How to stop the itching???

amandapye78
amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
in Chit-Chat
audreyinjury_zpsc06ccddc.jpg

This young lady would like to know if any of you would know how to stop itching under the cast....Its driving her nuts

BTW she is healing wonderfully but mom is still working on recovering.

Replies

  • anirishdad
    anirishdad Posts: 80
    I’ve always heard baby powder …
    best of luck
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    I’ve always heard baby powder …
    best of luck

    I heard that too, but havent met anyone who tried it
  • CAS317
    CAS317 Posts: 267 Member
    I had a full-arm cast also. I used to take coffee stirs to scratch it. When I went to the doctor's office to have it removed there was one that got stuck down there!!! My doctor was like WTH? They gave specific instructions to not put anything down there but I don't listen well. It helped. I don't think there's much that can be done to totally stop the itching.
  • anirishdad
    anirishdad Posts: 80
    I was always a big fan of a metal flyswatter handle to scratch it ( or bent coat hanger)...keep you from going insane
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,330 Member
    When I was a kid, we opened up wire hangers and slipped an end down in the cast. I suppose you could do something similar with a narrow dowel or stick.
  • Ivyzmama
    Ivyzmama Posts: 108 Member
    Tell her she's lucky that it's shorter than the cast I had when I broke my arm (as an adult, no less) - mine went even farther up into my armpit. I bet she fell on an outstretched hand, right? What the docs call a "foosh" (Fall On OutStretched Hand.)

    There is nothing you can do to stop the itching. Don't put anything into the cast - no poking, it could cause an infection that could cause her to lose her arm. Just take a multi-vitamin with minerals to help it heal up faster and wait till it comes off! At least she should be getting her cast off before 4th of July, right?

    When it comes off, she will want to scratch so badly. You can't scratch even then, because her skin will go to mush under the cast. I scratched right there in the room where they took my cast off, and I had accidentally scratched my skin into a bloody mess in under 2 minutes - because the skin just isn't right where the cast has been. She will get to wash her arm immediately - and it will smell awful, like a dead body, when that cast comes off. She can "pat" her skin to stop the itching in the couple of days after the cast comes off, but no scratching till her body grows a fresh batch of skin on her arm - which takes about a week.

    Sorry about the broken arm, sweetie!
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    Tell her she's lucky that it's shorter than the cast I had when I broke my arm (as an adult, no less) - mine went even farther up into my armpit. I bet she fell on an outstretched hand, right? What the docs call a "foosh" (Fall On OutStretched Hand.)

    There is nothing you can do to stop the itching. Don't put anything into the cast - no poking, it could cause an infection that could cause her to lose her arm. Just take a multi-vitamin with minerals to help it heal up faster and wait till it comes off! At least she should be getting her cast off before 4th of July, right?

    When it comes off, she will want to scratch so badly. You can't scratch even then, because her skin will go to mush under the cast. I scratched right there in the room where they took my cast off, and I had accidentally scratched my skin into a bloody mess in under 2 minutes - because the skin just isn't right where the cast has been. She will get to wash her arm immediately - and it will smell awful, like a dead body, when that cast comes off. She can "pat" her skin to stop the itching in the couple of days after the cast comes off, but no scratching till her body grows a fresh batch of skin on her arm - which takes about a week.

    Sorry about the broken arm, sweetie!


    We think she fell out on outstretched hand...She had run off at the playground and I was frantic looking for her and then i heard screaming. She claims to not remember what happened so my guess is it was something she wasn't supposed to be doing. I gave her some Benadryll to see if that helps.. We dont know when it is coming off for sure but Im thinking before July 4th
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    Sweet cast...how come I see no signatures on it?

    The itching sucks...it really sucks....and I feel for her. But you really shouldn't stick things down the cast, and if you do, I would second the thin flyswatter handle (as they have no sharp ends)....You don't really want any kind of puncture would on the arm..as there is no way to treat that inside of the cast and it could get infected.

    I hope she heals quickly!
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    Sweet cast...how come I see no signatures on it?

    The itching sucks...it really sucks....and I feel for her. But you really shouldn't stick things down the cast, and if you do, I would second the thin flyswatter handle (as they have no sharp ends)....You don't really want any kind of puncture would on the arm..as there is no way to treat that inside of the cast and it could get infected.

    I hope she heals quickly!

    It is covered in signatures now, this pic was right after the doc put it on while we were still at the hospital.
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
    Sweet cast...how come I see no signatures on it?

    The itching sucks...it really sucks....and I feel for her. But you really shouldn't stick things down the cast, and if you do, I would second the thin flyswatter handle (as they have no sharp ends)....You don't really want any kind of puncture would on the arm..as there is no way to treat that inside of the cast and it could get infected.

    I hope she heals quickly!

    It is covered in signatures now, this pic was right after the doc put it on while we were still at the hospital.

    Yea...upon second glance I saw it was when it was new..I would worry about what "she" will stick down it without your knowledge.

