My incisions from ankle surgery have hit the itchy stage of healing and it's driving me crazy
My incisions from ankle surgery have hit the itchy stage of healing and it's driving me crazy
Nothing is making the itching stop. The worst part is that the left side of my leg has nerve damage and is slightly numb from where a screw was put in, and the sensation extends to my knee. The feeling is very strange. Thankfully it's only the left side of my leg. The right side, that had the more extensive hardware put in, (2 tightrope devices) is totally fine in regards to nerves.
I can't wait until I'm fully recovered. This whole ordeal is the worst.
You could try a trick I use for mosquito bites and poison ivy.
Run some hot water. Just right on the edge of too hot to touch. Put the itchy part under that running water.
It will feel like the most intense itch, but also relief at the same time (assuming it works). It only takes maybe 5 seconds to work. Afterwards, the itch stops for a couple hours.
This works so well. I use it when I get neuroma twinges or insect bites.
Definitely saved my sleep/sanity a few times.
This works for mosquito bites because the heat denatures the proteins in the mosquito saliva in the bite that causes the itching. Not sure it will have the same long term effect on a healing wound.
I think this works for insect bites because it denatures the proteins that makes it itch.
Just think of it as full-sensory tinnitus :)
So… it never goes away?
That’s a cheerful thought
Slather it in vitamin E oil, or aloe vera gel a few times a day. Should help.
This is the only thing that stopped my scars itching after surgery. Cut open a vitamin e pill and rub it into the area. You can put something over it to keep it on there.
You can buy vitamin e oil in squirt bottle now.
I just had my upper and lower jaw cut all the way through and re-set with plates and screws. Some of the feelings under the skin are damn impossible to describe honestly.
But anyways, yeah. I’m at the itchy stage.
I had horrible skin problems after getting pneumonia.
Short term solution: Gold Bond makes a liquid with 2% lidocaine. It helped me get through some spikes in itchiness.
Good luck!
I'm very allergic to lidocaine
ahhh that was the worst part of my top surgery recovery. no pain but the itching was awful. it's amazing when it stops though, kinda like when you can finally breathe through your nose after a cold
I've had absolutely terrible pain with this recovery, but that's probably because I had holes drilled iny bones lol. The pain is easing up now, thankfully
Warmth sometimes helps. You can test that very quickly by holding a cup of tea or coffee you made anyway to the itchy places for a few seconds. You should feel the relief almost immediately if it works for you. If so, you can use warm, wet towels to keep the itching somewhat at bay
Idk why, but I totally thought heat would make itching worse. I'm gonna have to try that!
Nothing is worse than an itch you can’t scratch
The pain from my bones breaking is a SUPER close second to an unscratchable itch.
pull of your skin ffs
No thank you lmao. My skin felt like it was tearing off for like a week after I broke my ankle/leg. It was so swollen that my skin was blistering. It took a week for it to get to the point where the surgeon could perform the operation safely. It was absolutely disgusting lol.
One advice I give to my patients is to put warm coconut oil on it and rub it lightly.
Damn -- sorry!.
I ended up with a dermatologist who prescribed a steroid cream called triamcinoclone. But that was for diagnosed ectopic dermatitis.
I must say though, that diagnosis kind of covers anything that itches.
Been there. Done that. It's hell. Hang in there!
An ice pack helped me in this situation in the past. Numbs it right up and stops the itching.
The last time I used ice, it made my leg muscles tighten up and it hurt so fucking bad. I'm hesitant to use ice when my leg isn't swollen because of the pain it caused last time.
What do the doctors say about that itching? Is it the normal amount, or is it the symptom of some problems on that part of the wounds?
Benadryl?
Pee on it
Ya know, you right. Best solution lmao
i found it helps when you scratch around the incision
I can guess how maddening that is for you. One of my partners is recovering from a bilateral reduction, and she was lucky enough to be allergic to the pain meds, so she had to deal with her whole body itching for a few days before she just stopped taking them.
Hope the itching stops, you may be able to take Benadryl or something for the itching to make it more tolerable.
Omg I had a bilateral reduction a few years ago and it was awful. I hope your partners' recovery goes smoothly! It's a rough one, for sure.
I tried a Benadryl yesterday and all it did was knock me out for 12 hours. That's better than being itchy, but I work tomorrow and can't sleep that long again lol.
Bonus if benadryl puts you to sleep like it does me, that way the itching is solved because you're not awake to feel it
Unfortunately she's got insomnia right now, so it's extra special.
Maybe using a blow dryer on a cool setting will help. Check for allergic reaction/rash/infection.
A blow dryer sounds like a good idea! I check for rashes and infection multiple times a day and everything looks totally fine. The incisions are sealed and look better than I thought they would, tbh. I totally expected them to look gnarly, but they're really flat and neat already lol l.
I'm not sure if it's feasible for you to get it but gabapentin might help. It's usually prescribed for neuropathy type pain. I have an old surgery scar that sometimes itches from the inside (if that makes sense) and I'll take a gabapentin to get it to stop.
I'm already on baba for my headaches :(
I didn’t know they treated headaches with gabapentin! Is that prescribed off label? How’s it working for you?
I took a look at your post history to see if you mentioned an underlying diagnosis and saw you’ve taking antidepressants. There are a couple that help nerve pain, secondary to acting as an SSRI; duloxetine and venlafaxine. If you’re not already on one of those and the nerve damage becomes painful, it might be worth asking if you can try one of those.
Gabapentin is great for long term nerve pain, but I can’t imagine a doctor prescribing gabapentin for something as short term as wound healing - at least not in the UK. Heat, distraction, OTC antihistamines and maybe a prescription for something like zopiclone for short term relief if the itching is preventing sleep completely, should provide enough relief from the itchiness.
OP, I’m not sure if you can stand at the moment, but be extra careful when standing up if the loss of feeling extends to your foot. I have neuropathy and dislocated my ankle just getting up off the sofa before it was diagnosed. It definitely takes some getting used to and taking more care over how you step. Get well soon!
Gabapentin wouldn't do anything for wound healing. I only mentioned it since OP said they had nerve damage in that area. The itching from the healing can exacerbated the nerve pain and the signals get crossed making everything feel worse. If it is an option it's certainly worth a try even in the short term.
Thank you for the advice! I am non-weightbearing until December 8th. After that I can walk with my boot thing on. I'll still be using my walker then as a precaution. I don't want to fall and break anything else.
I'm going to take things slow so I don't need any future surgeries. My mom had ankle surgery and didn't care for herself properly and started doing things too fast. She ended up needing a second surgery because of that, and now she probably needs a third, but is putting off going to a doctor. I do not want to end up in a situation like that.