November 19 - More of the Same

I have tried to update my blog a couple times lately, but I find I am writing the exact same thing I did before. Right now I am not making progress. The following is from a post I made on the ITSAN forum in response to the use of hydroxyzine:

My itching is relentless and is only manageable with a hydroxyzine every few hours. What really gets me upset is my lack of self-control when I start a bout of itching. I know damn well that if I start to scratch anywhere I will go into a spiral that can only be brought back under control by talking a long bath (and more hydroxyzine). My body seems to have different types of itching. My arms and legs and torso are the type of itch that when I scratch it is nearly orgasmic. When I start scratching it feels amazing, but the crazy itch spreads like waves to everywhere else. Once I manage to stop, usually in a fit of rage and disappointment in my lack of self-control, my skin has become very wet, irritated, and red. The itching on my stomach/chest is different and has an electrical/nerve feel to it, and if I scratch it, will not spread. My neck and back are different yet with a normal response to scratching, that is it feels good and does not cause an out-of-control spiral. My hands and fingers itch too, and I will sometimes without really thinking about grab a finger and basically squeeze and twist it. It feels amazing, but the next day the skin will be all torn up.

The fact that I do not use moisturizer on my back and face and they are my least affected areas has me thinking about the moisturizer withdrawal thing, but that is another subject. I need to try something else though, as I feel like my progress is in a hopeless holding pattern.