Night-time itching for dd

[Slipper]

For the past three nights, DD has complained of all over itching at bedtime. At first, I thought it was stress as it happened on the last day of theatre performances. I thought perhaps she was tired and sore, swollen feet, etc and it was part physical/part psychological. I gave her benadryl and lotion and she fell asleep.

 

The next night, I changed her sheets but it still continued. The benadryl doesn't help, but it does put her to sleep.

 

Tonight, I had her move to a separate bed (we keep a spare mattress handy in another daughter's room). It's still itching. I just gave her benadryl and lotion.

 

This is only happening at night. It's all over itching, but happens mostly to her legs, front and back. There is no rash or bite or anything that would indicate a cause of itching. Since she's in a different bed, I don't think it's bedbugs. I had thought about lice (since she just finished a theatre performance that included sharing laundry and lots of closeness) but I would think she would itch in her hair (which she isn't) and it would be all day (it's not - it's only at night).

 

Another thing, she just started sleeping with a fairly large stuffed animal that she was given by a relative after a performance.

 

And, neither of our other two girls are having itching problems. One of them was also in the theatre performance.

 

Any suggestions?

[prairiewindmomma]

Ditch the stuffed animal and see what happens.

 

I'm still guessing it's somehow allergy related.

[Slipper]

I've pulled the stuffed animal (it was a happy napper or something like that) and told her to stay away from it for a few days while we sort things out. I'm wondering about it. It was a gift from my dad who is notoriously cheap. They wouldn't have bought it unless it was on a huge sale. Typically, the girls get theatre gifts that are $5 or less (flowers, small stuffed animals, candy, etc).

[itsheresomewhere]

DD has been complaining of the same thing. FWIW- I noticed the nights she is exhausted- no itching. It is only the nights she is not really tired out yet (in her opinion) or when she is trying to stay up. I think it is a new stalling tactic.

[GailV]

This happened to me when I was a kid. My mom thought it was the soap she used for the sheets. Years later I realized it was food sensitivity.

 

Histamine levels are greater at night -- example article here explaining that cortisol levels drop at night. Another here on why a baby's eczema is often worse at night. Our bodies have all sorts of circadian rhythms involving various hormones. There's also a longer arc over several days.

 

Anyway, the combination of events -- exposure to something airborne at night, plus maybe some contact dermatitis, plus some latent sensitivity to a food -- or maybe some other weird combination -- might be overwhelming her system at night. Plus, frankly, at night when you're relaxing sometimes you notice how itchy you've been feeling without realizing it.

[Mergath]

I have that in the winter. I'll be fine when I'm walking around, but as soon as I lay down, the itching starts. Mine is from dry skin. Slathering on lotion fixes it for me.

[redsquirrel]

Well, I have night time itching and so does one of my boys. It isn't a stalling technique for us.

 

I put a good anti-itch lotion on him before bedtime. That seems to help. I also find that breathable sleepware and sheets help. If you are too hot and start to sweat even a little bit, that can make itching much worse.

 

A lot of itching can also cause anxiety so if you can, be relaxed about it if she complains. It can help defuse the situation.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm on Zyrtec and Singulair year-round and if I have breakthrough, it's usually in the evening and it's skin itchiness (followed rapidly by deep ear itching and then sneeziness). During the bad seasons, I often use a Benadryl at bedtime.

 

I had to go off antihistamines for several days to get a scratch test at the allergist's office, and I thought the itching was going to send me over the edge, seriously. I have never been so miserable.

 

Anyway, allergies and sensitivities can pop up any time, so if yanking the stuffed animal doesn't take care of it, you might want to investigate further.

[AuntieM]

Is she wearing a costume you didn't launder yourself? Spandex tights that irritate her skin when she perspires? Carpet on the green room floor where she sits when she's not on stage?

[Guest submarines]

Dry skin? Try using a good moisturiser, consistently, several times a day, and for sure before nightime. Olive oil works great.

[Slipper]

Is she wearing a costume you didn't launder yourself? Spandex tights that irritate her skin when she perspires? Carpet on the green room floor where she sits when she's not on stage?

 

She was an orphan in Annie and we made the costume ourselves. Basically we used an old faded dress and leggings underneath. She had two shows per day starting last Friday. Her last show was on Tuesday and she was complaining that her legs hurt (not unusual considering the dancing and jumping). It was on Tuesday that she started itching.

