Hello. I have been having a terrible time dealing with anal itching. Some background: Male, 21 yo. Occasional itching had always been a problem for me but applying some vasoline once a week always seemed to resolve it. I ve been dealing with more intense itching for 3 months now -- it always flares up after having a bowel movement, and the only way to calm it down without meds is to shower immediately after (keeping it dry and using plain lotion also seem to help, but showering makes the most difference). I ve dealt with hemorroids before and this isn t it. It s also certainly not pinworms or an anal fissure. I ve tried a combination of so many other things to alleviate the issue: probiotics, Balinol, using a mini bidet, not using soap, gentle wiping, applying vasoline, using antifungal cream, tracking diet and avoiding certain foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, or alcohol, and keeping the area dry with gauze. Nothing seems to work long term. I visited a doctor in general practice and he didn t seem to notice anything wrong (maybe it wasn t irritated that day) and he recommended wet wipes and hydrocortisone if it acted up again. I ve read wet wipes often make it worse so I haven t used those. Steroid creams like hydrocortisone DO help but because of their side effects I can t use them that long anyway. Antihistamines make a HUGE difference -- they stop all itching completely. But again, this is a medication that I can t use long term. It does make me think that the issue might be food/allergy related but I honestly don t know. I haven t tried fiber supplements so that s next on the list. I ve also taken pictures during flare ups and the skin around the anus gets bright red, almost like diaper rash. Any advice?