Itchy legs

Posted by Natalie Faden on July 21, 1999 at 18:44:35
I am a healthly 20 year old female. I have had severe itching on my lower and extending to my upper legs for about 3 weeks now. THere is no skin discoloration, no rash, my skin looks and feels normal. The itching is so severe it wakes me up in the middle of the night. I was on a prescription of Prednisone for one week and that helped but now that the medicine is gone, the itching is back. I have not changed detergents, soaps, lotions, or any other products. Nor have I come into contact with any plants or animals that would make me itch so violently. I have also tried Benadryl tablets, hydrocortisone cream, Dermoplast spray, nothing works! I have no allergies that I know of. IF you know of any remedies or even know what it is that I have, please let me know. Thank you.

Posted by DERM M.D. ASR on July 22, 1999 at 11:39:42
Natalie:
In my experience, intense localized itch with no visible rash is usually related not to skin disease but to stress.  Eczema, psoriasis, allergies, infections, and the host of other itchy rashes are right out there where you can see them, and the'te more or less symmetrical, too.
Are you worried about something?  (It may be just the persistence of the rash itself._
Suggestion: 1. Don't take any more prednisone.  If that doesn't work right away, it's not going to.
2.  Go to the drugstore and pick up either Sarna lotion or Prax lotion (or whatever equivalents they have.)  These are anesthetic lotions which numb the nerves a bit and quell itching.  Apply them as needed, which means every time you itch, even if it's every 5 minutes.  That way you'll break the itch-scratch cycle.  Other tips: cold water or ice packs (cold "jams" the itch circuits.)
3.  You can take 25 milligrams of Benadryl at bedtime until you're better.
Bet you'll be better in a week.  Let me know.
Dr R
Keywords: itch, Rockoff