OMG! My belly is itching so badly. I was banded on 12/4 and it is killing me. I just rub lightly to ease the discomfort. I put lotion around the strips in hope that would ease but only slightly better.

Anybody else have this? I will be so glad when these things fall off.

:wink_smile:

It is fairly common. I am sorry to say that I can't think of a single thing that actually helped the itching. You do want to do your best not to scratch them. You might try some topical itch cream around the area but not on the insicions.

Is it only around the strips? If not and you start to see red areas then call your Dr right away and make him see you. I was banded on 11/11 and four days after I started getting this rash all over my belly and it started to blister and hurt really bad. (I cried several times a day) It ended up that I have a allergy to the prep that they use on your belly before surgery. I felt like a burn patient! Now they say it will take several months for the skin to be the same color as the area's that the prep didn't touch.

Bobbi151...Same thing happened to me! But a couple days after my skin was back to normal. But I know now to let the doc know I am allergic to Iodine.

The color of my skin is still not back to normal. Its like I have a suntan on large areas of my belly.

I was banded just last Friday 12/5 and have some itching too. Doesn't sound like as bad as yours but I just do a light scratch around the bandages but not on the actual incisions or bandages. It releaves it for a while and then a lite scratch again later.

I put cocoa butter around the strips that that eased it quite a bit. Thanks for all the responses.

Florida Pete, mine was all over my belly it was really really bad. Just know if it hurts really bad call the Doctor

I put cocoa butter around the strips that that eased it quite a bit. Thanks for all the responses.

I am glad that you got some relief.

I was banded on 11-25-08 and still suffer from itching. In fact I went to the doctor today for my 2 week post-op f/u. The nurse commented that they have been getting alot of complaints lately about people getting rashs where the strips were placed on them. She even commented that one guy had blisters with the rash.

Personnely my whole stomach itches bad including the area where they shaved me. It's gets so bad that I have trouble sleeping. The only relief I have found is Gold Bond cream, and of course not on the actual incisions.

Ok I no longer feel like a crazy person! I had the rash, the itching, the blistering the whole nine yards! I called my Dr. and they said maybe I was allergic to the strips and on day 7 post op they said to take the steri strips off. Once I did that it started to heal up. The blisters dried up and the skin starting pealing. I still itch some and my stomach is discolored but only where the strips where. You should definetly ask your Dr. how soon you can get the strips off because nothing else helped me. Good Luck!!:tt1:

Cortazone cream was the only thing that helped my itching, but make sure you don't put it on the actual scars or incisions!!

What about liquid Benedril? I took it and it really helped.

jazie