Sharon
I spent so many years of my late teens and young adulthood with a similar condtion. I was told that I had scabies (seems like several times I was given the lotion for that), bad nerves, and a few other things. I would scratch till I bruised and/or bled all over my sheets or clothes, in my sleep, or at work, where ever and when ever. Turns out that I had to do something that I don't often recommend, I had to do a "self observation and diagnosis". I finally started keeping a log, for about 2 to 4 weeks, till I found a pattern. I would get the symptoms after eating at certain restaurants, usually faster food ones...like Chinese and Long John Silvers, or certain types of bread stuffings, (things of that nature). (By the way, these days, I have found out that most restaurants have altered their cooking habits.) I found out that apparently I have a pretty moderate food allergy of some sort, I think I am allergic to MSG or sulfides of some sort. During my last 15 years, after my "self diagnosis" and staying away from certain foods that gave me symptoms, the only times I have suffered recurrences is when I have gone to a new restaurant, or just ignored an ingredient label when trying something new. I remember when I actually narrowed my problem down. I worked at a seafood department, and I could check labels. I had a reaction to some of my own snow crab legs, with the bumps and itching, and that time, my fingers even swelled up. I read the box, and apparently on the snow crab shipping box, the ingredients consisted of, what do you think, SULFIDES. Although not enough to kill me, or stop me from breathing, or to go to the hospital, this problem was enough to make me miserable, for many years. Good luck, I hope you find the answer to your problem. It could be totally different from mine, but at some point, you may have to go through the same process that I did.