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Constant itchiness -- experience or knowledge about?

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Posted 3/10/2016 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi People
so my husband is constantly miserably itchy. I know in the grand scheme of cancer, this seems like a minor issue, but it's really bothering him and starting to scare me. He is a mass of scabs all over his body, he often has some location of his arms or legs bleeding (his skin is really thin now), I find him tangled up in his tee shirts in his sleep because he's must have been trying to reach odd itchy spots.

We've tried Benadryl (oral and the spray gel), prescription steroids and antihistamines, over the counter and prescription lotions, switching to perfume-free detergents...nothing has really made a dent.

It's definitely a major quality of life issue for him, so if anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

My other question is about causes or the meaning of this. Initially I thought this was an allergic reaction to taxotere. He was on taxotere for several months without this itching; it came on pretty suddenly about a month to 6 weeks ago. But I know allergic reactions can appear at any time. So maybe that's what it is.

But today I started worrying that this is a sign of liver problems. He had a scan in the summer that showed what are presumably mets to his liver. He had a scan at the very end of 2015 that showed the same things, a little larger than they had been previously, but not lit up at all on the PET. So I think this means he has liver mets but at least at the last peek, they aren't active (I wish I could say more decisively -- no one discusses it, no one seemed to have any interest in biopsying -- but this is my take based on reading radiology reports).

His last PSA was amazing. It had started climbing, making me think the taxotere was no longer working, and then for no reason (no therapy change), it dropped by 46% in two weeks. So that's great, but has no relationship to how he feels. If anything he is feeling worse lately, starting to feel back pain again, etc.

His eyes don't look yellow to me, so I don't think he's jaundiced.

So that's what I think is relevant info. If you've dealt with this, or have any perspective on it, I'd welcome advice and thoughts as to whether this is a bad sign for taxotere, or his liver, or both.

thanks in advance
Posted 3/10/2016 4:00 AM (GMT 0)
Really, have no idea. But my best guess would be an allergy.

You can do fine on drug X (chemo?) for a lifetime, and then all of a sudden get allergy symptoms.

I never had problems with sulfur-based antibiotics. But, then, on bactrim a few years ago, a 10-day supply, I suddenly got bad hives on the 8th day. I finished the drug, but I was advised not to take sulfur drugs in the future.

This sounds so miserable

Mel
Posted 3/10/2016 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
My father went through something like that. Tried everything, pills, creams, and even had a biopsy on a few suspicious areas.

The solution?

Don't know, as fast as it started, it stopped.

He could get a set of allergy tests, that might point to something. That happened with my wife, she started getting bad itching around her ears. An allergy test showed she was allergic to her hair dye. Now she's less itchy and naturally grey.

It's a difficult problem, all I can really do is sympathize as I know it's a difficult one to solve. Keep pushing for an answer.

Andrew
Posted 3/10/2016 6:34 AM (GMT 0)
Is he still taking Leukine? If so, it could be an autoimmune reaction.
Posted 3/10/2016 9:26 AM (GMT 0)
Can a dermatologist help?
Posted 3/10/2016 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
Consider Benadryl pills and over the counter cortisone cream as a start but talk to his physician first.
Posted 3/11/2016 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
You don't mention which sorts of doctors he has talked to about the problem. One mistake we sometimes make is to assume that all of our problems are related. It could be that his rash is a symptom of his cancer or a side effect of his treatments. But it also could be contact dermatitis or something else that a good dermatologist would recognize. Sometimes a rash is just a rash. Don't forget to check the obvious things too.
Posted 3/11/2016 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
thanks everyone for the responses. We still don't have a solution, but we have some new things to try, and if there's one thing this cancer journey has taught me, it's that sometimes the hope that comes with a stocked toolbox is a win in itself.

I'm at least relieved to learn that it isn't a sign of liver or gallbladder trouble -- his bloodwork indicates all that stuff is working as it should. He has seen a dermatologist, without any real results. To Tall Allen's Q -- no, he's off the Leukine now. He did get some rashes when he was using that, but they didn't hold a candle to this current situation, and were really responsive to Claritin.

