How to stop the itching at night

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WorldTraveller
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:51 am
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by WorldTraveller on Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:43 am

How to stop the itching at night

Hi,

I am not getting good sleep these nights because I'm having an outbreak these days on hands and feet (pompholyx). I take an antihistamine that is supposed to make you sleepy and I put lots of emolient on before going to bed, however, at around 2am when my feet and hands are warm, it starts to itch sooo bad I wake up and can't sleep.
If it's too bad, like last night, I just scratch and scratch until it hurts (I know it's sad, but sometimes pain is better than itching, I guess many of you will relate), because emolients won't stop it. Another thing I do is stick my hands and feet out of the sheets so that they cool off and then the itching usually goes away, but this process can take up to one hour, or even more.
Also, all the progress I make during the day, putting on my emolients and other natural stuff I use, is reverted during the night thanks to the scratching, so instead of getting better I'm getting worse everyday :|

Does anyone have any tips for night itching/scratching? My current hope is that giving up certain foods (I started today) will help... if not, I honestly don't know what I'll do... :cry:

WorldTraveller
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:51 am
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by WorldTraveller on Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:55 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Last night I took two pills, instead of one, of the antihistamines I was prescribed. I still woke up at 2-3 am but my sleep was so profound that I could go back to sleep very fast and didn't even get up to moisture my hands/feet. The antihistamine I take at night is used in a dosis of one pill for allergy/itching and 2 pills for people who have anxiety, so it's safe to take 2. I think it's better to do this for a while, this way I can avoid scratching until my outbreak goes away...

sunniedhaliwal
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:48 pm
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by sunniedhaliwal on Thu Feb 11, 2016 2:22 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Hi,

I am sorry to hear about your eczema. I know what you feel as I was born with eczema and had it all over my hands. I was constantly embarrassed and would call in sick for work when I had an outbreak because I was a server and didn't want people to see it on my hands. And yes stress was one of my triggers. I tried every cream, lotion the Drs would prescribe and nothing ever helped. I knew all those steroid creams weren't good for me, but they were the only things that seemed to help a little.
I was told I would grow out of it and to hang in there and would eventually grow out of it. Well two years ago I was 27 and still waiting! I wanted to reach out to you because last year I tired something for my health, I was loosing lots of hair and was constantly tired and seemed to have helped my eczema go away! I haven't had an out break in over a year and half and have connected with many people who have had the same out come.

If you are open to hearing the natural approach that worked for me please let me know.

Sunnie :)

WorldTraveller
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:51 am
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by WorldTraveller on Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:47 pm

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Hi!
Thanks for reading and reaching out :), sure, I want to hear about anything that can help! Please tell me, and if you can post it here it would be great so that anyone who reads this can benefit from your experience as well.
Cheers!

WorldTraveller
Posts: 15
Joined: Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:51 am
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by WorldTraveller on Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:34 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

My pompholyx is finally better and I just wanted to share some pieces of advice:
- I didn't do anything special, I just used the corticoid ointment the doctor prescribed and, as bad as corticoids are they were the only thing that helped.
- The doctor also prescribed an ointment called Protopic 0.1% which I'm applying now that I'm done with the 3 weeks of corticoids. This ointment is super expensive but effective. It has tracolimus, which is a component that basically decreases your body defenses to prevent eczema. I have to apply this for 2 weeks every day and night and after that just twice a week.
- I spent a lot of money on lotions everyone recommended. In the end, the one that works best for me is Nivea (blue tin) because it's really thick so it just stays longer on the skin.
- Find the right antihistamine for you. I was sleepless for nights until I tried using a different antihistamine at night and this helped.
- Try to be patient. Pompholyx comes and goes but outbreaks don't last forever. The more you obsess with this, the worse it will be, so try to keep calm (yes, it's hard).

talkdermatologytome
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:05 am
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by talkdermatologytome on Tue Apr 12, 2016 5:17 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Sorry to hear. I suffer the same!! It can be very frustrating when you cannot control what you do in your sleep. What my mom used to do was dip my hands and feet in a tar solution, wash it off after 20 minutes of soaking + emollient rich solutions like Aquaphor and then, wrap my hands and feet in wet socks! But here's the crazy part: She would use actual duct tape to help keep me from picking and scratching at it at night. It worked.

jacaranda56
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Mar 24, 2017 1:39 am
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by jacaranda56 on Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:13 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

I think the last poster has a good answer based on my current experience - i.e the tying of duct tape around his night time gloves ! However I'm not sure , in my case anyway , whether experiencing the itching would not keep me awake and I would not find a way of loosening the duct tape sufficient to scratch ! I am taking Myfenax tablets at the maximum dose currently and in 2 weeks time will know if this is going to help me. ( Currently can't imagine this being successful as my condition appears to be getting worse. ) I've also been on cyclosporin and azathiapine ( had to stop latter as interfering with blood cells) . The only thing that is helping is steroid courses . As for night time sedation no antihistamines , amitryptiline , strong painkillers or alcohol help me.
It doesn't seem to matter how much steroid cream I use or emollient/ moisturisers, I wake in the night several times with itchy , dry and flaking skin . I wake and it's impossible to get back to sleep and then have to get up and scratch or else I will go mad !!
It is actually quite pleasurable to scratch after trying to resist for so long which takes over the moment although you know you will feel painful and sore afterwards.
I wish I had a strategy for overcoming this - the lack of sleep is ruining my life .
Anyway I guess most of you guys know this and are also struggling , just felt like sounding off to fellow sufferers.

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Marcie Mom
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Location: Singapore
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by Marcie Mom on Fri Jun 30, 2017 4:44 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Thanks for your sharing and understand how tough it is at night... it seems to be especially 'itchy' as it is idle time compared to daytime. I let my daughter 'dry wrap' (as opposed to wet wrap) at night and it seemed to help a little, take care!
Mei
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Lilliegal
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:13 am
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by Lilliegal on Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:48 am

Re: How to stop the itching at night

Hi all, this is my first “Ever” posting anything online but I felt obligated to share something with you that has worked for me. I was diagnosed with dyshidrotic eczema on both soles of my feet. After visiting 2 different dermatologists, I was prescribed numerous prescription medications that did nothing to alleviate symptoms. The itching was severe and kept me awake at night. I tried everything .I read everything I could online as well. I decided to try one concoction I read about however. I poured about a 1/4 cup of peroxide and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda to luke warm water. I emerged both feet in this solution for 20 or 30 minutes every time I feel an itch coming on. I absolutely soak my feet in this solution prior to going to bed. No itching all night!!! I have experienced long periods of relief. I would recommend gauge soaked in this solution for other areas of the body. Maybe prepare a sprayer with this solution to keep the gauge wet. One other thing, I follow this soak with a dusting of baking soda after I dry my feet and the skin is still moist. If your skin is broken, this will eventually subside. I hope this helps ❤️

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