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Strange new symptom, itchy head, can't sleep

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
Just a new and strange symptom. My head/hair is so itchy that I am awake all night, scratching. Just wondering what this might be. My only new supplement for the last two weeks is Tumeric but I started that 2 or 3 weeks ago and my head/scalp it sooooo itchy.

Wendy
 

caledonia

Senior Member
Itchy head could be several things, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, head lice. I've never heard of itchy head as a herx symptom.

I've had seborrhic dermatitis (self diagnosed) in my ears and on my eyelids. Are there greasy flakes of skin peeling off too? I used aloe vera juice to calm things down. It finally went away a year later when I started high dose vitamin C for another reason.

My BF has psoriasis. He uses a steroid skin cream. One application lasts for weeks. Eventually, though the steroids can stop working.

It might be helpful if you can get someone to look at your head and see what they can see. You can find pics on the net of what different rashes and things look like.
 

lansbergen

Senior Member
Messages
2,512
Just a new and strange symptom. My head/hair is so itchy that I am awake all night, scratching. Just wondering what this might be. My only new supplement for the last two weeks is Tumeric but I started that 2 or 3 weeks ago and my head/scalp it sooooo itchy. Wendy

DO NOT SCRATCH.

First of all you have to rule out lice. Ask somene to check your hair for nits. If you have lice all your contacts have to be checked. Not treated it can become a plague.

I get itchy head too. It drives me crazy but I see it as an inevitable immune reacition on my way to recovering.
 

helsbells

Senior Member
Messages
302
Location
UK
I get a very itchy scalp but mine is Staph infection that I can't treat but there are are other signs such as sore blisters filled with liquid mixed with blood which pop and dry up and genrally thats when scalp becomes itchy, I have had this for years gets worse at the time of period and flutuates in intensity. You could try one of the anti-fungal shampoos just in case its that as that is quite an easy thing to try?
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
I have this too & it's not related to anything but the general 'skin crawling sensations I have since a child.
 

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
Wow, thanks for the reply. No scaling or blisters. I'll have my husband check for lice, but I doubt it. Could I be growing hair? My hair thinned out when I became ill and yes I have been taking another supplement that I didn't mention (forgive the fog), biotin. Or else it is some kind of herx or toxin?
 

lansbergen

Senior Member
Messages
2,512
Wow, thanks for the reply. No scaling or blisters. I'll have my husband check for lice, but I doubt it. Could I be growing hair? My hair thinned out when I became ill and yes I have been taking another supplement that I didn't mention (forgive the fog), biotin. Or else it is some kind of herx or toxin?

Wikipedia: The signs and symptoms of biotin deficiency include hair loss that progresses in severity to include loss of eye lashes and eye brows in severely deficient subjects.

Maybe your hair is growing again now you take biotin. Would that cause itching? I don't know.

Could it be heeling of the skin after new growing hair has perforated the skin? I guess cancer patients can answer that.

My head itching comes and goes and last from a few hours to a couple of days.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
I have this sporadic, madly itchy head thing, too.

I lost a lot of hair and I have been taking biotin for about 6 months. I don't see much sign of re-growth though, my hair is still pathetically thin. I suppose it takes a long time.
 

leaves

Senior Member
Messages
1,193
I have this sporadic, madly itchy head thing, too.

I lost a lot of hair and I have been taking biotin for about 6 months. I don't see much sign of re-growth though, my hair is still pathetically thin. I suppose it takes a long time.
Hair loss can also be zinc defficiency,Impaired loss of smell, white spots on nails and dandruff are symptoms too.
 

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
Wow, yes, I lost a lot of hair and eyebrows, eyelashes and I only have to shave once a month. perhaps it is the biotin. Zinc, I am not so worried about (take it every so often). It has let up somewhat but my hair is crazy, curly, full, messy sexy. My husband even noticed ;-0. Is that a gun in your pocket?

Wendy
 

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
I really think the itchyness is tied to sweating. Very hot last night, woke up in a head sweat, itching was unbelievable. I think I am excreting toxins or something. I wish I had a sauna, to get this stuff out.

Wendy
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Hi leaves,
I have white spots on nails and my sense of smell comes and goes. But I have been taking zinc for a long time (6 months). I wonder if I am just not absorbing it?

BTW Wendy, I think you are right about the itching being related to sweating. We probably need to wash our hair every day but I hardly have the energy to do it twice a week!
I have a pair of shoes with metallic insoles and my sweaty old feet turned them an intesnse cobalt blue in one day. I gues this must be a chemical reaction? What am I excreting?
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I read on another forum some people taking a mega high garlic product ( Allicinmax) got the itchy head thing, they put it down to a rection to the supplement, but all were feeling better so put up with it, sounds like it may be a immune reaction in a good way.
 

leaves

Senior Member
Messages
1,193
Hey athene

that is possible; the best types of zinc are amino acid chelates. If you drink a lot of coffee this can also reduce your absorbtion and cause leaky gut.
Do you dream? Some people with white spots on nails ( like me ;)) don't dream either; then you need p5p special b 6 vitamin.
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
Oh how weird!!!! I absolutely never dream. It stopped when I was a teenager. But I've been taking P5P for about 6 months. Do you know how long it should take for the effect to kick in?
 

leaves

Senior Member
Messages
1,193
I believe the standard holistic approach for this is. Mega doses zinc ( e.g. Picolinate) p5p and niacin. However I would only do that under dr supervision as it can cause inbalances in your system. I take about 65 mg p5p and 250 mg niacin, that should not disturb your system too much. But it's important to also have your other b vits in place ( I take 2 capsules jarrow b right daily, this helps me a. Lot)
I dream again, but sleep quality is not optimal still.

Btw they say it is caused by mauve factor, a chemical byproduct from oxidation injury to our fats and proteins). These bind to zinc and vitamin b6 leading to a functional zinc defficiency.
High doses l-carnitine can support these pathways.