I just posted this in my comments on the post below, but decided to make it a post too for anyone that might wonder or might have more information to share.
I had allergy testing done because every year I have sinus problems (to the point I’ve asked a doctor before if they could just cut them out) – and any time I end up congested from allergies, I then end up with a sinus infection – or this last time I ended up with tonsillitis. We know it is allergies because Claritin helps keep the congestion away. I’ve had swollen glands most of the fall & winter this year and my doctor suspected it is also due to allergies. Now that we have tested me and found out what my allergies are, they will mix up a special serum just for me and I will go in once a week for injections. (I think it is once a week – maybe once every two weeks?) This will help me build up immunities to my allergies – hopefully preventing the sinus infections and tonsillitis of my past.
My family doctor just gave me Claritin constantly to fight my allergies, without ever testing to see what they were. I went to an Ear, Nose & Throat specialist for my tonsillitis though, and he is the one that recommended it (I’ve always wondered why no one did it in the past). Now that we know what we’re fighting, we can fight it better.
On a positive note, I called my doctor’s office this afternoon and she had me come in so they could check my itchy arms. They hooked me up with some special prescription ointment that made the itch go away. For now. Cannabis products from https://d8superstore.com/category/cbg may also help reduce the effects of allergies like swelling or inflammation. If stress is what triggers your allergies or any other health conditions, Dab Pens offers products that may help relieve your stress.
1,336 replies on “Itch Relief…”
Another statement about ice:
“Ice will only cause the blood vessels to shrink more, reducing the blood flow.”
Also, regarding comment 150… this is in regards to RSD (which is a nerve disease), however the effects of the ice are what I wanted to point out. I dont think most of you have RSD, but some may. usually its only if you have a severe injury. RSD refers to pain, but as most people have gathered itching is a form of pain. Anyways, just another avenue… but like I said the main issue is the damage Ice can do to nerves. Ice can be used to reduce swelling, in conjunction with heat is the safest way.
Hi everyone, now that a couple of Doctors have said ice is NOT a good idea, and it is only temporary relief,,, we all do still need some answers!!! Why are we itching and how can we stop it!!! For the last three days, my itching has subsided, but this has happened before, i am still concerned about my itching problem. When it is occuring, the itching, twitching, jerking, cannot scratch enough or fast enough, i feel like i am going crazy, forgot to mention the burning sensation also!!! I thank God for the days of relief that i have had. Only you girls know what we all go through, and why? What’s this all about? Please all of you girls e-mail Dr. Phil, lets hope for some answers, and help!! Even though i am ok at this moment, this is somthing that has kept me up at night and has been very hard to kive with without thinking i am crazy!!!!! i think you all get my point!! I pray for you all that are going through this right now! God bless you all, love JoAnn
Having only just started with the ‘itch’ syndrome – forearms in my case – a month ago i was just looking for some answers. I assumed in my case it is probably an increase in reaction to my normal seasonal allergy – moulds which makle me sneeze and cry from sept to dec every time the humidity rises. But now I’m not sure. I am early 40’s light skinned no thyroid history but have started to suffer with back problems recently. Will watch this space with interest.
To Edell and All – I used Vick’s Vapor Rub Cream last night and it helped alot. My arms always itch in the evening before I go to bed. But last night, neither arm itched! After I went to bed, I woke around 12:30 a.m. to my right arm itching so I applied more cream. The left arm never did itch!!!
To Karie in Phoenix – Thank you for the info on the ice/nerve pain connection. I think I can now understand why it may be a bad treatment.
I am interested in the Vics results. I want to try a few nights without Neurontin since it is getting cooler and maybe at this time of year the Vics will be enough. About 2 months ago when I had been sleepless for over 2 weeks I was thinking the only solution was amputation (then I probably would have had phantom itch!) It almost made me crazy.
Keep up the brainstorming! I know there is an answer out there.
