Alex B. itchiness

[Marytabby]

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Question

Hi,
I have had a condition for 3 weeks of having itchy scalp, face, and really all over. I will be at work or at home, in the car, doesn't matter where, and I will feel a sudden burst of itchiness. I have no hives or rash. I recently took in a cat I am fostering but the cat has been confirmed by a vet to NOT have any fleas or mites. Also she is not scratching. I looked in ALL the Sarno books as well as all my other TMS authors' books (I own them all) and I do not see anything on skin itching except for hives and allergies. I do not have itching/watery eyes or nose. No symptoms that feel like traditional allergies. I did try a Claritin to see if it would help but it did not. Can anyone help me on this? I'm open to it being TMS, as well as any other ideas.
Thanks. Mary

 

[TeriL]

There is stuff on the internet on itchiness and negative emotions: http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/768803. I think I heard Sarno or another TMS expert talk about skin conditions being TMS. I personally would classify itching in the same category has hives. It makes sense to me that it could be TMS especially when you can't find a cause like an allergy. Are you happy fostering the Cat? Did the itchiness begin shortly after bringing the cat in? I developed allergies to cats after I adopted a cat when I first moved out of my parents house at 18 years old. The cat drove me crazy. It climbed the curtains, meowed all night long and basically I found it hard to care for. I think I felt guilty not wanting the cat around anymore even though I loved cats. I wonder if I developed an allergy to get me out of caring for the cat. I eventually gave it back to my grandmother who was happy to take it back in. We had cats in our house growing up and had no issues then. I still love cats but can't have them because of my allergies. As I think back I wonder if it was TMS.

 

[Marytabby]

Thanks, TeriL. I actually enjoy the cat I'm fostering. I initially had 2 foster cats. It was the sister cat who is no longer with me, who was scratching a LOT and she also had no fleas or mites. I watched this cat scratching up a storm and had her vet checked. He said it was skin irritation and gave her some cortisone. She had no bugs on her and has since gotten adopted so she's long gone now about a week. Yet I'm still scratching. No itching eyes or sneezing like you would see with an onset of cat allergy. I will share... My brother passed away in May so I wonder if my itching could be TMS brought on by watching this scratching cat (who is long gone). I am pretty sad about my brother's passing. It was expected that he wouldn't live a long life with liver disease but he passed away pretty suddenly on May 9th. I am open to that being a likely root cause of my itching. The cat just maybe was the CATtalyst for it? I read the study link you mentioned. I wonder, then if negative emotions can bring on itching, could positive emotions overrule it? Could I find a way to negate the itching by somehow finding some happiness for myself?

 

[Tennis Tom]

Itching may be a form of energy release, you may be itching to do something. The TMS solution is to find something to do to take your mind off the itching giving you a POSITIVE distraction instead.

Regarding cats, I've had many and it may take a while for them to adjust to their new surroundings--homeostasis. It may take a month or two for them to get conditioned to their new surroundings before their nervous systems settle down, kinda' like TMS.

 

[Marytabby]

Thanks TT. Yes, I agree. Because when for example, I am out singing which I did Saturday night, I did not itch. But I need to find a balance of being able to just "be" if I am chilling out and not having something specific to do. I don't want to be constantly "on" just to distract myself from itching. I have to find a middle spot. Thanks