I stocked up on perfume/additive- free detergent and have begun what we're calling Laundrypalooza, to try to eliminate any possible irritant off all fabrics that touch him. Oh the raucous Friday nights we have now!

thanks again, for the voices of reason and the additional suggestions!
Posted 3/13/2016 12:51 AM (GMT 0)
I had both hips replaced and I remember severe itching after surgery. I wanted to peel off my skin. It was the pain meds. Could that be the csuse?
Posted 3/13/2016 3:44 AM (GMT 0)
My husband....G9.....had terrible itching on his back and upper arms....nothing worked except stopping his Niaspan......and Sarna lotion.   Still keep the Sarna....just in case...works for any kind of itch.   Good luck......
Posted 3/13/2016 4:08 AM (GMT 0)
hmm, interesting -- he's said almost exactly that (about wanting to peel off his skin). I hope it isn't the pain meds, since I think it'd be a close call to decide which is worse, the pain or the itching.

I will definitely get some Sarna tomorrow am.

We're seeing Dr. Myers this week; I'll share his advice in case its helpful to anyone else (now or future searchers)
Posted 3/13/2016 5:39 AM (GMT 0)
Forgot about the Sarna. My wife gets itchy from time to time. Sarna is on of the few creams that really seems to work for her. Worth a shot.

Andrew
Posted 3/14/2016 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
I find that hydrocodone based pain killers cause me to itch like crazy (like Loritab). Percoset (sp?) which is oxycodone doesn't seem to bother me as much.

BTW, I don't take it for PCa but other things from time. Last use was for oral surgery.
Posted 3/31/2016 7:45 PM (GMT 0)
Here are some suggestions for chronic itching, hopefully one or all will work for you. Please check with your doctor if you want to try any of the following.

1. first, cut his nails supershort so he can't break his thin skin when he scratches
2. Eczema medications
3. Psoriasis medications
4. Anti-anxiety meds help minimize the frustration and anxiety that accompany continuous itching. It's unbearable at times.
5. Numbing cream: Lidocaine or Prilocaine or something from a dentist can numb the itchy area so that it can't be felt. Women who get lip injections rub a numbing agent on their lips so they don't feel the needle. I don't know if numbing agents should be used frequently, but if there's a major flare up, or he doesn't want to "feel" his welts and itches, then it's great to know that there's relief if needed. Just knowing relief is possibly psychologically helps the itching.
6. Possible Clobetasol coricosteroid cream by prescription
7. Benadryl pen meant to be dabbed onto mosquito bites
8. Triamcinolone topical cream by prescription
9. Certain sinus meds have been known to work. It may lower histamine in areas other than sinus, so don't think of them as "sinus" pills, they may possiblye be "anti-itch" pills. Zyrtec D
10. Benadryl will make him tired and also may help with an allergen. Sometimes, scratchers are just too tired to scratch in hard to reach places.
11. Don't use dryer sheets (fabric softener) on his sheets or t-shirts or anything.
12. PPD (sometimes called PPDA or resorcinol) in hair color triggers shock in some people. Ask someone who works in the ER if they've seen it. All of a sudden, the hair color one has used for years begins itching behind their ears. Next time, the scalp will itch, the 3rd or 4th time may be a full blown attack where the throat can swell up and close. Google "hair dye allergy" and look at images. Again, the same color brand you always used can "turn" on you if your hormones change.
13. no shampoo, conditioner, soaps with SLS or sodium laurel sulfate. It's a carcinogen that creates foam in products. Get SLS-free products and don't expect a lot of bubbles. SLS has been used as a skin-thinner for lab rabbits. So maybe it's contributing to his thin skin which easily itches. If you put lotion with Sodium Laurel Sulfate on his scratches, then it may be making things worse.
14. Use cotton sheets with no fabric softener.
15. Think back to when he scratched initially. was there anything new brought into the room, like an air freshener, candle, perfume (alone or in products), color dye.

Last, but not least, even if he has never ever had hay fever, asthma or allergies, they can develop late in life especially with an immunocompromised system or hormone change.

I truly wish you well. I feel for you both.
Posted 4/5/2016 2:11 AM (GMT 0)
Patiently1 -- thanks for the detailed list of options. We tried many, and have gotten relief (which is great, although if we were more scientific, we could figure out what the difference-maker was, but nope, we weren't that patient, so all we know is that when we did almost everything we could think of, he did find it gradually ebbed away).

I think the biggies were the Sarna, continued use of hydroxyzine (oral Rx), Benadryl gel, the "Free" versions of soaps and detergents, dropping the temperature (he's always cold but I think having the heat cranking was drying and irritating his skin) and minimizing the damage his nails could do (cutting is tricky, he's got taxotere fingertips now with raised, loose bumpy nails -- some we could trim, but he also tried thin mittens for sleep).
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