How Do You Stop Itching From Neurodermatitis?
Medical treatment is the first line and basic treatment for the neurodermatitis and its symptoms especially the itching because it is the most troublesome and intense symptom. A maximum number of cases is cured by the use of drugs and no surgical intervention is required usually.
Topical steroids are the drugs of choice for the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus. These are effective because these have strong anti-inflammatory properties which reduce inflammation to very minimal levels. These act by reducing and modifying bodily immune response, decreasing lichenification and reducing inflammation. Various drugs belonging to this category are clobetasol, betamethasone, hydrocortisone, fluocinolone, etc. They also reduce itching to great extent.
Anti-histaminic drugs are commonly used drugs in this disorder as they act on histamine release in the body to reduce itching. Oral antihistaminic drugs like dimenhydrinate, chlorpheniramine, hydroxyzine are used which works by stabilizing neuronal membrane and inhibiting the release of histamine which in turn decrease the pruritus.
Antianxiety and Antidepressants are also used quite often in the treatment of neuro dermatitis because of more association of the disease with the psychological causes. Various drugs like clonazepam, pramoxine, doxepin, etc. belonging to these classes are used for medical treatment purposes.
Does Doxepin Help In Neurodermatitis?
Doxepin is a very good drug effectively given in the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus. It is a very effective drug because it has both Anti-depressant and antihistaminic properties. It blocks the release of histamine from the mast cells and directly acts on the itching problem of the disease. It also has Anti-depressant action which acts on various psychological disorders responsible for the neuro dermatitis.
Another class of drugs known as immunomodulators or immunosuppressants is also used in long-standing or refractory cases which has a high immune response against the stimulus and is not getting relieved by the other classes of drugs. Drugs belonging to this class are for example tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, etc. Neuromuscular blockade agents like botulinum toxin also used as last resort for the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus.
Mechanical barriers also used as an adjuvant treatment with the medication. In this mode of treatment, the affected area is covered by a bandage or dressing with a topical steroid ointment to provide more surface contact to the affected area and blocks the habit of rubbing or scratching the affected part which in turn reduces the stimulus causing the neuro dermatitis. It is an effective mode of treatment which works very well with the patients of psychological origin and provides good supportive treatment for medical therapy.
For the patients who are suffering from underlying psychological causes of the neuro dermatitis are also given the behavioral modification therapy with the help of various psychotherapies for the disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Habit modification and response prevention are taught to be practiced in the daily routine so that the repeated stimulus provided on the affected skin can be reduced and the skin can get more time to heal and cure effectively.
When the condition is not relieved by medical treatment then other treatments like intralesional steroids of triamcinolone, hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, etc. are given to reduce the local symptoms and can support the medical treatment to work better. No known case has been reported, date to die of this condition.
Conclusion
Intense itching is a very prominent and main symptom of the neurodermatitis and is required to be managed at the earliest because of its troublesome nature. The treatment of choice remains the topical steroids in the form of ointments, creams, dressing medications, etc. It generally gets corrected by the medical treatment only with various classes of drugs used for a short period of time and sometimes in few cases for a long period of time as intense therapy. Doxepin is one of the drugs which is very effective in the treatment of lichen simplex chronicus because of its dual mode of action.
Also Read:
- Home Remedies For Neurodermatitis
- How Long Will It Take To Recover From Neurodermatitis & How Long Does The Symptoms Last?
- What Are The First Symptoms Of Neurodermatitis & How Do You Test For It?
- What Are The Ways To Prevent Neurodermatitis & Does It Recur?
- How Do You Stop Neurodermatitis From Spreading?
- How To Diagnose Neurodermatitis & What Is The Best Medicine For It?
- Is Neurodermatitis A Serious Condition & Can It Be Reversed?
