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Posted: 1/20/2006 5:03:04 PM EDT
....my ears and my legs for over a year now. It started on a back woods camping trip and I can't get rid of it. I originally thought it was poison ivy and treated it as such, but no luck. The only thing that relieves the itching is an extremely hot shower. I know now (after some internet research) that this is relieving the itching by releasing the histamines. What I don't know is what is causing it.
My doctor thinks it's some kind of "systemic allergic reaction". To what I don't know. And why did it start that particular weekend? He ended up giving me some kind of cream which has proved useless. Tonight I tried something different. While in the shower, I applied some Zanfel, poison ivy cream and it seems to have taken the itch away from at least one part of my body. If you've never tried the stuff, it (Zanfel) is kind of a cream wash that's supposed to lift away the urishol (poison ivy oil) from your skin. Could I have been re-infecting myself with P.I. over and over again during the year, or am I just feeling a temporary high from rubbing my weenie with abrasive cream for 3 minutes? |
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I'm afraid the only fix is the liberal application of a belt sander to the affected areas
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Oh shit....There are not many 40 pagers....but this one might do it.
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Congratulations; you've got herpes.
Now, what were you doing out there in the woods? |
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I used zanfel over the summer for poison ivy. It worked OK, but for systemic poison ivy the shot or the cream is better.
Ask for the steroid shot at the doctors. Get a second opinion. Do something, you should not have to suffer for over a year. good luck! |
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Followed by a soothing blowtorch treatment... |
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Acute scrotal rectomy. The only cure is poon-tang. Get some soon or your shit will fall off.
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Hoof and mouth is what it sounds like to me. I would stop bang'n sheep and find a girl you can take home to momma.
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did you try Gold Bond medicated powder?
try rubbing a lot of it on you sack. don't be afraid, buy the extra strength and use lots of it. |
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Have you seen a dermatologist? Do you have any scaling or cracking? Could be ecxema. A buddy of mine had crotch itch for years. He found out it was ecxema.
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it sounds like Poison Ivy/oak. It also sounds like you are reinfecting yourself(it can stay on your clothes even after washing. Go to the doc and get a Cortizone shot, it should knock it right out. Otherwise each infection will last about three weeks. I was never susceptible to PO/PI until I turned 35 now I can't get near it.
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If your scratching, be sure to scrub under your fingernails with a brush to prevent redistribution of oils from poison ivy or oak if thats what it may be.
If you have a systemic allergy(as your doctor might think it is), why would he give you a topical treatment? I'd be looking for a new doctor. |
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And an acetone rinse. -efxguy |
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please god no! thats powerful ghey |
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Assuming that you're being serious...go to a dermatologist or at least some other doctor than the one you're going to. The distribution of the affected areas should tell them something. If they think it's allergies, go to an allergist. Itching is miserable.
Forget the poison ivy soap. That's not what you have and, even if you did, the soap is only useful for preventing the rash or removing any residual oils (which naturally wear and wash away quickly). |
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Go get a shot of cortizone. Sp? Seriously. A large dose of it will clear you up. And decontaminate every piece of clothing when you wash by using a lil baking soda 1/4 cup in aload of laundry.
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I read about a similar account after some back woods folks supposedly finished a long weekend of hog-fu**ing and drinking Miller beer.
The only cure came from a blend of perfectly-timed full moon ritual, llama piss, and a pair of vice grips. PS: No really, if you've had it for over a year...you probably have some strange, mild skin disorder or fungi. I got Poison Ivy on my pecker once - don't ask - but it was as good as new in a couple of weeks! |
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+1000 |
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Doesn't sound like poison ivy/oak at all.
