undiagnosed & unresolved rgoin itch

[bongi111]

Hi, for 15 yrs now have coming & going itch in groin, mainly and more intense on right side than left side. Was diagnosed by many skin doctors with various alleged definitions of skin issues : jock itch, erythrasma, psoriasis inverse,... and given treatment for these various definitions. Got corticosteroids in creams & pills, ellidel, moisturising creams, anti-fungals, anti-allergy topical and local, tar cream, sulfur cream, vitamin D, antibiotics, etc... Nothing helped to stop the itch. Some of the treatments though rash was cleared by some of them. When there's rash it looks like xeroris cruris as if dry skin but guess it's not the case, cause i got moisturizers and they didn't do any good. Alternative medicine creams based on calendula and similar did good for the rash but again didn't stop the itch - it simply comes and goes with no explanation. Sweat aggrevates the itch. Usually it itches in the warmer seasons but not necessarily. I was also given benzocaine based creams to try to shut the itch up but it yielded more sensitivity after use. Lately tried to use capcicine based cream, but othe than burning for a week, it didn't yield anything, Lidocane EMLA cream seems to work but it requires 1 hour onset time before and holds only for 2 hours or so after application and removal as directed. The EMLA makes it shut but the area feels as if the itch is just shut up, same as when one goes to a dentist and feels what goes on in the tooth when it's nummbed but doesn't hurt. So EMLA for example does shut up itch but for too short time and requires 1 hour onset before.....

Looking for salvation for that itch. A skin doctor lately recommended nerve block by injecting lidocane but this sounds too harsh and might be risky. Also pain doctor said it's not the treatment for the problem though didnt' know to recommend other treatment. Looking fw to some good idea how to treat the problem. Thx

[bongi111]

Although it may sound as if classical Jock Itch, it was already diagnosed as if it were so, and treated for same as u recommended without results. The rash may have disappeared as result of treatment but the itch persisted. Also got explanation that fungi like candida albikans is natural in the stomach flora, even if in small amounts, hence clearly it's natural to find it a bit on the skin and not necessarily causing onset of itch.

I already went through such treatment as above, and checked for mycology, at first some candida was found, and then was clearly not there according to secondary mycology test. However, itch remained, meaning that fungi if is there could be secondary, and itch is main stream problem ...  

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
You probably have fungal infection like tinea cruris or jock itch that gets exacerbated when due to hot and humid environment of that area. Also the treatment remedies are often not very helpful causing dryness and further itch.
Keep the area dry, wear loose fitting clothes, and change undergarments at least twice a day. Many treatment options are there like Clotrimazole 1%, Miconazole nitrate 2%, Tolnaftate 1% and Butenafine hydrochloride 1%. Many OTC products containing these salts are available, your pharmacist can help. Try a combination of any two of these and apply until the itch disappears. Continue application for 2 weeks after the itch disappears. The cause for persistence is that the treatment is often left in between. After the itch and dryness goes, you have to continue applying for at least another 2 weeks for the infection to be completely cured from the lower most layer of the skin. Wash your hands well and dry them properly both before and after the application.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!