astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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I have three tiny stitches on my stomach from a mole removal, and it ITCHES LIKE CRAZY! I'm finishing up my degree at UGA during summer school, and walking all over campus makes it worse. I just wanna reach over and claw at it!
They have to stay in for 11 days; I'm only on day... 2.
Is there anything over the counter that I can buy to numb it up or at least relieve the itchies? 
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-Melissa
Edited by astrophel2 (06/16/04 07:22 AM)
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debbie4884
Member
Reged: 03/12/04
Posts: 135
Loc: Michigan
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Just a suggestion.. Maybe call a pharmacy and ask their suggestion for what OTC product you could use.
That must be driving you crazy! Good Luck!
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Debbie
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debbrad
Member
Reged: 11/06/03
Posts: 100
Loc: Texas, USA
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I can relate. You can get a tube of generic neosporin & pain relief med combined at any pharmacy or major grocery store chain. Like the previous poster said, ask the pharmacist.
Good Luck,
Deb
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IMSUSCOT1
Threadhead
Reged: 10/23/02
Posts: 892
Loc: usa
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actually hydrocortisone cream will work better...1% is the strongest you can get w/o a script. good luck (11 days is a LONG time for stitches!)
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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What a reminder! Last summer I had 2 large moles removed from my neck and face by a plastic surgeon. He recommended Cortaid (1.0% hydrocortisone cream as suggested by IMSUSCOT1) or Cortisone-10 (this worked better for me and wasn't as greasy...same active ingredient and strength, but this brand simply works better for my psoriasis and itchy conditions such as bug bites, rash, etc.) applied to the incision area (wait at least 2 days post-removal for incision to close fully!) I had the kind of stitches that had to be removed. The affected area itched for a couple weeks after removal as the skin healed.
Oddly enough, I didn't know there were any internal stitches, but about 2 months after the "surgery," I got a zit-like small pus spot in both of my incisions at both ends. When I picked at it (it ITCHED terribly!) I found white cottony thread poking through my skin. I had to pull really hard to get it out, but it came out intact. My external stitches were black, so that wasn't a forgotten stitch. Rather than call my surgeon about the cottony threads poking thru each incision a couple months afterward, I just yanked the threads out and got immediate relief from the itching and zit-like pain. As it happened on BOTH incisions, there MUST have been internal stitches. I recall the doctor saying something about a "continuous stitch" in my incision, but the black external stitches were single stitched. Very weird. But it has been a year now and the smallish scars are far superior to the ugly moles.
Take care!
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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321goat
Stranger
Reged: 03/08/04
Posts: 3
Loc: pasture
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benadryl ointment and the pills worked well for me as some times cortisone can cause infection of an open wound
aveeno oat bath works well for sunburn-all over skin probs
Good luck!!!
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Speaking of internal stitches, I had a laparoscopy done last month. Some kind of white tape was place over my two incisions which "fell off" (or rather, were picked off) after the first week or so. I saw something white peeking out of the pubic incision and pulled at it - it got longer and started bleeding. I thought it may have been skin, but it sounds a little more like the white, cottony, internal stitch you (night shade) mentioned.
Night shade, how is the scar from your facial mole removal? I've got three moles on my face that I've hated since I was little. They're not atypical or raised and rather small, but I've thought about having them removed. My current dermatologist is a bit of a quack. When I asked her about having them removed for cosmetic reasons, she said "no - they(sic) beautiful." While I appreciate her opinion, I still wanted information.
It's nearly 4 am where I live - I can't sleep because I have to be catheterized for a VCUG tomorrow morning. I called yesterday afternoon to see if I would be sedated at all, and they gave me a big fat "No." I'd rather be groggy than alert!
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-Melissa
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oldnavy170
Board Addict
Reged: 05/12/03
Posts: 357
Loc: New York
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Night_Shade, after I had my gall bladder taken out I got internal stiches too that desolve over time. Its been two weeks and I can still feel them. I still like them better than external stiches because you don't have to have them removed but they do take longer to disolve.
My internal stiches still itch too but I haven't put anything on them.
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misspiggy
Journeyman
Reged: 02/02/04
Posts: 81
Loc: North Idaho
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I've never had stitches but I've used tea tree oil on mosquito bites and rashes and it is very soothing and gets rid of some itchiness.
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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My moles were hideous and I had them all my life. My doctor justified their removal by calling for a biopsy (which we all knew would come back negative.) But a plastic surgeon did it. I have just taken some photos of them for you and uploaded to my Yahoo briefcase. THESE LINKS ARE ONLY GOOD FOR ONE DAY. If anyone wants me to email a photo to them, write me at (send me a PM letting me know you sent me an email as I don't often check that account.)
http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/3fc7ffd8_a584/bc/My+Documents/scar.jpg?bfCEi0ABzAvcFfm3
http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/3fc7ffd8_a584/bc/My+Documents/scar2.jpg?bfCEi0ABZDxZpwqd
The scars are 1 inch long and they make a football-shaped incision when they remove it. The scars aren't too bad and it has been exactly a year since they were removed. Hint, one is on my face just above the jaw line and the other is on the jaw line. The scars are far preferable to the ugly black sticking-out moles I had!
