crazy itchy and need advice

[wabi-sabi]

Hi everybody,

I recently moved to a new apartment. A few weeks later, I started itching like crazy. There's nothing to see on my skin- no welts, not turning red. I just itch. I'm so itchy it's hard to sleep- on top of the usual hard to sleep.

But what could be causing it?! This is a reaction I've had before when something touches my skin that doesn't agree with me. This thing is, I can't figure out what it might be. I don't switch up my bath products or laundry detergent. This apartment has a shared laundry room, so i guess it could be that, but my last apartment did too. I'm not anxious to spend the quarters to prewash the machines to get out other people's detergent. And what would be the point in going to a laundromat, even if I had the energy? Could I be allergic to the carpet? I do lie on the floor, of course.

Any ides would be helpful.

 

[Judee]

I would say the carpet especially if the previous tenants put down some type of smelly vacuum powders. Maybe put down some type of sheet or blanket first and see if that helps.

Also if you wash your clothing with some sodium percarbonate (oxyboost or similar) added in it will absorb and neutralize some of the odors from the other tenant's laundry. Be sure to get a fragrance free version of the percarbonate and also make sure to add it when the wash has fully filled or it sometimes will lightly bleach some of your darks where it lands. (We buy ours in bulk about once a year on ebay. I find it is cheapest that way. I also use it to clean when I can clean around the house.)

The only thing is, I don't think this will help with the dryer though especially if the other tenants use dryer sheets which are very toxic and coat the clothing with silicone and such.

 

[ahmo]

Pharmaceuticals makes me itch after a short time, but there's a rash to see. Food? A new food intolerance?

Calcium + vitamin C help move histamines out of the body. I used to use them in footbaths when I was having many histamine issues.

 

[PatJ]

I'm so itchy it's hard to sleep

I don't know the cause but maybe these tips from others will help:

*Increase circulation*
From: http://articles.herballegacy.com/natures-definitive-healing/
The body sends out a signal of itching so that the area can be stimulated sufficiently to increase circulation. Scratching achieves this purpose but can damage skin. The School of Natural Healing instructs that heat or cold or alternating both can achieve the same purpose of increasing circulation, hence no more need for the body to send more signals (itching).

*Peppermint oil*
From a blog comment:
Peppermint oil is great to soothe itches, too. Put a little olive oil or coconut oil on first, and it will help stretch the oil–you only need a little drop. It worked wonders on my bad eczema patches during pregnancy!

 

[gbells]

Hi everybody,

I recently moved to a new apartment. A few weeks later, I started itching like crazy. There's nothing to see on my skin- no welts, not turning red. I just itch. I'm so itchy it's hard to sleep- on top of the usual hard to sleep.

But what could be causing it?! This is a reaction I've had before when something touches my skin that doesn't agree with me. This thing is, I can't figure out what it might be. I don't switch up my bath products or laundry detergent. This apartment has a shared laundry room, so i guess it could be that, but my last apartment did too. I'm not anxious to spend the quarters to prewash the machines to get out other people's detergent. And what would be the point in going to a laundromat, even if I had the energy? Could I be allergic to the carpet? I do lie on the floor, of course.

Any ides would be helpful.

Try Anti allergic Carpet cleaning solution.

 

[wabi-sabi]

I strongly suspect that it's something about the laundry. When I sleep on the sofa- not washed in my new apartment- I am much less itchy. When I sleep in bed-crazy itchy. And of course, I washed the sheets.

What do you do when you have to share a washer and dryer? I'm not sure it's the smell per se, but something in the washing machine. I can see other people's detergent crusted in the detergent slot.

 

[gbells]

I strongly suspect that it's something about the laundry. When I sleep on the sofa- not washed in my new apartment- I am much less itchy. When I sleep in bed-crazy itchy. And of course, I washed the sheets.

What do you do when you have to share a washer and dryer? I'm not sure it's the smell per se, but something in the washing machine. I can see other people's detergent crusted in the detergent slot.

Use no allergen detergent and fabric softener.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/all-Liqu...Sensitive-Skin-184-5-FL-Oz-123-Loads/52538273

Also, talk to your GP about treatments while you figure it out (fluconazole).

 

[wabi-sabi]

I'm already on fluconazole. And I already use allergen free detergent. It's just that everyone else doesn't and I can't seem to get their detergent out of the machine. I wish there were laundromats for sensitive people.

 

[Judee]

Did you see my comments about the sodium percarbonate? It does help some. We can't stand bleach but by using just 2-3 Tablespoons of that and about 1/8th cup of the Oxyboost type cleaner, I can still do white loads. They come out of the wash with no bleach smell at all.

Also my neighbor lives with a boyfriend who is not sympathetic to her sensitivities and he put machine washer (Tide washing machine wash ) into the machine and after that she couldn't do her clothes because the smell was so bad. I gave her some of the sodium percarbonate to use. She said that stuff is a miracle. She filled the machine and put maybe a cup of that in it with a load of white towels and left it for 24 hours and after that she could use the machine again.

You can get a free and clear version of the OxiClean like this one here: https://www.amazon.com/OxiClean-Versatile-Remover-Perfume-48-0oz/dp/B01N7CGZS5/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3GHLUOQASMV9W&keywords=fragrance+free+oxyclean&qid=1566853384&s=gateway&sprefix=fragrance+free+ox,aps,189&sr=8-5 but as I said we buy plain sodium percarbonate off of ebay in bulk and that seems to be cheapest.

One other thought it that they make portable clothes washing machines that you hook up to a faucet like these:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=portable+wash+machine&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 but I don't know how well they work.

 

[wabi-sabi]

I've just taken a toothbrush to the encrusted blue stuff in the detergent drawer. That smell was enough to give me a headache. Trouble is the drawer is plugged and won't really drain. I wonder if I put the oxyclean in the draw? The machines are not really supposed to be used with powder and they won't seem to run empty either. Just spit the quarters back at me...

 

[Judee]

Make the oxyclean into a solution by adding water first maybe. ?

 

[gbells]

I'm already on fluconazole. And I already use allergen free detergent. It's just that everyone else doesn't and I can't seem to get their detergent out of the machine. I wish there were laundromats for sensitive people.

Ask them to use the detergent also or
Rinse each load twice.