Kathy
Emma seems very intent about the candida thing. I have had this itching for 7 years, and I do not have candida. Nor do I have allergies. As to the icing being bad for us, I have used ice very seldom for this condition, so obviously the ice is not an aggravating factor in my case. As for it being caused by stress, I have been symtom-free for months during times of great stress and itching like mad at times when my life was otherwise smooth and happy. I am living in a part of Mexico where it is hot and sunny all the time, but I still experience this only seasonally. Nothing about this condition makes sense. Maybe we were all whisked away in our sleep one night by aliens and injected with something. Haha. Gotta laugh about it sometimes. But really, none of it makes sense, but it is definitely a condition we are all experiencing with more or less the same symptoms, so WHAT IS IT? I wonder how much $ in total we have all spent on doctors, drugs, creams, etc. that don’t work. And how come doctors get paid when they do nothing to help you but tell you you have dry skin or you’re
just imagining it?
Hi all- I cannot believe how many people suffer with this.I thought I was one of few who deal with severe nightly forearm itching.
My itching began 3 years ago during my second pregnancy. It returns usually in Aug and lasts thru November. I get horrible itching on both forearms occasionally during the day but it is by far the worst in evening and through the night. As others have said, I also wake during the night and run to my freezer. I have tried all the the different creams and lotions with ice being the only thing that gives me some relief (very temporary). I believe that ice is probably hurting the condition long term as well.
I am 36, brown hair, blue eyes and fair skin. I think there are many factors that both contribute to and aggravate my condition……sun, wind, dry skin, stress and certain foods and probably hormones as well. I have no rash and the itch feels like it comes from deep within my skin. I lived in Chicago most of my life and had no problem. I moved to Las Vegas a few years ago- lots of sun and wind.
I feel so frustrated. I scratch myself raw. I will be seeing a very good allergist here and I hope he will help. I will possibly try acupuncture as well.
Thanks for all the ideas. I will try many of the suggestions. A good nite to all.
To Kathy in Northern California – What mg and dosage is the Neurontin you’re taking? My dermatologist is going to call in a prescription for me but wanted to know how much you were taking and the mg. Thanks so much!!!!
Hi friends! I live in Tennessee now, relocated two years ago from Michigan. This problem has been going on for two years now. Dr.’s here in Tennessee are totally incompetent in my opinion. They don’t even want to hear about itching and my diagnosis is PMS and fatigue. Dr. says I am probably dehydrated because I swim every day! I drink 60 or 70 oz water daily, brown hair, brown eyes, 43 years old. It’s wonderful that this web-site exists and is so interactive together as a group. If enough women bond together and contact a female physician, perhaps this can be solved. What about contacting Dr. Northrop, the female doctor who wrote the book about menopause? My MALE doctor shrugged it off as PMS or premenopausal symptoms. Has anyone tried visualization or hypnosis therapy? My best friend in Turkey had this problem for 15 years. Said she was hypnotized and provided visualization exercises for one week at a resort in Ephesus and has never itched one day during the past 7 years! Please comment.
Could it be an allergy to synthetics next to our skin? These materials are not natural, like cotton. I seem to be the only one that finds certain fabrics aggravates my condition. Just thinking…….Doreen
Oh, I’m still itchy by the way, maybe not as intense.
Hi Cathy,
I am taking 200 mg of Neurontin at night.
When the itching was more intense I took 300 mg.
Garth from the Men’s Health site suggested I take it at least 90 minutes before bedtime. He said it had to go to the upper intestines for absorbtion.
It has worked great. Read up on the side effects.
They are very minor.
Garth also takes Neurontin during the day. I tried that but found it just wasn’t necessary and night only worked wonders for me.
I did try Wednesday night without and woke up with some itching so will keep taking Neurontin until I am sure the itching has subsided.
Hope this works for you Cathy. Let us know!!
kathy
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the info on Neurontin. My doctor hasn’t been able to provide me any relief but is more than willing to prescribe something new that I’m willing to try. She also said Neurontin has very few side effects. I’ll call it in on Monday and will start taking them Monday night. I’ll be out-of-town from Tues – Sunday for Thanksgiving (no computer) but will write to let you all know how the Neurontin has worked for me when I return. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!!
