Itchy All Over

M. -

My hubby has eczema, and he uses Aquaphor lotion. It stops him from itching and helps heal any sores he has from scratching too much.

Hope this helps!

I would suggest having your son tested for gluten and dairy intolerances before going to the dermatologist.

I, too, would get itchy all over and sometimes need benadryl just to get to sleep. I have had psoriasis for 50 years (I'm a 60 year old grandmother). This past year I was diagnosed with gluten and dairy allergies. Going on a wheat-free, dairy-free diet has eliminated the itchiness and cleared up the psoriasis patches for the first time in decades. For years I went to dermatologists who treated all my itchy symptoms, but never could tell me the cause. Now I know: it was my diet. Your son's situation sounds very similar to mine.

My 21 year old daughter has the same itchy issues. Her freshman year at college the scratching became unbearable for her. Turns out she, also, is gluten/dairy intolerant. The wheat-free, dairy-free diet has made a world of difference for her, too.

By the way, Aveeno contains oatmeal. Often oats are cross-contaminated with gluten. If your son does have gluten allergies, the oatmeal in Aveeno will aggravate the situation.

Have you tried an Aveeno Oatmeal bath? It's natural Colloidal Oatmeal and can be very soothing. An Epsom Salt bath can help, too. After that I would suggest you look into whether or not anything in his environment has changed. New soaps, new foods, any pets, anything at school, etc.? The doctors will ask you that when you take him in, too. You also may want to consider he may be having a reaction to something that has always been around simply because he's going through puberty. Are the hairs on his arms and legs coming in thicker? I know if I don't shave my legs I itch sometimes, too.

Good luck - S.

Hello M., I have been a consultant for 28 years with the world's first natural skin care company.

80% of skin comes from within. However, 63% of what you put on the skin absorbs into the system. Everything you put on your skin must be used, stored or eliminated.

He may be itching from the soap residue left in clothes from laundering and also static free sheets which you need because the residue in the material is what causes the static.
One easy way to start is to get a natural botanical cleaner.

Using Aveeno is a good start but there are even better products that are very soothing to wash with that does not leave residue on the skin.

Hope this helps, God Bless, Gladys

Switch to fragrance and dye free soaps, fabric softeners and laundry detergent..... Most major brands have unscented versions.
He could have allergies, and you can be exposing him with towels, bedding, etc as well as his clothes. And, if it doesn't help, they will still clean your laundry just as effectively as perfumed and colored products do. This should work in a few days,if that is the culprit. Make a Dr.'s appointment anyway. There are viral diseases that cause itching, and it is a side effect of a lot of medications. If it is an allergy, allergies get worse with additional exposures, not better. You family doctor or pediatrician is the place to start.

If he starts having difficulty breathing or hives, call 911, right away.

My ex-husband had allergies to perfumes in laundry soap. One night on sheets washed in scented soap and he was itchy and miserable. We just switched to unscented products and that problem was gone. Hope this is the trick you need, but if it doesn't work, no harm done.
good luck, L.

I would have him checked out...just to be safe.

There are certain disorders that can cause you to itch internally. I would check with a doctor to make sure it's nothing like that.

Is the itching concentrated in any particular area, or is it all over?

I can REALLY sympathize with him. I developed choleostasis in the 9th month of my pregnancy (it is a disorder that involves the gallbladder, liver, & bile salts). I suffered from extreme internal itching all over my body that caused me to scratch until I bleed.

Hopefully your son's issue is topical and they can prescribe him something to clear it up. Good Luck!

Sounds like an allergy, either environmental or something he ate.
Did he happen to take an aspirin or other NSAID drug? When my husband has taken an NSAID in the past, it makes all his nerve endings tingly and makes him itch like crazy. This was an allergy that he developed out of the blue.

Not much advice here, but a question, have you recently changed your laundry detergent? I cannot use any of the detergents you can buy at the store, I've been purchasing the detergent I use for over 20 years from quixtar. If I use anything else, I get everything itching and even get jock-itch! It's NOT very fun! So I no longer let myself run out, because there's hell to pay if I do.
Anyway, just to give you something to consider, it could be a change of bodywash or whatever else, maybe even food related.
Good luck!
L.

Please take him to your pediatrician. You need to see if he's sick before assuming it's an allergic reaction.

It sounds like an allergy to something. I know how he feels, I have had that itching all over...but no spots. Both times it was in the hospital. It was the most horrible thing ever, worse than pain that followed my surgery. The first time they found I had a side effect to Morphine. The second time they found it was the bed sheets and linens, and dress robes that was making it happen (inthe hospital). I guess the detergent they use is pretty harsh. So my question is have you recently changed detergents, fabric softeners or dryer sheets? This could be the cause.

Benadryl was the best thing to give him. I am betting that he has a food allergy that he was reacting to. I am allergic to coconut and when I was younger and ate it in something (it is everywhere) My legs would get really itchy, I would scratch them until they bled and they would still be itchy. Now I have a much worse reaction and read everything so that I do not come into contact with my allergen.

I have eczema and I will tell you one good piece of advice.....never take hot showers or baths. This will only worsen the condition. Also, I've been told that 90 percent of people that suffer from eczema have an allergy to milk and/or eggs. Try cutting these things from his diet for a week and see if there appears to be a difference. Many times, rashes are a response to some sort of allergic reaction. Also, do not allow him to use and deodorant soaps. Try dove or ivory. Aveeno lotion works great as well. Good luck and I hope he feels better soon. :)

M.,
I can sympathize with your son, as I was very itchy too, I mentioned it to my cousin and she suggested that I may have Candida, which is a systemic yeast infection. I was skeptical at first, but the more I researched it online, I realized I had many of the symptoms listed, and many of them seemed to me to be unrelated to each other. I have begun a program taking probiotics, and so many things have gotten better with my health, things that I had suffered with for years, have suddenly cleared up. If you are interested I can give you a more detailed description of my symptoms and the supplements I take to help me. I don't sell anything but I am a firm believer in the effectiveness of them. Best of luck to you and your son.

Have you considered scabies?