luisalehz

I was feeling really great. 16 days. Big huge accomplishment. My doctor's appointment is Thursday, and I was feeling great because all of my negative health symptoms have gone away. I was not stressed anymore. Then I saw that someone posted about itching, and I had itchy skin for a good while and someone posted that it can be a symptom of Cirrhosis and I am now beside myself with fear because they also posted a link to WebMD and I had to look at it. I know it is just honesty, and I am not angry or complaining, but here I am again shaking and having panic attacks. Uggh. I am alone too with just my daughter and I know that when I go into a panic state like this she can feel it even as much as I try to hide it.

biminiblue

Step away from WebMD. No good has ever come of it.

Stop! Cirrhosis is a huge leap from "itch".

Like Dee said in that thread, itching has a million different causes. Could be soap, could be that now you are eating better and your B vitamins are actually being absorbed. Could be something blooming. Could be lots of things.

You said your health issues have gone away, hang onto that.


It will be okay.

Can you call someone to talk you down? That always helps me.

Dee74

Sometimes people here give warnings that, altho technically correct in an information sense, are really the absolute worst case scenario.
Please don't let someones post freak you out.

The likelihood is it's something a good deal more mundane that's making you itch
Please do let us know how you get on on Thursday

D

luisalehz

Thank you. Wish I wasn't alone tonight, but I have no urges to do anything except worry to the extreme and eat junk food. There is alcohol in the house, but I wouldn't go near it. Just wish I could stop the intense fear in my head.

I am hoping that since my symptoms have gone away and I in fact feel so amazing physically that that is enough to carry me through ... see the doctor appt. is Thursday and I know I won't have results right away anyway ... there will be more time to panic. I think it is this type of anxiety that contribute to my drinking.

least

Please don't let fear rule your life. See your doctor and let him/her find out what's causing it. Don't go looking up symptoms on Dr Google.

Marcella99

I too drove myself nuts with web md and every google search under the sun. I was sure I self diagnosed myself correctly! Step away from the internet! Your thoughts can become a self fulfilling prophecy.
See your doctor- they can run your blood work to check your enzyme levels. There are so many reasons why you could be itchy. Hang in there

Tetra

Yes, this happened to me about a year ago. I developed this really weird itch on my arms, hands and fingers. Googled my symptoms and convinced myself I was dying. Went to bed and when I got up in the middle of the night it had spread to my chest, back and stomach. I really thought I was dying. I got an emergency appointment with my GP. She asked me to take off my shirt and there was a pause and then she said "Oh Jesus Christ"...

She started asking me about my diet. Had I eaten anything new or unusual? I said yes, I went to visit a different town earlier that week and in one of those little deli places I picked up a box of "fancy" muesli with dried raspberries...I had never had it before.
Doctor thought it must be the muesli and gave me a weeks worth of tablets (can't remember what they were called). She advised me to stay away from dried raspberries in future and I haven't had it since

So it was something small in the end and I had convinced myself I was going to die. So please don't worry. It solves nothing.

Praying for you x

Amazingglazier

Luisalehz Welcome to SR! I just did a stint in jail from feb10th-apr4th, I was calm going in as I knew it would only be 54days, then I started worrying about not being there for my SO , who was going to do the snow and fix everything? I started getting nervous and somehow I ended up having my fingernails growing, manicuring them on the concrete wall! I never had fingernails, stubs most of my life biting them. From getting itchy in my restless sleep I clawed my arms and scalp till I bled. The only thing that stopped me was talking with her on the phone and her telling me she was alright! By the time I was released I was back to stubs! They are now growing back as I am much calmer now, and not drinking! All of this anxiety we go through will pass eventually if you stick to your guns and don't drink! So keep coming back here to SR, we will help you through this! You will be fine. Stay Strong and Well ! Bobby

luisalehz

Thank you everyone. I promise I am NOT Googling. It was just a link posted here, and I don't want to make a fuss of it because it is my fault .... I can't control the compulsion to click on it just as I used to not be able to control the compulsion to drink too much. I will just stay right here in this thread where it is safe, and I really appreciate you all hanging out with my tonight ... it is going to be a long one.

sugarbear1

itching was a symptom of my early recovery (first 6-8 months) and it did go away

luisalehz

Actually, I had the itching for months ... maybe longer while I was drinking ... usually the day after. Since I have stopped drinking, it has stopped. Maybe that is why I am scared, it has been going on a long time, and unlike many people it isn't in recovery ... it was before recovery.

phoenixbot

I'm itchy myself entering three days sober. It's happened during my past attempts at sobriety and has always gone away with abstinence. I'm a huge worrier, but this time I'm telling myself my body is just super excited to be getting rid of the toxins. Like all my cells are giving me a standing ovation!

And I guess if anything is wrong with me down the line, at least I'm not continuing to make it worse with my drinking.

You're in my thoughts tonight! Do something good for yourself.

luisalehz

You really helped me Phoenix.

Rar

Me too. Months and months. Seemed my itching was mostly during the night (maybe I was starting to withdraw). Anyway, except for an ordinary itch here and there, the awful itching stopped about 3 weeks ago. That would have been about 2 mos sober.

luisalehz

Mine too! Always at night. After a hot bath, it goes through the roof, and I get hives as well. My fiance used to take towels and put them in the snow and then lay them on my legs, which was the only thing that helped.

I really appreciate your post.

Rar

I tried both hot water and cold. I would wake up to scratch. Only my arms itched. It became worse when I quit. Could have been the stress since it is a stressful event.

Straightshoot

Luisa;ehz, I had hives and itching for many years. It got better with allergy medicine that you can buy otc. Hot baths are not good for it, for that causes your skin to dry out more, and cause itching. If your skin is dry, a good lotion helps. I also use aloe 99%, no dyes and it calms my itching. Nerves have much to do with it, chamomile tea could help. This is only my experience. Feel better. I don't know if I am supposed to mention products on here, so if you are interested, feel free to PM me.

Ruby2

Hot baths always make me more itchy. It's the soap and hot water drying out my skin. I find that when I think about itching I get itchy. My cat had fleas last fall and when she did I got itchy every time I looked at her. Even thinking about fleas made me itch. We got rid of the fleas but even now writing this I am starting to itch. You may be itching as an anxiety reaction. I scented lotion helps. Vaseline. Eucerin. Maybe calamine lotion?

Ruby2

That is unscented lotion and not I scented lotion.

FreeFall

The itching could have been very dry skin from being dehydrated from drinking. It could be something as simple as that. Do something to take your mind off it. Clean out a closet. Read a magazine. Catch up on Facebook. Talk a long walk. Yoga. Music. Give yourself a facial. Paint your nails. Anything that will refocus your brain.