Pruritus at its max

[GP7852]

How do you deal with pruritus.Mine has reached the pinnacle where I can't sleep anymore,my skin is so sore,black and blue and torn up from the rubbing and scratching.I am going through a container of Sarna a day.I am so bitter at my insurance company (Cigna) as they continue to deny me funding for Harvoni yet they are happy to continue to dock my paycheck for their payments.I feel like such a fool.Meanwhile it is like I have a million bugs living right under the surface of my skin trying to eat their way out,the worst nightmare of my life.I am a lifetime non responder who finally got negative on sovaldi-olysio only to relapse immediately.At this point I don't even care about my liver anymore,my #1 priority is to just stop the itching and get the soreness to heal.I am trying the Gilead assistance program since I meet all their criteria but it is slow and the torture is getting to my nervous system.Do any of you stage 4 cirhotics have any helpful info,even the cholestyramine isn't helping anymore.
                                                          Glen

[AugustineMama]

Glen I got to the point it was like bee stings. Nothing I put on it worked. I ended up with Atarax 3-4 times a day and Benadryl at night. It wore me out and left me with scars.

[AWorriedMom]

Benadryl helped me the most and it is very liver friendly and over the counter. The only bad thing is that it can leave you feeling hung over in the AM. For me, that was better than the constant itch.

[GP7852]

I just picked up the Benadryl,really praying that it helps.The cholestyramine is so dangerous for me.When it hits you cant control it and wherever you are everything is coming out,very very embarrassing at work.I was pleading with Gilead today and a nice lady was going to contact my insurance company (Cigna) and try and move things along on their end or on hers.It is so frustrating for me to have them take all that money out of my check bi weekly but when I need them they sweep me under the rug and tell me to die.This disease is like a big,scary tree that keeps growing evil branches like horrible leg cramps and the nose bleeds and malfunctioning thyroid.I guess the liver is the quarterback of the body.                       Glen

[pooh55811]

If the Benadryl does not give you relief, then I would get a prescription for Atarax (Hydroxyzine).

Your PCP or Hepatologist should order it for you but, if not, then you may need to go to a Dermatologist to get it. (My original treating doctors were useless and did not want to treat the rash so I finally went to the Dermatologist.)

Benadryl did absolutely nothing for my rash and itching. Atarax worked, but you need a high enough dose to make it work. I started on 20 mg at night but that barely made a dent. The Atarax was increased to 50mg every 6 hours and that gave me relief.

I had the rash for months before I finally got the right dose and some relief. I would never put up with that again, ever. One has to be assertive and get the appropriate treatment and relief.

Best of luck.

[Dee1956]

Hi I remember how awful the itching was during tx.  I was searching and found people talking about something called Welchol and Urso  both prescriptions.
I remember at one point a member on here talking about Gold Bond lotion being the only thing that helped her.

Another person mentioned that  grapefruit juice could help relieve itching. Check with the doctor or pharmacist first though, because sometimes it will interfere with the absorption of other medications.

Any of the over-the-counter lotions and powders that have camphor and menthol, as active ingredients (1/2 or 1 %) like Sarna or Gold Bond or any of their generics.

Dandruff shampoos with pine tar or coal tar (like T Gel) are good to use as shower gels, but they are very slippery, so put a towel on the shower floor to stand on and a bathmat or towel to get out and dry off on.

Over the counter oral diphenhydramine (Benedryl) seems to help some people. Prescription creams and lotions (Steroids like Elocon, Locoid, or Triamcinolone)

Maximum strength over the counter anti itch creams seem to work just as well. (diphenhydramines like Benadryl and hydrocortizones like Cortaid)

[GP7852]

Thank you-ive been going through the saran like crazy-I cover myself with it and the stuff isn't cheap but it gives some temporary relief.I am on the phone all afternoon with my doctors office,the pharmacy and gillead and what makes it all the more frustrating is the incompetence of the 1st 2 I mentioned.I can't even get these people to correctly send a fax and get the proper information to Gilead.   Thanks  Glen