"My Doctors Blamed My Itch on Perimenopause. It Was Cancer."

[Mosby]

Last edited Fri Feb 13, 2026, 02:02 PM - Edit history (1)

The itch crept up my back, across my stomach and along my arms and legs. It flared during my morning runs and followed me to the office. It was particularly acute at night.

I was covered in marks from unconscious bouts of scratching during the few short bursts of sleep I could steal. I looked and felt like a mauled animal.

My doctor shrugged and said it was just what happened to middle-aged women. During perimenopause—the period of time that can last years, before a woman’s menstrual cycle ends—dropping estrogen levels can thin and dry skin, he said, and suggested that I put lotion on before bed.

Another doctor, who ruled out allergies, also said it must be perimenopause. She put me on a birth control pill. The itch continued. An “intuitive wellness practitioner” who said she was trained in nutrition, botanical medicine and homeopathy, promised to get to the root cause of my itching. She didn’t. A functional health doctor prescribed progesterone cream to help balance my hormones, another solution tailored to women experiencing menopause.

Two years and 11 doctors later, I learned that my stubborn itch had nothing to do with menopause, perimenopause or hormones. I had cancer.

I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer for which a common symptom is a persistent itch. My doctors had been so focused on the most likely answer, that they failed to dig deep enough to find the actual problem. And I didn’t know how to ask them to probe further.

https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/hodgkins-lymphoma-persistent-itch-cancer-symptoms-women-3aa14607?st=GNtx1j&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

[Nigrum Cattus]

1. best wishes for your treatment

yours is an all too typical story
best to get a 2nd opinion for any treatments
here is a book about that
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-get-the-right-diagnosis-randolph-h-pherson/1132949564

[question everything]

4. Hope you realize that Mosby just posted the story. Not a personal one..

[pandr32]

2. The problem is being female.

Doctors tend to attribute many things to female hormone issues. I know because I have also been through it. Starting as a teenager and all through my life to date. I was undiagnosed and went through hell. I am all sorted now, but I have had multiple hospitalizations and even surgeries I never needed.
I wish you recovery and love.

[OC375]

3. Doctor Reform

Needs to be up there with police reform. People can die or be hurt unnecessarily. Someone needs to track these misses down, individually and by doctor, just like when cops mess up, and as publicly. I wish the author the best treatment and recovery possible.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. I've had similar. Diagnoses are about 60% accurate and based on recent cases

They rely on CDC bulletins for "what's going around". Some treatments are general rather than specific. Anytime they revert to cortisones, in my experience, they are stumped but won't tell you.

[mopinko]

6. 1 of the questions on a psyche eval- do u have things wrong w your body that docs dont understand?

give an honest answer to that, get tagged as a hypochondriac.
not the only blatantly sexist question on the test, either.

and once they give u that tag, prepare to get shitty medical care ever after.
ask me how i know.

[Diamond_Dog]

7. I'm surprised the doctor didn't tell her "it's all in your head."

[a kennedy]

8. Oh my gosh Mosby.......damn. So happy you finally got a correct diagnosis.....so sorry for what it is.

Hugs, prayers, and such love it’ll knock the damn cancer right out of you. 🙏🏻 ♥️

[Mosby]

9. Thank you but it wasn't me.

I added quotes around the title of the article to try and make it clearer.

Your concern really touches me, I appreciate that so much.

[a kennedy]

10. Oooops......sorry.

I meant EVERY word too.