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UPPER ARM ITCH-I'M NOT CRAZY EITHER
I just read "upper arm itch" from some lady that posted a few years back and was so relieved that someone else described to the letter what has been happening to me. But I was disappointed in your response that she was just obsessing about her body and basically needed to get a life. I am happily married with 2 sons, a great career, home, friends and social life. I do have stress in my sales job, but have had that since I was 18. (I'm now 31)I don't have time to obsess about something that would trigger me to have the miserable itching spells I'm having.Upper arm tingling, piercing sensations that scratching doesn't help..I've resorted to actually slapping my arms and have recently found an athletic spray for back pain actually numbs the surface of my skin. Went to ER last night because it was so bad, was prescribed "neurontin" , seems to take the edge off but is it just covering up a bigger problem? Should I see a dermatoligist first, then neurologist? ER physician gave me list of tests to get done: ESR,CBC & C-Reactive Protein???Indication:Idiopathic Pruritus. He said it's an extremely long process to get to the bottom of itching problems. Been seeing a chiropractor 3x week for back pain I've had on and off for 7 years;been getting adjusted and treated with muscle stem therapy..back's never been better and i've never gone this long w/out back going out..chiropractor is an RN and says maybe from getting corrective adjusting therapy for back is stimulating nerves???Had complete preventive physical bloodwork done..all ok with kidneys, liver, thyroid, etc.Had itching really bad at ankles, but not anything compared to itching on upper arms & shoulders. Made tracks on arms from scratching, afraid of it happening in public, because I cannot resist the urge to scratch...i should say rather, that it isn't an urge that I can control...just like i told my husband when he told me to stop scratching..this isn't up to me..it's an involuntary reaction that wakes me up in the middle of sleep or while driving or just working...trust me..i don't want to scratch, but i have to...driving me crazy..don't have time for several doctor's visits, any help appreciated!
ok...same old story as the rest of you...no doctors know what the hell is causing the itch...has really gotten better though..i'm a health nut..eat right , exercise, take vitamins...probably more than i should....just curious, is anyone with the "itch problem" taking any supplements that contain ginseng, damiana, l-arginine, ginko biloba? or is anyone using HRT? (hormone replacement therapy? the reason i ask is because my gyno told me months ago my testosterone level was "dangerously low" and started me on a low dose testosterone cream...but i'm almost certain my itching started before that...anyway, also been taking a supplement called ArginMax for women which includes the herbs i mentioned ....stopped the HRT and the ArginMax for a few weeks now and itching has almost completely gone away...get little twinges every now and again, but basically back to normal...i wish there was a way i could know if it had anything to do with supplements?
I'm 50, and have had ezema for my whole life, except for a 6 year period when I lived in Hawaii from age 22 - 28. It just went away, and I thought it was a miracle! Which makes me wonder about things in the water, or air pollution, or some other factor out of my control here in NC.
Right now, I have very itchy red patches on the upper back of arms, inside elnows and knees, back of neck. I also have unusual-for-me itching all over my legs, buttocks and back.
As someone just pointed out, only the top of my head never itches, and that's the oiliest part of my body as it's bald. This may be a reason to reduce bathing to a minimum or eliminate soaps. Soaking in a tub offers temporary relief, but seems to aggravate the larger areas like legs and back.
Unfortuneately, I learned long ago that scalding water stops an itch (not for long) and so I've done plenty of damage to my skin with hot water. The rush of endorphins causes a mini skin orgasm at the site, but a second later you're in pain from the scald. Weird.
I wish there was some magic substance to use as a healing agent. I tried pure aloe, no luck. HAS ANYONE GOT A SUGGESTION FOR WHAT TO PUT ON SKIN THAT HAS BEEN SCRATCHED AND DAMAGED?
I get some relief from the mentholated Gold Bond lotions, but have given up on hydrocortisone for the most part as it no longer works for me. So many lotions out there have at least one ingredient that causes more itching. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?
Has anyone tried elimination diets? That's next, starve the bugger if it can be tamed through diet!
Right now, I have very itchy red patches on the upper back of arms, inside elnows and knees, back of neck. I also have unusual-for-me itching all over my legs, buttocks and back.
As someone just pointed out, only the top of my head never itches, and that's the oiliest part of my body as it's bald. This may be a reason to reduce bathing to a minimum or eliminate soaps. Soaking in a tub offers temporary relief, but seems to aggravate the larger areas like legs and back.
Unfortuneately, I learned long ago that scalding water stops an itch (not for long) and so I've done plenty of damage to my skin with hot water. The rush of endorphins causes a mini skin orgasm at the site, but a second later you're in pain from the scald. Weird.
I wish there was some magic substance to use as a healing agent. I tried pure aloe, no luck. HAS ANYONE GOT A SUGGESTION FOR WHAT TO PUT ON SKIN THAT HAS BEEN SCRATCHED AND DAMAGED?
