Sever itching hands

[nursing student]

For the last two weeks my hands (the palms and between my fingers)will begin to itch periodically without warning. When I scrath them it only gets worse, the itching is intensified and they begin to burn. I have tried multiple things to relieve it but to no avail. It starts and stops continully through out the day and there is no one indicator of what might be causing it. I am worried that it might be my liver or gallbladder due to stones in my gallbladder. Or could it be decreased tissue perfussion to my hands? I know just enough to get into trouble and am concered about this due to the fact that I have tried everything and it does not seem to go away. I changed my soaps, lotions, and detergents. I have tried Benadryl and creams applied to the skin, they do not phase the itching. Please help.

Thank you

[SmileyBecca]

I have had this same problem during each of my four pregnancies.  It was cholestasis due to prenancy.  Could some of you be experiencing some other form of cholestasis?  Can't hurt to look it up and see if other symptoms match.

I feel your pain (or itch).  I used to climb the walls at night, slept with ice packs all over my body.  Itching was most intense in hands and feet but mine was all over and my body would heat up and make the itching worse.  High anxiety levels from the itching.  At least I knew mine would only last about 8 weeks (last 8 weeks of each pregnancy).  I hope this helps someone out there.

[bornbutt]

I was going through the same problem,till I contacted my dermatologist he prescribed me this cream ( Betaderm Cream 0.1%) Betamethasone Valerate 0.1% ..I guess it goes by two names.but it works like a miracle , and now I know what causes the severe itch on my hands its the tap water at least for me that is the culprit  try this cream and you guys will thank me

[Jules247]

It's sounds like a few of you may have Raynauds Phenomena/Disease, two different types, the former being secondary to something else and the latter being a stand-alone disease that only effects the hands and doesn't indicate a further problem.

I suggest you ask your GP to send you to a Rheumatologist.

Hope this helps? ~

[newfiedave]

I am suffering many of the same type of symtoms ... burning itch (with no rash) on my hands, legs, feet, and face ... (for me at least) it seems to be related to diet ... I'm working on linking it to what foods in particular are causing it ... so far I've tied it to spicy foods and possibly dairy (and possibly certain sugars as well ... maybe chocolate)

One thing I have found that works fairly well is taking allery pills (antihistamines such as Reactine, Claritine, Allegra)

I'd like to hear from anyone with similar symptoms if they have any diagnosis ...

[cure_rious44]

I suffer from the same itchy hands, I have had this problem for about 20 years but I have never known what it was called...the itching lasts for about thirty minutes but the good thing is that the itching is infrequent and may happen only once a month or less, but when the itching does occur ...it is relentless, I find myself running hot water over my hands, banging my hands against the walls or furniture, scratching with a hairbrush...It is absolutely horrible!!....I went to a doctor years ago and asked about this problem and he suggested that it may be some type of mild arthritis, I have just had to learn to live without a cure for this problem, but I would really be glad if someone suggested a way to put an end to my itchy hand problem

[Hamish5555]

I have had this condition for ten years. I am 55, and I went to a dermatologist when it first started. He prescribed cortizone, which helped. But I don't want to keep going back forever to get cortizone. Besides, it doesn't always work.

The hot water seems to help the most for me. It stops the itch for hours. I have used ice, but without too much success. When I get the hot water to just the right temperature, I can feel the relief slowly moving from my hands, up my lower arm, to my upper arm and all the way through my spine to my brain. I, too, have the red hands with raised white spots that go away.

I think it's related somehow to the nervous system. The doctor told me it was brought on by stress. I agree with him on that. I have also tried stress-reduction, but I can't tell if that helps or not. Good luck to all of you. Sometimes, you just want to take out a belt sander and scratch the itch, I know.