My son has been itchy all over, ever since he went to college this fall. He saw a dermatologist, who wasn't much help. He has psoriasis also, but this is different. He's tried just about everything. He's even been on a gluten-free diet for over a month, and it hasn't helped. He's wondering if its the chlorine in the water. He was taking too many showers, and so we told him to cut back to only about 5 a week. He uses creams, but feels that they can actually make it worse. He's taking a multi-vitamin and flax seed oil capsules, in case that might help. He's going to try a different dermatologist, and also maybe an allergist. He's tried Zyrtec too, and that didn't help. So you might try everything he's tried, to see if that helps. Are you on any meds for anything else? I actually get a very itchy neck, if I consume too much milk or ice cream. I think its a whey protein allergy-type thing. Do you use a humidifier and drink lots of water? I would start using a food diary, to see if something you're eating is the culprit. Do you have any varicose veins? Good luck to you. I know it can drive you crazy!

Hi ponderinstuff, I don't have reddened skin, but I sure have problems with dry skin. I had it on HRT, and it's getting much worse as I am weaning off my patch. The inside of my nose is getting incredibly dry too. Also, areas on my thighs above my knees are getting bad too.......so to answer your question.....I'm not sure what your reddened face really means, but I think that if your dry, itchy skin is due to low estrogen, that HRT will help it. I'm afraid that might be over-kill, so to speak, though. Perhaps there is another way to try to moisturize your skin? Maybe one of the vitamins, in particular? Good luck. I feel like I may turn into a prune at any moment! ;)

Patti, your DGD had a staph infection and has been staying w/ you? hmmmmmm. Share any linens? Just FYI a brown recluse probably would not be in your garden/yard and if it was it would leave a crater in the middle of the swelling area. Black widows also prefer darkness. grandaddy long legs can't bite our tough skin, thank God. Any other varmit bite might cause that kind of reaction, but please do watch it and follow-up with the dr. Take care & heal quickly. Jan

MSN news had a slide show this morning of what might trigger psoriasis: blood-pressure medications !! It's the binder/filler ingredients in pills, such as magnesium stearate which is the culprit. With my 3-years hand rash I finally found the culprit besides my hard-well water: It's magnesium stearate coating on pills, also a component in Nature-Made magnesium pills, and a component in Nature-Made vitamin D tablets. An amazon customer reported that magnesium stearate in Align probiotic pill caused bad rash, so I stopped my magnesium pills ... and no more rash !! I'm taking magnesium oxide powder, which doesn't have the magnesium stearate coating .. so far zero problems, zero rash with magnesium oxide. That's why a few Amazon customers complained about magnesium stearate as the coating/binder ingredient in pills. See excerpt from below link: http://www.listmyfive.com/d1a158f6/The-Top-Five-Red-Flags-of-a-Magnesium-Stearate-Allergy "Magnesium Stearate is a waxy filler made from animal fat or pesticide laden vegetable oils like cottonseed oil. Manufacturers use it in the making of the majority of medical pills, vitamins and supplements today. Mild to severe cases of hives for short and long periods can be due to magnesium stearate. Unexplained itching with small red bumps to big red blotches have been reported from people who have allergic reactions to this unhealthy filler. This can go on for years until the culprit is discovered and eliminated from the diet. Magnesium stearate kills cells when too much is in the body and it can dry out the skin and eyes. Workers that manufacture this useless stearate have to wear protective gear when handling it due to the toxicity of it to the skin." http://www.listmyfive.com/d1a158f6/The-Top-Five-Red-Flags-of-a-Magnesium-Stearate-Allergy