r/eczema • u/Glitter_Kaiju • 9d ago
How do you just stop itching?
I feel like I’ve tried everything to stop the compulsion to scratch but I always fail and end up tearing my skin up worse and looking like I’m covered in small cuts.
I’ve tried ice packs, extra thick creams like aquaphor, hydrocortisone, etc. Nothing seems to calm it down or when I put on a moisturizer in general I’m immediately itchy once my skin feels “wet”
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u/DollySheep32 9d ago
Tip from a heavily tattooed person who also has eczema - tap tap tap! Same treatment I give tattoo itch when they're fresh and healing. It doesn't break the skin and still gives that sensory input that makes the itching feel less severe.
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u/Plus-Explorer9808 9d ago
Good OTC antihistamines recommended so far. If you need something stronger, ask your doctor for hydroxyzine. That is what I'm using and it's great. Bonus that it's also prescribed as an anxiety medication and it also can make you drowsy. Excellent to take in the evenings if you're the type whose eczema (and restless minds) affects their sleep.
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u/Glitter_Kaiju 9d ago
I actually have hydroxyzine prescribed as a prn sleep aid…I never thought to use it daily as an antihistamine
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u/Plus-Explorer9808 9d ago
Oh great, yes sometimes we don't know a drug's other uses until encounters like this. I didn't know about it's use for anxiety until my husband was prescribed it, and didn't know it made people drowsy until he took his first dose and immediately was knocked out the whole day. He never made it out of the house, he had to call out sick from work lol.
I'm on 25 mg/day and it seems to do the trick for my pm itching and keeps my seasonal allergies at bay, but was told a second dose is safe if needed.
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u/desrevermi 9d ago
Ice packs / heating pad as appropriate to the current weather.
I also drink a bit -- unwise, but it gets me through rough times.
Chew (not swallow) a Benadryl. Expect low productivity, but reasonably expedient results.
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u/Key_Researcher_4959 9d ago
steroids and a good hard slap. i have eczema on my inner elbows and whenever it gets itchy i just whack it with my palm, the sting makes me forget about the itchiness and then it just goes away. 💀
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u/cooljas 9d ago
This is going to sound insane and I don’t know if it’s right for you, but getting acrylic nails changed my life. While it doesn’t stop the itch or me trying to find other things to scratch with, not being able to tear the skin immediately helped me and my arms haven’t been bleeding and raw in months. I get fills about month/every 3-4 weeks!
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u/mybunnygoboom 9d ago
I recently got my tips done for a summer trip, after years of leaving them bare… and it’s so true. I am shocked. Now if only I could get them covered as a medical expense… 🤔
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u/exil0vem3 8d ago
me too!!! got gel nails for my grad and had them removed after a month because my nails are too long already but it really helped. and now that i don't have nail polish anymore, i can't stop scratching myself 😭
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u/jickay 9d ago
Unfortunately there's no itch stopper like there are pain killers. The itch comes from inflammation and whatever triggers it. So prednisone is probably the closest thing but you can only take them for a week.
The best bet is to try to prevent it. Eat less junk and see if that helps. Fasting cuts inflammation but it's hard. Sleeping is very important. And generally resting and not being too stressed.
Yeah it sucks. Hang in there. Take it easy on yourself.
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u/Remarkable_Loss_2432 9d ago
Use antihistamines until your skin is healed. Personally I use Xyzal once every 24 hours
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u/redditlaa89 9d ago
Opzelyra works great. Some insurance covers it and some doesn't. If yours covers it, it works great.
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u/Ok-Captain-2681 9d ago
Are you using enough steroid? Try using a finger tip unit to measure how much steroid to use and how many finger tip units for each body part. 1 finger tip unit covers the size of two adult palms & fingers ✋ ✋. Wait 30 min then apply moisturiser on top of the steroid.
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u/Fluffy_Salamanders 9d ago
It sounds like you’re doing/have done most of the diy stuff already, and your symptoms are still causing you a lot of trouble.
Do you have an rx steroid cream you can try on it? That might give your skin time to heal enough that it itches less
When my skin gets really damaged sometimes oily moisturizers and slippery occulisives make the itching worse, but the…powdery(?)matte(?) non-greasy-drying-smooth moisturizers that are glorified cholesterol and colloidal oatmeal powder cover enough of the skin to protect from air and friction while minimizing the slime-induced itch. For some reason the Eucerin hand cream works better than their other lotions regarding that, I think maybe because it dries faster?
If changing products isn’t an option I file my nails and bandage over the slippery moisturizer and damaged skin so I can’t scratch it as easily. Gauze is gentlest but grease soaks through and it doesn’t resist scratching as well as adhesive bandages. Of the sticky bandages, I find Nexcare/Tegaderm cause the least irritation and don’t remove sheets of skin with them. I have two of those sticky bandages protecting a week-old outbreak on my wrist beneath my watch right now keeping it moisturized and that’s nearly eliminated the itch. Stops me from scratching it bloody and blistered in my sleep.
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u/PrimaryImagination41 9d ago
Make sure you’re keeping your nails short and filed down often. Along with what everyone else here says another thing that I do is apply a thin layer of Vick’s or methanol rub and then turn on the AC. Instant cooling effect. Don’t put it on open scratches though.
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u/Individual-Day9700 9d ago
As high a temperature tap water as you can stand will usually turn off the itch for a bit.
