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Allergies

Liquid for anti-itch and not hydrocortisone

12/31/2007

Question:

Is there an over the counter medication for itchy skin due to dermatitis that does NOT contain hydrocortisone and that is LIQUID? Thank you

Answer:

The easy answer is yes. There are multiple medications that are available OTC that do not contain hydrocortisone. If the dermatitis is eczema, I would use a moisturizer (Eucerin, Aveeno Eczema care) and talk with your doctor about other necessary treatments if this doesn't work. Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is available as a liquid for skin, however I generally don't recommend this because you can become sensitive to the medicine and react if you later take the liquid form. If you want to try other products, Sarna lotion (original formulation) is a non-steroid anti-itch lotion available OTC.

I started by saying the easy answer is yes, because the harder question is why does your skin itch? I would recommend talking to your doctor about skin itch if it is a major problem as it can sometimes be a sign of other conditions.

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Response by:

David Hauswirth, MD David Hauswirth, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Pulmonary, Allergy, Crtitical Care & Sleep
Pediatrics
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University