ITCHY ITCHY ITCHY ITCHY

I doubt it's shingles, Pamela. 

I've been there and done that, and it hurts like hell.  Not just an itchy problem.  Red, scaley skin, small blisters that scab over, and lots of nerve pain.  I had them on my head, which is the most painful place for them to break out.  Whenever my skin starts to itch, normally, I hit it with a sunburn remedy of aloe infused with lidocaine.  The aloe moisturizes the skin and the lidocaine numbs out the nerve endings.  I'd try something like this before I'd head to another doctor.  It could be something as simple as dry skin.  My skin doesn't look dry, but some days it itches the heck out of me.

If you do go see a doctor, I'd see a general practitioner first.  If the itching is serious, he can refer you to the right kind of specialist.

Just my opinion,

Leigh Ann

Hey Pamela,

I think I am one of the people that you were referring to about suggesting you go to the doctor.  In your original post, you just mentioned your symptoms.  In your second post, you mentioned all the different choices in doctors that you could go see.  You never posted that you had already been to the doctor and since you didn't mention the itching during your appointment, technically, you still haven't addressed the problem with a medical professional.  You can't fault us for suggesting intervention by a doctor.  We can only give our advice based on what details you share with us.  In the future, try making a list of all the things that you need to discuss with the doctor ahead of time.  That way, you don't have to trust your memory to cover all your issues.  A list is especially helpful if things with the doctor get you flustered or upset, or if you really feel bad that day and just aren't on top of everything.  Just something to keep in mind.

Leigh Ann

Pamela Neckpain said...
Leigh Ann,
I had a list of subjects to talk to the doctor about. I was wrapped in a tiny bit of
tissue paper and did not feel like hiking across the doctor's office to get my list and,
of course, at THAT time I didn't itch. Leigh Ann ... It is good to know that you have
all the answers. Yipeee.

I realize that CP tends to make all of us irritable from time to time, but there's no call to get snarky or sarcastic with fellow posters that are just trying to help out.  My posts on this thread were strictly mean to be helpful and supportive.

Yes, I did suggest that you should go see a doctor, which is perfectly logical, considering your first post in this thread indicated that you had not seen a doctor about the itching problem.  Your second post listed a whole bunch of different specialists that you were considering going to see for the itching problem.  I suggested a general practitioner first, who has a wider base of general medical knowledge.  I recommended taking a list of topics to cover with your doctor, because I have memory problems, and if I don't take a list, or take my dad with me, I'll forget things that I need to discuss with my doctor.  I wasn't insinuating that you have memory problems, just that sometimes people get flustered when talking with the doctor, and forget things they meant to discuss.

In response to my suggestions, you slammed me for being a "know it all", stating that it must be nice for me "to have all the answers".  Frankly, I don't deserve that kind of sarcasm.  The added "Yippee" was insulting and nasty.  I was merely trying to make some helpful sugggestions, not telling you were wrong and you needed to do things "my way".  I don't know all the answers, but I do have a great deal of experience in dealing with doctors. 

I offered my support and was commiserating with you.  You turned on me like I had called you stupid or something, or that I was putting you down in some way.  I can forgive you because I know that pain sometimes clouds how we read things or distorts the intention of those of us trying to give you the benefit of our experience.  No, I don't know it all, but then neither do you.  If you take the time to reread my posts, I don't see how you could take them as condescending or superior in nature.  However, the next time you read a post that somehow offends you, take some time to cool off and read the post again.  You might just see that your innitial reaction doesn't hold true upon review.

I was simply trying to be sympathetic and helpful, and if I respond to one of your posts in the future, please keep that intent in mind.

Leigh Ann

Ps just wanted to second that you can get an allergy at any time to any med.  I have several allergies to antibodics and some of them new and have taken them all my life.

Took a sulfa last yr for a sinus infection and ended up in the hospital getting pumped full of tons of stuff because my throat closed up and I looked like the USA map the hives were that large and they were everywhere! IT sucked!

Lara