Hi everyone. I'm about 5 weeks post op. Everything has been pretty normal up until about a week ago when I started getting itchy everywhere! My scalp, neck, arms, hands, under my breasts, and especially my incisions. Doc said "make sure to moisturize and stay hydrated". Well I put lotion on twice a day and am fine with my Water. Nothing has changed.

No rash or redness. Has anyone experienced this?? Can I put Benedryl cream on? Seems like a waste to put it All over my body but at least on my incisions.

I'm not on any meds, no new detergents or soaps, etc.

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Edited August 19, 201610 yr by LA_lady

I was itchy for about 2 months after surgery. No rash but my stomach itch for 3 months. Soon as i stop drinking so many Protein shakes it has since gone away. I believe hi protein diets affect me that way. Because before my surgery I did medifast which is a high protein diet and I broke out in hives.

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The same thing happened to me. I think for me it was the Vitamin I was taking. I switched to PatchMD and the itching stopped.

Wow....I was going to pose this same question. I too get what feels like hives-type itching, but no rash or hives, and my eyes itch and feel dry. I was wondering if it's related to the fact that fat holds onto hormones (and probably other not so good things like pesticides, histamines, etc), and when the body is releasing fat, it's causing the itching? Anyone research this before?

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Wow....I was going to pose this same question. I too get what feels like hives-type itching, but no rash or hives, and my eyes itch and feel dry. I was wondering if it's related to the fact that fat holds onto hormones (and probably other not so good things like pesticides, histamines, etc), and when the body is releasing fat, it's causing the itching? Anyone research this before?

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I wish I had an answer for you. I'm going on 2 weeks of this itching and nothing has helped. My doc told me to try removing things from my diet, 1 at a time, and seeing if it helps. So far I'm still itching. Benedryl cream helps, and I have allergy eye drops, but those are just covering up my symptoms not getting to the root of the problem. My doc also told me to take Bendryl but I need to go to work and be functional and Bendryl just knocks me out.

I'm thinking of going to an allergist this week because I really have no other alternative.

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Yeah, if it's not dry skin or a rash that came from some known agent - like a harsh cleaning chemical you used without gloves or something... then I start to suspect an allergic reaction. If it's just the skin, you could try a topical antihistamine, but if you also have swelling, then you could try either Benadryl or Claritin antihistamine pills (Claritin doesn't make you drowsy, and there are also store brand versions of Claritin - from CVS and Walgreens).

You can also try switching to dye and perfume free bath soap, shampoo, and laundry soap - hypoallergenic personal care and laundry products. The extra chemicals in these can certainly cause issues for some people, and there is no downside to making such a change. The problem could be unrelated to the surgery.

Edited August 22, 201610 yr by Barry W

Hi everyone. I'm about 5 weeks post op. Everything has been pretty normal up until about a week ago when I started getting itchy everywhere! My scalp, neck, arms, hands, under my breasts, and especially my incisions. Doc said "make sure to moisturize and stay hydrated". Well I put lotion on twice a day and am fine with my Water. Nothing has changed.

No rash or redness. Has anyone experienced this?? Can I put Benedryl cream on? Seems like a waste to put it All over my body but at least on my incisions.

I'm not on any meds, no new detergents or soaps, etc.

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LA lady - Did this problem resolve for you? I'm almost 5 weeks out now and the itching is getting intense. Only around my breasts mostly. No rash

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LA lady - Did this problem resolve for you? I'm almost 5 weeks out now and the itching is getting intense. Only around my breasts mostly. No rash

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My doc was not very helpful but after about a month it did pass. I made sure to drinks lots of Water and put Benadryl cream on all the time. I tried eliminating different foods and clothes to see if anything would help but it didn't.

I think it was my bodies reaction to such a shock but my doctor said he never had a patient with those symptoms.

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LA lady - Did this problem resolve for you? I'm almost 5 weeks out now and the itching is getting intense. Only around my breasts mostly. No rash

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My doc was not very helpful but after about a month it did pass. I made sure to drinks lots of water and put Benadryl cream on all the time. I tried eliminating different foods and clothes to see if anything would help but it didn't.

I think it was my bodies reaction to such a shock but my doctor said he never had a patient with those symptoms.

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Im also itching! Im 7 wks post & i think its the body going through changes bc of low calories, all these supplements & major surgery... Ya know how folks say they loose their hair? Well, maybe we itch first.... I've been moisturizing like crazy, keeping hydrated...no new detergents or soaps...this itch began for me really during pre-op diet phase when the sugar went bye-bye & the protein consumption went up... I hate this itchy sh*t but I think the changes we made fuels it on.

IDK if it's cheaper than buying the Benadryl cream, but you can also crush the Benadryl pills and mix them into lotion for topical application. Works the same.

I was Also so itchy I stopped the whey protein and it stoped now I use the egg protein powder I've been fine