I've written that I have had itchy bumps on my scalp since summer. Now they are appearing on my back, hips, and arms, all evenly distributed on opposite sides. Zizzle just posted something about that, but I can't find it. Can you find your thread, Zizzle? I'm itching all day long and it's starting to drive me crazy.
I've put prescription cortisone cream on them, but it only helps temporarily. Stress seems to make the itching worse.
I finally brought my prescription for diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, to a compounding pharmacy near my home. The pharmacist will put it in 12.5 mg capsules, mixed with cornstarch. She called the maker of the capsules to find out what they are made of: bovine and some pig material. I think I can tolerate the bovine because I've been eating Boar's Head bratwurst without problems, and it contains beef. It will cost $31 for 30 pills.
I may add an H2 blocker to the mix; I think the one I have is ranitidine. It has inactive ingredients, however, as they all do. It didn't seem to help me before, but maybe the combination will. I bought some Epsom salts to take a bath. I don't know what else to try at this point.
Gloria
Dealing with itchy bumps
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Dealing with itchy bumps
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Hi Gloria,
So sorry about the bumps! Could it be the sun? That was my original problem. I remember Zizzle's post too. Can't remember what she did. Hopefully she or Cynthia will hop on and give some help. I know Cynthia had bumps on her head. I was just thinking of you and wondering how you were doing. I am sorry something new, and so aggravating, has come up!
Susie
So sorry about the bumps! Could it be the sun? That was my original problem. I remember Zizzle's post too. Can't remember what she did. Hopefully she or Cynthia will hop on and give some help. I know Cynthia had bumps on her head. I was just thinking of you and wondering how you were doing. I am sorry something new, and so aggravating, has come up!
Susie
Gloria,
What do they look like? Are they: red, round bumps, irregular "wheals", clear fluid/pus filled, patchy or confluent, migrating? Are you thinking it's a mast cell problem? Are your MC symptoms worsening too? Knowing how careful you are about food, I can assume you are getting no hidden source of gluten, right? (Dermatitis Herpetiformis from gluten can cause itchy bumps, as we know). Have you begun using any new soaps, detergents/fabric softeners, body washes, etc.
I know how miserable it is to be itching all of the time. Several years ago I had a major case of poison ivy, and I was reminded of the agony of constant itching. It is incredibly stressful. Just a thought - we treat poison ivy with a Medrol dosepack (starts with a high dose of steroid and quickly tapers down over a few days). Maybe this would "shock" your rash into healing, especially since it appears to respond to topical cortisone.
Hugs,
Polly
What do they look like? Are they: red, round bumps, irregular "wheals", clear fluid/pus filled, patchy or confluent, migrating? Are you thinking it's a mast cell problem? Are your MC symptoms worsening too? Knowing how careful you are about food, I can assume you are getting no hidden source of gluten, right? (Dermatitis Herpetiformis from gluten can cause itchy bumps, as we know). Have you begun using any new soaps, detergents/fabric softeners, body washes, etc.
I know how miserable it is to be itching all of the time. Several years ago I had a major case of poison ivy, and I was reminded of the agony of constant itching. It is incredibly stressful. Just a thought - we treat poison ivy with a Medrol dosepack (starts with a high dose of steroid and quickly tapers down over a few days). Maybe this would "shock" your rash into healing, especially since it appears to respond to topical cortisone.
Hugs,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Susie, Polly and Leah - Thank you for taking the time to give a response.
It's hard to describe the bumps because they are all on my backside and the back of my neck and head. I've looked in a mirror, and they seem to be like prickly heat. But there is also a rash on my back. I wake up in the middle of the night and start scratching my head, then my back, like crazy.
I took a bath in Epsom salt without any soap this morning. DH put the cortisone cream on, and I put underwear and clothes on that haven't been washed using the present detergent bottle. I also took 1/2 pill of Benadryl last night. I was still groggy by noon. That's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to take it. I also took a Claritin Redi Tab this morning. It seemed to help.
I have been eating 2-4 dried mango slices every day. (I love them.) They are unsulfured and lightly coated with sugar. I've read that dried fruit can be high in histamines, but washing it can remove most of the amines, so I've started washing them. There are conflicting reports about foods high in histamine. Some list mango, some don't.
I thought I'd try making my own jello a couple of weeks ago using fresh limes, which are low in fructose. It was so refreshing and good that I made another batch using part lemon, part lime. Maybe I overdid it. 
I haven't had any for a week, but the bumps are spreading. I also put two cherry tomatoes in a tortilla last week. It could be a histamine problem. I might have overloaded my system. Most times I have to force myself to eat dinner; my meals are always the same. I'm longing for some variety after 2 1/2 years of the same plain meals.
