# Pill for systemic itching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836 "2010-10-29T23:24:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/1 "2010-10-29T23:24:57Z")
We have many different medications that are taken orally or through an IV, to reduce pain, anywhere in the body. Why aren’t there systemic medications for itching? Something like that would be helpful for a person who is bandaged or in a cast. ---
**Author:** ![MerryMagdalen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@MerryMagdalen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MerryMagdalen)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/2 "2010-10-29T23:41:08Z")
Itching is one of those things we don’t really understand very well. If you’ve never read this, [here](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande) is a good article by one of my favorite medical writers that explores some aspects of this. (Warning: **serious** squick moment.) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/3 "2010-10-30T01:08:58Z")
> [@MerryMagdalen](#): > > Itching is one of those things we don’t really understand very well. If you’ve never read this, [here](http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande) is a good article by one of my favorite medical writers that explores some aspects of this. (Warning: **serious** squick moment.) I’d read this article before and it’s horrifying (not so much the squick moment, but the whole concept of being in such torture). I popped in to say that in addition to the phenomena in the article, there are a number of different things that can cause itching that are non-obvious (i.e. not just dead skin under a cast, or a bug bite / histamine reaction, or whatever). I’ve personally had itching from a gallbladder attack (it was affecting the liver and causing cholestasis due to bile buildup), and itching as an occasional manifestation of Restless Legs Syndrome which is a central nervous system problem. Neither would be helped by something that addressed the itching caused by a bug bite. And in fact the treatment for the RLS-based itching - _ **hot** _ water - made the cholestasis-based itching far worse. For most itching, the only thing that works is to give the itchy bit an overriding sensation, or at least remove the stimulus and let the sensation die down. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/4 "2010-10-30T01:17:08Z")
There are many, but most have some fairly icky side effects. Here’s a great summary, although I don’t know if you need an account at Medscape to read it or not: [Management and Treatment of Pruritus](http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/554692_4) If that link doesn’t work for you, try googling pruritus medications. “Pruritus” is the fancy schmancy medical term for “itching”. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/5 "2010-10-30T01:49:40Z")
Benadryl will work, but might make you sleepy. Atarax is another. Even better: One of those cheap, long-handled wooden back scratchers. Ahhhhhhh. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pill-for-systemic-itching/558836/6 "2010-10-30T11:56:50Z")
In high school I had trouble with overall itching and the doctor gave me pills specifically for this. They were small, gray and spherical. I think I remember that they helped. Since then I got curious and tried to figure out what they were, and now suspect they may have been placebos.