Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: [email protected] on February 26, 2016, 01:29:30 AM
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Does anyone have problems with itchy skin? I have read somewhere that your skin does get dryer. But I have not read on here that that is an issue with anyone else.
I have to put so much cream on which than in return make me break out. I have also never had acne problems until the last 2 years. I am 51 I take no HRT and still have periods. I can't believe we go from periods to all this other wonderful stuff. What a trade off!! I am like a crazy lady half the time my moods are all over the place. I am also hoping once my body goes through the change and evens out my joint pains go away.
Is all this stuff normal or am I just turning into a crybaby? :'(
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Is it just your face? Rosacea can be itchy. I have it on my cheeks and it looks like a permanent patch of small spots (nice) but it's hard to cover with make up because the skin texture there has changed and is sort of tough! I have been trying some Dermalex cream which might be helping.....the texture has certainly improved.
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Is it just your face? Rosacea can be itchy. I have it on my cheeks and it looks like a permanent patch of small spots (nice) but it's hard to cover with make up because the skin texture there has changed and is sort of tough! I have been trying some Dermalex cream which might be helping.....the texture has certainly improved.
Hi Trufflecat I am also getting that started about a year ago. It flares up when i get hot and my face gets red. Than it may get itchy for days later. It also flares up before my periods But my neck and upper chest also itches like dry skin. I am just falling apart plain and simple.
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All normal 07richard, sadly! I'm 54, not on hrt and periods are now two or three months apart. My worst time was from 51ish to a few months ago roughly, its certainly been one hell of a ride and possibly not over yet but it is definitely a lot better than it was!
S x
Thanks Sparkle I was hoping my periods would end soon. You just put out my happy dance. i just want to get on with enjoying the freedom of no more periods with out all that goes with it. My next life I am going to be a man. ;)
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Hi 07drichard my skin is itchy as hell, all over. Hrt tabs took it away but the side effects were horrible so I am now trying estrogel and utrogestan. I'm 6 days in still having night sweats albeit not so bad and still itchy so hopefully it will work...or maybe I need a higher dose al wait and see. The itchy skin drives me nuts...dry hair and spots, I have always had good skin so this is an issue. As I said hrt helped all this so hoping the estrogel kicks in soon xx
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Hi 07drichard my skin is itchy as hell, all over. Hrt tabs took it away but the side effects were horrible so I am now trying estrogel and utrogestan. I'm 6 days in still having night sweats albeit not so bad and still itchy so hopefully it will work...or maybe I need a higher dose al wait and see. The itchy skin drives me nuts...dry hair and spots, I have always had good skin so this is an issue. As I said hrt helped all this so hoping the estrogel kicks in soon xx
Hi Keepgoing I am glad someone else has that problem. I have not seen any post with others who have that same issue. I know other problems can cause itchy skin. But I did have blood work done and everything looks good with it.
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If you use the 'search' box and type 'itchy' you'll see lots of appropriate threads. My insteps still itch intermittently. It's often a sign of oestrogen levels dropping ::) - initially I had an itchy back every evening after my bath.
Acne is common with hormone upheaval. Some people have to take a long course of anti-biotic therapy in order to keep it under control.
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You got me scratching! ;D I have this most days. I bought some moisturiser which is helping a bit. However, I'm also taking antihistamines as it drives me insane at bedtime. Not cured, but not so itchy.
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If you use the 'search' box and type 'itchy' you'll see lots of appropriate threads. My insteps still itch intermittently. It's often a sign of oestrogen levels dropping ::) - initially I had an itchy back every evening after my bath.
Acne is common with hormone upheaval. Some people have to take a long course of anti-biotic therapy in order to keep it under control.
New to the site still trying to figure everything out. Thank you
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Yes 07 my doc did all blood tests cause of itch as she said it is not a symptom of menopause but I beg to differ on hrt I have no itch...all bloods were normal so now she knows lol. I was taking anti histamines to try and control it and slathering on the creams but nothing worked. Hrt is the only thing that helps it for me anyway x
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You are very welcome 07richard - browse round ;-).
DH has had problems with the area under his socks, you know, where the elastic sits. He has been putting hand cream on those itchy areas as I don't want the skin to 'break down' :-\
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Yes 07 my doc did all blood tests cause of itch as she said it is not a symptom of menopause but I beg to differ on hrt I have no itch...all bloods were normal so now she knows lol. I was taking anti histamines to try and control it and slathering on the creams but nothing worked. Hrt is the only thing that helps it for me anyway x
I really don't want to take HRT. But I at least know others have the same problem. It seems when you take pills to help one thing they cause 10 others. ???
