CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

The last couple weeks, I've been getting really bad itching... It raises welts all over and especially where I scratch... Scratching only makes it worse, but sometimes the itching is so incredibly bad, I can't deal with it... The temporary relief (a couple seconds) seems to outweigh the fact I'm going to make it worse, and after a while it starts to hurt... I've also got incredible itching in my hands, specifically after I work. It's internal and it burns as well as itches. It alternates between that and pain in my hands. I get the same sensation in my feet, though not as much. I have tried cortizone and that doesn't seem to work. The itching seems more severe where I have hair, and the cortizone does lessen the itch in those areas, but not on bare skin...

I'm describing this in such detail for two reasons.

1. I want prayer, and it is good to get specific.
2. I'm hoping that someone could tell me what is going on... It is really starting to scare me, and I am unable to have any long periods of rest because of this...

sounds bad. i will pray about this man.

Bob, I would get to a doctor. Also, this description of internal itching and pain sounds like a symptom of a cancer called Hodgkin's lymphoma. I hope and pray that it isn't that, nevertheless you need to be tested for it. At once.

Well, there's other things that can cause it too besides cancer. Point is, you deserve a laboratory workup. Get one

shooraijin wrote:Well, there's other things that can cause it too besides cancer. Point is, you deserve a laboratory workup. Get one

You know, I would LOVE a laboratory workup... I don't have any insurance... (this is one time I really wish I was canadian...)

I can't affort insurance, and my parents won't get me any until January...

This is the absolute worst torment I've been through that I can remember...

EDIT: Well, the cortizone has lessened the itching on the outside to a tolerabe level, but doesn't affect my hands and it doesn't last longer than a few minutes... And as soon as I do a lot of moving where there is pressure on any part of my skin (feet and knees in particular) it comes right back... And, since my scalp is getting the worst of it (well, the scalp and...) I may shave my head again since it is getting pretty long anyhow...

I hate not having insurance... I wonder what I'm gonna do in Japan... Well, probably not anything different than what iim doing now, i suppose...

Man, I'm sorry about that, I'll definately be praying.

I will pray for you.

Careful, careful, careful with cortisone or any kind of topical steroid; you shouldn't use it any more than a week or two *at most*. If you use it more than that, you run the risk of thinning the skin out and the burning will get much worse. Moreover, I suspect the relief you're feeling isn't due to the cortisone at all (since it's so short lived), but probably to the preparation the cortisone is in, which you could get from any of the regular skin lotions.

Do you have any lesions at all (aside from scratch marks, I know )? It might help identify things.

Also, which county are you in? Most of the southern California counties have some sort of county health system and they might be able to get you something to tide you over until you have proper insurance. Granted, you'd probably wait for hours in the clinic, and the medication might not be covered, but it would be better than nothing.

I'm In LA county

You should be able to find a walk-in clinic that close to a major city. If you're going to college or university there ought to be a full-time doctor or nurse available for students too. Incidentally, where do you work (an allergic reaction perhaps)?

> You should be able to find a walk-in clinic that close to a major city.

Definitely -- LA has a large public health system, obviously. Even up in the NE corner around Lancaster and Palmdale, there should be some clinics, and there are definitely some in East LA and over by San Pedro.

Ok, good, now that that guy is banned, delete the message too...

Remember when I said I was divided on the legal action issue? I think this qualifies for at least a 1 year prison sentance. I say go for it! Report this jerk to his or her ISP.

devilbegone wont be an issue anymore

I'm not sure how old you are, but your itching sounds like "shingles." I think everyone else, however, especially Shoorijan, has given you pretty good advice. Find medical help. I'll pray for you right now.

Hope you start feeling better.

Ouch, sounds painful. It would be good to get it checked out if you can, just to be safe. It might be eczema though. I have a mild case of it just on my hand, but it can be anywhere on the body. When I was younger, it was really bad, and I thank God it's gotten way better as I got older. But yea, it might be a severe case of localized eczema on certain parts or your skin. But yea, I'll be prayin for ya, hope it gets better =)

VashTheStampede wrote:Ouch, sounds painful. It would be good to get it checked out if you can, just to be safe. It might be eczema though. I have a mild case of it just on my hand, but it can be anywhere on the body. When I was younger, it was really bad, and I thank God it's gotten way better as I got older. But yea, it might be a severe case of localized eczema on certain parts or your skin. But yea, I'll be prayin for ya, hope it gets better =)

It got even worse today...

I woke up covered in the hives (usually sleeping relieved me of them temporarily until after I woke up) The whole left side of my body on the front from my neck to just above my knees looked like I had been burned... My mom suggested I bathe in baking soda water. After sitting in it a few minutes, the itching went away as long as I was submerged... As soon as whatever part was submerged surfaced, it would start to itch really bad again, like it does after I had been scratching it. I'm all out of 2 bottles of hydrocortizone and one bottle of "itch-x"

I don't know how much more of this I can take... last night the worst of the itching wouldn't go away for hours... In fact it never went away... I had to sit through an undescribable feeling for hours until I finally was able to sleep...

My mom said she was going to try to get me to see her doctor (the suggestion had to be up to her since it seems as though all my suggestions fall on deaf ears...) and just pay in cash...