 

They were in the same building on every day except Tuesday. On Tuesday they travelled to two different schools to present the shows so the green rooms were different on that day. I'm not sure what the flooring was like.

 

Because she has Celiac Disease, she has had a lot of testing so unless it's a very recent allergy that has cropped up, she hasn't any allergies.

 

I haven't changed detergent or fabric softener. I'll try regular lotion after her bath tonight. (She doesn't use a lot of bath soap or salts as they make her break out).

 

I'm going to launder her sheets and vacuum her bed, just in case. And we'll try lotion and see if that helps. Thanks for the suggestions and information. :)

[AuntieM]

I mentioned those things because we've encountered them ourselves. ;)

 

We always get costumes from the wardrobe committee that we are specifically told NOT to launder at home (but boy, sometimes they could use it!). Also, with kids all over the floor or on risers in the green room, if they're crawling around on carpet, sometimes unfamiliar fibers are irritating.

 

Hope it settles down and turns out to be no new allergy!

[ErinE]

If it's not bedding related, I recommend Eucerin or Aquaphor if it's really bad. I get horrible hives when I'm in cold weather and for me, these lotions really help control the itch.

[GailV]

She was an orphan in Annie and we made the costume ourselves. Basically we used an old faded dress and leggings underneath. She had two shows per day starting last Friday. Her last show was on Tuesday and she was complaining that her legs hurt (not unusual considering the dancing and jumping). It was on Tuesday that she started itching.

 

 

Exercise also releases histamines into your system -- exercise urtica. I wonder if there's a connection. You know, excess histamines due to jumping around, then the drop in cortisol at night, and then an inflammatory cascade starts that keeps showing up at night until her body can gradually correct it.

[CalicoKat]

I have that in the winter. I'll be fine when I'm walking around, but as soon as I lay down, the itching starts. Mine is from dry skin. Slathering on lotion fixes it for me.

 

Oatmeal baths help with the "I'm Itchy!" melt downs here. We thought it was a performance too to keep from going to bed. But then one day in desperation I used a leftover-from-the-chicken pox oatmeal bath packet, slathered her in cocoa butter lotion and we had peace again for a few days.

 

:grouphug: It's a frustrating thing the itchys.

[jplain]

For my daughter, nighttime itching is caused by food sensitivities. Moisturizer cuts down on the itching, and we'll use Benadryl cream on small spots that particularly bother her. If you try Benadryl cream at some point, be sure to limit it to small areas of skin. It is readily absorbed, and it is surprisingly easy to overdose if it is spread on large patches of skin.

 

By the way, food sensitivities aren't the same as allergies, and there's no good test for them aside from keeping a food diary and doing food eliminations and challenges. (If anyone is interested, I can explain why I don't like IgG testing for food sensitivities.) If your daughter has celiac, she may very well have additional food sensitivities, as food sensitivities are most likely related to a damaged intestine.

[Slipper]

I had wondered about food sensitivities but her diet stays pretty much the same. Because of the timing of it beginning right as the play ended, I wondered about the connection. She didn't eat anything different or unusual. We feed the entire cast lunch on performance days and I have volunteered every year to be in charge of planning/preparing the meal (with help - it's about 50 - 75 kids plus a dozen or more adults). Her food is always separate from everyone else's and is usually made by myself or purchased from a reliable fast food place.

 

It is possible that the stress/pace of the past week triggered some type of sensitivity to occur (if that makes sense).

 

We can't do oatmeal baths due to Celiac. She tolerates gluten free oats but I'd be too worried to purchase oatmeal baths and the cost of gf oats makes oatmeal baths a bit prohobitive. ;) It is rare they have anything in their bath water.

 

Thanks for the warning about benadryl cream. I do have some and thought about putting it on her legs but she has no rash to indicate where. It's all over her legs and occasionally her trunk, back, arms and neck. Since it seemed to be all over, I've used the liquid benadryl.

 

AuntieM - on the last day of performances, I make sure they bathe well. In this case, as orphans, they had to share beds with other kids during certain scenes. Plus, yes, I agree, the floors - no telling what is on them. We've had itchy costumes before but this year was okay.