Itchy Skin

[MaidofOrleans]

So....kind of a weird question but i'm trying to rule things out.

Anyways I've been on HRT for a little over three weeks and in the past couple of days my skin has been itching like crazy. Not all over but in patches or specific areas. Sometimes it just the palms of my hands and sometimes just a patch on my leg. Occasionally the area breaks out in itchy bumps or hives.

I think it might be allergies to something but since I've never experienced something like this before I wanted to check and see if anyone else has had these kind of side effects being on hormones. I don't have any other symptoms its just these damn itchy rashes that are driving me nuts.   

[Jayne]

As a life long sufferer of excema i'll ask what my doctor or dermatologist would ask first.

Have you changed soap products recently?
Have you changed brand of washing powder?
Have you tried a new deoderant or perfume?

If anything has changed along these lines recently then make a list of what products have changed & remove them from your routine.
Give your skin a few days to settle & re-introduce one product for a week & check if you get a reaction.
I've had to do this elimination process many times in my life.

Also think about your diet, has it changed?
Even one new food being added to your diet can cause a reaction, for example I cannot eat tomatoes, I never noticed a major effect until I ate several cherry tomatoes in a row & within minutes my skin was changing colour & getting very, very itchy.

If none of this applies to you then make an appointment to speak to your gp, they may be able to advise via a phone consultation but I find it's better to see the doctor in person as they can tell alot from seeing the rash/dry patches.

If you can't get to see a GP soon then speak to a pharmasist, they will be able to recommend the best moisturiser/cream to reduce the itching & dryness

[Beth Andrea]

This happened to me about a month and a half ago...for a few days I thought I had shingles (karma for having chicken pox 4 times as a kid). Rash on the forearms, and just above the knees.

During the itchy & scratchy phase (which was really bad at night), the skin was scratched to the point of bleeding..and in spite of keeping everything clean, I got a major infection in both arms, they swelled up bigger than a roll of TP.

Doc rules out shingles, gives me antibiotics, swelling and infection goes down, but suddenly I get large welts all over. Turns out I am allergic to the antibiotics!

It's been slowly healing up, doc recommended antihystemines to reduce the allergy effects (just over the counter stuff they sell for runny noses etc).

I think it was (in my case) the laundry soap...I'd changed formulas (same company), but was probably over-using the amount needed. I cut down the serving size of the soap by half, and it has been s l o w l y recovering.

[MaidofOrleans]

Thanks for the replies.

Well, I've narrowed it down to two possible things based on your responses.

Either its the new body wash I've been using or something I ate.

I'm starting to think it was this new brand of potato salad I tried. The rashes/itching started the night I had it with dinner and were gone in the morning. I went the whole day without any issues then I had some again after I got home and almost immediately the itching flared up again and has been slowly dying down since last night and i'm right now at the point where it has almost completely stopped. I think i'm going to try to avoid it and see what happens.

[Jayne]

If you still have the suspect potato salad then keep the container so when you but your normal brand you can cross check the ingredients.
I'd have saved myself alot of hassle if i'd done that years ago.

Pop into a chemist & ask about Oilatum bath oil (it may have a different name in your country), it's great for moisturising & helps to prevent the dry patches from itching, in the UK you can buy it without a prescription

Best of luck

[MaidofOrleans]

If you still have the suspect potato salad then keep the container so when you but your normal brand you can cross check the ingredients.
I'd have saved myself alot of hassle if i'd done that years ago.

Pop into a chemist & ask about Oilatum bath oil (it may have a different name in your country), it's great for moisturising & helps to prevent the dry patches from itching, in the UK you can buy it without a prescription

Best of luck

Well I ruled out the potato salad because I didn't eat any and i'm still having the hives.

I'm starting to think it may have something to do with the skin changes from HRT and the hair follicles since most of the areas that are itching are ones that were recently shaved and hair is growing back through. I took a picture of the back of my thigh to show what it looks like though its not that bad looking


Dead link

[Jayne]

I would definately see a pharmasist or GP for that, I often get bumps like that but they are always redder than the rest of the skin, it may be the picture quality but I can't see much colour change on the bumps.
Virtualy every non-prescription medicine I know & use is aimed at reducing the redness, once the redness is gone the itching dies down.

As i'm not on HRT yet I can't say if that's the cause

[MaidofOrleans]

I'm starting to think it may be the premarin i'm taking for HRT. One of the known side effects is hives/rashes.