I made some homemade laundry detergent this afternoon using Borax, Ivory soap (shredded in my Cuisinart) and Arm & Hammer washing soda. I suspect the problem is my laundry detergent because I reacted similarily to a generic detergent several years ago. Since then, I've used Arm & Hammer sensitive skin detergent. It's possible that a run of the detergent could have become contaminated when they changed the product.
I've been trying to reduce Entocort one pill every three days. I see Normans most of the time, but some days I don't. Frequency is between 1-3 times a day, mostly 2. I'll probably never be able to get off Entocort, but I'm pretty stable right now.
I'll be picking up the compounded Benadryl tomorrow. We'll see how that goes!
Gloria
It's hard to describe the bumps because they are all on my backside and the back of my neck and head. I've looked in a mirror, and they seem to be like prickly heat. But there is also a rash on my back. I wake up in the middle of the night and start scratching my head, then my back, like crazy.
I took a bath in Epsom salt without any soap this morning. DH put the cortisone cream on, and I put underwear and clothes on that haven't been washed using the present detergent bottle. I also took 1/2 pill of Benadryl last night. I was still groggy by noon. That's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to take it. I also took a Claritin Redi Tab this morning. It seemed to help.
I have been eating 2-4 dried mango slices every day. (I love them.) They are unsulfured and lightly coated with sugar. I've read that dried fruit can be high in histamines, but washing it can remove most of the amines, so I've started washing them. There are conflicting reports about foods high in histamine. Some list mango, some don't.
I thought I'd try making my own jello a couple of weeks ago using fresh limes, which are low in fructose. It was so refreshing and good that I made another batch using part lemon, part lime. Maybe I overdid it. I haven't had any for a week, but the bumps are spreading. I also put two cherry tomatoes in a tortilla last week. It could be a histamine problem. I might have overloaded my system. Most times I have to force myself to eat dinner; my meals are always the same. I'm longing for some variety after 2 1/2 years of the same plain meals.I made some homemade laundry detergent this afternoon using Borax, Ivory soap (shredded in my Cuisinart) and Arm & Hammer washing soda. I suspect the problem is my laundry detergent because I reacted similarily to a generic detergent several years ago. Since then, I've used Arm & Hammer sensitive skin detergent. It's possible that a run of the detergent could have become contaminated when they changed the product.
I've been trying to reduce Entocort one pill every three days. I see Normans most of the time, but some days I don't. Frequency is between 1-3 times a day, mostly 2. I'll probably never be able to get off Entocort, but I'm pretty stable right now.
I'll be picking up the compounded Benadryl tomorrow. We'll see how that goes!
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Hi Gloria,
The fact that this happens while you are asleep has to be a clue. I would take a close look at my routine just before bedtime. Do you sleep on your back? If so, I would be suspicious of the mattress or any mattress cover and/or the sheet under you.
Or I could be all wet.
Tex
The fact that this happens while you are asleep has to be a clue. I would take a close look at my routine just before bedtime. Do you sleep on your back? If so, I would be suspicious of the mattress or any mattress cover and/or the sheet under you.
Or I could be all wet.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Yes, Tex, I've thought about that. My head was the first to get the bumps, and still has them. I've changed pillows and pillow cases. I considered bed bugs (ugh!), but DH sleeps in the same bed with his legs exposed and he doesn't have any bumps. I'm covered from neck to toe because I sleep with socks on, even in the summer.
I'm continuing to take Benadryl, Claritin and took a Zyrtec today. I think the bumps look less "angry." I never noticed stress to have an impact on my MC, but it definitely makes me want to scratch the itchy spots. That makes me think they are mast cell related. I picked up the compounded diphenhydramine today and will use those pills instead of Benadryl from now on. One benefit - I'm getting a good night's sleep taking the Benadryl.
Thank you for your concern and insight. I just got your book in the mail! I'm looking forward to reading it.
Gloria
I'm continuing to take Benadryl, Claritin and took a Zyrtec today. I think the bumps look less "angry." I never noticed stress to have an impact on my MC, but it definitely makes me want to scratch the itchy spots. That makes me think they are mast cell related. I picked up the compounded diphenhydramine today and will use those pills instead of Benadryl from now on. One benefit - I'm getting a good night's sleep taking the Benadryl.
Thank you for your concern and insight. I just got your book in the mail! I'm looking forward to reading it.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
I'm so sorry I'm just seeing this now. Itchy rashes SUCK and drive you crazy!!! My rashes look like prickly-heat too, but they are much longer-lasting. Mine look like goosebumps on pink sunburn, and I currently have patches on my upper-back, neck and lower scalp, around my right elbow, and on my bottocks. Prescription Clobetasol cream (steroid) is helping control the itching after I use it for 4-5 days and I must apply it once a day. If I miss a day, the itching returns. Eventually the goosebump part of the rash starts to dry up and looks like flat, brown bumps that feel like sandpaper, and the area beneath it turns light purple. The rash them migrates next to where the original patch of rash was...so it never goes away, it just moves over!!!!! AARGH!!! On areas that I had the rash that fully cleared, I'm left with whiter, less pigmented dots where the "goosebumps" once were.