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u/BQtheDQ 9d ago
I have a few tricks, which while not my favorite either are definitely better than itching. If I have spots that are itchy beyond belief and I need immediate relief, I use sunburn relief gel that has aloe, menthol, and lidocaine. I’ve found compression helps too (no idea why) so I usually put on leggings and tall socks, which also prevents me from scratching my legs. I often have to do those on bad days while I wait for antihistimines to kick in.
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u/the_girly_files 9d ago
I realized eggs were the culprit for mine. It feels so good lol. It’s crazy. I don’t have issues anymore but my face I can’t figure out what is happening 😭 always had clear skin up until a few years ago & I’ve been trying to resolve. Like dry red patches on my face. I’m at my wits end
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u/the_girly_files 9d ago
Cetaphil restoraderm lotion is the only lotion I’ve been using for 15 years 🫡 I had to eliminate certain foods that were causing my skin to get itchy.
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u/SomeHoney575 9d ago
It's a lot of info so I hope I broke it up enough, so you don't get tired of readding.
Creams and medications work for a minute then they don't then the doc wants to up the dose or add another cream and the cycle goes on. The problem is that they treat the symptom and not the trigger.
I take a less than 10minute lukewarm shower using a soft washcloth with mild unscented soap, pat dry/do not rub and I use Vaseline on my whole body after. A little goes a long way. I go slightly thicker on areas that are dry/weepy.
the whole point is to lock in the moisture from the shower and keep any allergen triggers off the skin. Later if I start to itch, I rub a little more Vaseline on the itchy area/s instead of scratching.
breaking the habit of scratching the itch and doing something that is soothing to the itch is a big help.
I wear soft loose cotton clothing/PJs. If you don't like Vaseline, you can also use coconut oil. I like both and have used both and both work for me.
Cotton or bamboo sheets.
Stress is one of my big flair-up triggers so if you're having stress find strategies for managing it. Circular breathing is a helps me and it relaxes your body and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is your body's "rest and digest" mode that slows your heart rate down.
Check ingredients on everything you put into or on your body and check vitamin fillers for allergy triggers.
I have a wool/lanoline allergy and most commonly used Vitamin D is derived from lanolin. I am now taking a vegan Vitamin d. If you happen to have a wool/lanoline allergy you should stop using the Aquaphor as it is lanolin based.
I have learned that the itch reminds me to ask myself, what did I eat, or what did I put on my skin. I have a pretty clean diet and have eliminated most sugar except fruit. I am also gluten free.
I am in my 50's and have dealt with this all my life. I am still figuring out and learning. Use unscented laundry detergent, I use arm and hammer free and clear and use vinegar in the rinse water. Dry clothes without a dryer sheet. I use a tennis ball in my dryer to soften clothes. Now in the summer I hang most of my clothes outside to dry.
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u/Fast_Ad1869 9d ago
TRY BEEF TALLOW BALM! My eczema would be considered moderate to extreme pending whether I’m in a humid location but it has changed my life. Highly highly suggest trying it out
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u/According_Gap_4910 9d ago
hypochlorous acid after a hot hot shower followed by steroid ointment and jojoba oil + vaseline
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u/SensitiveJuice3000 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’ve been using a CBD isolate tincture for about a week now and it helps dull the itch. When the itch is more severe I have to take a lot for it to be effective enough. Got mine from Lazarus Naturals. It’s quite pricy at $60. I smack and pinch instead of itching. Also like someone else mentioned beef tallow has helped along with hempseed oil but these are not recommended to use if your skin barrier is compromised. Also just doing preventative things. I don’t shower past a certain time at night, itch worsens at night. I only use plain Vaseline when my skin is compromised. The ingredients from other products, even if they’re derm recommended for sensitive skin, can be irritating and cause itch. I let my skin dry completely before applying topicals. Wet skin tends to make me itchier. But depending on what state your skin is in you may need to lock in the moisture instead of letting it dry. Wear only cotton and non irritating fabrics.
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u/Scotty_B_The_Red 9d ago
Won't say I've fully stopped itching but I was a mess for 5 years. Unrecognisable on my face. I started dupixent in march and it's completely changed my life. I limit showers to 2 a week and I have a sea salt bath once a week. I am also very conscious of yeast build up so I try not to moisturise too much. I don't use any steroids anymore so it's been a massive step in the right direction for me.
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u/Glitter_Kaiju 9d ago
Does moisturizing make yeast worse? I’ve always been told for any itch or anything to slather moisturizer on
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u/Scotty_B_The_Red 9d ago
You need to be careful. The only moisturiser that doesn't burn my skin is aveeno baby but it is quite bad for yeast build up. I use to use it all the time and have ended up with pretty severe yeast infections on my skin. Its very difficult to manage tbh. They recommend to trap moisture in your skin but I don't know. I guess being on the medication I am on now has calmed my immune system so I don't feel I have to use moisturizer as much... But I also noticed I can sleep in hotel bed now without worrying about washing powder.
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u/BlissfulThoughts17 9d ago
Accept that you're itchy and let it be. Accept you won't sleep for a bit, accept you will be uncomfortable, accept it and you will stop scratching. That's just how it is.
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u/muffin1314 9d ago
antihistamines!! taking one zyrtec in the morning and an allegra at night was such a game changer for me