Q: I started suffering from severe itch all over the body a week back. I went to a general physician who prescribed Allegra and Albendazole. That night I got high fever and even had a blackout. Then I consulted a dermatologist who has put me on Benadryl, Ciplox, Zintac and Wysolone. I also had a complete haemogram: Hct-37.3%, total WBC-12,600, Neutrophils 77%, Lymphocytes 16.6% and Eosinophils 0.9%. The ESR was 50 mm/hr. Although the intensity of the itch, the water retention and the redness on the skin is less, I still continue to have incessant itch all over the body. Please advise as to what I should do as my exams are approaching and I cant concentrate with itching all over?

A:Itching like fever can be seen in a number of disorders. By saying that you have fever, one can not say whether you have malaria, typhoid, tuberculosis, flu, etc. Similarly, by itching alone one cannot say what you are suffering from. For example, itching can be a symptom of urticaria, drug reactions, hepatitis, scabies, etc. One has to correlate other clinical findings, which you cannot supply. Thus your doctor who has examined you is the one who can tell the probable disorder you have and what is the likely outcome.