I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
November 25, 2024, 07:17:43 AM

Login with username, password and session length
Search:     Advanced search
532606 Posts in 33561 Topics by 12678 Members
Latest Member: astrobridge
* Home Help Search Login Register
+  I Hate Dialysis Message Board
|-+  Dialysis Discussion
| |-+  Dialysis: General Discussion
| | |-+  Itching
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. « previous next »
Pages: [1] 2 Go Down Print
Author Topic: Itching  (Read 5006 times)
Bub
Full Member
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 248


« on: April 18, 2009, 07:05:19 AM »

Dialysis for five months.  Itching 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for five months.  Cant hardly sleep.  I am going crazy.  My phosphorus is low, doc gave me something-morizine for itching and it doesnt work. Tried ever over the counter lotion the pharmacy has nothing works. I would welcome any suggestions.
Logged
Wallyz
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 991


« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2009, 08:13:28 AM »

Do you have diabetes?  If so you may have neuropathy and you are sadly out of luck.
Logged
jbeany
Member for Life
******
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 7536


Cattitude

« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2009, 08:42:35 AM »

Even when my labs show low phos in my blood levels, I will notice a bout of itching when I have a high phos meal, especially when I eat a large amount of chocolate.  Have you tried avoiding all high phos foods for a couple of days to see if it helps?

Other than that - is your skin dry?  Keeping it moisturized can't hurt.  Use a humidifier as well.

Wally is right about the neuropathy, though - there a few numbing creams that might help a little, though.  Tight control on bloodsugars can help a little as well - at least keep it from getting worse.
Logged

"Asbestos Gelos"  (As-bes-tos yay-lohs) Greek. Literally, "fireproof laughter".  A term used by Homer for invincible laughter in the face of death and mortality.

dwcrawford
Member for Life
******
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 5315


Getting the heck out of town.

« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2009, 08:56:39 AM »

isn't neuropathy more like prickly pins and needles?  I don't do dialysis yet so I don't know about that kind of itching, but I had an itchy rash on my leg that kept returning and my doctor recommended an Aveeno cream
Logged

Come to think of it, nothing is funny anymore.

Nothing that I post here is intended for fact but rather for exploration into my personal thought processes.  Any slight, use of words with multiple connotations or other percieved insults are totally unintended.  I reserve my insults for private.
Wallyz
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 991


« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2009, 10:59:47 AM »

Neuropathy can be itching, pins and needles, cold or hot or numbness.  I have cold an pain in my toes form neuropathy.
Logged
dwcrawford
Member for Life
******
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 5315


Getting the heck out of town.

« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2009, 11:07:33 AM »

Wally, I used to have the pins and needles but now I have hot sensations in the legs.  My sugars have been good for quite a while.  Could the neuropathy be comeing back?  Could it be related to kidney failure?
Logged

Come to think of it, nothing is funny anymore.

Nothing that I post here is intended for fact but rather for exploration into my personal thought processes.  Any slight, use of words with multiple connotations or other percieved insults are totally unintended.  I reserve my insults for private.
kitkatz
Member for Life
******
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 17042


« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2009, 11:24:19 AM »

Try this link. Also look at the dry skin threads.

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=402.msg3593;topicseen#msg3593
Logged



lifenotonthelist.com

Ivanova: "Old Egyptian blessing: May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places you must walk." Babylon 5

Remember your present situation is not your final destination.

Take it one day, one hour, one minute, one second at a time.

"If we don't find a way out of this soon, I'm gonna lose it. Lose it... It means go crazy, nuts, insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of ones faculties, three fries short of a Happy Meal, wacko!" Jack O'Neill - SG-1
Wallyz
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 991


« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2009, 11:25:24 AM »

Could be.  See your endocrinologist.  It's harder to get your sugars down when your BUN and creatinine are high.
Logged
Sunny
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 1501


Sunny

« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2009, 01:40:07 PM »

I have neuropathy and I don't have diabetes, so toxin buildup can be a cause too. I also get intense itching when I eat too much phosphorous rich foods. Try cutting back as others have suggested. In the mean time, see if a creamy lotion helps. (ex.,Cetaphyl).
Logged

Sunny, 49 year old female
 pre-dialysis with GoodPastures
paddbear0000
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 2384


Dogs & IHDer's are always glad to see you!