I'm just affraid, however, that the very nature of what I have may make the doctor not notice... I mean, when it's dormant it really doesn't show until there is pressure on some part of my body (like if I'm kneeling down, or if I scratch or rub or touch something) I feel like scratching and getting the hives everywhere before I see the doctor just so he or she has something to look at... To make sure he or she doesn't miss it...

I have been talking to my biological brother and I'm thinking it may be genetic... Both of my brothers have had something similar and the doctors could never diagnose it...

well, I'm turning my computer off now... It's been on nonstop for several weeks and really deserves a break. I'm going to take my ample freetime and get to know my God a little better... Which, you know, is always a good thing... Maybe try to get an answer to my big questions I have at this moment... You know... Thanks for praying all who have done so, I'll talk to you all again when I get back on.

yes medical attention sounds good i to shall pray for you.

Hope things get better. I know it sounds macabre, but if it's an on and off problem that may not show up for the doctor, you might try taking a photo. Try using aloe too (instead of more expensive medications).

Ok... Update... I'm going to the doctors next thursday. That's the good news... The bad news is that I've been using aloe and it hasn't been helping at all, and it seems my physical problems have been compounding... I told you about my hands and feet which have been itching internally and becoming painful to move when any pressure is exerted on them. I stopped using my sandals because they were making things worse, so I try not to go outside without my tennis shoes. I've taken the advice about the cortizone and I'm not using it anymore. I really don't want to damage my skin any more than it's being damaged... I woke up scratching this, um, well I guess it was afternoon (3pm because I couldn't sleep until about 7am.) and I went to look in the mirror and my back looked like those decorative bumps that people in africa do, everywhere I scratched was raised... I'm trying to describe it but I just can't... It didn't look natural...

In any case, this is becoming very depressing... And, starting a couple days ago, I was also getting a pain in my chest at night... I honestly don't know if any of these separate things are even related, but I never would have thought that I would ever go through somehthing like this... One thing it makes me realize is anyone who says they want to go to hell, let them experience this and say that it doesn't compare to hell and I think that would scare anyone into changing their minds... Or not... I suppose some people are just too stubborn.

Thankfully it does stop for a while if I don't touch anything for like an hour... But, the only way for me to keep it from coming back is to stay in one position and never move... Basically, it ain't gonna happen.

I don't know which to despise more... The itching in my body or the pain in my feet... I have to walk really slow now because of that, and I'm scared to cross the street because either i go slow and I may get caught in the middle (thankfully most people are pretty understanding) or I go fast and BAM my feet get all razor-sharp rock on me...

I have gotten to the point where I don't pay attention to my hands pain anymore, but I went to a Japanese fellowship today (oh, that's good news by the way, I loved it and will be going every week if possible) and when we were singing or when someone starte/finished speaking, we were all supposed to clap but I couldn't because of what it did to my hands. I'm not known to just clap for no reason, so thankfully this isn't an issue most of the time..

I don't think I'll post again in this thread until after I go to the doctors, but I ask for continued prayers... Thank you!

Wow, Bob.. its still bothering you, huh? that does suck. All this slightly reminds me of an allergic reaction i had. (or that's what i know it to be now). What i did was just take some cold medicine and i got this itchy rash as well. if you scratch or have pressure somewhere it comes up and man it itches and can hurt too. all this lasted for like a week from just one 2 pill dose i took. but that time wasn't as bad as last year, cause i didn't put 2 and 2 together to realize it was the medicine. so last year i was on the cold medicine for days and thought i had something else really wrong with me. it lasted for like a month or so then and in the constant affected areas it was almost scaly skin.
Well anyway, i found out it was the medicine about 2 months ago when i took it and the symptoms came back. on the box of like every medicine they always list tons of things that "could" happen to you and then to discontinue use or call your doctor yet, that's the first time anything ever happened to me. i am sure it is the cough suppressant ingredient Dextromethorphan HBr 15 mg so just 30 mg's of it messed me up for a week... i can't believe it stayed in my system that long.
i don't know that yours is from any medicine, but it could be something in your blood. i hope it isn't anything serious man. i will keep praying.

sure! Sorry its still bothering you hope the doctor can do something and you get in as you're supposed to, i shall pray.

I'm really sorry to hear you're going through all this. I am obviously not qualified to diagnose or give advice, but I will definitely pray for your healing.

I will continue to pray.

Ok... Update. I went to the doctor's and he said "Allergic Dermatitis" and that the internal stuff in my hands and feet coincide with that and perscribed Zyrtec... Hopefully it works.. But, I don't know, I don't know how an external allergy could do to my hands and feet what is happening. He said I should try to figure out what is new in my life that could be doing this, so I have to sleep on the couch for a week to see if that takes care of the problem.

Hmm... Well, time will tell I guess if this will work... If I'm allergic to my bed, that's gonna suck, because it was very comfortable and that means I'm out of a bed... If it's something else, I just don't know what it could be... I hope it goes away soon...

hmm. well i hope you can pinpoint what it is man. like i said with my little exp. it is good to avoid those evil allergies.

that doesn't sound to comfy i will be praying for you

I'll be praying for you... I hope you get better real soon!