A recent skin biopsy diagnosed it as vacuolar interface dermatitis, which is consistent with suspected Amyopathic Dermatomyositis, but it can also be a drug reaction (not in my case)and a few other things. I still wonder if it might be a dermatitis reaction to somethig I'm using topically, or even a food sensitivity. You recall my MRT test showed I was reacting to benzoic acid and artifical colors among other things. I'm now trying to switch to a much safer shampoo and conditioner, even though I've been using natural brands (Giovanni and Nature's Gate).
I also wonder if the bacteria on my skin may be playing a role. After all, my body seems to be fighting normal bacteria in my GI tract. I read somewhere that vinegar (acetic acid) compresses are used in the hospital for dermatomyositis patients, and I wonder why? I tried apple cider vinegar compresses a couple of times, and they did help the itching in the moment, but not long term.
Does your rash ger redder and more noticeable when you take a hot shower? Mine does. There are parts of my upper back that seem rash-free, but they still itch. When I get out of the shower, the whole area where I feel the itch is red and angry. I had accupuncture for the rash once and got the same effect - the rash got red and angry in response.
Is anything helping right now?
I'm so sorry I'm just seeing this now. Itchy rashes SUCK and drive you crazy!!! My rashes look like prickly-heat too, but they are much longer-lasting. Mine look like goosebumps on pink sunburn, and I currently have patches on my upper-back, neck and lower scalp, around my right elbow, and on my bottocks. Prescription Clobetasol cream (steroid) is helping control the itching after I use it for 4-5 days and I must apply it once a day. If I miss a day, the itching returns. Eventually the goosebump part of the rash starts to dry up and looks like flat, brown bumps that feel like sandpaper, and the area beneath it turns light purple. The rash them migrates next to where the original patch of rash was...so it never goes away, it just moves over!!!!! AARGH!!! On areas that I had the rash that fully cleared, I'm left with whiter, less pigmented dots where the "goosebumps" once were.
A recent skin biopsy diagnosed it as vacuolar interface dermatitis, which is consistent with suspected Amyopathic Dermatomyositis, but it can also be a drug reaction (not in my case)and a few other things. I still wonder if it might be a dermatitis reaction to somethig I'm using topically, or even a food sensitivity. You recall my MRT test showed I was reacting to benzoic acid and artifical colors among other things. I'm now trying to switch to a much safer shampoo and conditioner, even though I've been using natural brands (Giovanni and Nature's Gate).
I also wonder if the bacteria on my skin may be playing a role. After all, my body seems to be fighting normal bacteria in my GI tract. I read somewhere that vinegar (acetic acid) compresses are used in the hospital for dermatomyositis patients, and I wonder why? I tried apple cider vinegar compresses a couple of times, and they did help the itching in the moment, but not long term.
Does your rash ger redder and more noticeable when you take a hot shower? Mine does. There are parts of my upper back that seem rash-free, but they still itch. When I get out of the shower, the whole area where I feel the itch is red and angry. I had accupuncture for the rash once and got the same effect - the rash got red and angry in response.
Is anything helping right now?
Zizzle,
Your rash sounds much like mine. It seems to be moving down my body. The original spots are less "angry," but they're still there and still itch. My head is still itching, too and has been for at least a month, maybe more. What kind of shampoo/conditioner are you switching to? My daughter also had an itchy scalp, went back to her dandruff shampoo, and it disappeared. I'm thinking of getting a dandruff shampoo, but some are tar-based and some have a corticosteroid, and I can't decide which would be better.
I didn't take a Benadryl last night because it makes me so groggy the next day, but I have been taking a Claritin Redi-tab every day. I'm going to take Benadryl tonight and see my PCP tomorrow, hopefully. I don't think he'll be able to help me, but maybe he can tell me what kind of a rash this appears to be.
I didn't eat any dried mango today, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference.
I washed my clothes and pillowcase in the Ivory-washing suds-Borax detergent. That hasn't helped.
DH wants me to look for a spray to put on the bumps. I think he's getting tired of putting the cortisone ointment on me. It's kind of hard to squeeze out of the tube.
I haven't noticed if it's worse when I take a shower. I've been taking baths in Epsom Salt (I'm retired, so I have the time), and it really soothes the bumps for a time.
I'll have to try vinegar compresses, though vinegar is high in histamines. Wish I knew if this is histamine-related.
I'm leaving for a vacation next week and I don't want to be itching, but this seems to be getting worse instead of better.
