Wellness

[makena]

@OfCourse I don't have a primary care doctor.  I never get sick other than a cold now and then.  that's why I went to the ER.  They told me if the prescribed medicine didn't help or if it does but it comes back, go follow up with a dermatologist or a physician.  So I guess I will have to start the hunt for a doctor.  And it takes a month or so to get an appt if you're a new patient.

At the beginning of the year I had a horrible back issue and every doctor's office I called to get an appt said if you're not a regular patient, then the earliest we have is a month or two months from now.  I get very frustrated and impatient with that.

I did take the medicine as soon as I got home.  That was at 7:00 am.

I guess I'll give it another day.  I'll have to hope for the best tonight and hope I get sleep.  And I need to get to work or else and it's really hard sitting there at my desk trying to concentrate and not scratch myself all over.  I can just imagine what my coworkers are thinking.

[OfCourse]

@makenaPLEASE CALL THE ER.  Tell them you were there and your symptoms are no better.  Tell them how it has changed.  They have a record of the visit.  ASK THEM TO HELP SET YOU UP WITH A PRIMARY CARE DOCTOR SOONER THAN TWO MONTHS.  They can do this.  You cannot wait two months.  Do they have an urgent-care clinic at the hospital that you can visit after work tomorrow?  Most hospitals have this.  ASK THEM ABOUT THIS.  These doctors are duty bound to help you.  Tell the front desk of your situation and ask to speak to a doctor, the doctor who treated you if possible.  Tell about your symptoms and ask how you can see a doctor right away.  You should not accept being itchy for two months.  Let us know how you are doing. 

[Cakers3]

@makena  I only read your opening post but do call your doctor. 

You could have an insect bite that caused a reaction.  You may not even be able to see it.

[Tori3569]

@makena.  I don't post very often, but wanted to see if my experience may help.  I have gotten the same thing you have several times in the past few years.  It may not necessarily start in the middle of the night, but it's definitely worse at night.  

I've been to different doctors and read everything I could.  It's like hives without the actual bumps / redness.  And I hate to itch, it drives me crazy.  It goes away on its own after anywhere from 3-5 days.  

After many attempts to figure it out, it has come down to one of two possible triggers...both of which I have all the time:  stress &/ or cola products.   I am a very anxious person in a stressful job and I drink a ridiculous amount of Diet Coke (even though I have now reduced that to one can a day and will cut out completely from there).

i can't remember exactly what the dermatologist said is in the cola that could potentially cause itchiness, but i think it had something to do with balsam if that makes any sense.  

I feel for you--I know how it feels.  Take care 

[Moonchilde]

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@makena wrote:

@OfCourse I don't have a primary care doctor.  I never get sick other than a cold now and then.  that's why I went to the ER.  They told me if the prescribed medicine didn't help or if it does but it comes back, go follow up with a dermatologist or a physician.  So I guess I will have to start the hunt for a doctor.  And it takes a month or so to get an appt if you're a new patient.

At the beginning of the year I had a horrible back issue and every doctor's office I called to get an appt said if you're not a regular patient, then the earliest we have is a month or two months from now.  I get very frustrated and impatient with that.

I did take the medicine as soon as I got home.  That was at 7:00 am.

I guess I'll give it another day.  I'll have to hope for the best tonight and hope I get sleep.  And I need to get to work or else and it's really hard sitting there at my desk trying to concentrate and not scratch myself all over.  I can just imagine what my coworkers are thinking.

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Absolutely, it's frustrating as...heck to try and get an appt with a new PCP or a specialist either one. Weeks, months...it's extremely common, and yes, very frustrating. If you have a problem, even if not life-threatening, you don't want to wait that long to get help. That leaves ERs and Urgent Care. I hear you as bt;dt even with an "ASAP" referral. I once had to wait 6-7 days to see an orthopod when my PCP thought I had a broken kneecap and I was badly at risk for a blood clot. Oh well. So sorry :-(

As someone who worked in the medical field pretty much my entire working life, spending my days in surroundings ranging from private offices to hospital depts and having friends who ran offices, I am one who waits. I am not, and never have been, someone who runs right to a doctor for every symptom or owwie I've had.

Much of that is because I know what will happen when I call, and when I go, especially if one is in an HMO and/or referrals are involved. There is very often a lot of wasted time and no "cure" because it wasn't a big or long-lasting issue to start with. Not every symptom or ailment we have requires instant diagnosis and treatment.

When I seek out medical care for an issue, it's because the issue needs fairly quick resolution due to extreme pain and/or an inability to function - walk, breathe, etc. and my ability to perform activities of daily living has been strongly affected. I go when I feel I really need to go, and not before.

@makena, if you have a whole-body reaction, it could easily take 48 hrs for the meds to make a difference.

I remember once using some perfumed oil to dab on as scent - at wrists, behind ears and in decolletage area. Used it for 4 days. Days #1-2, no reaction of any kind. Day #3 started to itch "a little." Day #4, after use, my chest started itching, hurting, rash-ing and swelling.

Finally got the message. Washed it off, stopped using it  and bought cortisone cream OTC. It kept getting worse. Doctor I worked with saw the area (it was plainly visible) and gave me a Rx for much stronger cortisone, and told me to also take Benadryl. It took 2+ more days (closer to 3) before I could keep my hands off it, with the treatment as directed.

