Itchinees

[Wiles]

I'm incredibly itchy. It comes and goes in random places. My knee, my foot, my arms, even my tongue has been itchy!

It started yesterday, and I don't know why. I haven't started any new meds. I'm on imuran. Anyone had this happen before?

Last time I was itchy like this was from a bad reaction to steroids.

 

[Kev]

How long have you been on Imuran? Has your dosage increased recently? Have you eaten anything different recently? Have you started using new soap or toiletry items

Do you have any known allergies? asthma? hayfever? Do you have any pets?

 

[Wiles]

I've been on imuran for several years. Maybe 5? I'm not sure. My dose hasn't gone up, I did go down 1 pill a couple weeks ago. I had allergies and asthma when I was younger, but they don't bother me much anymore and never caused itching. I do have 4 dogs. The food I've had has been home made, and nothing that I haven't had before. No new soap or anything like that either.

 

[Wiles]

I forgot to mention I took benadryl to try and help last night. Benadryl always makes me go to sleep, so I'm not sure if it made it go away. When I woke I was itchy again.

 

[soupdragon69]

Wiles,

It is possible to develop a drug reaction at any time with your body setting up a defense against it with the previous dose! Doesnt matter how long you have been taking it either!

Most healthcare professionals get twitchy giving a second dose of a drug because the first may have set up the reaction already, but they forget it can still happen out of the blue!

Go and get checked out please ASAP and let us know how you get on.

Thinking of you

 

[Kev]

Yeah, I agree with soup.. See/call/go to your doc ASAP. that lil checklist u went thru eliminates a lot of other common possibilities... I would expect the next step your dr will suggest is to take/wean u off the Imuran for a while, see if the problem goes away... Have u checked for any sign of a rash, blemish, etc., where you are itching?

 

[Wiles]

I can't see any rashes or anything other than a bit of redness where I scratched. The odd thing is that, my knee and hand might itch, then ten minutes later my leg, my arm and my tongue might be itching instead. I have a bit of a funny taste in my mouth too. Do you think it's ok to wait until my doc opens up on monday?

 

[soupdragon69]

Dont take any chances Wiles.... There is sommat funny going on and you cant pinpoint why - ok you havent mentioned swelling of any kind and it does move places etc but you obviously arent right and it may intensify or it may go away.

Better to go get checked out sorry. At least then you might get some relief from it if they can give you something other than benedryl to take or work out the cause.

Apologies again.

 

[Wiles]

No need to apologize. Thank you both for the information.

 

[Kev]

You are the only one who can make that call... I had an allergic reaction to Imuran. I started to notice it mid day friday, but my sons were flying in to visit on Saturday, so I put it off. By Sunday, I was in emergency. However, w/o my full medical history, & not being able to contact my GI, essentially all they did was order x-rays and fill me with painkillers. It wasn't until I spoke with my GI on monday that she took me off the Imuran as a test. In 2 days, I was right as rain. But everyone is different, and if you can live with the itch (not easy, it can drive you crazy) you may feel that what is best for you is to speak to your doctor first.. I dunno. the itch may be enuff to drive you to emerg, see if they can make it gone!!

And it may not be the meds... I can't see a trip to emerg (if necessary) or a clinic, to see an on call doc or whatever, as anything but a good thing, just in case.. OK?

 

[Wiles]

Well I hummed and hawwed and eventually my dislike for the emergency room won. I made an appointment with my doc and went in to see him yesterday. By that time the itchiness was pretty mild. He said it would be hard to say what caused it. I'm still a bit itchy, I'll be glad when it goes away

 

[Kev]

Well, if the itch diminished, and you didn't change your meds, then it's probably not a med related problem. Unless you started taking some form of benedryl for allergies.

 

[Tami Lynn]

I realize this is old news now, as you posted this a couple of weeks ago, but I do hope you finally got your itchies under control!

I have read that itchiness can be a sign of liver problems (it's called pruritis). The fact that you are taking Imuran and that Imuran can have a negative reaction on a person's liver means it is probably a good thing that you had it checked by your doctor.

Please keep us posted!