Re: Ideas for generalised itch in elderly woman

[Guest guest]

A brief response:

For pruritis, I use the following three herbs together for liver support:

Iris versicolor

Silybim marianus

Tarax. rad.

The skin is an organ of elimination, esp. when the liver is taxed or

tired. Think of jaundice/bilirubin etc.

Best wishes

Cristina

>I am looking for ideas for tincture for 78 year old woman who itches

> " everywhere " - scalp seems to be worst but also torso. Sometimes it

>feels like someone poking at her with a sharp object. This has been

>ongoing since hip replacement surgery 7 weeks ago. At first I

>thought it might be due to reaction to GA but 7 weeks on it is still

>there and possibly getting worse. She is now pretty much off pain

>killers and only other medication is asthma inhalers and iron

>tablets (she was anaemic after op - not sure if due to blood loss

>during or what exactly). She has had a lot of ailments in last 2-3

>years - shingles and campylobacter both brought her very low and she

>has been on predisnolone for polymayalgia for a long period but

>ceased in Sept last year - since when she has gradually lost a lot

>of the excess weight she put on during the steroid use.

>She is also suffering ankle oedema, varicose veins and haemorrhoids

>and has a sensitive digestion (easily nauseated) - won't even

>entertain the idea of taking fish oil supplements but does eat

>freshly home prepared meals of meat and two veg type plus lots of

>soups and porridge for breakfast. Bread is home made but white - I

>have tried to steer her away from wheat but at 78 she is somewhat

>set in her ways. She usually resists taking tinctures preferring

>external creams etc for her various ailments so it is a sign of

>desperation with the itch that she has asked for a tincture so I'd

>like to give it my best shot!

>My thoughts so far are stellaria and dipsacus for itch plus liver

>support - probably carduus but open to different ideas - and

>circulatory herbs (rosemary, achillea?). Anything I have missed?

>NB she has had numerous blood tests both recently and over the last

>few years and apart from raised WBC for polymyalgia (now seemingly

>resolved) nothing abnormal found although I have not seen the tests

>myself so I don't know if she has been tested for hypothyroid for

>example.

[Guest guest]

Just a suggestion on this - what condition is the skin in? I have met a few people in their third age who have a tendency to dry and poorly hydrated skin especially when there has been medication e.g steroids and the weight loss - applying an aqueous cream or Calendula/Stellaria can reduce itching very quickly - obvious but worth a comment...especially re the torso and could ink with a tincture. On the latter a simple juice maybe worth considering to strengthen her - Taraxacum/Urtica/Plantago...Lavender would be another herb of choice.

Kind regards

Trudy

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Cristina and Trudy, I've incorporated your ideas Cristina and

delivered the tincture. Trudy her skin isn't too bad but will offer a

cream when I see her again tomorrow (giving her a lift to the hospital

for checkup on hip!).

a

[Guest guest]

Hi

 

Has the itching broken her skin? If so she could now have a skin infection ......which will make the itching worse.

I always use Viola for itching both in a tincture and cream.

 

Hope that helps

 

Mandy

 

I am looking for ideas for tincture for 78 year old woman who itches " everywhere " - scalp seems to be worst but also torso. Sometimes it feels like someone poking at her with a sharp object. This has been ongoing since hip replacement surgery 7 weeks ago. At first I thought it might be due to reaction to GA but 7 weeks on it is still there and possibly getting worse. She is now pretty much off pain killers and only other medication is asthma inhalers and iron tablets (she was anaemic after op - not sure if due to blood loss during or what exactly). She has had a lot of ailments in last 2-3 years - shingles and campylobacter both brought her very low and she has been on predisnolone for polymayalgia for a long period but ceased in Sept last year - since when she has gradually lost a lot of the excess weight she put on during the steroid use.

She is also suffering ankle oedema, varicose veins and haemorrhoids and has a sensitive digestion (easily nauseated) - won't even entertain the idea of taking fish oil supplements but does eat freshly home prepared meals of meat and two veg type plus lots of soups and porridge for breakfast. Bread is home made but white - I have tried to steer her away from wheat but at 78 she is somewhat set in her ways. She usually resists taking tinctures preferring external creams etc for her various ailments so it is a sign of desperation with the itch that she has asked for a tincture so I'd like to give it my best shot!

My thoughts so far are stellaria and dipsacus for itch plus liver support - probably carduus but open to different ideas - and circulatory herbs (rosemary, achillea?). Anything I have missed? NB she has had numerous blood tests both recently and over the last few years and apart from raised WBC for polymyalgia (now seemingly resolved) nothing abnormal found although I have not seen the tests myself so I don't know if she has been tested for hypothyroid for example.

