Chronic intense Itching in Bed

[Kennanole]

Every night when I go to bed, I wake up about 2 hours later with intense itching all over my body (torso, head, arms and legs).  I take benadryl, use cortaid then go back to bed and sleep 2 hrs. then wake up and start all over.  Along with the itching, I have a tingling/sharp pricking sensation.  I work during the day and am miserable from lack of sleep.
Could it be dust mites?  I am going to change laundry detergent and avoid dryer cloths.  Our little 3 and 4 lb dogs also sleep with us. Any suggestions?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be bed bugs or allergic reaction to dustmites or the dogs may be carrying some parasites. To reduce dust mites in your home, remove drapes, feather pillows, upholstered furniture, non-washable comforters and soft toys. Replace carpets with linoleum or wood. Vacuum soft furniture and curtains as well as floor Wash carpets and upholstery with special cleaners, such as benzyl benzoate or tannic acid spray. Wash all bedding in hot water (hotter than 130°F) every 7 to 10 days. Don't use mattress pads. Cover mattress and pillows with plastic covers. Lower the humidity in your home.

You can use antihistaminics like Benadryl, zyrtec, decongestants and corticosteroids. In severe cases, Immunotherapy is advised.
My sincere advice would be to consult a dermatologist for confirming the diagnosis and starting the treatment.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[carcrazy]

Go for a non biological formula, or one that is designed for babies sensitive skin. Try and do without fabric conditioner, its not generally needed if you use a dryer to dry your bed linen and also avoid tumble dryer sheets. Your linen will be crisper which I think is nicer on a bed.

But just a thought...remove the rubber cover, many people have allergies to rubber without really knowing. A 15 minute washing up session may not be enough exposure but 6-8 hours in a bed containing the stuff might be. The mattress protectors i'm suggesting are thick quilted things, almost like very thin mattresses but are obviously washable. They protect the mattress while adding a little extra softness and of course added hygiene with the washability.

[Kennanole]

I have a new mattress and rubber cover since August.  What kind of laundry detergent would you recommend

[carcrazy]

I can't see it being just your laundry detergent if its only happening in bed. You wash your clothes in the same detergent and they're in closer contact with your skin.

Vacuum your mattress and bedroom as thoroughly as possible daily for a couple of weeks.  ( buy a new mattress if you can afford to) buy and use a mattress protector, air the room as much as possible and lastly (youre not going to like this) keep the dogs off the bed. (and preferably out of the bedroom altogether) It could be close contact with animal dander that's making you itchy.

I'm not against animals in the bedroom (the 3 cats currently occupying my bed will testify to that) but its worth trying for a few weeks. A few days wont work as you need to remove as much dander as possible and that takes time. Don't forget to change or empty your vacuum bag after each time and consider changing the filters.

Cat