WWW
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2009, 07:52:38 PM »

Maybe you are allergic to the dialysis filter? It seems kind of funny that you started itching as soon as you started dialysis.

Do you have diabetes?  If so you may have neuropathy and you are sadly out of luck.

Actually, that's not true. There is a drug called Lyrica that is now being prescribed for diabetic neuropathy.
Logged

********************************************************
I HAVE DESIGNED CKD RELATED PRODUCTS FOR SALE TO BENEFIT THE NKF'S 2009 DAYTON KIDNEY WALK (I'M A TEAM CAPTAIN)! CHECK IT OUT @ www.cafepress.com/RetroDogDesigns!!

...or sponsor me at http://walk.kidney.org/goto/janetschnittger
********************************************************
Twitter.com/NKFKidneyWalker
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1659267443&ref=nf 
www.caringbridge.org/visit/janetschnittger

Diagnosed type 1 diabetic at age 6, CKD (stage 3) diagnosed at 28 after hospital error a year before, started dialysis February '09. Listed for kidney/pancreas transplant at Ohio State & Univ. of Cincinnati.
Wallyz
Sr. Member
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 991


« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2009, 08:25:15 PM »

It's an anti anxiety medication, and whiel the drug company studies say it works for neuropathy, I have yet to have it work for me, or any other type 1 diabetic.
Logged
paddbear0000
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 2384


Dogs & IHDer's are always glad to see you!

WWW
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2009, 11:41:33 PM »

My Mom's neighbor is taking it for diabetic neuropathy and it works great for him. Are you sure it's an anti-anxiety med? It suppresses nerve stimulation and circuitry.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2009, 11:46:10 PM by paddbear0000 » Logged

********************************************************
I HAVE DESIGNED CKD RELATED PRODUCTS FOR SALE TO BENEFIT THE NKF'S 2009 DAYTON KIDNEY WALK (I'M A TEAM CAPTAIN)! CHECK IT OUT @ www.cafepress.com/RetroDogDesigns!!

...or sponsor me at http://walk.kidney.org/goto/janetschnittger
********************************************************
Twitter.com/NKFKidneyWalker
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1659267443&ref=nf 
www.caringbridge.org/visit/janetschnittger

Diagnosed type 1 diabetic at age 6, CKD (stage 3) diagnosed at 28 after hospital error a year before, started dialysis February '09. Listed for kidney/pancreas transplant at Ohio State & Univ. of Cincinnati.
Dan.Larrabee
Full Member
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 150


Dialysis Dan

« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2009, 12:23:49 AM »

I am a type I diabetic and take Lyrica for the leg pain and it works, however I don’t take it all the time because one of the side effects is itching.

See this link for great info on Lyrica and what its used for.
http://www.drugs.com/lyrica.html

I can’t find it, but recently I read the post about being allergic to the filter. Didn’t it say something about itching being a sign of the allergic reaction?
Logged

AKA Dialysis Dan
Feeling the best I can because of Home Hemo
Doing it the best way I can by making it Nocturnal
Sharing it to help everyone feel they best they can
www.youtube.com/dialysisdan
kristina
Member for Life
******
Offline Offline

Posts: 5530


« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2009, 01:23:05 AM »

Sorry about your itching. Have you had an allergy-test done to find out what it is all about? I hope it stops soon! Best wishes from Kristina.
Logged

Bach was no pioneer; his style was not influenced by any past or contemporary century.
  He was completion and fulfillment in itself, like a meteor which follows its own path.
                                        -   Robert Schumann  -

                                          ...  Oportet Vivere ...
BobN
Full Member
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 312


WWW
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2009, 07:17:51 AM »

Hey Bub,

Here's my take on the itching problem.

There are some things you can do to alleviate the problem, many of which have been touched on in this thread.

Part of the issue may be dry skin.  It's especially acute in the winter months.

After you shower, apply moisturizer right away.  Showering in hot water can dry out your skin, which can make itching worse.

Remember to do it right after you dry off, it will help capture your body's natural moisturizers before they have a chance to escape and evaporate.

The other thing you have to do is avoid the high phosphorous foods, and be religious about taking your binders.

Now the bad news.  I do all these things, my phosphorous is low, and yet I still have occasional bouts of itching while I'm on the machine.

