Itching, rash due to anxiety

Whenever I get anxious about something, I start getting itchy, really itchy, and then the scratching starts. There is nothing visible on my skin when this first starts but within a day or two as the itching gets worse, little bumps appear, same colour as my skin, barely visible to the naked eye. But then they turn pink. The itchiness is unbearable. I have scratched until they bleed and then scratched some more and more and more. I've got these patches in a few places and the areas seem to be spreading. Probably from my continual scratching. I know it's from stress/anxiety cuz that's always when it starts. My lower arms look like I have the measles, which I don't.

upping this to hopefully get some info.

I'm having a brain fart on the name, but there is actually a kind of urticaria (itching) that is brought on by anxiety. I actually had it a couple of years ago during some stressful period that I don't even remember anymore. I looked in the derm and psych/neuro word books I use for work, and none of them are jumping out at me.

Got it - idiopathic urticaria.

Hopefully bumping this up with get somebody else to answer with more info. I googled it and all the hits are kind of vague.

not sure if this is what you have, but when i go through hard periods of anxiety i get outbreaks of eczema. when i was taking klonopin, the rash would go away. this is how i know it was related to the anxiety.
just my two cents

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I'm having a brain fart on the name, but there is actually a kind of urticaria (itching) that is brought on by anxiety. I actually had it a couple of years ago during some stressful period that I don't even remember anymore. I looked in the derm and psych/neuro word books I use for work, and none of them are jumping out at me.

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Uhhhh, urticaria are commonly called hives. Itching is pruritus.

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Got it - idiopathic urticaria.

Hopefully bumping this up with get somebody else to answer with more info. I googled it and all the hits are kind of vague.

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Thanks for your efforts in bringing this question to the fore.

Pruritus may or may not involve urticaria. The relationship to anxiety comes from noradrenergic stimulation of histamine release in the skin.

Enough with the geek works. Emotional stress can make you itchy.

You can take Benadryl (diphenhydramine), but it can make you drowsy. Or, you can inhibit histamine release with niacinamide (the amide of vitamin B3). You can also reduce the tendency to histamine release by making sure your magnesium levels are okay.

You can take up to 500 mg of niacinamide at a time, up to four times a day. That is the upper safe limit for intake. You may find that 100 mg is an effective dose. Everybody is different.

Magnesium works more gradually, so it's not really a treatment. It's more of a preventative. Any magnesium supplement will do, so long as you stay away from magnesium oxide. It is poorly absorbed. You should target 300 mg elemental magnesium, twice a day. It can be anxiolytic, or even make your drowsy. Some people only take it at night, just before bed, because of the drowsiness thing.

Lar

Larry Hoover "Uhhhh, urticaria are commonly called hives. Itching is pruritus."

Told you I was having a brain fart.

Thank goodness somebody came in with the correct answer.

(I was sorta, kinda half right.)

Understanding a little bit of the geek-speak makes finding information much easier, but it can be a real challenge. Why don't doctors just speak English in the first place?

You certainly were very much on the right track, and the original poster could have been describing urticaria.

Lar

Thanks Larry for your reply. Much appreciated once again. I'll get those items you mentioned the next time I go to the drug store. I have another new development as of late last night and it has really thrown me off.

First let me preface by saying that I am extremely med sensitive. I am allergic to a number of meds, ie: antibiotics and NSAIDS for starts, and yes it would include all in those drug families. Different reaction to different ones but none a pretty picture.

Anyway, being med sensitive, a lot of the time what happens to me is that I can take a prescription for something chronic for quite some time, months, years even with no problem and then BAM! all of a sudden my body starts to reject the med and I start getting an adverse reaction that gets worse if I continue taking the med and clears up quickly if I stop taking the med. The first symptom is always the same, both eyes, upper eyelids, get extremely itchy, starting off by looking pink and then turning more red, but closer to the pink end of it. If I stop taking the med, then it all clears up and end of problem except I still have the problem for which I was taking the med in the first place.

Now, whenever I've had this problem before, it was always before my BP surfaced and therefore I was not on any psych meds, so it was easy to determine what med was the nasty culprit. Unfortunately now, I'm taken several meds, all for quite some time, other than the Wellbutrin SR, which is probably about 3 months now, not sure when I started it but 3 mths give or take. With that said, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the Wellbutrin that is causing the problem, it could just as easily be one of the meds that I've been taking much longer because I've gone through this before with a med that I was taking for 2 years, Naproxen, which is obviously on my NSAID list.

