Gold Bond and Itching - Green Bottle?

[RobertBeWell]

Is it generally still the concensus that the green bottle/red cap gold bond lotion is the best for the old riba itch? I'm starting to get some of it now at almost week 10, I'm drinking a ton of water. Don't really have "rash", just kind of a "crawly, scratchy" feeling, mostly around the sides of my chest/stomach, neckline, and stomach. Lips are really chapped to.

And as an extra, added bonus with the riba rage component, my a$$ is pretty chapped most of the time too :-)

So, Gold Bond in the green bottle with red cap?

[meakea]

Yes....Cera Ve became my other favorite lotion when I was on TX.  In fact, it was the only thing I could put near my eyes that wouldn't make me all puffy and red when I was on TX.  I can only find it at Walgreens or at online stores.  I am over a year post treatment and I still use it.  I also continue to use Eucerin and Cetaphil...not because I have to for rash or itch but because I love them as daily lotions.

[RobertBeWell]

"Glad you found the right antidote!  Have to admit, though, had a little chuckle at your consternation about the time it takes to lotion down.  Welcome to how the other half lives to make it work"

Yep, you know the old saying.. ."walk a mile in the other's shoes".

But, with this Cera Ve, I've cut the time to just a few minutes. I just make sure my hands are a little damp, and man, this stuff goes on like greased lightning.

Of course, it's still nowhere like "shower, towel and go". I'm looking forward to dropping this lotion ritual like a bad habit once I beat this virus, LOL

RBW

[Susan_1a_CC]

Picked up some Cera Ve yesterday after testing it in the store.  It really doesn't feel greasy after a few minutes and it DOES last.  Although I don't start tx till Friday, I already tend toward itchy skin so I wanted to be ready.  Thanks for the info on this lotion.

[eureka254]

RobertBeWell:
Glad you found the right antidote!  Have to admit, though, had a little chuckle at your consternation about the time it takes to lotion down.  Welcome to how the other half lives to make it work ;).

evangelin:
Ditto what RBW said.  Just gotta chalk it up to the fact that we're so busy fighting this crummy virus, sometimes people forget to put their arms down ;).

[RobertBeWell]

" People fighting this crummy virus need each other. "

You've darn sure got that right :-)

Showers really don't bother me - actually, they make my skin feel better. Oddly enough, I like em nice and hot too. I still take one daily. This lotion really does last 24 hours.

Glad you decided to stick around :-)

RBW

[evangelin]

Thanks. The thing about skin is that we have so much of it.  Keeping your covering intact is likely worth splurging on.
It was interesting to read that Orleans had to cut way back on showers.  Joe did too.  He smells strange on TX anyway, from the meds, I guess,and he went from a once a day shower guy to once or twice a week , if we were lucky.  It was partly because of the skin trouble but mostly because he is one the unfortunate people that has really bad SX and a hgb. that goes horrendously low despite Procrit. He couldn't have cared less about his smell at that time.  It is nice to have him smell good again.  We are getting mentally adjusted to the idea of Telepravir which will make the skin issue extra important.
I hope this new stuff works well for you.  Report back to us after you have used it for a while.
I'm feeling another little wave of gratitude for the forum.  A few weeks ago, I was ready to leave, but I got over it.  People fighting this crummy virus need each other.
Thanks,
Ev

[RobertBeWell]

It's online at WalMart.com but I've never seen it in my local store. Walgreens or any of the other major pharmacies carry it as well.

Wal-Mart is only $1.00 cheaper. The stuff is just plain expensive, even amazon is the same price. I was hoping to get a discount but oh well, it's not forever, and it works. I'd rather pay twice the price for something that works than 1/2 the price for something that makes me miserable :-)

As far as the Gold Bond, it did stop the itching, but I just can't stand that menthol smell. It masks everything, couldn't even smell my food. Plus, it made my eyes burn and sting after a couple hours.

[evangelin]

"Cera Ve"

Can you find that at Walmart?   I've never heard of it but it sounds good.
I'd like to remember it for Joe next time because he has the same issues about lotion that you do but his skin got kind of awful last time. He treated for 15 months but the skin trouble didn't effect him until pretty late in the game...maybe around the 6 month mark, if I remember right.
I remember reading an article that said the menthol in lip balm (such as Carmex)  feels good on people's lips but actually chaps them worse.  It made me wonder about the Gold Bond and if the same applied to skin. Articles have been known to be wrong from time to time. I actually like the smell of menthol.  Joe didn't care for it , or anything else for that matter, while TXing.
Ev

[RobertBeWell]

My never ending search for a reasonable "man-lotion" continued, as the Curel felt like I was wearing a second skin it was so oily and stinky. I had to re-shower several hours later just to get the stink and grease off me.

