# Why do I itch all the goddam time? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834 "2010-10-29T23:22:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/1 "2010-10-29T23:22:39Z")
I’m clean, really. Shower, shampoo every day. Yet my goddam head always itches, and I’m always scratching my eyes, my nose or some other part of my body. I’m not allergic to anything, I’ve been tested. WTF am I so goddam itchy (especially my scalp?)? ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/2 "2010-10-29T23:29:15Z")
Eczema? Do you have flakes? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/3 "2010-10-29T23:32:58Z")
I’m interested to see if you get an answer. Every once in awhile I have a day where my nose just goes insane with itchiness. A little more seldomly, it happens to other parts of my body. I’m not flaky. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/4 "2010-10-30T00:04:36Z")
Dry skin? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/5 "2010-10-30T00:05:37Z")
You know, lately my scalp itches all the time too. I guess I’ve been assuming it’s fall coming on, but when I scratch there’s always a little scrum of dead skin under my nails. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/6 "2010-10-30T00:06:48Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > I’m clean, really. Shower, shampoo every day. Yet my goddam head always itches, and I’m always scratching my eyes, my nose or some other part of my body. I’m not allergic to anything, I’ve been tested. WTF am I so goddam itchy (especially my scalp?)? Taking any painkillers by chance, like maybe more than you really should? Serious question. It causes mad itching. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/7 "2010-10-30T00:17:39Z")
It sounds like plain old pain-in-the-ass dry skin. Drink lots of water, take fewer, cooler baths and showers, use dandruff shampoo for dry scalp, and moisturize your ass off. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/8 "2010-10-30T00:19:33Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Dry skin? With low humidity? Maybe a humidifier will help. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/9 "2010-10-30T00:22:18Z")
Formication? Seriously, there’s lots of possible reasons for symptoms of itch. It’d best be explored by a professional, starting with a family physician and perhaps going to a dermatologist if needed. A good medical history combined with a physical exam is a much better approach to narrowing it down than getting it worked up via message board. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/10 "2010-10-30T00:53:07Z")
No painkillers, but I’ve been on antibiotics for strep throat - that’s not a side effect, is it? Because this scalp thing is really getting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/11 "2010-10-30T01:25:37Z")
Bed bugs 🙂 How about lice? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/12 "2010-10-30T01:28:00Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > No painkillers, but I’ve been on antibiotics for strep throat - that’s not a side effect, is it? Because this scalp thing is really getting to me. I find that strep throat itself can make me itchy. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/13 "2010-10-30T01:29:57Z")
Allergies can make you itchy. I have the most gawd-awful itchy inner ears. Who needs waterboarding when I would give up any secret to stop fricken itching. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/14 "2010-10-30T01:35:07Z")
Huh. I’ve been on Vicodan for years forchronic pain and never made that connection. That’s probably it. I guess I need to add Benadryl to my daily meds. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/15 "2010-10-30T01:38:25Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > Huh. I’ve been on Vicodan for years forchronic pain and never made that connection. That’s probably it. I guess I need to add Benadryl to my daily meds. Unfortunately, the itch associated with Opiates is not something that can be cured by diphenhydramine. The itch is caused by the opiates mechanism of action, not by a histamine release. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/16 "2010-10-30T02:32:18Z")
For me it was a combination of congenitally dry, sensitive skin oft-afflicted with unexplainable itching, eczema, 6 kinds of hives, blistering rashes, and contact dermatitis; and the foods I was eating which aggravated my entire system and caused most of the skin reactions among other health issues. Since I cut out grains, beans and sweeteners and severely limited my fruit consumption, I haven’t been itchy or rashy. Eat some pizza or too many strawberries and I get itchy and/or a rash. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/17 "2010-10-30T02:45:23Z")
> [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](#): > > Unfortunately, the itch associated with Opiates is not something that can be cured by diphenhydramine. The itch is caused by the opiates mechanism of action, not by a histamine release. [I’m not sure that’s completely the case](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7694026), although I will admit that [it’s not straightforward](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17983254). ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/18 "2010-10-30T02:55:52Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > [I’m not sure that’s completely the case](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7694026), although I will admit that [it’s not straightforward](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17983254). True, it is possible for some opiates to cause a psuedoallergy with the release of histamine. However, psuedoallergies are most commonly associated with Morphine, Codeine, and Meperidine, while the pruritus that is associated with opiates happen with pretty much every class of opiate. Now, it is totally possible that some patients do have pruritus caused by the histamine release, but I don’t believe it is the cause of most reported cases. However, that is IMHO, I don’t have a cite for it. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/19 "2010-10-30T14:28:22Z")
Well, I’ve gotten relief from Benadryl in the past, so I know it will help alleviate some of the itching. Thanks for all the helpful info, everybody! ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834/20 "2010-10-30T15:17:06Z")
Long hot showers every day, scrubbing and washing of the hair every day + the dry warm air in the house/at work when the heat is turned on for the season = itchy. My daughter was born with dry dry dry skin and has had many dry skin issues all her life, yet she takes long hot showers every single day. It’s even worse now that the heat has come on. She’s buying herself a humidifier. Put on moisturizer as soon as you pat yourself dry after a shower, that will help a little. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-itch-all-the-goddam-time/558834.md?page=2)