So, here is my question, which you have probably already figured out by what I've told you up to this point, which freaking med is it???

I'm taking:

Effexor XR for approx 5 years
Tegretol for approx 8/9 months
Wellbutrin SR for approx 3 months, maybe more
Xanax for appox 4 years, as needed only
Klonopin for approx 2 years

As I said, the length of time is not really a factor. I don't think there is any way of finding out which one it is and that leaves me with EXTREMELY sore and itchy eyelids and not knowing what to do. And when I say they are sore, they are so sore that having my eyes open is very painful for me, it is less sore if I close them (albeit the pain is still there, just not as bad) but I can't get through my day with my eyes closed And at this point, I think I'm going to take some Tylenol for them.

Let's face it, my body is falling apart on me. It's on strike against all these psych meds or maybe this is not even med related this time? Stress? I'm about ready to throw all these freakin' meds in the garbage, other than my Xanax, the only one that does much for me, or so it seems.

Lar, one more thing, as if all that wasn't enough eh!!! I'm definitely stressed about something, albeit I don't know what, because I also currently have a canker sore in my mouth. Canker sores and cold sores are very common when I'm stressed. Will somebody just beam me up now and put me out of my misery!!!

I dont have an answer about which med could be causing your symptoms, but I know that for me, allergy season is rampant right now. I use Baby Shampoo diluted in warm water, and using a cotton ball, wash my eye lids gently many times a day (and EVERY time I come in from outside). This is soothing, and safe. (My opthamologist told me this is also used for people with dry eyes). Might help you til you figure out if it is one of your meds. I would suggest an appt. with an opthamologist to be sure its not an eye disorder called (I cannot spell it correctly but it sounds just like) "bluffer-itis".

Hi Parker. Thanks for your input. Not sure if it could be allergies. I don't really suffer too much from them and we don't even have buds on the trees yet here. Also, I'm agraphobic so I rarely go out, although I did go to my t appt yesterday and then grocery shopping, so I did leave my apt.

I just took some Tylenol #1 (w codeine) and some Xanax, just in case it is stress, although not feeling stressed. While I was in the bathroom taking them, I looked in the mirror and my eyelids are VERY swollen. Pretty soon, if this continues, they will be swollen shut. I've NEVER had this swelling before BUT last night I put some hydrocortisone cream on my eyelids to see if that would help. Maybe I'm having an adverse reaction to that, although I used it on the rashes on my arms with no problem.

Ooops!!! I just read the info sheet from the drug store that they gave me with the Hydrocortisone and it says "Do not let this porduct come in contact with your eyes." Does that also mean eyelids or are they just referring to IN your eyes?

I think u found your cause ! Flush your eyes really good with cool water to get any traces of hydrocortisone out - and use the Baby Shampoo diluted in warm water. I CANNOT hurt to use that !

Allergens come in your home in ways we dont even think of ! I have severe allergies, have a mega expensive hepa air filration system, and still get sick as a dog.......this week has been horrendous for allergy sufferers in Virginia !

I am totally allergic to codeine - and really dont understand taking it for stress......its a pain killer.

Hope your eyes get better, but if they dont soon, I think I would call your Doctor !

I dont know how to use the editing thing here yet - but I REALLY can spell - sorry for the above typo's !!!!

First, to edit your post, and btw, I did't even notice any typos, were there any? Anyway, instead of clicking on 'reply', click on 'edit' which is right beside the 'reply' on the right hand side of the post you are editing. You only have up to one hour to go back and edit something.

K, I took the Tylenol for the pain, not for allergies. My eyelids were KILLING me. I could barely stand to keep my eyes open they were so painful. The Tylenol has really helped.

I'm assuming you're saying that the Hydrocortisone is the problem? I don't think so. First, I think that warning is just if you get it IN your eye and not on the outside and more importantly, I only applied the Hydrocortisone because my eyes were already inflamed. So, the problem existed before using Hydrocortisone. Back to square 1.

Thanks!

It certainly could be an allergy, but when I first read it I said "Hives" right off the bat... nice to have others think so too.

Oatmeal is the best (inside and outside) treatment. A warm tub (Not hot) with an oatmeal based bubble bath (or put regular oatmeal in a sock, tie the end off so the oatmeal doesn't escape...) is VERY relieving for hives.

Aveeno is oatmeal based, also.

The main emphasis, imo, is to find out a better way to handle your anxiety.

I think you should consult the doctor.