It doesn't happen all the time, and since I started being regimented about the above routine, it has gotten better.

So this is a treatment, not a cure.  But try to do all of the above, and if it persists, talk to your doctor again.

Bets wishes.  Take care.
Logged

www.bobnortham.com
Author of The ABC's of the Big D: My Life on Dialysis
Bob's Prescription for Living With Dialysis:
Follow Your Recommended Diet and Especially Watch Your Potassium, Phosphorous, and Fluid.
Stay Active - Find a Form of Exercise You Like and DO IT!!
Laugh Every Chance You Get.
paddbear0000
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 2384


Dogs & IHDer's are always glad to see you!

WWW
« Reply #15 on: April 19, 2009, 01:01:47 PM »

I can’t find it, but recently I read the post about being allergic to the filter. Didn’t it say something about itching being a sign of the allergic reaction?

Yeah. I just mentioned that a few posts back:

Maybe you are allergic to the dialysis filter? It seems kind of funny that you started itching as soon as you started dialysis.

This is probably the other thread you are referring to: ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=13060.0
Logged

********************************************************
I HAVE DESIGNED CKD RELATED PRODUCTS FOR SALE TO BENEFIT THE NKF'S 2009 DAYTON KIDNEY WALK (I'M A TEAM CAPTAIN)! CHECK IT OUT @ www.cafepress.com/RetroDogDesigns!!

...or sponsor me at http://walk.kidney.org/goto/janetschnittger
********************************************************
Twitter.com/NKFKidneyWalker
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1659267443&ref=nf 
www.caringbridge.org/visit/janetschnittger

Diagnosed type 1 diabetic at age 6, CKD (stage 3) diagnosed at 28 after hospital error a year before, started dialysis February '09. Listed for kidney/pancreas transplant at Ohio State & Univ. of Cincinnati.
RightSide
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1117


« Reply #16 on: April 19, 2009, 03:19:09 PM »

In my case, the severe itching was due NOT to phosphorus, but due to a high PTH level. (Mine was 1,200 when I started dialysis).   The high PTH was sucking calcium out of my bones, which combined with phosphorus to produce crystals that got deposited in my skin.  The treatment for high PTH is either activated vitamin D (such as Zemplar); or, if that fails, Sensipar.

It takes months to get the PTH under control.  In the meantime, you might try Benadryl or Neurontin (gabapentin).

Some patients have reported control of their itching with UVB (ultraviolet-B) light treatments.  However, NOTE that UV light can damage the plastic HD catheters, so do NOT try UVB with a catheter.  I plan to try UVB myself as soon as my fistula is ready for use.
Logged
RightSide
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 1117


« Reply #17 on: April 19, 2009, 03:29:25 PM »

Hey Bub,

Here's my take on the itching problem.

There are some things you can do to alleviate the problem, many of which have been touched on in this thread.

Part of the issue may be dry skin.  It's especially acute in the winter months.

After you shower, apply moisturizer right away.  Showering in hot water can dry out your skin, which can make itching worse.
Two points:

I cannot shower because I have an HD catheter.  And sitting in the tub for 20 minutes with the top part of my body wet gets it chapped, particularly in the dry winter months.

I have noticed that the skin on the upper right part of my body (within say six inches of the catheter site) is MUCH drier than any other part of my skin.  I'm wondering if hemodialysis itself filters out substances that normally help keep the skin supple.

I mentioned this to my dietitian, and she suggested fish oil capsules (omega-3 fatty acids) taken after dialysis might replenish those substances.  I just bought some but I haven't tried it yet.  I'll let you all know if it works for me--or if it doesn't!
Logged
sueq123
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 6

« Reply #18 on: April 19, 2009, 11:12:04 PM »

My doctor gave me Atarax 25 mg for itching and it really helps
Logged
Yvonne
Full Member
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 488


Yvonne

« Reply #19 on: April 20, 2009, 12:02:53 AM »

John takes Piriton 4mg 4 times daily given by the Renal unit for his itching. They can make you feel drowsy but after a while you get use to them.  Also he has to avoid chocolate and cheese as this makes him itch even though he took the piriton. Hope this works for you as you sound so very feed up.
Logged

2007- since January 2007 carer to my husband John who has the following, allways been a very fit man up till then.
2007 - January Renal failure
2007 - March Diagnosed with a Horseshoe kidney and bladder cancer.
2007 - June One kidney, Prostrate and Bladder removed with stage 4 cancer. Urostomy
Bub
Full Member
***
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 248