Cathy
Hi everyone, to Doreen, when my arms are itching, i cannot stand any material on. It feels as though my arms are telling me to keep everything off my arms!!! But when it goes away, i am fine. This is a very unusual problem. Hope we can can a solution soon. God bless you all, love JoAnn
Every day I read this column in the hope that SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE in the world will come up with a foolproof cure. Now it is very cold in England but still the itching and burning continue, however in my case, only in the evening and during the night. Can I purchase Neurontin here in England and what will I ask the chemist for?
Omigod! I am soooooo ecstatic that I found all of you. I’m sorry you have the same affliction, but I feel better knowing that I’m not crazy and am not alone. I have had this itchy arm thing for 12 years but only in the fall until it freezes. I have always thought it was related to ragweed season since it leaves once it freezes as so does ragweed. Ice is the only thing that helps me. I feel tormented by this malady. I have tried everything from Claritin to prednisone to bathing in Nivea cream to anti-itch cream to wearing sleeveless shirts etc. Nothing helps and my arms are scared beyond belief. I’m also wondering if it’s a hormonal imbalance. So perplexed, confused, frustrated, and itcy. Thanks for listening. Cat
Hello Everyone, I found this place in the early hours of morning two weeks ago. I simply typed in “upper arms itch” and there you were. I have had the itching, actually more like stinging, burning itching on one arm or the other for at least 2 years. Living on a farm at first I thought it was something in the hay I was feeding. I too have allergies, and take Zyrtec daily. Although I take the Zyrtec for respiratory symptoms, when it wore off the itching seemed to be worse. Since June of this year I have been to my medical doctor, GYN, and last week a dermatologist. I was convinced it was hormones, I am 45 yr, white female. GYN said it was NOT hormones, Dermatologist said it was NOT Sun Damage, and looked like it could be Bracharadial Pruritus (sp?) I would not have known anything about that if I had not spent hours online in the middle of the night because I could not sleep for this crazy itching. Dermatologist gave me a prescription for Doxepin 25 mg. I do not like taking this, but at least I can sleep. Today I went for MRI. I have had one herniated disc in my lower back in the past, and we are checking to see if I may have one in my neck also. One possible help, the dermatologist also said to try Absorbine Jr. (Horse Liniment) on the arms to try to mask the itching, I tried it, it seemed to help. I have tried every OTC itch relief available. Plus benadryl and 2 rounds of prednisone,plus an injection. I have had HIVES, this is not the same kind of itch as Hives. It is not just dry skin. It is something very strange. November 21, 2005
Hi all, If Vick’s Vapour Lotion works for you, maybe you should stock up. They have discontinued it here in Canada, not sure if they are thinking of discontinuing it anywhere else in the world but just thought I’d give you the heads up.
Susan in Canada
Hello I itch too, another thing that seems to help some of us is that blue gel in a jar called ICE or COLD or something like that. Also Vick Lotion has helped alot of people. I haven’t tried it because it is discontinued in Canada, but it’s worth a try if you can get it.
Susan
WOW.. I didn’t get a chance to read every post here as I’m at work right now, but I was going crazy here at my desk with my left sleeve up and scratching. I FINALLY typed in itchy arm for a search after about 13 years of suffering. Very interesting to see these comments! I’ve only met one other person who has this and he tries to keep his arms covered in the sun.
I’m a man, 33, medium to fair skin, dark blonde hair, and green eyes. I’ve never had my thyroid checked and don’t think I have any diabetes worries.. ? Suffer mostly on my left arm and have found that vinegar or even Tabasco sauce after a shower has relieved the itch enough so I could get to sleep. I started using Peroxide and the sores quickly scab over which seems to help the itch, but if I scratch one time, the itch becomes intense and I’m back at it.
I’m interested in experimenting with some ideas I learned here and will definitely come back to see what’s new and to share anything new that I might learn.
Good luck to all!!!