Extremely unlikely to be chiggers this time of year. Eczema is a real possibility. Crotch is a common area for fungal infections, ie crotchrot/jock itch/ tinea cruris. Others also. Histamine release will make most itches worse as will hot water to the area. Might feel good at first, worse later. And will tend to dry out skin. Is there a rash? Drainage? Scale? dry? Sores? Anything? Where exactly does it itch? Exactly? Do you shower daily? Sit in wet or damp clothes? Underwear? Swimming? Have you been putting anything on it? BTW, I wouldn't rec excessive washing with soap. Definitely clean is okay but soaps will damage skin if applied long enough. A lot of questions. You might consider a dermatologist as someone recommended. |
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Oh I'm being serious alright. Do you think I would debase myself for the Arfcom membership's amusement. I have terrible itching at all hours of the night and sometimes during the day. I have thought about changing doctors, but they've cut back our company's medical benefits, and there's not too many docs that will still accept our medical plan. I already had to switch once to this quack of a doctor. The chigger thing may be a lead. The article at the end of that hotlink says that you could possibly re-infect yourself indefinitely. |
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If you never change your pants....you might could re-infect yourself with chiggers indefinitely. If my nutsack itched for as long as yours....I would spend every dime I had to get it fixed. Go to a dermatologist. |
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I hate to even ask but what does it look like? Small little bumps? similar to posion ivy? Does or has it spread?
There are tiny insects that cause itching similar, I had them around my ankles after a range trip before they mowed the range (it never spread it stayed in same place for a month). At the anti itch stuff doesn't work, showers helped. Try this... Crisco... after a shower, Apply liberally, let it soak in and wrap area in plastic wrap or just get dressed if you dont mind it getting on your clothes. Anyhow the crisco smothers the little critters and they die . No more itch, just little bumps till they are absorbed up into the body and washed out... |
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Wow tons of posts before I even replied... this is what I was thinking Next time Post then go mix friday night drink! |
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Dude ... I had the same problem for months. Doctors couldn't figure it out ...
Then they gave me a prescription for a cream to treat Scabies .... cleared it right up .... I had been working in my backyard cleaning and staining my deck .... that is where I picked it up ... |
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Good luck! I would try a different doctor.
I remember getting some kind of rash after jogging on Camp pendleton. I scratched it a lot and of course it got infected. The Navy doctor, figuring it was dermatitis, gave me some lanolin cream. That caused an allergic reaction and it made everything worse. Finally, after months of itching, I went on leave, and made an appointment with my old doctor.He gave me a prescription for a steroid cream and everything was better in about a week. |
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C'mon on dude. Give me a little credit. I change my clothes. The article on chiggers said that unless you wash your pants in HOT water, you will still have chiggers on them. washing them in cold (as I wash jeans) does them no good. As far as shelling out more cash for a different doctor, I've changed careers and I'm in grad school getting my masters and only working part time. If it wasn't for my loving wife, I wouldn't have much of anything right now including my quack doctor. Until I graduate this fall, can't get blood from a turnip. |
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Nuke it from orbit just to be sure. |
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Dilute an entire bottle of Tiger Balm in boiling water. Dip a clean town in the mixture and apply to effected areas. This should kill anything, and might even be good birth control
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Doctor in the house!!
All of the stuff mentioned thus far are possibilities. Stuff that I'd suggest. Go ahead and treat for scabies. Permethrin is cheap and a one-time overnight treatment has a 90=% cure rate. Should kill chiggers, too. If the permethrin fails then you need to try copious antifungals. I've seen some horrible cases of recalcitrant fungal infections. Hint: if its just in the groin probably tinea cruris (jock itch), if its on and in the folds of the scrotum, may be yeast infection which would call require slightly different meds. If antifungals fail, then try steroids which should improve problems like eczema. Last resort biopsy and culture. Happy scratchin. |
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Your dryer will kill the chiggers. I know about chiggers.....trust me. It is not chiggers. You description eliminates that. One of my girlfriend's son got scabies in Holland. It was small bumps on his legs that itched like hell. I would check out google and see if Scabies look like what you have. |
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I got chiggers on my scrotum once during a camping trip.
Needless to say, it was unpleasant and tingly. |
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It is definitely not chiggers. There is no case of chiggers that will last a year. Even left completely alone they will go away normally within a week. They normally get all around your ankles where the sock meets the leg and then around your nuts with the odd one here and there. They will also get under your arms. There is no way they will live on your clothes for a year and washing in cold water might not kill them but it will wash them off.
We have tons of chiggers here and I've had literally tens of thousands of them in my lifetime in all seriousness and this isn't what you have. Good luck on finding out whatever it is though... |
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