Sophia, I hope you get some relief soon.

My allergies really didn't bother me much while I was pregnant, but they hit like a ton of bricks this week.

Dermatologists are surprisingly vague about how to treat itches and rashes.

When I dated Marti the Medical Student, she said Dermatology only had four things to learn.

If it's wet, dry it.

If it's dry, wet it.

If they're on steroids, take them off.

If they're not on steroids, put them on steroids.

I know I'm not supposed to just go ahead and eat the still not moldy bits but I've been doing it all my life

Wait, really? But isn't cheese just controlled mold to begin with? What's wrong with just cutting off the icky bits? I've been doing it all my life too, unless it looks really unappealing in which case it goes into the bin. But that's not an abundance of caution, that's just me admitting to myself I'm not gonna eat it.

Yeah, any hard cheese always just gets the mold cut off and the rest eaten. Softer cheese like brie, cream cheese, or sour cream (which is not really cheese, I know) that has mold is something I'll toss out entirely.

I think I read with harder cheeses you are supposed to cut the mold off plus and extra inch or two inches.

An extra inch-wide margin is likely to use up the rest of the cheese block in my household

Sophia, this may not be of help, but my aggressive itch went away by itself after about three months, and then my hair started falling out. All over. Even the hair on my head and eyebrows thinned out. I figure the itch was my immune system attacking my follicles (autoimmune disorders run on my family). So, steroids or cortisone cream might help, but I can't say for sure since we didn't try them. No doctor thought of autoimmune until afterwards. You might bring it up to your doctors and see what they say. Good luck! Don't scratch your skin off.

Just FYI. Be careful with steroids. Over time they thin skin and break down cartilage and connective tissue, and it will never grow back. I've been told this both by my doctor, who warned me not to use my super-strong cortisone cream on my face, and by a joint doctor who said cortisone shots into joints relieve pain but turn the cartilage to jelly.

If it's wet, dry it.

If it's dry, wet it.

If they're on steroids, take them off.

If they're not on steroids, put them on steroids.

Unsurprisingly, I have figured this out! WHich is why I hate going to the dermatologist (although there is one here who is doing some sort of study on adult eczema and chronic itch, so I might try to see her).

Sophia, this may not be of help, but my aggressive itch went away by itself after about three months, and then my hair started falling out. All over.

I wouldn't mind some parts of my hair falling out, but not on my head!!!. It does sort of feel like my body is attacking my body! I think the dermatolgist is confused because I am fat, and there is some rash in skin folds. But there is just as much rash OUT of skin folds-- like on my face, hands and feet.

Just heard my husband saying to his headhunter, "I'd relocate if it was a really good job." I did not walk over to him and bop him on the head.

I think the dermatolgist is confused

If that confuses him, *I* think you need a new dermatologist. Maybe one who's seen a fat person before.

btw, I must shill for Desitin ointment for diaper rash, and Gold Bond powder. I find these take care of problems caused by skin touching skin in humid environments (like the South, or one's pants, or one's pants in the South... I hate to sweat).

Just heard my husband saying to his headhunter, "I'd relocate if it was a really good job." I did not walk over to him and bop him on the head.

At least he used the singular?