I finally decided to take my nurses advice and bought some:

CERA VE BODY LOTION

If you've never tried this stuff, it's absolutely incredible. Goes on in a flash, has absolutely no odor, and absolutely no greasy feeling at all. Literally, inside of five minutes I can't even tell I've put anything on - except for the fact that my itch is gone, and my skin isn't dry. It's a time release lotion, one application handles 24 hours. My itching has ceased completely.

It's a bit pricey at $13.00 for a 12 oz bottle, but it goes a long way.

Perhaps someone else can benefit.

RBW

[RobertBeWell]

What a change another day brings. I had to abandon the Gold Bond altogether. Apparently, even the faint traces of menthol, over the course of the entire day, make my eyes sting and water.

Anyhow, picked up a bottle of Curel. No odor, no grease. Will try this for a few days.

Honestly, I don't know how you women do this on a regular basis. What a pain in the rear end. I'll be glad when this tx is over. I'm used to jumping out of the shower, toweling off, and getting dressed.

Takes me a darn 1/2 an hour now. ARRGGGHHHHHHH!

[Diane12855]

The Wal Mart kind doesn't have much menthol. Actually it doesn't have much odor at all... unless I just think that because my smeller is messed up because of tx.

Diane

[orleans]

I couldn't deal with the menthol in that Gold Bond. I tried everything on the shelf and finally settled on Cetafil. I had to LATHER my entire body, head to foot TWICE a day to get through tx. ONE bath a week MAX, no hot water. If, when the rash subsided, I were to lay off the "greasing", even for a day or two the rash would come roaring back. Easy to forget just how miserable txing can be.

[pcds]

over the counter hydrocortisone was rec by my doc for the itching.  Worked the best for me for immediate relief. Constant moisturizers where helpful inbetween.  It itching went away at some point, and then returned briefly when I stopped treatment.

[meakea]

Now that you've got your itching gone, try using Eucerin  or Aveeno every day, even twice a day to keep ahead of the dry, itchy skin.  Gold Bond was too strong on my skin so I couldn't use it but the Eucerin and Aveeno did wonders.  If I had trouble spots, I used hydrocortisone cream mixed into the Eucerin or Aveeno very sparingly when needed.  

[RobertBeWell]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. As usual, the group is a life saver. This itching was starting to get kind of annoying. No rash, just itchy.

Anyhow, I opted for the Gold Bond, but the regular strength instead of the triple strength. The only difference was the "extra strength" had 3 times the menthol in it the regular did, and the smell of menthol is overpowering to me. The regular has some as well, but I find that after the first 1/2 hour, it kind of dies out.

I smell more "fruity/perfumed" than I care for, but hey, the itching is gone!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

[paen53]

I used Gold Bond and other lotions during tx. I can't say that one was better than the other - more the constant application of something that lubricates. Lotions with tea tree oil seemed to help more with the bumpies on my arms and helped to keep me from scratching them open.

When it got too bad, I took a Benadryl cap or one Atarax.

[SusieS2010]

I like the gold bond and also sarna lotion works very well.

[RobertBeWell]

I'm on my way to pick some up after breakfast. Also re-reading some older threads, I see that Benadryl helps too.

[Diane12855]

Actually, since my funds were tight the last time I needed a bottle of lotion I bought the Wal Mart equivalent called Equate Ultra Restoring skin therapy lotion. It is on the shelf right next to the Gold Bond. I found that it works just as well and cost nearly half of the price.

As for the chapped a$$ goes... I just put on more lotion... 2 to 3 times a day if necessary.

Works for me,
Diane

[Trinity4]

That would be the right -  green bottle, red cap.  As far the chapped a-s-s goes, the only remedy that worked for me cessation of the treatment drugs.  :o)

Trin

[babs824]

if that does not work mix 1/2 tsp tea tree oil, 1 T hydrocotisone cream and 1T favorite organic (no color or perfume) lotion. this helps all parts but not in eyes or sensitive areas. pure tea tree on scalp over night is great too. good luck.