Gloria
Your rash sounds much like mine. It seems to be moving down my body. The original spots are less "angry," but they're still there and still itch. My head is still itching, too and has been for at least a month, maybe more. What kind of shampoo/conditioner are you switching to? My daughter also had an itchy scalp, went back to her dandruff shampoo, and it disappeared. I'm thinking of getting a dandruff shampoo, but some are tar-based and some have a corticosteroid, and I can't decide which would be better.
I didn't take a Benadryl last night because it makes me so groggy the next day, but I have been taking a Claritin Redi-tab every day. I'm going to take Benadryl tonight and see my PCP tomorrow, hopefully. I don't think he'll be able to help me, but maybe he can tell me what kind of a rash this appears to be.
I didn't eat any dried mango today, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference.
I washed my clothes and pillowcase in the Ivory-washing suds-Borax detergent. That hasn't helped.
DH wants me to look for a spray to put on the bumps. I think he's getting tired of putting the cortisone ointment on me. It's kind of hard to squeeze out of the tube.
I haven't noticed if it's worse when I take a shower. I've been taking baths in Epsom Salt (I'm retired, so I have the time), and it really soothes the bumps for a time.
I'll have to try vinegar compresses, though vinegar is high in histamines. Wish I knew if this is histamine-related.
I'm leaving for a vacation next week and I don't want to be itching, but this seems to be getting worse instead of better.
Gloria
You never know what you can do until you have to do it.
Gloria,
Yes applying creams is no fun, but mine has no trouble coming out of the tube and spreading into the skin. Two doctors agreed Clobetasol is excellent, so you might ask for an Rx of that? It leaves a slightly waxy feel so I can tell when it's there and working. I haven't shopped for the new shampoo yet. I have had seborrheic dermatitis of my scalp almost my entire life, which causes itching, a waxy buildup, oily hair after one day, and hair loss from plugged follicles. My mom had it too and we tried all the shampoos when I was younger - salicylic acid, coal tar, selsun blue, head and shoulders, tea tree oil, etc. Nothing really helped. In fact I now believe I was striping my hair and drying out my scalp and making things worse -- the scalp overproduced sebum under those conditions (kind of like teens drying out their face to treat acne...not effective). My scalp is better now that I use milder shampoos.
I used Banadryl cream for a few weeks and I recall it helped somewhat. I might switch if I feel I'm getting too much steroid. I don't recall oral antihistamines working at all, but maybe I didn't give them enough time? I dunno.
I'm guessing mine is not histamine related because it has such a chronic, semi-permanent course. It doesn't come and go, as you might expect from hives and other allergic-type rashes.
Wish I could be more helpful!
Yes applying creams is no fun, but mine has no trouble coming out of the tube and spreading into the skin. Two doctors agreed Clobetasol is excellent, so you might ask for an Rx of that? It leaves a slightly waxy feel so I can tell when it's there and working. I haven't shopped for the new shampoo yet. I have had seborrheic dermatitis of my scalp almost my entire life, which causes itching, a waxy buildup, oily hair after one day, and hair loss from plugged follicles. My mom had it too and we tried all the shampoos when I was younger - salicylic acid, coal tar, selsun blue, head and shoulders, tea tree oil, etc. Nothing really helped. In fact I now believe I was striping my hair and drying out my scalp and making things worse -- the scalp overproduced sebum under those conditions (kind of like teens drying out their face to treat acne...not effective). My scalp is better now that I use milder shampoos.
I used Banadryl cream for a few weeks and I recall it helped somewhat. I might switch if I feel I'm getting too much steroid. I don't recall oral antihistamines working at all, but maybe I didn't give them enough time? I dunno.
I'm guessing mine is not histamine related because it has such a chronic, semi-permanent course. It doesn't come and go, as you might expect from hives and other allergic-type rashes.
Wish I could be more helpful!
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Christine.
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Gabes-Apg
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just a random thought............. if the epsom salts helps, can you make your own spray from the epsom salts??
if it is histamine related, it might take a few days from when you stop eating the mango for the itchy bumps to improve..
if it is histamine related, it might take a few days from when you stop eating the mango for the itchy bumps to improve..
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
HI,
I had a rash called Urticaria because I had to wean of Entocort. Are you weaning of Entocort? Because the corisone level is lower, you can break out in a rash. My rash was weird: they were little, small bubbles on my face and neck. It itched a lot. I finally went to a doctor and I had to take one pill a day for three days (I dont remember the name unfortunately). It worked for me.
Good luck!
Julie
I had a rash called Urticaria because I had to wean of Entocort. Are you weaning of Entocort? Because the corisone level is lower, you can break out in a rash. My rash was weird: they were little, small bubbles on my face and neck. It itched a lot. I finally went to a doctor and I had to take one pill a day for three days (I dont remember the name unfortunately). It worked for me.
Good luck!
Julie
It doesn't matter how many times you fall, but how many times you get up en go for it again. HOPE !!!!