These are recommendations (copied from around this website) about remedies for the extreme itch that can accompany liver disease. Discuss this with your doctor as always. Reply with your remedy and I'll add it to this list.
GENERAL TIPS
Keep your fingernails trimmed as short as possible (so as to not damage your skin).
Rub the affected area with a dry washcloth (so as to not damage your skin).
Make a sugar scrub out of 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil. Rubbing it on provides a not too abrasive scratch and you get a moisturizer too. It's easy to rinse off and you can add essential oils for invigorating or calming scents. Honey keeps indefinitely and has antibacterial properties. You can add it if you have any red or open scratches.
FOODS
Foods that remove bilirubin from your system and reduce itch:
- Green cabbage
- Oats
- Eggs
- Milk
- Boiled potatoes
- Bread
- Fresh lemon juice
- Coconut water
- Fresh vegetables
- Avoid instant hand soaps and irritating cleansers.
- Drink lots of water.
OVER THE COUNTER TREATMENTS
- Allegra.
- Aloe vera lotion.
- Aveeno with oatmeal bath.
- Aveeno with oatmeal lotion.
- Benadryl lotion.
- Benadryl tablets.
- Bengay.
- Cetaphil lotion.
- Claritin.
- Eucerin Intensive Repair.
- Gold Bond anti-itch cream.
- Icyhot.
- Lidocaine-based treatments: • Desitin Maximum Strength • Aspercreme with Lidocaine • Solarcain sunburn spray • (cremes with higher percentages of Lidocaine by prescription).
- Plain soaps like Ivory or Dove.
- Quinol Liquid CoQ10
- SARNA with Pramoxine Hydrochloride 1% Lotion
- Tricalm Hydrogel • 5x more effective than hydrocortisone • 6x more effective than diphenhydramine
- Zim's Max-Freeze spray.
- Zyrtec, Cetirizine Hydrochloride (different names-same drug).
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
- Cholestyramine, Colestyramine, Questran, Prevalite (different names-same drug).
- Eucrisa
- Hydrocortisone.
- Hydroxine, Vistaril, Atarax (different names-same drug).
- Lidocaine ointment (lower percentages of Lidocaine treatments available OTC).
- Naltrexone.
- Rifampin.
- Zoloft.
MEDICAL PROCEDURES
- Plasmapheresis. (Removal of antibody affected plasma and replacement with good plasma or a plasma substitute.)
