Agonizing Itch
Hi Ted, thank-you again for your time. As I already stated , I have discoid lupus. Around this time of the year , I guess my skin is drier, and I experience a agonizing amount of itching after taking a shower. The itch usually lasts about 30 minutes after . I've had this problem long before I was diagnozed with Discoid Lupus. I guess it must be just a winter problem for me when my skin is drier. I can't remember this being so bad in the summer. I heard that I can purchase a filter that attaches to the shower head that softens the water. Maybe this would help. What do you think ? Also my Dr. recommends reducing the water temp. to lukewarm and only using soap, fragrance free, only on parts of the body , armpits and groin area. I also read that applying Aveeno, rich in oats will alleviate the itch. I also read that 1 cup of apple cider vinegar into a tub of water will help too but I rarely take a bath, only shower. What are your thoughts on this condition ? I am in agony with this itch. And I dread to shower anymore. Please help me be normal again
Olive: Lupus usually spreads the worse around winter time and it gets better, do not flare up during the summer. While dry weather is one thing, the body's immune system are down during the winter as the body's metabolism were geared on heating up the body rather than fighting would be invaders. The other reasonable explanation is lack of sun exposure which will cause much lower levels of vitamin D3 (vitamin D2 is cheaper, in case it is unaffordable). Since the body regularly produces about 10,000 i.u. of vitamin D a day during the summer, a supplementation of a similar amounts during winter may also help, assuming the sun exposure is not possible.
A quick easy way to relieve the itchy skin, assuming it is bacterial origin, will be the milk of magnesia, but the application of borax saturated in hydrogen peroxide will relieve the itchy, it leads to drying of the skin and hence, some simple lotion can be applied after those were applied first for a couple of minutes. Those are the best two remedies I found that were helpful for itchy skins. Shower or bath is possible for both cases to stop itchiness, even if you don't bathe often. However, the borax and peroxide remedy applied externally is helpful for lupus on the skin too, although the concentration used are different. All three remedies can also be added using milk of magnesia (without aluminum), peroxide, and borax but I haven't tested this, but is expected to be synergistic.
It should be noted that certain fungus seems to flourish much worse after taking a bath too and may lead to itchy skin. If a borax is substituted for shampoo and soap, the itchiness should not be happening as the borax is also antifungal, amongst other benefit. Vitamin K2 or K3 are also synergistic with vitamin D2 (or D3 and D4) that further help in reducing the lupus problem, at least for the skin.
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