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Ho 07drichard, i suffer from itchy skin mainly shins and top of thigh, although it can be other places too. I am on Evoril Conti patches and although it helps, it doesn't stop it completely. xx
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Nothing needs to last forever. HRT helps - it can protect bones and heart. GPs have received new Guidelines in recent months to bring them in line what many ladies already realised ;). Quality of Life is important ….. sometimes Ladies try HRT to see what symptoms it can relieve.
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I am trying estrogel at the minute 6 days in and I have no side effects it's a gel you rub in, you could maybe ask for this one. If you have a womb you need utrogestan also not started that yet so don't know how I will be on that but these 2 are bio identical hrts...closest to our own make up. I tried 2 other preparations but the synthetic progesterone did not agree with me so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this one is ok. I am 45 and been suffering peri for about 3 years and the new guidelines say if your under 50 you should be on some sort of hrt to protect yourself. I really cannot tolerate the itchy skin so anything that helps get rid al take it lol xx
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Oh don't say that achybones I'm hoping new hrt will get rid of the itch it's unbearable :'( x
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I've Googled itchy skin to death as I did suffer terribly with random itchy places, mainly legs and arms and with no visible rash or redness. It was much worse after a shower so I gave them up, and even after a bath I would feel like ants were crawling all over me. I wanted to run screaming into the street as I felt driven mad by it.
One of my Google searches said that half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and half a cup of Epsom salts in the bath had prevented itchy skin in some people so I tried it and it has worked for me. With the added advantage of helping to keep the bath clean!
I now buy large tubs of each online as it's much cheaper that way
Ariadne xx
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I was told whole cup of Epsom salts do the trick, never tried it though. You'd need to buy in massive quantities. Worried my nether regions would complain. ::)
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I've Googled itchy skin to death as I did suffer terribly with random itchy places, mainly legs and arms and with no visible rash or redness. It was much worse after a shower so I gave them up, and even after a bath I would feel like ants were crawling all over me. I wanted to run screaming into the street as I felt driven mad by it.
One of my Google searches said that half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and half a cup of Epsom salts in the bath had prevented itchy skin in some people so I tried it and it has worked for me. With the added advantage of helping to keep the bath clean!
I now buy large tubs of each online as it's much cheaper that way
Ariadne xx
I would think the Epson salt would make you dry and more itchy. I just don't understand why does Menopause make your skin itch. Really I am coming back a man in my next life!!!
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I'm pretty sure I'm post meno at 55 and have been on HRT for a good few years.
Despite this I'm turning into a crisp, or possibly a Riveta.
My skin is so dry.
My back itches so badly my hubby bought me a back scratcher. Take from that he was fed up being asked to scratch my back. I use gallons of moisturisers but no matter what I do my skin is still dry. Fortunately my face has escaped the onslaught.
My latest weird skin issue is skin to skin contact causes intense itching.
Even just having a cuddle at night with hubby makes me itch. I'm beginning to wonder if it's his deodorant that I'm allergic too.
All I can use is E45. I have lots of lovely skin creams but they all cause intense itching.
AB
I also have a back scratcher Love it. If the itching gets too bad. I rubber band a wash cloth on it put cream or baby oil on the wash cloth and rub it on my back. I hate getting the stink eye from my husband when I ask him to put cream on my back.
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It's caused by dropping levels of oestrogen.
Grandma swore by Epsom salts, Dettol and bicarb for burns ::)
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Don't let anyone tell you hormone loss doesn't cause itching!
I started itching in perimeno. I had lots of tests and have ended up on a combination of thyroxine for low thyroid, HRT and daily antihistamine. This keeps me comfortable - but take away one of the components and I'm sunk!
During the hay fever season the itch can go overboard and if I'm not careful I break out in hives. I then have to double up on the antihistamines.
By the way, a top man in immunology told me it has to be Cetirizine for itching, not Loratadine - and showed me graphs to prove the point!
Using a bland moisturiser like aqueous cream is also a good idea.
Constant itch can be very distressing.
You know that was a perimenopause symptom I tried to find in all the Google searches. It only came up more serious problems. When I went in for a sinus infection. I told my GP about the itching and lows in energy, moodiness . It was like oh we have to do all this blood work, there could be some serious underline issues causing that. Well Guess what all my blood work came back fine, even my iron tho I get super heavy periods sometimes 3-weeks apart. Of course my hormone levels were not checked! Maybe some of these other Perimenopause systems should be add to the list, not just the most obvious.
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Nothing needs to last forever. HRT helps - it can protect bones and heart. GPs have received new Guidelines in recent months to bring them in line what many ladies already realised ;). Quality of Life is important ….. sometimes Ladies try HRT to see what symptoms it can relieve.
Yes I agree. But I live in a very rural area U.P. of Michigan USA we can't even get good GP yet alone someone who has knowledge of this. I love where I live but good medical care is hard to come by. Our doctors I think can only write out antidepressants and pain pills.
