I wonder what happened with that check? Didn't you have a problem with a check to the DMV around the same time, too? I hope your accountant will just tear up one of them so you don't have to pay a cancellation fee.

I think it's unlikely that you would develop an allergy to coffee suddenly after so many years of heavy consumption, but it could have dehydrated you and dried out your skin, which could make it very itchy. You could be dehydrated for other reasons as well, or just have drier skin right now for some other reason.

Have you changed anything like soap, laundry detergent, or dryer sheets lately, or been putting anything new on the cats that could rub off on you or your bed?

You can test to see if the Benadryl is helping by taking it a couple hours later than you have been, also to see if you need it anymore.

If you feel the same way with/without the Benadryl, Aveeno makes a fragrance free "skin relief" body wash with oatmeal (similar to their bath soak) that's a hell of a lot easier to use than applying lotion over large areas. If you think it's just a case of dry skin it could still help, but there are also some good plain moisturizing body washes out there that would probably be cheaper. There are in-shower moisturizers too... I'd love to try one, but I think they would make the tub really slippery, and that scares me.