Itchy Incisions

I'm almost 3 weeks post-op and most of my incisions seem to be doing fine. There are 2 that I can feel the stitch on the outside of the skin, and it ITCHES LIKE CRAZY. They look fine. They aren't hot, or red or swollen but the point where the thread comes out of the skin is not happy. My appointment with my doc is not until Next Wednesday, and I'm hoping he pulls the threads out. Also, the skin on my stomach is dry and flaky right now, so I've been putting a little Vitamin E oil on it so that they have a good environment to heal.

Has anyone experienced this? Did you put anything on your incisions to help them along? 

If it's any comfort..i'm almost 4 months out and my incisions can get itchy some days...i think its just part of the healing process..my stitches where covered over with some sort of glue film..that eventually just started drying up and falling off on its on..so i didn't have to get stitches out...i was told by my surgeon to put aloe vera gel once they were completely healed... 

You may be having an allergic reaction to the internal sutures, or it may be itching associated with healing.  Clear with your doc first, but the thing that's worked best for me is Claritin D 24 hour.  It doesn't make me sleepy and it works for at least 12-16 hours - it doesn't make it the full 24 hours.  And use benedryl cream as well, just not directly on the incisions.  And again, clear it with your doc.

It is a VERY common and usually a non-allergic reaction to the sutures.  SOMETIMES, it can be an allergic reaction but usually not.  Your skin is not happy right now but IS healing.  I was relieved when my PA said I was treating it right by using a thin layer of Neosporin AROUND the incision that is having itching issues to #1 keep the skin moist and #2 take care of any infection that could come from the abrasions of itching and everyday environs.  I applied it right up to the incision but not over it.  It alleviates the itching and does it's job.

I am two weeks out and I see the surgeon this afternoon. I had no external stitches but the strips that hold it together have not all fallen off. I guess he will pull them today. I went through a period of itching where if they looked fine I just grinned and ignored it. There was one that looked a little red to me so I just put some Neosporin on it in case. I always thought itching was a good sign, its pain that can indicate something more serious is going on.

Out of my six incisions, three have one of those internal sutures sticking out a little bit. My main incision (where they pulled my stomach out of) is one of them. And it got a little swollen, but that went away. They do get really itchy sometimes. Yesterday I scratched one of them and the stitch actually just fell off. So, I think the skin is pushing them out and rejecting them now that they're not of any use. One was sticking out a lot when I went in for my two-week follow-up appointment and the doctor pulled with tweezers and then cut it super close to my skin so it didn't poke out anymore. That's the one that just fell out yesterday.

It's weird, but it's normal.

I know what you mean im a week in a half out and feel the same way but I don't have any strings to have pulled out. hope your doing well other than that. let me know if you want to be friends.

Can you call your surgeon's office and ask for advice instead of waiting until Wednesday?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will give my doc a call today. Yesterday, I did put some Neosporin around the incisions and a light bandaid over the top of the stitches so they would stop getting pulled on my clothes. It felt a lot better and the bandaid came off after work. Thanks again!