Itching

[Lexingtongrn]

My friend had a BMT 3/21/05. He has so much itching…it has gotten to the point he can’t stop scratching. Benadryl pills and Bendadryl shots don’t touch it. There’s no rash or bumps. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

[Neil]

Your friend might try bathing with Aveno. Its vaailable at all drug stores. It could help.
Neil

[sarah]

Paula, what does the Dr say about the itching?

[Kathryn]

Paula, if it is his skin, Gold Bond skin lotion is great. Nothing was working for my daughter’s itchy skin; she has sensory issues so once she has an itch, it drives her crazy… This stuff thankfully worked!

Kat.

[Lexingtongrn]

Sarah…the doctor says to take Benadryl every 8 hours. We may have to go back to Duke soon. They called last night and said he might have the virus that a lot of people get after a transplant. He has lots of congestion, no appetite and is getting very weak. He just got antibiotics yesterday, so he asked to give him one more day on the antibiotics. He’s afraid if he goes back up there, he’ll have to stay for a while. This doctor in Columbia is faxing everything to Dr. Horwictz in Durham. Thanks for your answers. I’ll buy the lotion and Aveeno today.

[Di / Scott’s wife]

My husband has an itch… which is how we found the MDS… it is an inside itch, no rashes… he was given medications for this but didn’t really work… recently was switched to Zyrtec… seems like may be helping… but they still don’t know what it is… he also seemed to be more itchy when he was cold… not sure if it is the Zyrtec or the warmer weather…
hope this helps…

[Jimbob]

After total body irraditation, heavy chemo and then the SCT, I had severe itching and then peeling of many layers of skin on my hands and feet. The doctor presribed Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream and Ointment. I applied it as thick as I could on my feet then covered with whited socks. I did the same with my hands, then covered with white cotton gloves then the “rubber” gloves. (actually purple nitrile sp?) This not only took away the itiching but also kept the skin from cracking and made the peeling much more comfortable. The cream is white and seemed to work best on feet and most of body. The ointment is somewhat like petroleum jelly and I liked it best on my hands.
It is a cortisteroid and does interact with some other medications and may require watching diet, too.
Jim

[Lexingtongrn]

Thanks for the suggestion of using Triamcinolone cream. He’s in the hospital now…got 8 bags of platelets Tuesday and 8 bags Wednesday. He’s never needed any more than 2 bags at a time before. This seems like a lot! After the platelets, the itching has stopped for one day so far. Maybe itching was related to lack of platelets?

[mamakayz]

I think you’re right on track with your thoughts about the itching being platelet-related.
My wife has been in extremely low platelet deficiency for weeks now (1k to 13k), and the doctors told her that is what is causing her itchy-skin rashes and edema in her legs (massive swelling). As for 8 bags of platelets?…even when her platelets were rock bottom, they never gave her more than a couple bags.

[Lexingtongrn]

Nadine…I guess that is the problem because his left foot and ankle is pretty swollen. Thanks, no one here knew what caused the swelling.

[ButchL]

I would think the itching after a BMT is graft v. host disease. It is expected and treatable. The donor cells attack the recipient’s suppressed cells and take up residence. They counteract the GVH with meds. The creams do do a great job for the rash/pealing and itching as well. I know with my wife, they kept asking her if she had any rash or itching. They were waiting for it to happen.

[mamakayz]

ButchL,

Agreed that GVHD does have the itching side effect, and it very well could be Paula’s friend’s problem, however in our case, the BMT didn’t work and there was no GVHD possible, so it all came down to the platelet issue.

Jon

[Lexingtongrn]

Excuse me!! Not eight bags but eight UNITS!

[Author]

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