You’re a GREAT support group! So glad I found you. I tried Vicks vapor rub and I found it irritated my skin, with the itching actually getting worse. So, just wanted you to know it’s not the answer for me. At this point and time I’ve self-diagnosed and decided (for the moment) that I have allergy eczema, which can be seasonal and also lots of things can trigger it, even stress or anxiety. (I just finished using an ice pack but I think I need another little shot!) I’m hoping to hear of a cure for all of us. Doreen
Hi everyone, JoAnn here. I have not itched for about one week, and i am very thankful! But i would still like to pursue this itchy siuation, because i never know when it will occur again, i have had this for about twenty years, and i also never know how long it will last. How are you girls doing? I will keep on checking in on this site,because i care!!! I will keep on e-mailing Dr. Phil in hopes that he will help us. I hope you all do the same, iwould love to hear from you girls! Take care, God bless love Jo Ann
Hi Everyone, I too am pleased to see all these comments. I thought I was crazy and my son the doctor told me to go see a doctor. However, since my mother had the same problem when she too moved down to Florida and went to all the doctors, i.e. neurologists, dermatologists, internist, had blood tests, etc. and they found NOTHING. I too love to put the ice and it helps for a while. I live in Florida and it is warm most of the time so I am attributing this to the warm weather. This itch started after I moved to Florida. It started with right arm then I was free for a few years and this past spring it started in my left arm. Please, keep this going. There has to be someone out there to help us all!!! I bought Vicks Vapor rub and it helps a little. I’ll keep looking at this site to see for any breaking remedy news!!!!
Have a great Thanksgiving!
I am 24 years old, dark brown hair with green eyes. I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one suffering with this crap. I’ve been itching on my upper arms since the beginning of August. Nothing seems to help. Ice is a temporary fix like most everything else is. The itching is so intense….the more I itch the worse it gets. just when I think I’m finished itching it feels like needles poking at my arms….like its stinging. Its alot worse at night. Sometimes when I wake up there are scabs and bruises where I itch. I know lots of you have had this for years, but four months is enough for me. I’m so sick of this….it just makes me angry that there is no relief and doctors look at me like I’m crazy. One doctor has diagnosed me with eczema, which I know I do not have. This is alot different.
Hi everyone,I read the comments everyday, welcome Travis, i can understand how relieved you felt when you found this web-site, i too was very happy. We can all help one another. Though my itching has stopped right now for over a week, i am still concerned about it, because i never know when it will start again.. i have had this itching problem for about twenty years..this last time it lasted for months,l lost alot of sleep! I am trying to encourage everyone to contact Dr. Phil, on his web-site to see if he would consider helping all of us! It is worth a try, he has helped alot of people. Also can you even imagine how many people who have this itching, and do not know what to do!! We have all been to alot of Doctors, we need some special help, like Dr. Phil! I have lost soo much sleep from this, and i know all of you have also!!! Take care, God bless JoAnn
i am 53 yrs old and have been suffering with this for several yrs. i have been to every kind of Dr. i have been diagnosed with brachial radial pruritus. i was on neurontin for about 2 years. it got better and would go away for a while but come back with a vengence. I don’t really know what it is or what to do to get rid of it. I have been staying up most of the night with ice packs, vapor rub, pramegel, alcohol, cetaphil lotion and etc. I was prescribed a new drug, lyrica, just been on it for 2 weeks, not working yet but was told it may take a little longer. I was also given ambiem cr, took it the first time last night and slept all night long, had a terrible headache when i got up but felt so much better to have some sleep. I don’t understand why Dr’s can’t cure this or have the answers. I know the sun aggrevates it, but is this sun damage from years of suntanning. I wonder also does this affect white and black people. I didn’t realize how many people were affected until i found this website.
hi, found this website a few weeks ago. i have had this itchy skin for several years. I was diagnosed with brachial radial pruritus 2 years ago by a Dr. at a big medical university after goin to many drs, allergy specialist, bone dr and general practioners.I was given Neurontin 300 mg and it helped for a while and then i quit taking it because i thougt it was gone. I also stayed out of the sun some from his advice due to fact that is made it worse once it started up again. I got back on the neurontin and it didn’t seem to work this time. I thought if i made it through July i would have it made but in August it came back with a vengence. I was recently given Lyrica, a new drug, stronger than Neurontin. I have been on it for 2 wks and so far it is not working. Last night i took ambeim 12.5 cr prescribed also and slept all night long, woke with a terrible headache. I felt much better after getting rid of the headache since i had finally slept for first time in weeks all night long. I don’ t understand why the Drs. can’t find a cure or at least be able to treat this stuff. I have researched this stuff and can’t find anything other than nobody seems to be able to get rid of it. The Dr. says ambiem is habit forming, but what do you call it when you have to take other drugs every night for years and still itch to death. This is so bad i don’t see how anyone could live with it forever. What i f spreads over the rest of the body?There has got to be and answer. I can’t just sit back and let it consume me and my life. I have been to every kind of dr. i can think of. Next week i have and appointment with a Homepathic dr or whatever you call them. I have spent thousands on drs and drugs so i have to try this. I wish i had an answer for all of us. I would like to know if this affects white and black people. Its just something to think about. If i f i find out anything i will keep in touch. Also, i emailed Dr. Phil.
