Guest guest Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 My husband says that this has nothing to do with psc since his bilirubin is completely normal. I think that I've read here that some people have the pruritis even with normal or near normal numbers. Hi Joan, Your husband could have itching due to psc even if his bilirubin is ok as it is thought to be due to a number of different processes that can cause the itching. Its unlikely that URSO would cause it. They are a number of different remedies for itching. The first one the drs will probably try is Cholestyramine which is a powder you mix in water or fruit juice, not the most appetising though I'm afraid! Otherwise your hep could try a number of other things which others in this group probably have more experience of so I'll leave that to them. Try not to worry too much though as the amount of itching has nothing to do with how the disease is progressing or not. Itching can, in some people, be very bad even though the psc is at an early stage. In the meantime moisturisers and cool showers will probably help. All the best, Barbara (UK) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 I have been taking a bit of a break from reading the posts and I must say that I am so sorry for all of the problems that people have been experiencing since I last looked. My thoughts go out to Joanne, , Bill etc...I hope that I haven't left anyone out but if I have, please know that my thoughts are big enough to take all of you in. I have a question. My husband tells me that I am worrying unnecessarily but from posts that I've read in the past, I think that I might be correct (though I hope not). just came home from college and is complaining of having an extremely dry mouth when he wakes up and also that he is having problems with itching. At first he thought the itching had to do with chlorine in the pool but it has continued. He is itching on and off during the day and night though it seems worse at night. He has always had a problem with dry skin and occasional exzema so who knows? He has mentioned that he has flaky skin on his face and also that generally, moisturizer seems to relieve the itchiness. My husband says that this has nothing to do with psc since his bilirubin is completely normal. I think that I've read here that some people have the pruritis even with normal or near normal numbers. I'm freaking out so I hope someone can give me some information asap. This disease can make you go crazy; every time I succeed in pushing it into the background so that we can move on with our lives, something reminds me that life will never be normal again. Sorry to be a downer. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 itching and dry mouth I have been taking a bit of a break from reading the posts and I mustsay that I am so sorry for all of the problems that people have beenexperiencing since I last looked. Sorry but I forgot something in my message. Is it possible that Urso could be causing any of 's symptoms? Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Dave, I'm trying to figure out if the itching actually is coincidental or a part of psc. Is there any evidence that you know of where there is psc related itching with normal alp and bilirubin? If you recall, has had a problem with excessive callusing of the hands and feet, exzema, dry skin etc...What he is describing this time, however, is a more generalized itching that seems to be worse at night. Does your son suffer from any of the other psc symptoms; I can't recall. Also, everyone seems to agree that itching has no correlation with disease progression and I just can't understand how this can be. It's so hard not to fixate on every aspect of 's health when certain things may just be variants on normal that ordinarily we would just brush aside. I'm sure that you and your wife and many others in this group completely understand this lovely aspect of dealing with disease. Thanks Joan Re: itching and dry mouth Hi Joan;When our son, , started itching, he was prescribed an anti-histamine, atarax (hydroxyzine). I've read that this can cause dry mouth. Therefore if has been prescribed atarax, this could be a possible cause? did not get any itching relief from atarax, but has responded well to rifampin. Does also have dry eyes? Dry eyes and mouth can be associated with Sjogren's syndrome, which can occassionally come with PSC. Best regards,Dave (father of (20); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03)> just came home from college and is complaining of having an extremely dry mouth when he wakes up and also that he is having problems with itching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Dear Joan; I fully appreciate your concern about whether 's itching is PSC related or incidental. The dry mouth and skin symptoms you described prompted me to look at Sjogren's syndrome as a possible explanation, but only a rheumatologist/dermatologist could make this diagnosis: Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2001 Mar;20(1):46-52. Sjogern's syndrome. Connolly MK. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0517, USA. mkconnolly@... Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune exocrinopathy that affects the salivary and lacrimal glands. It typically presents as the " sicca complex " of dry eyes (xerophthalmia) and dry mouth (xerostomia) along with other symptoms such as arthritis. SS is classified as either primary or secondary. In the primary form, dry eyes and dry mouth occur alone. In the secondary form, the dry eyes and dry mouth occur in the context of another rheumatic disease, most commonly rheumatoid arthritis. There is an increasing list of systemic manifestations affecting the lung, kidney, and nervous system in patients with SS. The skin is affected in half of SS patients. Despite this high frequency of cutaneous involvement, patients with SS are not commonly seen in dermatology practices. SS is underrecognized and underdiagnosed because the cutaneous manifestations are nonspecific (eg, xerosis, pruritus) and less severe than the oral, ocular, or musculoskeletal symptoms. Nonetheless, because of its high prevalence, risk of cutaneous vasculitis, and the increased risk of a lymphoproliferative disorder, it is important for dermatologists to be familiar with SS. Publication Types: Review PMID: 11308136 Best regards, Dave (father of (20); PSC 07/03; UC 08/03) > > Dave, > I'm trying to figure out if the itching actually is coincidental or a part of psc. Is there any evidence that you know of where there is psc related itching with normal alp and bilirubin? If you recall, has had a problem with excessive callusing of the hands and feet, exzema, dry skin etc...What he is describing this time, however, is a more generalized itching that seems to be worse at night. Does your son suffer from any of the other psc symptoms; I can't recall. Also, everyone seems to agree that itching has no correlation with disease progression and I just can't understand how this can be. > It's so hard not to fixate on every aspect of 's health when certain things may just be variants on normal that ordinarily we would just brush aside. I'm sure that you and your wife and many others in this group completely understand this lovely aspect of dealing with disease. > Thanks > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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