Finally! I found others

[kyarpee]

Wow! I am for the first time realizing that others truly know what I am going through!  Itchy arms!! For the past seven years I have been going at this.  The itching for me begins in early Sept and  I have never realized when it stops.  I itch from my elbow to my shoulder on both arms until I am bleeding sometimes.  I have been to an allergist and dermatologist and have left with no answers.  HELP!  I use Tea Tree Oil which helps a little but I can still feel the sensations under my skin.  It's hard to understand how there is not an answer for this or a treatment to help relive this.  I am not one to take any medication but there has to be something out there.  


This discussion is related to Itchy Arms.

[thedatagirl]

hi!
I just wanted to say brachio-radial pruritis is a REAL condition.  so many of us are suffering with it.  I have suffered w/ it for 6 years.  It started when I was pregnant ~ and has been off and on since.  I thought it was just hormone-related; but now I think, as research says, it's nerve damage and compression from the cervical area of the spine (neck).  I believe this bc my x-rays of my neck show lots of compression of C1 and C2 and there is a huge lack of arch in my neck.  and, the arm that has the MOST itching is slightly subluxed at the shoulder, and has markedly MORE space between the humerus and the shoulder socket. hmmmm......is it nerves?  is it the sun?  is it hormones?  could it be all 3?  I don't think it's wine though.  I quit drinking 1.5 yrs ago and I'm still getting the horrible, relentless itching.  The things that work for me are:

* wrapping arms up in cold wash-cloths, and then again in tight towels.
* taking Benadryl at night to sleep.
* running or working out, and lathering up the arms with jergens ultra healing moisturizer
  before working out (it seems to work!)
* heard that thieves oil works to rub it in on the arm
* basil leaves mixed into water as a tea and put the wash-cloths in the tea, then put on your arms.

I will try the milk thistle!  I take this orally I guess?

thanks!!
I feel for ALL OF YOU.  this is a maddening condition that makes me irritable when it pops up.  it is next to impossible not to snap at people when you have a huge burning itching on your arms.  ugh!  no wonder!  

Bless you
C

[jannz77]

I called the derms office and asked what the diagnosis was that the doctor had mentioned at my appointment yesterday as a possibility for the 'itchy arms' that we're all dealing with;  

Neuroderatitis

[jannz77]

OK-  so it's summer and AGAIN my arms are itching and look like I have mosquito bites from the scratching I've done.

I went to a new dermatologist yesterday and brought in the info on Brachioradial Pruritus.  She asked if I had any weakness in my arm -- to which I said 'no'.  She said that if I had weakness in my arm then the itching 'may' be due to a cervical spine issue.   But the fact that I don't have any weakness then I have this OTHER form of skin nerve issue -- called "________" (sorry but I can't remember the name exactly...should have had her write it down).  But the essence of this form is that the nerves in the skin in THIS area are for some reason suffering from "inflammation".  It could be from UV radiation (which is probably the case for me given the time of year it happens)...but she said it could also be a genetic thing...they don't really know WHY it happens or WHAT causes it.  

What she did say is that I could try this topical prescription drug cream called "Zonalon".  She said that in pill form folks take it for anxiety to calm their nerves.  And in a cream form it does the same thing to the skin nerves -- it calms the inflammation.  You have to use it at night because it causes 'sedation' -- so you have to be cautious until you know how it will affect you.  

So...I've only used it one night -- and seemed to help -- but obviously NOT enough time to say definitively whether this is SYMPTOM RELIEF therapy a lot of us are looking for.  It's definitely NOT a cure...for that we'd need to know what causes it.  However, if it is 'inflammation of skin nerves' ...then I'm going to make sure I take my fish oil, and all my antioxidants that help internal inflammation.

What I want to know is if anyone else has tried the Zonalon 5% cream...and to share  their experience.  

Best wishes,
Jann

[kaybur]

hi,  just found this forum trying to get some answers.I'm glad to know It's not just me or all in my head, as the medical profession seem to keep telling me. a little bit about me. I'm a 47 year old male, i drive a taxi 10 hours a day and  live in th U.K. I suffer with severe back pain, arthritis, have depressed c5 and c6 discs and receive U.V heat and light treatment for psoriasis. my dermatologist mentioned BRP, but when i mentioned my symptoms first started after PUVA treatment, which is UVA light plus a plant extract called psuralens which sensitises the skin to the uva light, she seem to think i was nuts and said it was more likely to be nerve damage. I mentioned this to my neurologist when i had an MRI scan on my c5and c6 and guess what, he thought i was nuts and said it was a skin problem. I have been on anti histamines for years anti inflamatorys for arthritis and lyrica , a pregabilyn pain killer, for my back pain. i moisturise 3or4 times a day for the psoriasis and still the itch persists only ice or soaking in coldwater seem to do any good. my G.P cannot suggest any more drugs or treatment and gives me the impression that I am wasting her time and to come back when i have a proper problem. for me at least heat seems to have been the trigger and it is definitely worse during the summer but from what i have read there are some common factors for quite a few sufferrers. ie neck or back trauma arthitis psoriasis shingles. if anybody out there is collating all this info hope this is useful it don't stop the itch but it helps to know it's not just me and maybe someone will come up with a miracle.

[deerofthedawn]

I posted this already but I wanted to reproduce it here.
I was suffering just like you for years. From about age 42 to 47. Since November 2009 I have been taking Milk Thistle every day and I only occasionally itch. No more scabby arms!! No more wishing I could just sandpaper the skin off my arms and be done with it!!

I came across the idea for Milk Thistle in my reading that associated nerve itching with liver function. However I don't care how or why it works, just that Praise the Lord I hardly ever think about itchy arms and it used to be such a constant stress.

I take Milk Thistle extract, 200 mg each tab, 2 tabs a day. It says it is standardized to have 160 mg of Silymarin.

Also occasionally I need to use Capsaicin cream, which uses cayenne pepper extract to "use up" the nerve receptors so the itch is masked. Sounds like it would burn and occasionally it does a little, but that's better than THE ITCH.

Both remedies are natural, too. No side effects. Thanks be to God.

Here is wishing you healing and rest.

[kls102481]

To: I think I have found the answer for me.
I was like many people on here that itch after a shower. I have been itching for about 6 months and lately it has been real irritating and dont even want to shower or bathe. I showed no visible marks just felt like 100's of ant randomly biting at my legs and butt mostly. I tried many of the things that others say like use room temp water and pat dry the body and put on clothes right away, they all helped a little.
But one day I put BABY OIL into the bath water and then washed up normally and I had zero itching on any part of my body afterwards and it was a relief. I still felt clean and actually enjoyed getting cleaned up. I dont know how much i used but it wasnt very much. It almost seemed like the water ran off of me so fast i didnt need to dry afterwards. In the next day I tried to bathe and put it just on my legs while in it and washed up normally and I feel good again.
I have yet to try to apply the baby oil before or even after the bath or shower cause i havent needed to.  I would like for everyone who thinks this might help to try it. Then try it many different ways and let everyone know what you think. It should at least help many people who have had this problem. SO IF THIS WORKS FOR YOU PLEASE REPOST THIS TRICK TO OTHERS IN THIS FORUM AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS AND LET OTHERS KNOW IF THIS MAKES A DIFFERENCE> THANKS