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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I'm not quite sure how my insurance works. Night shade, did your doctor refer you to the plastic surgeon?
The moles I had removed were justified - one looking possibly cancerous, and the other sticking up and being irritated by my necklace. I'd want my facial moles removed purely for cosmetic reasons.
I guess I'll need to go to a different dermatologist to see about getting my facial moles removed, because my current derm. thinks they're beautiful and refused to discuss it with me. I'm not sure I'd want her to cut things off of my face anyway... I've questioned her competency ever since she SWORE my cat scratches were poison ivy.
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-Melissa
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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Yes, I was referred to a plastic surgeon by my regular physician. Did you get a chance to view the pictures? I will update the links again to get another 24 hours of viewing available.
My facial moles were large (about the size of new pencil eraser and stuck out just as far.) They bled often and were almost black in color. We did not expect them to be malignant, but if your doctor requests a biopsy (whether or not s/he REALLY believes they are cancerous) your insurance will pick up the tab. It's worth asking your regular doctor and not the dermatologist (for obvious reasons.)
I had 7 other moles removed by my doctor in his office, but because these wer body moles, scarring was not a chief concern. Those removals left small round cigarette burn-looking scars. But they have faded for the most part and hard to even see.
Updated links as of 0314 CST.
http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/3fc7ffd8_a584/bc/My+Documents/scar.jpg?bflr_0ABVRd9Ffm3
http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/3fc7ffd8_a584/bc/My+Documents/scar2.jpg?bflr_0ABhcpBpwqd
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
Edited by night_shade (06/19/04 01:17 AM)
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Wow! Your skin looks great! I have to squit to even see the scars.
Someone else used the cigarette burn comparison when describing what their mole-removal scars looked like. Were those moles shaved off, or were they cut out and the skin stitched up?
I'm going to take your advice and see my GP. I've hated these three facial moles since the third grade or so! I was at a sleep-over once, and we were all experimenting with make-up. My best friend at the time threw some concealer at me and said "don't you want to cover those up?" Guess it traumatized me or something!
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-Melissa
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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The moles on my face were cut out and stitched up. They made a football-shaped incision around my mole on the skin and cut them out. The skin was then stitched up.
The body moles were numbed with novocaine, shaved with a scalpel, then cauterized. When the doc was a bit heavy with the cautery iron, it left a more pronounced scar. Some are perfect and very hard to see at all while others look just like a cigarette burn in my skin. All in all, I was very happy with the results from both types of mole removal.
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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lardaman
Banned: flame wars, insults, offending others
Reged: 08/14/02
Posts: 244
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Itching means they are healing, either use a q-tip w/hydrogen peroxide & poke at them till the bubbling stops, or believe it or not use blistex on them, most soothing ointment there is.
One other option is to pull out the stitches then replace them with butterfly stitch tape. I guess I would be a little leery of this one if the stitches are in a visible part of your face. However, as long as the stitches stay in the itching will always be there.
If you never tried blistex you should, it stops hangnail pain as well as them painful little skin flags some people get in the opening of the nostrils. Also, if your nose is compacted with extremely hard buggers that you cant blow out, well blistex on them buggers will soften them up in 5 minutes. After that you can blow all this out, it's amazing.
Now I just hope people don't start calling me buggerman!
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Sweetz
Diamond Mind
Reged: 05/11/02
Posts: 765
Loc: Texas!
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Buggerman,
I've never heard of the other wonderful uses of Blistex! Thanks for sharing! I had a daughter on Accutane and you'd be surprise what's drying up on her little body!
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"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice."
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lardaman
Banned: flame wars, insults, offending others
Reged: 08/14/02
Posts: 244
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Glad I could help!
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Buggerman,
Will have to try blistex.
Sweetz,
Have you given your daughter AQAUPHOR for her dryness? I was on Accutane for 4 months, and LOVED the stuff. You can buy these tiny bottles of it from drugstore.com, or request them from a dermatologist. I ALWAYS had one in my pocket, one in my car, one in my bathroom, one on my nightstand, etc. The booger thing happens with Accutane, and aquaphor has the same effect as the blistex "buggerman" mentioned. It's also REALLY GREAT for dry skin, and especially good for dry, cracked, bleeding lips! I loved the stuff!
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-Melissa
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cloudy
Member
Reged: 11/07/03
Posts: 168
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I know this is a little late but I just saw your post. I hpe your test went ok. My daughter had has many over the years. I recognized the name and I can sympathize!
Again...hope everything is ok!
Toodles 
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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If you mean the biopsies, they were fine (much to my surprise). I used to bake myself in the sun when I was younger, and was convinced that at least one of the moles was cancer. It's been over a week since I had the stitches; I'm thinking of removing them myself! I have the suture removing scissors my doc gave me the last time I had stitches as a suvenior! =)
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-Melissa
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astrophel2
Board Addict
Reged: 03/11/03
Posts: 300
Loc: Georgia
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Did it! Piece-o-cake! And now I have $35 extra dollars that I didn't give my dermatologist. Hmmm.. I need new work shoes!
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-Melissa
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lardaman
Banned: flame wars, insults, offending others
Reged: 08/14/02
Posts: 244
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Buggerman to saves the day!!!!!
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