Oh, my itching neck!

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I know that Suzanne Somers refers to something called the Seven Dwarves of menopause: Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, and All Dried Up. In recent days my neck and eyelids have started to itch so badly, that cortisone cream doesn't even help, and neither does benadryl. I also haven't started menopause yet, but I will be facing the big 5-0 next month, so it's on my mind. I'm going to call a dermatologist today, but was just wondering if anyone else has experienced terrible itching, and if so, was it somehow connected with perimenopause?

I think I can rule out my make-up because I don't put make-up on my neck, and my neck is the worst area right now.

I'm going nuts. Can't wait until the dermatologist can see me. Is there such thing as an emergency dermatologist appointment?

-Nancy
 
Nancy,

Are you on any medicines right now? It could be a side effect of something you've taken.

Michele
 
Hi Michele! I did take Vicodin for a while. Thanks for the idea. I'll go look up the side effects of Vicodin. Somehow, I doubt itchiness will be a side effect though. But I'll check. Thanks!
-Nancy
 
Michele, you're a genius. One of the possible side effects of vicodin is a rash and itchiness. I have a rash and itchiness. I haven't had Vicodin in a day or two. I am very encouraged here. How did you know that???????

I am so grateful to you!!
Nancy
 
I almost forgot I'm on amoxicillin right now, taking it 4 times per day for a tooth infection. Just looked up the side effects which mention skin rash, hives and itching. <Hits self upside head>. I'll call the dentist who prescribed it and tell him I may be having an allergic reaction. Boy, do I feel dumb. Michele should be a doctor along with her DH.

-Nancy
 
>I almost forgot I'm on amoxicillin right now, taking it 4
>times per day for a tooth infection. Just looked up the side
>effects which mention skin rash, hives and itching. <Hits
>self upside head>. I'll call the dentist who prescribed it
>and tell him I may be having an allergic reaction. Boy, do I
>feel dumb. Michele should be a doctor along with her DH.
>
>-Nancy

Nancy,

Call your doctor NOW and report the rash. You may need to switch meds.

Michele
 
Nancy,

Sorry about your rash/itch. How annoying that must be!

Have you figured out exactly which med might be causing it? I hope you feel better soon! :)

Michelle, you're a smart one ... how great that you caught this one for Nancy!
 
WOOOWWWW was Michele right!! My doctor said to stop taking the amoxicillin immediately. Apparently, I'm allergic to penicillin and all penicillin-type drugs! Who knew?? The doc said to THROW THE BOTTLE AWAY and he phoned in some other stuff for me to take instead. And he said start taking Benedryl every 4-6 hours.

I swear if I hadn't posted here and Michele hadn't answered, I never would have made the connection. The doc said that taking the amoxicillin was potentially fatal.

I think that means I owe Michele my life. And I don't even think I'm exaggerating that much. :eek:

This reminds me of the movie "Hitch". Did anyone see that?

-Nancy who now loves this forum more than ever :D
 
Drug reactions are SO scary! Glad you figured it out in time. I once woke up feeling like I was suffocating and with a fever of 104 from some Macrobid that my ob/gyn gave me for a UTI. I thought it was the flu, but my regular dr figured it out, luckily. Now I ALWAYS read the side effects list on the package info when I take a new drug. I also keep Benadryl in the house, cause who knows what I'll be allergic to next.

Haven't seen Hitch. What's that?
 
Bunbun, I have absolutely no experience with allergies of any kind. That's why I was so clueless. For now on, I'll always have benadryl on hand too.

Hitch was a movie starring Will Smith. Will plays a character who has food allergies, and in one scene his face swells up like a balloon. That's what my face felt like today.

-Nancy
 
I'm allergic to half the world, but when I reacted to that drug it didn't even occur to me that I was allergic to the drug. Once you have a reaction, though, I don't think you ever forget it--it was the first thing I thought of when I read your original post (before I read the rest of the answers).
 
Michele, I'd like to take a moment and thank you for helping to save Nancy's life!!! (If even only a little, but I think it's likely more than that, with the reaction she was having!)

Nancy, I'd like to take a moment and tell you that I'm glad you're safe now and feeling better. Scary times!!! Medicine can do some very scary stuff!!

And I would also like to put in my vote for reading the fine print on medications- all of them. And for reviewing the fine print on meds you've been taking for a while. You never know!! The side effects they list are so scary, but it's a really good idea to have them in your brain when you start taking a drug. If you're really concerned about one of them, talk to your doc!! I've found if I'm likely to get one particular side effect from a drug (like the hair loss one, allopecia), I'm likely to see it repeating if listed on other drugs. Just keep those labels in mind, especially when starting a new drug!

Deep Breath. (Stepping down from pulpit and removing clerical collar now.)
 
Awwwwwww, Amy. Thank you so much!

I just never thought of myself as someone who is allergic to medication. I wonder if you can develop senstivities you've never had before later in life? I'm quite sure now that I had this reaction the last time I had oral surgery and was on antibiotics, but it was less severe. I stopped using my make-up and switched to a different brand. Now I'm going to go back and use all that old make-up! :D

And you're right, Amy, I'm going to be a lot more aware for now on. And always listen to everything Michele tells me! ;-)

-Nancy
 
>And you're right, Amy, I'm going to be a lot more aware for
>now on. And always listen to everything Michele tells me! ;-)
>
>
>-Nancy



:eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :eek: }( :* :7

Michele:)
 
Hey Nancy: Don't forget to let your regular drs and your pharmacist know that you have drug allergies. *Really* important!
 
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