[Guest guest]

Remember, that although idiopathic, harmless (except for the distress) itching is very common in the older patient, itching can also be a symptom of lymphoma, and this should perhaps be exculded. (More common in men)Did you mean raised WBC re polymyalgia? I always associate that with raised ESR, but knowledge progresses in an interesting way, and I forget things too ;-) Sally.Hi Has the itching broken her skin? If so she could now have a skin infection ......which will make the itching worse.I always use Viola for itching both in a tincture and cream. Hope that helps Mandy I am looking for ideas for tincture for 78 year old woman who itches "everywhere" - scalp seems to be worst but also torso. Sometimes it feels like someone poking at her with a sharp object. This has been ongoing since hip replacement surgery 7 weeks ago. At first I thought it might be due to reaction to GA but 7 weeks on it is still there and possibly getting worse. She is now pretty much off pain killers and only other medication is asthma inhalers and iron tablets (she was anaemic after op - not sure if due to blood loss during or what exactly). She has had a lot of ailments in last 2-3 years - shingles and campylobacter both brought her very low and she has been on predisnolone for polymayalgia for a long period but ceased in Sept last year - since when she has gradually lost a lot of the excess weight she put on during the steroid use.She is also suffering ankle oedema, varicose veins and haemorrhoids and has a sensitive digestion (easily nauseated) - won't even entertain the idea of taking fish oil supplements but does eat freshly home prepared meals of meat and two veg type plus lots of soups and porridge for breakfast. Bread is home made but white - I have tried to steer her away from wheat but at 78 she is somewhat set in her ways. She usually resists taking tinctures preferring external creams etc for her various ailments so it is a sign of desperation with the itch that she has asked for a tincture so I'd like to give it my best shot!My thoughts so far are stellaria and dipsacus for itch plus liver support - probably carduus but open to different ideas - and circulatory herbs (rosemary, achillea?). Anything I have missed? NB she has had numerous blood tests both recently and over the last few years and apart from raised WBC for polymyalgia (now seemingly resolved) nothing abnormal found although I have not seen the tests myself so I don't know if she has been tested for hypothyroid for example.

[Guest guest]

Interesting to hear of her post op itch, I have a patient with RA who developed similar symptoms 2 months after a hernia op [her RA also flared up]. Nettle used internally along with liver herbs and topical elderflower and chickweed cream worked best. She has just had a knee replacement and to try and prevent a recurrence she is taking liver herbs, alteratives, chamomile and lots of nutritive nettle and avena. Fingers crossed.

From: Cutbill

Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 3:45 PM

To: ukherbal-list

Subject: Re: Ideas for generalised itch in elderly woman

Hi

Has the itching broken her skin? If so she could now have a skin infection ......which will make the itching worse.

I always use Viola for itching both in a tincture and cream.

Hope that helps

Mandy

I am looking for ideas for tincture for 78 year old woman who itches "everywhere" - scalp seems to be worst but also torso. Sometimes it feels like someone poking at her with a sharp object. This has been ongoing since hip replacement surgery 7 weeks ago. At first I thought it might be due to reaction to GA but 7 weeks on it is still there and possibly getting worse. She is now pretty much off pain killers and only other medication is asthma inhalers and iron tablets (she was anaemic after op - not sure if due to blood loss during or what exactly). She has had a lot of ailments in last 2-3 years - shingles and campylobacter both brought her very low and she has been on predisnolone for polymayalgia for a long period but ceased in Sept last year - since when she has gradually lost a lot of the excess weight she put on during the steroid use.She is also suffering ankle oedema, varicose veins and haemorrhoids and has a sensitive digestion (easily nauseated) - won't even entertain the idea of taking fish oil supplements but does eat freshly home prepared meals of meat and two veg type plus lots of soups and porridge for breakfast. Bread is home made but white - I have tried to steer her away from wheat but at 78 she is somewhat set in her ways. She usually resists taking tinctures preferring external creams etc for her various ailments so it is a sign of desperation with the itch that she has asked for a tincture so I'd like to give it my best shot!My thoughts so far are stellaria and dipsacus for itch plus liver support - probably carduus but open to different ideas - and circulatory herbs (rosemary, achillea?). Anything I have missed? NB she has had numerous blood tests both recently and over the last few years and apart from raised WBC for polymyalgia (now seemingly resolved) nothing abnormal found although I have not seen the tests myself so I don't know if she has been tested for hypothyroid for example.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for renewed flurry of emails - Sally my mistake re WBC, it was

indeed ESR that was raised (not now though).

My client is feeling much better with very little itch other than when

irritated by labels on clothing etc.

The rx I gave her contained: Achillea, Carduus, Dipsacus, Iris

versicolor, Stellaria, Taraxacum (rad) and Urtica (fol).

Thanks, a

[Guest guest]

aJust curious about the inclusion of Dipsacus in your formula. Could you comment about why you include this. I've used it for arthritic issues but not especially for this issue. Thanks!To: ukherbal-list From: erica@...Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:20:14 +0100Subject: Re: Ideas for generalised itch in elderly woman

Thanks for renewed flurry of emails - Sally my mistake re WBC, it was

indeed ESR that was raised (not now though).

My client is feeling much better with very little itch other than when

irritated by labels on clothing etc.

The rx I gave her contained: Achillea, Carduus, Dipsacus, Iris

versicolor, Stellaria, Taraxacum (rad) and Urtica (fol).

Thanks, a

[Guest guest]

,

I included Dipsacus on the advice I got some years ago from

Church on it being a good herb for clearing drug residues from the body

- specifically where they lead to generalised pruritis in the elderly.

In this case I felt that since the itch came on immediately after hip

replacement surgery it might be related to failure to fully clear the

anaesthetic or post surgery pain killers. As she does also have

arthritis it seemed like a good herb to include.

a