    Having had 3 boys myself, I know that irritating things on broken bones they sometimes don't "listen" to us when we tell them not to do something.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    When I was a kid, we opened up wire hangers and slipped an end down in the cast. I suppose you could do something similar with a narrow dowel or stick.

    I always used a ruler with mine. A dowel is probably the best way to go but make sure there are no sharp edges.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    knitting needles.
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
    a fan seems to make it feel better
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    used chopsticks and any and everything I could get my hands on. Cute little girl! I hope she heels quickly!
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    used chopsticks and any and everything I could get my hands on. Cute little girl! I hope she heels quickly!

    Thank you, an interesting story about the chopsticks...my friend's son used them on his arm and one broke off and splintered in it and caused a massive infection so we probably wont be using those lol
  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    used chopsticks and any and everything I could get my hands on. Cute little girl! I hope she heels quickly!

    Thank you, an interesting story about the chopsticks...my friend's son used them on his arm and one broke off and splintered in it and caused a massive infection so we probably wont be using those lol

    Eek! Yea, I could see why not...
  • amez1974
    amez1974 Posts: 213 Member
    My youngest dd had that same cast :(

    We were told to use a blowdryer to blow in the top to relieve itchiness-- or pat the itchy area gently. Both worked.
  • ToughMudderAddict
    ToughMudderAddict Posts: 290 Member
    I feel for her, I am currently in a rather sweet cast myself (just below the knee down around my foot) and the paper I got from my doctor suggested scratching the opposite side and specifically says "I know this sounds silly but it helps, really!" hahaha! I was told "DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THERE"... pffftt... well I haven't but let me tell you! I would like to.

    Happy healing to her!
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    My youngest dd had that same cast :(

    We were told to use a blowdryer to blow in the top to relieve itchiness-- or pat the itchy area gently. Both worked.


    oooooohh that might work...I will try that tomorrow.
  • makfry
    makfry Posts: 2
    I had a full body cast for 9 months when I was 14 for a scoliosis surgery. Even though we were told not to put anything down there due to infection, my father fashioned a wire hanger and wrapped it with a soft cloth. I used it very gently, just enough to relieve the itching. However, even scratching the other arm works! After the cast was off I was in the shower for 2 hours- getting all of the dead skin off! Ugh! I might add that my cast was changed every 3 mos, but there was still a lot of dead skin at the end!
    My back still itches after 36 years! ( but can't feel anyone really scratching the itch, due to nerve damage) and I found that a ice cold washcloth on the area, is the best itch reliever. You might try using the cold washcloth on the other arm or on the arm affected somewhere. The sensation of that will make you forget you are itching! Please be careful with putting anything down the cast as infection is a real danger! Good luck to her and God Bless!
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
    used chopsticks and any and everything I could get my hands on. Cute little girl! I hope she heels quickly!

    Thank you, an interesting story about the chopsticks...my friend's son used them on his arm and one broke off and splintered in it and caused a massive infection so we probably wont be using those lol

    Yes, that is one of the major concerns.
    Doctors don't sit around on break and come up with ways to torture their patients. :tongue:
    There are good reasons for all precautions.
    Some have mentioned powder. You might try some with cornstarch as it absorbs moisture better.
    If it gets so bad that she's not sleeping, you could try an OTC antihistamine- Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec etc.
    BTW: who is the guy in the background...?
  • MachineSearch
    MachineSearch Posts: 14
    Reminds me of when I had a cast. Oh God, the smell when it came off.
  • AprilRN10
    AprilRN10 Posts: 548 Member

    There is nothing you can do to stop the itching. Don't put anything into the cast - no poking, it could cause an infection that could cause her to lose her arm. Just take a multi-vitamin with minerals to help it heal up faster and wait till it comes off! At least she should be getting her cast off before 4th of July, right?

    When it comes off, she will want to scratch so badly. You can't scratch even then, because her skin will go to mush under the cast. I scratched right there in the room where they took my cast off, and I had accidentally scratched my skin into a bloody mess in under 2 minutes - because the skin just isn't right where the cast has been. She will get to wash her arm immediately - and it will smell awful, like a dead body, when that cast comes off. She can "pat" her skin to stop the itching in the couple of days after the cast comes off, but no scratching till her body grows a fresh batch of skin on her arm - which takes about a week.

    Sorry about the broken arm, sweetie!

    This
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Awe what a little sweety such a cutie poor thing. Yay sorry to say nothing down there don't want a healing arm to get an infection. Hope she has a fast recovery
  • BostonStrong617
    BostonStrong617 Posts: 117
    I was in an rm cast for 2 months when I tore a tendon in my thumb (my right hand no less), it was wicked itchy and it drove me nuts. Sometimes rubbing over the cast helped or scratching the other arm. It's psychological but it works. Distracting yourself from it as well. I also got this stuff at the drug store, I forget what it's called but I bet a pharamcist would know, it helped with the itching

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