hi, found website recently. have had itchy arms for several years. been on neurontin for a couple of years, it helped and this i quit taking it and in a few months it came back with a vengence. neurontin not working this time and now taking lyrica for 2 wks., not working yet but was told it might take several weeks. I was wondering if this affects white and black people. I didn’t realize so many people had it until i found this website.
hi, found this website recently. i have itchy arms for several years, been on neurontin, worked for a while but no longer works. now on lyrical for 2 wks, not working yet, was told it would take several weeks. i was wondering if this affects white and black people. i have tried ice packs, alcohol, lotions, still no cure.
was told i had brachial radial pruritus several years ago. on neurontin for 2 years and it worked for a little while. now on lyrical for 2 wks and its not working yet and was told it would take several weeks. will keep you posted/
I am so glad I found this!! My hubby and I went to the Virgin Islands in Oct. I got a sunburn on my upper arms. I have been itching ever since. I have auburn hair Hazel eyes. Thanks for the advice about ice and biofreeze. I happen to have some!!
Becky
The bio freeze is working!!! I got it from a friend who is also a massage therapist. AWESOME…Keeping fingers crossed!!!
Hi everyone,wow i did’nt know men had this too!! We need to all keep in touch, so we can help one another. if you read all the e-mails, you will know we found out ice is NOT good, it restricts your blood vessels!! Sounds like we have all spent alot of money , prescriptions, creams, pills, whatever to No avail! So please everyone e-mail Dr. Phil, if anyone can help us, it is him!! Just think of all the people out there that may have this itching problem and do not know about this web-site. And some of us thought we were going crazy!!! Well i hope you all get my message! Take care, God bless love JoAnn
Has anyone taken Doxepin 25 mg, 1-2 just at night?
Has anyone found sucees with their itch besides ice which we are not suppose to do?
Hello ‘I Itch too’. I have tried Doxepin as a cream. I used it for 12 weeks but bacame allergic to it. My arms swelled up and turned red, so that was the end of that, just when I thought I was getting some relief. Only one other person has mentioned using the cream made from chillies. Capaisin. This is suposed to desensitise the nerve endings but you have to try it for at least 8 weeks before you get any results. I only managed 5 weeks and I could stand it no longer. There is no effect on application but if you’re arms are covered and you get warm, they feel like they’re on fire……..and guess what……the itch is still there! at the moment I have nothing to try and am itching a lot. I just don’t know where to go from here after all these years. I’m lucky this web site is here and I can be in touch with other sufferers. By the way my itching carries on till about March/ April then starts again August time. Oh well. Thanks for listening. Hope you all have a peaceful night.
