What causes itching at night?
Patient: Basically, I have been itching mostly at night, (for about 6 months now non-stop) but sometimes in the daytime, and have been taking a Benadryl for it which 1) puts me to sleep 2) stops the itching. I have eliminated food allergies, mites, and dry skin. Now, I am wondering about autoimmune disorders. Are there any of those disorders or diseases that have itching as a symptom? Doctor: Hello.Thank you for asking at HCM.One most important thing I would like to know is whether you itch without hives/skin lesions/urticaria or with them. If you have hives/urticaria, I would say you are having chronic urticaria. I would suggest you to consult an Allergist who will perform some tests for physical urticaria and suggest some blood tests like total blood count, ESR, serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies and urine & stool examination. Some of these tests are for autoimmune disorders. Then he can treat accordingly.But if you are not having skin lesions at all and only itching, I would not think of allergy at first. The causes are many like dry skin, nutritional deficiencies of vitamins & minerals, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorders, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, etc. So I would suggest you to consult a physician who may suggest you tests like CBC, ESR, blood sugar, SGPT, total proteins including albumin & globluin, urea, creatinnine and urine & stool routine and microscopic examination. Then he can treat you accordingly.Hope this will be helpful to you.Wish you the best of the health.Regards.