[OfCourse]

@Moonchilde  What do you think of this?  More than 10 years ago, I went to the ER out of concern about my back.  I had no PCP and the ER doctor gave me the name of a local PCP to call.  I ended up going to someone else recommended by a family member in the field, but he did try to get me help.  Don't you think she could be at least seen in the Urgent Care Clinic?  Also, she should run her symptoms by the ER doctor over the phone tonight.  What do you think?

[Silver Lining]

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@makena wrote:

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@Moonchilde wrote:

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@blackhole99 wrote:

Kidney failure causes itching, I would go to the ER and have them do a urinalysis and blood work.

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Since this just "popped up" in the OP, I would imagine she would have some forewarning symptoms if she had any issues with her kidneys.

One doesn't walk into an ER and request that they do a UA and blood work for kidney failure, when simply presenting with itching. They might or might not do any lab work at all, and would most likely pat her on the head and send her home with Benadryl. It's far more likely to be some type of allergy than anything else, especially in the absense of any other symptoms.

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Others keep telling me to request lab work and certain tests. Who does that?  First of all, if you go to the ER (which I did at 4:30 am today) you're there to be diagnosed.  I'm not a doctor and not about to ask to have lab work and such done.  I'm totally discouraged right now.  And, this is why I dislike going to a doctor.  When I got to the ER I explained to the person at the desk what was wrong, they put me in a room and a nurse came in, explained again.  Then sat there until the doctor came in.  He said "what is going on" and I started to explain again and didn't get more than a couple sentences out and he cut me off and said "seems to me you've come in contact with something that caused this."  I have nothing on my skin anywhere -- no spots, rashes, or signs of irritation other than redness because of itching.  I asked if I could finish explaining and while telling him the entire scenario, he came to the same conclusion.  I know for a fact it is nothing I've come in contact with.  I didn't go outside  the day it started, the day before, or even three days before that.  In fact, I never went outside or came in contact with anything out of the ordinary in my house.  It just makes no sense that it comes and goes out of the blue and it gets more intense each time.  I did not sleep from 12:30 am until 4 when I finally decided I could not take it any longer and went to the ER.  Anyway, he called in a prescription for Famotidine which I have to take twice a day and Predisone 1 tablet a day for four days.  Supposedly a steriod and antihistamine although the paperwork that came with it says Prednisone is for treating ulcers, blood disease, arthritis, and a list of other things not related to anything I am feeling.  I don't like putting medication in my body when they are not sure what I have.  So essentially I'm a guinea pig.

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No, you are not a guinea pig. The doctor assessed your condition and prescribed the medications that are known to be effective for reducing/eliminating itching. Prednisone is commonly used to reduce inflammation. You could be having a reaction to airborne or contact or ingested allergens. This is prime time for allergies. OTC meds like Zyrtec, Claritan-D, Benedryl, etc, plus colloidal oatmeal body wash and/or the companion lotion work very well. You went to the ER. The doctor prescribed the drugs that will effectively stop the inflammation and itching, not instantly but very quickly over a few days. If you aren't considerably better after finishing the week or however long you are supposed to take the pills, see a general practitioner. You'll be referred to a specialist in the appropriate field if needed.  I have horrible allergies pretty much year round. In fact, my ears, eyes and nose are itching right now. You know you need to take your meds, OTC or not, when you have to use one of those long-handled back scratchers. Get better soon!!!

[Moonchilde]

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@OfCourse wrote:

@Moonchilde  What do you think of this?  More than 10 years ago, I went to the ER out of concern about my back.  I had no PCP and the ER doctor gave me the name of a local PCP to call.  I ended up going to someone else recommended by a family member in the field, but he did try to get me help.  Don't you think she could be at least seen in the Urgent Care Clinic?  Also, she should run her symptoms by the ER doctor over the phone tonight.  What do you think?

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What do I think?

I think that it depends upon where one lives as to how available PCPs are, or not available. Giving a patient the name and # of a local PCP is not, IMO, in and of itself, exactly "help." Anyone can call their local hospital and ask for and be given names of doctors, but that doesn't mean you can get in to see them. No one in the ER can open that door unless it's a critical situation, which this is not.

Sure the OP can go to Urgent Care. It's probably what she'll have to do if this doesn't improve. But that's her decision and up to her.

It's fairly unlikely that one could call a city hospital and ask to speak to an ER doctor to chat and discuss symptoms and get a recommendation. That is very risky for the doctor and something few would do.  Even in small towns and rural areas, ERs are full most of the time and even those very uncomfortable can take 10+ hrs to be seen. Someone itching, with no issues breathing and no hives, would be waaaay down the list. Doctors in an ER are too busy. Could a place be found, somewhere, in some small town where this might work out? Probably, but it wouldn't be something I'd ever expect to happen.

[febe1]

I've found, @makena, if it gets worse the doctor has more symptoms to go on.

I can tell you where my PCP sent me when I had unexplainable itching across my back. When it got real bad, I went. She sent me to the Dermatologist. She gave me a prescription for a 6 oz. tub of ointment and told me to put a little bit wherever it itched. I did that, and it went away.

I got two tubs of it and still have one unopened one.

[OfCourse]

Thank you for that info, @Moonchilde.  Then she should try to see Urgent Care.  She cannot go weeks or more itching if this doesn't quiet down.  I would call the ER all the same.  Maybe they wouldn't talk to me, but maybe they would when they had a minute.  I do not live in the boonies, though I do live in the world center for medicine where there are probably more facilities than most places.