might hear some new solution.
lmohr, lots of AD patients scratch themselves bloody -- my mother did that. Sometimes it's an obsessive/compulsive behavior that's almost impossible to stop. Other times, though, there is another cause. Among the many tips I've seen:
First, evaluate the ADLO thoroughly to see whether something may be causing itching. Perhaps s/he has developed an allergy to the bath soap s/he uses, a laundry detergent, etc. The culprit could be bed bugs, which are on the rise all across the country; or (if you have pets) fleas.
One of the most common reasons for severe skin itching, (urticaria), is from a side effect of medications. Look up the potential side effects of each med the ADLO is taking. This may be listed either as itching or urticaria. You may find it listed under "Integumentary System." One of the best sites for researching side effects is:
http://www.rxlist.com
Many of the drugs used in dementia for behavior, for sleep, for slowing down memory loss, for depression, have itching as a side effect. Other drugs such as for blood pressure, prostate issues and many others, also can cause intense itching.
If you identify a med that can cause this side effect, talk to the doctor about switching to a different med, or possibly discontinuing it for a while to see if it's the culprit.
Keep any scabs soft with ointment, such as Mupirocin. (Dry scabs invite more scratching.) Treat open sores with an antibiotic such as neosporin. Sometimes ADLOs will leave bandaids alone, so cover healing scabs with bandaids. (NOTE: keep an eye out for allergic reactions to bandaids with latex in them! Allergic reactions can develop very quickly, and itch like crazy. All bandage boxes are required to have warning labels if the bandages contain latex, but the warnings can sometimes be very hard to find. Keep looking until you find something that indicates latex is NOT in the bandage.)
If the itching is caused by the Exelon patch, some doctors recommend applying Flonase to the skin after removing the patch.
The problem may be dry skin. Some doctors prescribe a Kenalog/Lubriderm lotion, to soothe the itching and keep the skin soft.
Keep the skin moisturized. Slather on lotion (people have recommended Eucerin, Aveeno or Cetaphil or other non-allergenic lotions) after each shower while the skin is still moist. Also put lotion on before s/he goes to bed. (Accompany this with a massage of his/her back and shoulders, to make the ADLO feel loved and pampered.)
Just as tylenol relieves minor pain, it will also reduce the sensation of itching. This can be helpful to break a cycle of itch/scratch or help to determine if there is an actual itch sensation that is causing the scratching. (Be sure to ask the doctor whether it's OK to give the patient tylenol.)
Make an appointment with a good dermatologist if there's any rash or redness or any other skin changes.
If no cause for itching can be identified, then try other methods to stop the scratching:
Keep the person occupied (keep his hands busy). Give the person something to hold, manipulate. (Some patients like a doll or plush animal.)
Keep fingernails cut short.
See if you can get the ADLO to wear soft cotton gloves.
come to think of it, my father who also has AD always scratches his scalp. Sometimes even slaps his scalp. I remember now that his doctor told us alot of people who are on aricept have itchy, or "crawly" sensations on thin skinned areas.
... and then there's lice. My DIL informed me that our granddaughter has head lice!! Apparently, like bedbugs, they're all over everywhere now. They were down here two weeks ago, the week after she'd been to see her cousin who supposedly had recovered from them. Now she has them, identified by the school nurse, as the first case of the year at that very upscale elementary school in MA. She's 9. This, on top of her kicking a soccer ball to the wrong goal last week. Her parents aren't giving her trouble about either (except to pick nits while she knits American Girl-sized scarves and daddy reads Harry Potter to them) but I wonder how SHE will react! So far no itching on this front, thank heavens!
I had a granddaughter get lice several years ago and I remember her Mom having to wash everything and deal with the hair situation. My Mother contracted scabies last year and it took 4 visits to 2 Doctors, including a Dermatologist to find what it was. The only place we could figure she got them would have been the Rehab Hospital while she was in there 2 weeks. None of the rest of us got them. They about drove her crazy with the itching.
Speaking of lice and scabies, I am 70 and all through my school years I never heard of them. Why are they so prevelant now? No year goes by without all the local elementary schools having outbreaks. My daughter teaches and every day she has to check the kids heads for headlice.
Imohr-those pests have always been around. I remember as a child in school being herded into a dark room with ultraviolet light checking everybody for ring worm
Sunshyne will tell us about them, I would guess/hope. But I've heard that the renewals of lice, scabies, and bedbugs - even in fancy hotels, for instance - may be attributable to warmer temperatures.. but more likely it's that people are just more likely to travel both abroad and within their own societies. Ringworm I remember too, bluedaze, and now no one seems to know much about that in the US. I remember it being common in animals in Thailand a few years ago, with a Buddhist monk tending them.
When I was a child in England we used to have a nurse coming to the schools to check for head lice. We called her "Nitty Nora, the head explorer". I know there was a pretty good outbreak in Ohio a few years ago....it seems like these things go in cycles.
As far as I know, they haven't figured out why bed bugs are in bloom. They tend to be more prevalent in places with high resident turnover (hotels, hospitals, and college dormitories). Some people have speculated that increased international travel and immigration are to blame. Others suggest it's due to a change in pest control practices. They used to spray everywhere, saturating the perimeter of all rooms. Now they often use more conservative measures and do large-scale treatments only when there's an infestation. Also, in response to consumer demand, they're using less toxic chemicals.
It's presumably due to a combination of the above, but experts say this still doesn't really explain the rapid rise in infestations in recent years.
Note: avoid picking up anything like couches, chairs, etc, that people sit or lie on at garage sales, estate sales, etc. That's a great way to get infected. And they're nearly impossible to get rid of.
Lice ... one of the problems seems to be the emergence of mutant strains that are resistant to conventional treatments -- probably due to overuse or misuse of the treatments in the past.
Scabies spreads rapidly under crowded conditions where there is frequent skin-to-skin contact between people. I imagine the increase in international travel and immigration is contributing to the problem in the U.S. and Canada. However, the only reason I found that has been suggested by experts for the rise in the U.S. is that more children under the age of 5 are being cared for in day-care centers.
My DH has had itching for yrs. he scratches it raw too. found out in our case the culprit was dehydration! after drinking the 2litres of water daily per dr and using the cetaphil daily after baths or inbetween:) it has helped so much. it is true the meds can play a big part too if they are intolerant to them. divvi