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I get this too, but only on the underside of my boobs, and only after I take my bra off at night. But sometimes, God, they are so itchy. And the more I scratch, the itchier they get. I can scratch so hard that I can leave red wheals on my skin.
Never knew it was due to low oestrogen?
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I've only had this once a few months ago and it was all over my face and arms. I can only say it felt like tiny spiders all over. I've got chickens and I kept thinking they must have red mite and they had come into me. And I kept checking my dog for fleas as I wondered if fleas kept jumping on me. Then read on here about it been another symptom
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I don't really itch but god I burn. I come out in giant hives on my knees and back and feet - any changes in temp seems to set me off as does stress. I have had thyroid checked and various bloods and I'm fine apart from I'm not because I have this bloody awful rash and burning. Started as my peri heated up last year and I'm on centrizine which only partially helps.
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As I was growing up I used to develop what my Dad called 'sugar spots' i.e. huge, itchy bumps usually along elastic lines: under the bra, knicker line, anywhere that clothing sat tightly. I wonder now if they were hormonal :-\ ……. in the 1970s/80s I showed them to many different Consultants in the Hospital where I worked but no-one had any suggestions. Anti-histamine cream helped. AS did wearing as little clothing as possible.
My nipples also itch this week and it's difficult for me to scratch :-X
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What is cetirizine as my all over body itch drives me nuts most days xx
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Thanks stelljane I looked it up and I know it as Benadryl I have been taking one a day quite a lot but on your advice I think al try 2 as some days I'm at my wits end with the itch xx
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Have you tried using locally grown honey for allergies? I did a few years ago, we have a bee keeper in our village and eating a large spoonful morning and evening stopped all symptoms ….. trouble is, I need to begin eating it 2 weeks ago ::) and I've gone 'off' honey :-\. It depends on what the allergen is …….. for me it's willow pollen and oil-seed rape >:( as well as bedroom dust :-X
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I don't have allergies it's just this itching is continuous have had all blood tests known and did not realise it was a symptom of peri until I got the more known signs then started reading about it and I would say it is its one of the worst symptoms...my doc didn't even know it's a sign of peri lol xx
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There's a lot that GPs don't know about peri/menopause >:(
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Keep going - I am very new to this and it was before I knew it was perimenopause and thought I had various cancers. The second doctor I went to to ask for a referral for a mammogram because I found a lump 'googled it' to see if I was of the right age to go. Obviously this didn't leave me with any confidence and I then missed a period and it all started to dawn on me that lots of symptoms I was getting pointed to hormonal.
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Hi mandypepe it is a nightmare what gps don't know about peri and at this time your confidence takes a battering and it's hard to get it back...I'm still struggling but I will find it again...hope you do to xx
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I have to get my antihistamines from GP as I'm lactose intolerant. I can take cetirizine in liquid form, have to buy kids stuff. However useless to travel with. Don't think my antihistamines are as good though.
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Thanks stelljane I looked it up and I know it as Benadryl I have been taking one a day quite a lot but on your advice I think al try 2 as some days I'm at my wits end with the itch xx
I take Benadryl to sleep at night. It works most nights.
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Couldn't get to sleep last night for itchy toes. Drove my insane, despite plastering with E45.
Today I'm itchy all over, just used some liquid benadryl. Hope it helps.
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Couldn't get to sleep last night for itchy toes. Drove my insane, despite plastering with E45.
Today I'm itchy all over, just used some liquid benadryl. Hope it helps.
take Benadryl before you go to bed It will help you sleep and help the itching
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I've tried 07drichard. Oh how I've tried. Last night eventually found some oilatum cream, thought it would work. It did for about 20 minutes. Drastic measures were needed. Cooling foot cream from a certain high Street shop. Then I was in heaven. Today I bought some antihistamine cream, but sods blooming law, no itch!
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I've tried 07drichard. Oh how I've tried. Last night eventually found some oilatum cream, thought it would work. It did for about 20 minutes. Drastic measures were needed. Cooling foot cream from a certain high Street shop. Then I was in heaven. Today I bought some antihistamine cream, but sods blooming law, no itch!
I find if you have a shower at night. Add some antihistamine cream to some body lotion but it on just after you dry off. It seems to work better. I can't never seem to get enough antihistamine cream on (small tubes) this way squeeze of body cream to a squeeze of antihistamine cream it goes further and more even.
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Hi, I'm suffering with this at the moment too and not for the first time. It's come and gone over the years. I've been taking one citirizide(sp) every night before bed for a few days. It does help but I'm now worried about long term usage of it. I itch and burn in certain random areas. It really is uncomfortable and you have my sympathy xxx