Itching!! It's driving me crazy!

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Katie55
Katie55 Member Posts: 16
edited February 2018 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

I had a R full mastectomy 1 week ago, on Jan. 25. My recovery is going fairly well so far, pain has been quite tolerable but these last few days the itching around the incision site has been getting worse and worse. Last night I was barely able to sleep it was so bad. I have showered and cleaned the area but it didn't help. I am afraid to scratch because I still have the steri-strips and don't want to rip them off. I remember the surgeon telling me something about dissolving stitches on the inside, and I suspect that is what is causing the itch. Has anyone else had this problem, and is there anything I can do? How long does it take the stitches to dissolve?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited February 2018

    HI Katie,

    We're so sorry to hear you're experiencing this uncomfortable side effect. You're sure to get some great advice here from others who have been there. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to check out the main Breastcancer.org site's side effect page on Itching for some tips to help alleviate this effect.

    We hope this helps, and that you feel better soon!

    --The Mods

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  • Shadie
    Shadie Member Posts: 57
    edited February 2018

    My doctor let me do the following: put vaseline on the incisions for about five minutes before I showered...then have the stuff wash off in the shower. It helped somewhat. A visiting nurse offered another tip: dip a cotton ball into a 50:50 mixture of water and white vinegar, and apply to the scar line. Both helped me.

    The itching DOES go away! I am 3+/weeks out, and the itching has signiciantly diminished over the couple of days.

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  • Katie55
    Katie55 Member Posts: 16
    edited February 2018

    Thanks Shadie, I will try the vaseline. It seems a bit soon for vinegar, I'm afraid that would just hurt as my incisions are still fairly new, but maybe once they have healed a bit more. A doctor suggested I try taking benadryl before bed, and that has helped somewhat. I'm glad to hear you are feeling better.

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