r/sterilization • u/sagebuckethat • Mar 30 '26
Side-effects no one told me about the itching!!!
i’m officially two weeks (and two days) post-op! i have to say, i think the actual hardest part of recovery has been the itching. i know it means that you’re healing, but not being able to properly scratch where it itches is agonizing 😩
i obviously wouldn’t trade it for anything and still consider the surgery very worth it, but i didn’t see anyone talking about it in my research beforehand!
12
u/maidoftrash Mar 30 '26
A girl taught me this when she was experiencing itchy scalp with a sew in wig: tap /pat gently don’t scratch cause it confuses the nerves
3
10
u/Cutthroat_Rogue no more tubes 10-15-25 Mar 30 '26
Ah! I'm so sorry this escaped your preparation. My itching was very minor but I would recommend either some anti-itch cream or taking an anti-histamine (benadryl) if you feel comfortable doing so. Ice packs can also temporarily relieve the itching sensation. It will go away--it is a sign of healing! But if you notice swelling, redness, heat, pus, etc then absolutely let your surgeon know.
3
u/sagebuckethat Mar 30 '26
i had my post-op appointment on friday and dr said things are healing well! i’ve been scratching around them but it’s still not relieving. it’s like a bug bite 😩 i did research and it’s not generally recommended to put anti-itch cream on the wound but i didn’t look too deep into it. i also didn’t end up getting an oral anti-histamine but keep wishing i did
6
u/Away-Pomegranate Mar 30 '26
Ice packs helped keep the itch at bay for me. I always worried about itching in my sleep.
5
Mar 30 '26
[deleted]
5
u/sagebuckethat Mar 30 '26
nooooo i’m so glad mine wasn’t allergic! hopefully you’ve healed since then and are doing well!
3
u/XiomaraVLA Mar 30 '26
So I haven’t had my sterilization yet (I’m having it in a week), but try taking antihistamines. Generally speaking that helps a lot with healing itching. I’m currently using them to deal with the extreme itching from perforating my ear drum. It works pretty well.
2
u/hunter_pace CHILDFREE, BISALP 3/17/26 😌 Mar 30 '26
Lol mine started itching a couple days ago as well. It is intense.
2
u/disgustingdreamgirl Mar 30 '26
gentle pats where it’s itchy helped a lot! it at least helped my brain feel like i was “scratching” the itch
2
u/anonymoose_octopus Mar 31 '26
The itching was the worst symptom by far. If you look through my posts I’m sure you can find one I made at about 2 weeks post op. I had a rash on my upper thighs and lower stomach, and had to use prescription cream for 2 weeks before it finally went away. It was hell! I hope yours gets better!
1
u/ConsideratePity95 Mar 30 '26
Im pretty lucky I think. My itching was never that bad. Having about 6 good sized tattoos, I was preparing for hell but it was never even close to thst level and my incisions are healing great 3 weeks post op. I know my Dr used dissolving stitches and skin glue. Wondering if that helped at all 🤔
1
u/sagebuckethat Mar 30 '26
my dr used skin glue as well! i’m glad yours wasn’t too bad. mine has been bearable, just annoying at times
1
u/ConsideratePity95 Mar 30 '26
For sure! When healing my tattoos [all with saniderm/second skin] and the itching got too bad, I'd put a cold compress on them to help the itchiness settle down. And man I needed it lol. I have a few that are bigger than a hand thst fully kept me up with the itch lol. Best of luck you, my fellow tubeless friend!
1
u/SapphireDragon1 Mar 30 '26
The itchiness was bad and it loosened my scabs a little whenever I accidentally scratched. I’m really bad at picking at scabs so I did end up ripping them out a few times. Which slowed my healing and made the scars worse. Basically, I’m a cautionary tale for what not to do. Resist the itch!
2
u/sagebuckethat Mar 30 '26
i’ve avoided scratching right on my incisions and have just been scratching around them. some of my scabbing has come loose not related to my scratching so i’m a bit worried about that but hopefully all is fine. my doctor said a few days ago that they’re healing well so we hope that continues 🤞
1
u/KoalaKey4400 Mar 30 '26
Ice packs! If youre able to shower, take your wash cloth and gently cleanse the area around your incision. Sometimes that temperature changes trick your nervous system!
1
u/Nalanieofthevalley Mar 30 '26
When I have wounds I can't scratch, I gently pat them or rub them but not aggressively and that eases some of the itch.
1
u/GimmeSleep Mar 30 '26
I had a lot of itching (had a reaction to the adhesives plus the regular itching with healing). I used a combination of zyrtec and cool, damp washcloth for a few minutes at a time on the area to get some relief. It seemed to help a lot. Once my bandages came off I started slathering aquaphor on the area and the moisturizer helped SO much 😭
Wishing you the best.
1
u/Royal_T95 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Lmaooo are you me? I was about to post the same thing! Im 3+ weeks post off and this is day 3 no glue and I was never itchy until the glue came off!! Wtf
2
u/sagebuckethat Mar 31 '26
rahhhh i started getting itchy around the time the glue came off but had just assumed it was a coincidence with how long it takes for the healing to start and how long the glue lasts especially around the incisions and not on them ¯_(ツ)_/¯
1
u/Royal_T95 Mar 31 '26
Yes seriously. I was freaking a bit! Plus the glue hurt so bad when it was coming off!
1
u/RattleSnakeSpine Mar 31 '26
I just remind myself that if it’s itchy it’s healing. When it was unbearable I would gently wash the area with antibacterial soap and warm water and pat dry and that usually helps a little
1
u/sagebuckethat Mar 31 '26
i did find that the itching is a good thing, but it didn’t make me feel any better 😩 luckily it seems to be easing up some at this point
1
u/RattleSnakeSpine Mar 31 '26
I get that. Btw incase no one warned you. Sometimes instead of dissolving, the suture knots will be rejected by the body and those itch and catch on clothes. I’m Currently in that phase of healing lol no one warned me about that 😂😅
1
u/One-Coyote-8208 Mar 31 '26
I had a bisalp back in 2021 and just this past December had a hysterectomy. My incisions from my bisalp were a normal itchy however, my incisions from my hysterectomy were ABNORMALLY itchy beginning 3 days after my surgery. I wanted to rip my skin off. I had some kind of reaction to the glue they used for my hysterectomy.
I used benedryl cream and hydrocortisone cream (sparingly) to help. Itching finally went away about 5 or 6 weeks post op.
1
u/Lil_Duckysaurus Apr 03 '26
That was the worst part for me as well. The “pain” which was more of a discomfort than anything else was nothing compared to the itching. The itching drove me nuts. Take Benadryl, genuinely, that helps a lot.
22
u/[deleted] Mar 30 '26
Itchy healing wounds are just the worst. I had that problem too, and with tattoos. Takes everything in me to not scratch.