Why am I itching???????

[ny biker]

I feel your itching pain as I am now in WEEK 4 of itching madness! After one week, I went to urgent care and was given topical steroid cream and prednisone. The dr. said it was atopic dermatitis, aka eczema, caused by who knows what. I have had hives before, allergic reactions to the adhesive in band aids, seasonal allergies... but never this. The itching is awful! I took the prednisone, and it cleared up, for a few days, and then came back. I had a big 4-day bike event upcoming and an awful last training ride, that I attributed to the drugs and heat here so I swore off any more drugs until after the ride. During the actual riding part, hours in the saddle, I was fine. Not until in the evening after I was cleaned up would the itching return each night.

It started in my ankles (I thought it was gnat bites at first), moved up my legs, and is now on legs, arms and, of all places, outer part of ears. Nothing on my torso or face. I was allergy tested several years ago - negative to everything. I have an appointment with a new dermatologist next week. Meanwhile, I get some relief by a daily baking soda/sea salt bath (soap only on my underarms), followed by applications of jojoba oil and then aloe vera gel; sometimes an aveeno soak before bed (but that does not seem to work as well as baking soda/salt), a dab now and then of the steroid cream (I am trying to avoid it) and a bedtime benadryl. The urgent care doc said it was not food caused as it would not last that long (had it a week when I saw him). This is maddening and depressing to know that, the older I get, the more things I am allergic to.

Oh that's terrible. I hope you find relief soon.

FWIW I know someone whose daughter has had problems with excema and the doctor told her to grease the kid up with Aquaphor, which seemed to work.

[OakLeaf]

During the actual riding part, hours in the saddle, I was fine. Not until in the evening after I was cleaned up would the itching return each night.

That's the wonderful thing about the immune suppressive effect of exercise. When the ragweed pollen's high, I never want to get off my bike.

The urgent care doc said it was not food caused as it would not last that long (had it a week when I saw him). This is maddening and depressing to know that, the older I get, the more things I am allergic to.

Unless it's a food that you are still taking in. Have you done a challenge diet recently? Especially if you're continuing to develop new allergies, you may need to go onto a rotation diet. HUGE PITA, but totally worth it if your immune system is still developing new allergies.