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?

[Rosiedale]

Hi my name rosie (Fake nails ) read Please be patient with my English but worth reading I feel for you my mum has been the same problem for 2 1/2 years Now the best news is fake nail (round and smooth ) she unable to take all dressing of,( it to harder and process longer ) stops the opening of wounds and they heals Mum loves them and thinks there her own nails Story of what happened we wasnt happy with want we where told by doctors My sister and myself work in help profession and took photos of mum they all said the some thing staphylococcus aureus this is comment in old patient Which another words stap, school sores So I took mum to the doctors that work recommended Mum was tested for staphylococcus aureus Test come back yes He also treated mum for scabies We wash everything Doctor said This is want can course above poor hygiene ,wrong foods dryness of skin dirty nails from scratching ,not changing linen not washing hands ,not showering enough or wright , house not cleaned ,animals Look it up on computer Where gloves highly contagious Mum was treatment for scabies first Placed on antibiotic tables and cream When cream finished we started using Manuka honey 15 +this is a natural antibiotic fanstic please read up about it ,get used in hospital I also place this in mum cupa to help her skin Place betadine and saline (salt water ) and wash areas Around the sore place betadine cream to kill the baterica in the dry skin Place the honey onto sore and cover with makeup cotton square Then use fidomull stretch 5 cm x10cm to dress wound I was doing 2 hours of dressing a day now 15 min only because I'm treating the scars on her skin now Make sure daily that sheets ,nighty, linen changed , shower daily with sorbene boby wash in morning Make sure correct foods are eaten place avocado oil over skin and in hair ,,face,neck body to help with dryness at night time this also is very important and part of problem dryness of skin (scratching ) Doctor also said get blood moving around body Also try to keep her hands busy with puzzle books reading we get mum sewing small things like buttons ,hems etc ,writing letters, groups ,

Mum looking fanastic got her hair permed first time in years Hope this helped rosie

[Rosiedale]

Hi my name rosie (Fake nails ) read Please be patient with my English but worth reading I feel for you my mum has been the same problem for 2 1/2 years Now the best news is fake nail (round and smooth ) she unable to take all dressing of,( it to harder and process longer ) stops the opening of wounds and they heals Mum loves them and thinks there her own nails Story of what happened we wasnt happy with want we where told by doctors My sister and myself work in help profession and took photos of mum they all said the some thing staphylococcus aureus this is comment in old patient Which another words stap, school sores So I took mum to the doctors that work recommended Mum was tested for staphylococcus aureus Test come back yes He also treated mum for scabies We wash everything Doctor said This is want can course above poor hygiene ,wrong foods dryness of skin dirty nails from scratching ,not changing linen not washing hands ,not showering enough or wright , house not cleaned ,animals Look it up on computer Where gloves highly contagious Mum was treatment for scabies first Placed on antibiotic tables and cream When cream finished we started using Manuka honey 15 +this is a natural antibiotic fanstic please read up about it ,get used in hospital I also place this in mum cupa to help her skin Place betadine and saline (salt water ) and wash areas Around the sore place betadine cream to kill the baterica in the dry skin Place the honey onto sore and cover with makeup cotton square Then use fidomull stretch 5 cm x10cm to dress wound I was doing 2 hours of dressing a day now 15 min only because I'm treating the scars on her skin now Make sure daily that sheets ,nighty, linen changed , shower daily with sorbene boby wash in morning Make sure correct foods are eaten place avocado oil over skin and in hair ,,face,neck body to help with dryness at night time this also is very important and part of problem dryness of skin (scratching ) Doctor also said get blood moving around body Also try to keep her hands busy with puzzle books reading we get mum sewing small things like buttons ,hems etc ,writing letters, groups ,

Mum looking fanastic got her hair permed first time in years Hope this helped rosie

[mikie984]

I have developed the same sort of growths. Actually, they are pretty common. They are like little warts and are also cause by a virus. I make and use colloidal silver, which is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungus, and anti-viral solution. Simply wipe it on the affected areas a couple times a day. You can buy it on line or in healthfood stores, but it's much cheaper to make it. It's the only thing that I feel comfortable using which really works!

[2Quacks]

My husband is 81 and is at least a stage 4 and just scratches all the time, sometimes until he bleeds.  And he eats all the time but doesn't gain weight.
Recently, he had one of those "volcano" type sores on his hand.  It looked awful and I suspected maybe staph.
He's taking Donepezil.  
We have a geriatric appt. next week, so I'll mention the volcano, the itching and what you folks have mentioned relieves the itching.
It's so sad.  He has a Ph.D. and used to be a history professor.  Now he doesn't remember things.  I leave notes around the house.  That helps a lot! He still reads, so I know he's getting the message now.

[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.

[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

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.      

[malley678]

Give her over the counter pepcid 40mg. Older people do tend to itch. My doctor gave me this and it stopped the itching. It is worth a try. I had a prescription for it but now it is available over the counter. Well it is 20mg so take two.