Itching Posts

[Faith143]

I have been trying to look up the itching posts lol.. I have been itching again and am afraid of relapse, but I know that some of you also itched and did not relapse, can anyone help me find the posts?

Thanks Tiffany

[cgray]

Not too good at the search function, but will say that I have itched since I've been done with chemo and I've been done since July 05.

Of course now I've had a few months of screwy PET scans so hopefully remission continues.

I think a bunch of us have itched afterwards........the chemo screws everything up.

[Baldlilfairy]

I had really bad itching just after a set of scans that said I was all clear. I was scared it was a relapse but as everything was clean I figured it was because I still have dry skin. My skin doesn't look flakey or dry but my Onc and a dermatologist both told me it was just dry skin, (even though it was the terrible itch nothing helped) They recommend using aquapher for a week and then use a good moisterizer. I have been doing this for about 6 weeks and I no longer itch. I do itch when I forget my twice daily ritual.

[ag2006]

I had itching after my sct and thought it was a relaspe, but it was dry skin due to all the chemicals and what not. My skin turned very dark after ABVD especially my palms. After ICE, my skin turned darker and flakier. I was also told by my onc that as time goes by, my skin should return to normal. The itching has stopped and the darkness has peeled away and it has been a few months now. Do you have other symptoms other than itching like fever, night sweats, weight loss and so on? Have you mentioned it to your oncologist? I hope it's nothing but plain itching. Best of luck to you.

God Bless,

[1speeder]

The search function doesn't make a URL you can link to like a Google search.

Regarding itching relating to disease, I'm starting to think it's a neuorological issue and not really an itching (ie. dermatological related pruritus) issue at all. My itching always comes with relapse. Dry skin is totally unrelated to this and many people who don't have HL will have dry skin especially in cooler drier weather. Itching remedies designed to address histamine levels don't seem to address the situation. While every doctor or nurse I've spoken to about this doesn't really have an answer (I have discussed this MANY in the medical profession), I recently had a physical exam with my BMT NP and told her I think it's a neurological thing. She prescribed Gabapentin 300mg, which is used for epileptic seizures, not itching. It's the only thing I've tried so far that addresses the problem. Hydroxyzine 25mg helped a little when the itching was less severe. SO far, except for me, I've never heard anyone express an opinion that this itching is neurological in nature and has nothing to do with the skin. Again, I'm talking about disease related itching, not dry skin itching.

[Gekko]

Tiffany

I, like Cliff and a few others I am sure, have suffered from extensive itching for many years as a direct consequence of HL.

I have conducted extensive research on pruritus which in fact is how I stumbled upon this great forum a few weeks ago. I have also consulted with numerous medical professionals on the topic including oncologists, liver specialists, dermatologists, palliative care teams, research nurses etc. Unfortunately there is relatively little information out there and many medical professionals run out of ideas at the anti-histamine level!!!! A key problem is that HL related itching was only really researched up to the 1970’s; with the advent of combination chemotherapies and in particular the high HL cure rates achieved by ABVD in particular, the problem has largely gone away and it is only in the minority of cases where itching continues to be a severe problem.

It is my understanding that itching is NOT in fact one of the “classic B symptoms” such as night sweats, fever/chills and weight loss etc. In fact in some cases patients can be in full remission and yet quite severe itching remains for many years.

The cells which release the itch inducing chemicals into the body are believed to be different from those that cause the other B symptoms – as such the presence of itching is a far less reliable indicator of disease progression, relapse and final prognosis as compared to night sweats etc.

Itching appears to be related to your body’s natural rhythm, often following the same general pattern on a day-2-day basis. Low in the morning, gradually building in intensity in late afternoon, slight tailing off in the later evening then becoming the most intense between midnight and 3 am.

In my case itching has always been a key indicator of progression or otherwise of my HL however a relapse is always first indicated by night sweats followed a few months later by fever/ chills/ weight loss; itching usually only sets is some time later as the disease burden increases. It is therefore quite possible that your itching is in fact due to some other issue (fingers crossed).

A few remedies (primarily temporary relief only) which I have come across include the following:

1. Itch relief topical creams such as E45 and Eurax (no idea what these are called in US) for bad areas esp. at night

2. Cooling hands under a cold running tap (Fawcett 2 you I believe) for a few minutes while gently rubbing the cold water up you arms

3. Some antihistamines may take the edge of and if they cause drowsiness at least sleep can offer some escape

4. Acupuncture – worked for about 12 hours last time I tried it

5. Standard good skin care including additive free moisturizers, bathing with emollient cleaners, avoiding strong soaps/ detergents etc….the usual standard stuff

6. Avoid hot bath/ showers/ environments. Avoid sudden changes in temperature (cold to hot seems worse)

7. Rub skin with finger tips (leads to sore fingers on a bad day); try to only scratch using the top of your finger nails in an upward motion greatly reduces skin damage. A rough towel can be great for the back and shouldn’t damage the skin

8. Distraction can be good – getting some third party stimuli which over-rides the itch sensation eg foot and localized body massages, tickling the feet of other body parts, those TENS electronic muscle appliances can be good (the higher the setting and more sensitive skin area the better). Localized pain also works but I don’t want to be recommending self-harming

9. My pharmacy mixed me a special aqueous cream containing menthol which is kept cool in the refrigerator – great for short term relief of hot spots esp back and arms.

10. I have also heard that gabapentin (nerve pain control widely used for shingles pain) can be effective – I have some to try and will report back if it works (it’s a powerful drug and can have nasty side effects and withdrawals)

11. Other neurological drugs such as doxepin, paroxetine and naltraczone (sorry can spell these ones) may be effective for some people

That’s about all I can think of rights now – if anyone has any hot tips on this issue please let me know as I will try anything.

I sincerely hope your itch is some other dermatological type of problem; as ever best get a check-up asap just to be sure

Good luck
Nick