Hi everyone,comment to Meash, have you e-mailed Dr, Phil yet, if enough of us do, maybe we will get some REAL help, no Drs have come up with an answer, but Dr. Phil could no doubt get us all in touch with someone who would help us!!!!Please, i am going to keep encouraging you all!!! God bless, take care JoAnn
Yes JoAnn, I’ve just e-mailed Dr. Phil with my itch history!! You’ll have to let me know if he does a talk about us on his show! We don’t get his shows broadcast here in England. Keep me posted won’t you. Sleep well
Hi everyone, comment to Meash, i promise i will keep in touch! It might be a while, but i hope we all keep trying. Even though i am itch free, I can remenber how awful it was to itch, and be so miserable, and not sleep night after night..i never know when it will return, I am just very thankful for now. All you people that are itching, keep on e-mailing Dr. Phil, with his help, we will get some answers!!!!!! God bless all, love JoAnn
Hi everyone, well it has been almost a month since I wrote my comment and I can not believe how many more comments there are. I was on vacation for 2 weeks and if it hadn’t been for the ice treatment I would have crawled out of my skin. I have found a balm and an oil that seem to help, I purchased them from “clipsavers.com” and it is called Sun Breeze by Sunrider Sunergy, it contains Menthol, Cassia Oil, Mint Extract, Eucalyptus oil and Camphor; Menthol and Camphor is what is in Vicks also so that must be what helps., it is that cooling sensation…I am going to try the Vicks. I also have an Rx for LidaMantle HC cream, it contains 3% Lidacaine and .5% of Hydrocortisone Acetate, both of these seem to relieve the itch temporarily only.
Does anyone have this problem on both arms or in more than one area? Mine started on my left shoulder but has radiated down to my left forearm.
I just emailed Dr. Phil…….that was a GREAT suggestion. Has anyone tried an acupunturist? I wonder if they could help.
Good Luck to all, and wishing you a good nights sleep. And keep the comments coming.
Hi Rosie from Fremont, CA, I have the itching on both arms from shoulder to wrists. It’s a real problem when both of them become irritated at the same time as it’s impossible to place ice blocks in the required positions for releif. I did consult a chinese acupuncturist who thought acupuncture might help the problem though she couldn’t give me any guarantee, so I’m still thinking about it. Glad you too have e-mailed this Dr. Phil guy, hope we get some response!! Take care.
for Joann, did you do anything to get the itching to stop or is this just your non itching season? I am currently taking ambiem 12.5cr, lyrica, and xanax. I take 75 mg. lyrica in the am, pm and also take the xanax about 8pm and the ambiem between 9 and 10. I am sleeping finally. Although I am sleeping I know the itch is still there. It is not driving me crazy but I also know its there and it feels like it spreading down my arm to my elbow. It is in my right arm and my skin feels like rubber. I put cetaphil lotion on it and it doesn’t seem to help to soften the skin. I also feel it working in my left arm in the upper arm. I don’t think I have a cure, I’m sorry to say but I will keep on taking the meds because I am sleeping. I know from this website that people from England have this and I am curious about other countries and races. If anyone knows the answers, please let me know. I wish all of us a peaceful sleeping night.
Just wanted to say hi and give an update….Last week I saw an allergist. His advice was to absolutely stop with all the different itch creams and antihistamines and only use a good moisturizer just after a bath or shower while arms are still wet. He also told me to buy mittens. (I drove an hour for such profound advice.) He thinks part of the problem is dry skin and he will do a skin test on me tomorrow to find other possible environmental factors. He also ordered blood work to rule things out. He prescribed nothing to give me immediate relief. I literally am living with icepacks on my arms. It is all so frustrating and distressing. I am in a bad mood all the time from this. It continues to wake me all nite long. I did try baby oil on my arms following 2 showers and it seemed to help a bit. I was told today by a doctor who practices chinese medicine that he believes acupunture can help and that it is hormone/nerve related and the nerves must be calmed down thru treatment. He said it usually takes a lot of changes one of which is diet. I will consider trying this route. The Vicks Vapo Rub did nothing for me- it made it worse. I scratch all nite long and the more I scratch the more I itch-a bad cycle. I do believe that sun 100% aggravates the itching and must keep arms covered in sun. The problem is fabric irritates my arms when they are itching. I do find certain fabrics are more tolerable than others- a very soft (non-itchy) fabric. Thanks for all the advice, ideas and comments. I feel for all of you. I will keep you posted.
