My father has had many complications due to his diabetes. He has non-functioning kidneys which have caused him to be on dialysis 3 times a week (ever since 2004), glaucoma, high blood pressure, and he had a mini-stroke in 2003. He’s been on a pace-maker for close to 5 years and he’s had an amputation of his toes on his left foot. He’s been taking various medications to keep his illness in check, and in spite of all of this, he’s been hanging in there. He does have one other health issue that’s been driving him crazy, however- chronic itching. The itching is so bad that he’s broken out in sores and welts. In mid-May, one of the medications that he was taking, Warfrin, caused his arm to swell and the itching was intolerable. His nephrologist told him to discontinue taking the Warfrin and he is now taking 81 mg aspirin to thin his blood instead.

He saw a dermatologist who gave him a prescription cream to put on the lesions, but the cream hasn’t helped. He also saw an allergist, who said that his itching is not allergy-related. Would you be able to tell me if his low-functioning kidney is the cause of the itching? Also, would you be able to tell me what kind of medication, either topical or in pill form, could help him? Thank you.