« Reply #20 on: April 20, 2009, 10:44:24 AM »

Thank you all for suggestions.  Alot to think about.  I am indeed diabetic but so far have had no problems with neuorpathy (I am aware of) but that is something I will indeed talk to my personal care physician about.  I am taking what I think is the generic for Atarax, I double the dosage given and it does allow me to get some sleep. Makes me too sleepy during day (I have a hard enough time dragging myself around all day anyway).  Again thanks guys for your help, so many replies in just one day.  Other than the itching and perpetual fatigue I am doing fairly well, still working and every now and then have a really great day.  Support from this forum helps a great deal.
Logged
paddbear0000
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 2384


Dogs & IHDer's are always glad to see you!

WWW
« Reply #21 on: April 20, 2009, 06:57:55 PM »


I have noticed that the skin on the upper right part of my body (within say six inches of the catheter site) is MUCH drier than any other part of my skin.  I'm wondering if hemodialysis itself filters out substances that normally help keep the skin supple.


I had the same problem when I had my cath. The dry area around the exit site is from all the taping and untaping of the bandaging to cover the catheter. Some days, my dry area was the exact size and shape of the Tegaderm the hospital clinic was using. No that the cath is gone, the problem finally went away.
Logged

********************************************************
I HAVE DESIGNED CKD RELATED PRODUCTS FOR SALE TO BENEFIT THE NKF'S 2009 DAYTON KIDNEY WALK (I'M A TEAM CAPTAIN)! CHECK IT OUT @ www.cafepress.com/RetroDogDesigns!!

...or sponsor me at http://walk.kidney.org/goto/janetschnittger
********************************************************
Twitter.com/NKFKidneyWalker
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1659267443&ref=nf 
www.caringbridge.org/visit/janetschnittger

Diagnosed type 1 diabetic at age 6, CKD (stage 3) diagnosed at 28 after hospital error a year before, started dialysis February '09. Listed for kidney/pancreas transplant at Ohio State & Univ. of Cincinnati.
monsterman
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 48


Impossible Is Nothing

WWW
« Reply #22 on: April 20, 2009, 10:26:19 PM »

I just got my blood work back my Phosphorus level went from 6.9 - 10.4 in a months time. They were not to happy and have given my an rx to fill. I'll pick it up tomorrow not sure what its called but I was only taking Tums by mouth with each mail prior.. I hope I dont have to give up cheese...
Logged

Chris
paddbear0000
Elite Member
*****
Offline Offline

Gender: Female
Posts: 2384


Dogs & IHDer's are always glad to see you!

WWW
« Reply #23 on: April 21, 2009, 12:47:58 PM »

Yikes!! :o  6.9 is bad enough, but 10.4??? Holy crap! I'm surprised they didn't call you up the second they got the blood work back and demand you give up cheese!!
Logged

********************************************************
I HAVE DESIGNED CKD RELATED PRODUCTS FOR SALE TO BENEFIT THE NKF'S 2009 DAYTON KIDNEY WALK (I'M A TEAM CAPTAIN)! CHECK IT OUT @ www.cafepress.com/RetroDogDesigns!!

...or sponsor me at http://walk.kidney.org/goto/janetschnittger
********************************************************
Twitter.com/NKFKidneyWalker
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1659267443&ref=nf 
www.caringbridge.org/visit/janetschnittger

Diagnosed type 1 diabetic at age 6, CKD (stage 3) diagnosed at 28 after hospital error a year before, started dialysis February '09. Listed for kidney/pancreas transplant at Ohio State & Univ. of Cincinnati.
monsterman
Newbie
*
Offline Offline

Gender: Male
Posts: 48


Impossible Is Nothing

WWW
« Reply #24 on: April 21, 2009, 04:52:41 PM »

Yeah I know what you mean! I am still learning all the "Do's and Dont's" I guess Cheese will be out of my diet for a long time unless I can get things back under control. From what I have heard though you just cant eat a lot of the things you used to anymore...
Logged

Chris
Pages: [1] 2 Go Up Print 
« previous next »
 

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP SMF 2.0.17 | SMF © 2019, Simple Machines | Terms and Policies Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!