Hi everyone, comment to JW, I did not do anything to make it stop itching, it just stopped, But I have had this for years, and i never know how long it will last! This last time i did have it for about seven months, and i got very little sleep, and then i quit using the Ice, It is not good to use the ice, if Cara will take the time to read all the comments, she too will not use the ice!!! Even though i don’t itch right now, i remenber how awful it is when the itching does occur, i am encouraging everyone to Please e-mail Dr. Phil . I hope everyone is, because it is going to take alot of us to be really convincing… WE NEED SOME HELP HERE, PLEASE!!!! Oh yes i bet this concerns alot more people than any of us can realize!!!!! For now God bless you all, JoAnn
Hi- I returned to the allergist today and thought I would let you all know what happened. He did a skin test to check for specific allergies. I had very positive allergy tests for eggs, dogs, dust and certain types of trees. I do have a dog and my itching did begin around the time we got the dog but….who knows. He said that these could be causing/aggravating the itching or not. Comment to JoAnn…..I HAVE read all the comments and know that ice is not ultimately good to do as I wrote in my original comment last month but……it is the only immediate relief I get and therefore find myself doing it if not scratching.
The allergist did confirm that icing should not be done as it is as harmful as scratching. He suggested using an antihistamine during the day i.e. allegra, zyrtec or clariton and presribled Atarax for the nites which relieves itching and assists with sleep. He said to continue moisturizing with lotion or baby oil immediately following bath or shower while arms are still wet. That is all for now. Take care.
It is so comforting to know that I am not the only one suffering with itchy arms. No one else that I talk to has it or has even heard of it so I feel like I am a bit wacky. I live in Northern Ontario where the sun is elusive for 8 months of the year, so I don’t feel that it is the cause, for me anyway. When I told my doctor about this and said the more I scratched the more my arms itched he just replied, “stop scratching”. That was the advice I got. I have found a lotion which helps a little – Lac-Hydrin – the main ingredient is Ammonium hydroxide. Mind you, it could be the soothing coolness of the lotion that does the trick momentarily. Anyway, thanks to you all for sharing your experiences.
Hello – I hope I am not repeating myself, my message must have gone into cyberspace. Anyway, thank goodness I am not the only one suffering from this horrible itchy arm thing. I have had it for some years now, this year has been the worst. Mine is mostly the forearms but sometimes the upper arms itch as well. Luckily I can still sleep at night. No one I have ever spoken to before has heard of this and my doctor’s advice was “stop scratching”. I have discovered Lac-Hydrin can be very helpful – maybe because it is to cool on the skin. Its main ingredient is ammonium hydroxide. Hope this helps someone out there. I live way up in Northern Ontario, where we see the sun for 4 months of the year only, so that is not the cause of my itchies! I sure hope someone comes up with the cause and cure.
My wife suffers the same arm itch for the past 10 years but mainly lower arms. It’s driving her in sane. (faire skin, indoors person)
I have been checking this site for a couple of months now just knowing someone was going to come up with an amazing discovery to cure us all. Where are you???? I have tried the same things over and over. Some things help for a short time and then it’s back with a vengence. It is almost like there is a little demon living in my upper arms saying “I’ll get even!!” I have tried cortisone cream, prednisone tablets and shots, moisturizers, water, ice packs, a $ 468.00 bill at the allergist twice and about that much at the dermatologist. You name it I’ve had and tried it. I’m tired. I have to open the windows in my cars and do crazy things just to stay awake to drive home most days because I am not sleeping again. I have also tried antidepressants and anti anxiety drugs. Nothing yet that completely stops it.
It seems that a lot of people get on this forum for the first time and don’t bother to read all the previous comments. What’s the point of that? I know that some of you believe what the drs are telling you, that it is caused by the sun, but as others have mentioned here, they are not exposed to the sun and they still itch. And as I have mentioned, I am in the sun all year and still only have it for a couple of months in the autumn. If we are going to try to find a common thread, we have to try to find out something which ALL of us are exposed to, or something we all have, like a bad disc in our necks, which brings on and aggravates the symtoms. By the way, wearing anything on my arms can start me itching, even natural materials. I would like to suggest that when any of us goes to a doctor for this, that we let them know immediately that we have found out through this forum and our own experience(years of living with it, for instance) that it is not dry skin, allergies, stress, hormones, laundry soap or any other kind of soap, and that if they aren’t interested in finding out what it is, and how to effectively treat it, leave the office and don’t bother paying them. Right now I am overworked, stressed out, in the hot sun every day, wash with soap and I am not itchy. But I have little doubt that it will be back in Aug or Sept.