Re:coping with itching..

[Guest guest]

I itch all the time with this eczema...First thing in the morning

when your senses and nerve endings are waking up, its the pits...I

could claw my hide off...My daddy stays on me about scratching all

the time...And he has the stuff too...we have had some arguments

over that one...But sometimes I have found if I scratch around the

edges of the place that is itching...not just on the spot, that

helps from clawing the blood out of it..Also I use the back sides

of my fingers like I am fanning it with my hand...go across with

the palm of my fingers then back across with the back of my

hand...This keeps me from using my nails...The credit card helps

too...Just my two cents.

Rita

> Jackie had good advice about keeping toooooo busy to have a chance

to

> scratch. Sometimes I think we do less because we don't feel up to

it, and

> then we have time to focus on the itching.

> Polypropylene: Mail order company called Damark. (DON'T put

polypropylene

> in the dryer. It will become baby sized) They have all kinds of

stuff to

> keep you warm and it's nice quality. I can't wear the stuff, or,

the

> " wicking " fabric and linings that almost every piece of clothing you

would

> want to wear for any sort of sports or exercise activity. Though it

all

> feels soft to touch with your hand, once it's on my skin it feels

like I'm

> dressed in fiberglass insulation. I have found that very thin,

knit, silk,

> long underwear is wonderful. It is so light and thin that you can

wear it

> under even close fitting clothes, and you can find a variety of

necklines and

> sleeves or sleeveless. Be careful though if you are really

sensitive. Much

> to my dismay I see that some of the silk items I used to buy at

sporting

> stores are now touting a special " wicking " finish to keep you dry.

If you

> have frictional hives, forget it. Besides, silk is so comfortable,

you don't

> have to worry about wicking. With that thin layer, you will stay

very cozy,

> but yet, if you are someplace that is warmer that expected, you'll

still stay

> very comfortable. I love it. There is a mail order called

" WinterSilks "

> that has everything imaginable and also in a variety of

weights/thickness.

> Even socks (listen up you cold climate people). I also like the

polarfleece

> clothes and socks.

> If you ever want to give in and really scratch (I've only used it on

my lower

> legs) try using the edge of a credit card. It is the best. Do it

hard

> enough and although you will be raw and maybe even to almost

bleeding, the

> itch will stop. I used to always get the itchy lower legs, mainly

just to

> the outside of my shin bone and around my ankle bones, and I think

it was

> from the very slight friction from the rubbing of my jeans (and

socks),

> simply from them lightly touching as you move around thruout the

day.

> Kneecaps too. If I wore shorts and no socks, it didn't happen.

That was

> completely separate from the pressure angioedema.

> Carole