I might give my Endo a call and see what he says.

[justmeinoz]

Pre-HRT I was able to use an epilator with no problem, however after I started HRT I found that as well as reducing body hair it also made it a lot finer. 
The epilator would simply break it off under the skin instead of pulling it out. 
The result was a lot of ingrowns as the follicles couldn't get out through the skin properly and would itch like crazy. It has lessened but still can be annoying at times.

Karen.

[Beth Andrea]

I'll second the finer body hair...during my itchy era, I didn't shave for about 5 weeks...normally I'd be "male normal" by then, but now I've much less hair (less than half the density), and it was less than 1/4" (5mm-ish) on the arms, less than 1/8" on the legs.

That being said...after about a week with little to no itching, it's back now. 

[MaidofOrleans]

Pre-HRT I was able to use an epilator with no problem, however after I started HRT I found that as well as reducing body hair it also made it a lot finer. 
The epilator would simply break it off under the skin instead of pulling it out. 
The result was a lot of ingrowns as the follicles couldn't get out through the skin properly and would itch like crazy. It has lessened but still can be annoying at times.

Karen.

This sounds a lot like what is happening. I noticed the hives and rashes tended to correspond with areas that were closely shaven and the hairs were growing back through the skin. Thankfully it has been dying down since this morning (keeps fingers crossed)

[Eva Marie]

I have been having crazy sudden itches all over me - the soles of my feet especially, but i find myself constantly scratching somewhere.

HRT? I dunno. But i don't remember itching like this prior to starting HRT.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Looks like a contact dermatitis.  Lotion or even your Premarin.  Hydrocortisone cream can help with the itching.  Also try BNP ( Neosporine) to keep down and infection and help with healing.

[MaidofOrleans]

I have been having crazy sudden itches all over me - the soles of my feet especially, but i find myself constantly scratching somewhere.

HRT? I dunno. But i don't remember itching like this prior to starting HRT.

The soles of my feet were the first to start itching (really bad  ) I'm starting to think its from skin changes coupled with the weather.

[Stephe]

hives can be a reaction/med allergies and 3 week is too short a time to be changes to hair growth..

[MaidofOrleans]

3 week is too short a time to be changes to hair growth..

O rly?

It must just be a figment of my imagination.

[Cindy]

I would suggest a trip to your doctor. One possible side effect of HRT is thrombocytopenia, a drop in platelets, which can be very itchy, and can be serious. I would get that ruled out to be on the safe side.

Cindy

[Isabelle]

Spiro can cause hives and rashes. I get hives occasionally but its not brought on by shaving, its usually just completely random.
how long have you been shaving your thighs? it can take the skin a while to get used to it. I only really shave up to just beyond my knees but when I first started doing it the skin would get irritated just like that picture you showed. After a few years my skin just didn't seem to care any more. I've been shaving my legs for about 18 years though.

[MaidofOrleans]

I would suggest a trip to your doctor. One possible side effect of HRT is thrombocytopenia, a drop in platelets, which can be very itchy, and can be serious. I would get that ruled out to be on the safe side.

Cindy

I looked it up and I don't have any of the other symptoms so I seriously doubt that's it. It's been 24 hours since my last rash and I've cut out everything new that I had started within the last week prior to the rashes (foods, lotion, body wash) I'm hoping it was just one of those.

Honestly I don't even have a GP. Last time I was in a GPs office was for a physical four years ago. I haven't even been really sick for over 2 years, I don't drink or smoke and i'm pretty healthy. I have no family history of serious illness or cancer that wasn't brought about by poor choices (smoking). Genetically I think i'm in good shape. I'm pretty confident its just something to do with skin changes from HRT or some new product I used based on what I've heard from you guys.

Thanks everyone for your sharing your experiences and knowledge, ill keep you posted on what happens.

[Beth Andrea]

Spiro can cause hives and rashes. I get hives occasionally but its not brought on by shaving, its usually just completely random.
how long have you been shaving your thighs? it can take the skin a while to get used to it. I only really shave up to just beyond my knees but when I first started doing it the skin would get irritated just like that picture you showed. After a few years my skin just didn't seem to care any more. I've been shaving my legs for about 18 years though.

OOooohh....if it is, then an orchi should be paid for by the insurance people....

...I might have to set an appt with my endo and GP...