ITCHING

[LOMESIE]

My 82 year-old mother has had severe itching for a while and nothing has helped so far. The doctor prescribed the use of different soap and baby softener for the wash. She uses a gentle soap called Aqoues, for her skin and the same brand lotion for her skin, as well as Myelocort, like Cortizone, I think. Foreign brands. The doctor said that it was due to age, but I disagree. Her blood sugar is good and so the blood pressure. She is also skin-and-bone, in spite of having a very good appetite. I think she's in Stage 6 of 7 and I have seen people with Alzheimer's who are extrememly thin and wasted.
Does anyone have a relative or friend with theis itching problem?

[georgiegirl6701]

My 88 year old mother has been itching all over her body for 3 years (it is obsessive).  She spends much of her day itching her skin.  She itches so badly that she scratches herself until she bleeds.   Also, she has growths on her legs that look like volcano-shaped mounds with something growing out of the top.  Some are as large as an eraser on a pencil.   When dermatologists (we have seen 5 different ones) do a biopsy they tell me that they are squamos cell cancers.  At first, I had the dermotologists remove the bumps.  Now I have given up because she just grows more. The itching began on her back, moved to her arms, chest, and legs.  Five months ago she fell and hit her head.  Now the itching has also moved to her scalp.  She had been on Aricept and Namenda for many years.  In Jan 2008 she stopped all medication.  The itching continued but she rapidly began going down hill mentally.  She has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  To date she is totally confused about everything and everyone.  My mother is skin and bone, as is yours, yet she has an incredible appetite.  After each meal she goes into the kitchen to find out if there is anything left. She eats snacks between meals because she is always hungry.  It seems to me as if her body is not processing the food that she eats.  She had shingles about 4 years ago which lasted for about three months.  I am looking into Morgellons Disease.      

[samsauntrn]

My mom had severe intense itching in the beginning and the doc diagnosed her with a skin condition, and I'm sorry I can't remember the name right now. (it was 10 years ago) Oops, it was lichen icthyosis, I think. Anyway she said it was partially nerve related and put her on Zoloft which actually made it go away. She was always picking at spots and opening them up, she has scars all over her body from them. I actually walked in on her picking at them with a knife at one point!

[hypert5742]

Hi my mother is 78 and has been diagnosed with alzheimers. she has the itching as well, mainly in the morning on her back. has anyone found any treatment for it ,to at least treat the symptom. i guess it is part of the nerveous system. All i can tell you is that i have watched my mother go down over the last 6-12 mos quite rapidly. she has had a big weight loss as well and is a beautiful women , who always looked so put together and very paticular about her looks. she now is looking as though she is her age, did not before.

[Hospice_Nurse]

I have had really good results with anxiolytics to help control the itching that is seen with many Alzheimer patients.  Ask your doctor about anti-anxiety medication rather than only anti-itch medications.

[daughterno1]

My mother has Alzheimers and also had very bad itchiness.  The dermatologist gave her a shot of cortisone (in her arm) and it immediately started to resolve the issue.  It has now been more than a week since she received the shot and she tells us that she isn't itchy anymore.  It certainly is better than it was!

[elaine833]

my mother had said her body was itchy   doctors ran blood tests and found protein in her blood and now shes on steroids   she hasnt mentioned the itching but she has really dampening sweats and has become very paranoid

dont know if the paranoia is due to her alzhimiers nxt level or these blood and steroids shes on

shes 87 and in a ch

[iam1butterfly]

A year and a half ago my 80 year old mother had intense itching and a severe rash all over her body. She also suffered from drenching night sweats. It turned out that it was an uncommon symptom of Hodgekin's Disease. After chemotherapy, the rash and itch went away. But lately, she's been scratching herself, especially at night. And, she does have two sisters with Alzheimers Disease... so, now I'm wondering.