Hello everyone,

I'm at the end of my rope with this problem. I have these red bumps all over my body, they're very small, and my dermatologist says its "ketosis pilaris". However, he can't say for sure that it is the cause of my horrific night itching, which has only gotten worse and worse over time and has robbed me of many nights of sleep.

Every night since I was around 16 years old, a random spot on my body would itch. And it doesn't itch quietly, either, it starts very "loud" and only gets louder and louder the more I ignore it. After having scratched it, another part of my body will begin to itch immediately after the first one is gone or will wait until I'm juuuuuust about to fall asleep and then begin to scream at me to scratch it.

Things I've tried....

1) Taking shorter showers.

2) Taking allergy medicine.

3) Frequently moisturizing my skin.

4) Hydroxyzine (10 and 20 mg, neither work)

5) Making the room more humid.

6) Resisting the urge to scratch

7) Making the room colder

8) Ammlactin (Milk and pee, gross AND ineffective)

9) Over the counter Jergens etc lotion.

10) Aquaphor

11) Vaseline

12) Praying to every God and demon known to man to make the torture stop

13) Intense physical excercise

14) Triamcinolone Acetonide

15) Getting an air purifier

16) Taking Benedryl

17) Making sure the room is absolutely clean with as much vacuuming and tidying up as is even possible

18) Meditation

So far, ONLY Triamcinolone Acetonide completely stops the itching dead in its tracks. Bad news though; my dermatologist says I can't use it more than twice a week, so that's 5 days a week I can't sleep without being tortured until I pass out from physical exhaustion.

My dermatologist literally told me he can't offer me any more help and referred me to a second opinion. I just feel that this is all at a dead end.

Now on the other hand, I have found things that help somewhat. If I exhaust myself physically (not an easy or consistent thing to do, especially when you're tired all the time), the itch is drastically lessened and may stop after a 3 or 4 chain. This effect is not consistent. A colder and cleaner room also seems to help somewhat, as well as the use of body powder. They only delay the inevitable, however.

So, internet, it is with a great deal of desperation that I turn to you in my hour of need.

WAT DO?!?!?!