Itchy itchy stomach!

Just had surgery yesterday but the three laproscopic areas are so itchy where the stitches are! Any advice?

I put cold cloths on them (freezer packs might also work) and it seemed to help - but I have to admit I could have cheerfully scratched my skin off on some days! It does get better though. I also think I was allergic to the bandages over the incisions since they got a bit worse in some areas and I had to eventually use an antibiotic cream. The cold cloths brought relief though.

Good luck!

Great idea thanks

	Quote:
Originally Posted by AConfused27 Just had surgery yesterday but the three laproscopic areas are so itchy where the stitches are! Any advice?

Yes! I had a laparoscopic hysterectomy on 8/9/12. Other than developing a horrendously itchy rash and cellulitis, (an infection that never hurt but can be dangerous if not treated), my recovery went very smoothly. My doctor prescribed an antihistimine and a steroid cream for the rash (and two antibiotics for the cellulitis.) I wound up needed a DIFFERENT cream about a week later because my rash still wasn't gone. An urgent care doctor friend of mine and my surgeon together figured out that I must have been allergic to the "bairhugger" (it's spelled like that) pressurized heating blanket they put on me during surgery (I had told them I had a latex allergy, so nothing had latex in it, including the steri-strips over my incisions which I thought might be the culprits.) The rash started at the bottom of my cleavage, spread all across my entire abdomen to my sides, and down to the tops of my thighs. Strangely, it also started spreading to the inside of my forearms. My surgeon said the bairhugger has large strips of adhesive to keep it in place that would have gone across my abdomen and also on my outstretched arms. CALL YOUR DOC right away and ask for something for the itching; mention the bairhugger and see what he/she says. Good luck! I will be 4 weeks post-op on Sunday 9/9 and am feeling pretty much back to normal. Dealing with that rash was truly the worst part of my recovery. It was horrible! Good luck!

And like AConfused, I also relied on freezer gel packs (in a clean pillowcase) to help the itching. It's the only thing that gave me any relief at all until I got the prescription antihistimines and the prescription steroid cream. (Caladryl & benadryl helped only a TINY bit, but my rash wasn't on my incisions; it was across my whole abdomen.) Please don't wait. Call your doc NOW! My rash didn't start itching until about 3 days post-op and it was spread and got worse even WITH meds for the next 5-7 days. Also, if you have any warm red areas, let them know. The infection I had was below my belly button incision and it started as a dollar-coin sized spot and spread to a big triangle that went from my belly button to my groin. This spot was NOT the same as the bumpy itchy rash. At first I thought it was just bruising but my sister said she had the same thing (she recognized it as cellulitis) and it put her in the hospital for a week after she had her third child. Sure enough, that's what that was.

Take care, and I hope you get quick relief!
Helen