I get some relief from the mentholated Gold Bond lotions, but have given up on hydrocortisone for the most part as it no longer works for me. So many lotions out there have at least one ingredient that causes more itching. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITES?
Has anyone tried elimination diets? That's next, starve the bugger if it can be tamed through diet!
I would say that it is the cause for your itching. This is based on the things that I have heard before. Sometimes itching can be a symptom of something that is greater. This is only my opinion and what I've heard. How is your white blood cell count? have you ever had any neurological symptoms? Just wondering...Chad
Check out my post on 10-17-02 BLONG1717.
OK. Now after all of the craziness I have been through in the past three months. IT STOPPED ITCHING. WHY? WHY? WHY? I have no idea. I did itch a little last night at a restaurant with my wife and two friends and rubbed a little ice in the 3 inch spot on my left forearm and I was OK. It has been 24 hours and no itch.It always ends the same way, it ends as sudden as it started.
Is it a culmination of sun exposure and then at the end of summer really comes to a head? I have been applying capsacin HP .075% and then Hawaiian Tropic #45 sunscreen and wearing long sleeve shirts. I did apply Fluocinonide Cream USP .05% (recommended by another person) and wiped it off after 20 minutes because I had to hold my 6-month old baby. I did not use this again but do you think it stopped because of this one 20 minute application?
I also took about 5 Neurontin 300mg capsules over a 7-day period. Who knows what helped if anything.
So now it has pretty much stopped. Lidoderm patch helped a lot!! Ice pack helps the most. Sarna anti itching lotion helps if the itching is not too severe.
My father had this problem also but he said he gave it to me when I took over the family business. HA! He still has a little bit of itch but it is on his neck. He hits it with a rub on stick of Benadryl and that does the trick. My itch gets pissed off when I put something on that is that weak.
My itching is living hell. Same as all of the others, but no rash. This is some sort of neurological problem and when it flares up that will be my next stop, a Neurologist.
I hope we find a reason and a fix. Exhausted in Houston. Brian
OK. Now after all of the craziness I have been through in the past three months. IT STOPPED ITCHING. WHY? WHY? WHY? I have no idea. I did itch a little last night at a restaurant with my wife and two friends and rubbed a little ice in the 3 inch spot on my left forearm and I was OK. It has been 24 hours and no itch.It always ends the same way, it ends as sudden as it started.
Is it a culmination of sun exposure and then at the end of summer really comes to a head? I have been applying capsacin HP .075% and then Hawaiian Tropic #45 sunscreen and wearing long sleeve shirts. I did apply Fluocinonide Cream USP .05% (recommended by another person) and wiped it off after 20 minutes because I had to hold my 6-month old baby. I did not use this again but do you think it stopped because of this one 20 minute application?
I also took about 5 Neurontin 300mg capsules over a 7-day period. Who knows what helped if anything.
So now it has pretty much stopped. Lidoderm patch helped a lot!! Ice pack helps the most. Sarna anti itching lotion helps if the itching is not too severe.
My father had this problem also but he said he gave it to me when I took over the family business. HA! He still has a little bit of itch but it is on his neck. He hits it with a rub on stick of Benadryl and that does the trick. My itch gets pissed off when I put something on that is that weak.
My itching is living hell. Same as all of the others, but no rash. This is some sort of neurological problem and when it flares up that will be my next stop, a Neurologist.
I hope we find a reason and a fix. Exhausted in Houston. Brian
"Itch does not usually prompt an emergency room visit".....well, Doctor, this kind of itching certainly does!
Same problem, same symptoms, and I've tried everything listed on this site, every over the counter product, home remedies, presciption steroid creams and lotions and I've had biopsies (no results). I've been to a family doctor, an internist, and a dermatologist and no one has any idea what is causing this. My dermatologist said he had never seen or heard of this kind of problem so I printed 15 pages from this forum and took them to him, just to show him.......SEE I'M NOT CRAZY! My severe, uncontrollable itching is only on my left arm, only on the top side about 6" above and below my elbow area. The open sores and rash only come from or after the excessive scratching. I've only had this for 2 years now, summer and stress do make it worse, and it's unbareable at night causing lack of sleep. Benadryl no longer works. Last year, the itching was only about 3" above and below my elbow. My symptoms seem to progressively get worse. Have your symptoms spread to a larger area of your body (In this forum, see: Severe itching from head to toe)? Someone in that forum suggested "gasoline" to control the itching. Sometimes at night my itching is so severe I've wondered if they meant to light it after applying it....
Please pass on any information you can. I WANT ANSWERS TOO!!! The medical profession seems to be baffled.
Same problem, same symptoms, and I've tried everything listed on this site, every over the counter product, home remedies, presciption steroid creams and lotions and I've had biopsies (no results). I've been to a family doctor, an internist, and a dermatologist and no one has any idea what is causing this. My dermatologist said he had never seen or heard of this kind of problem so I printed 15 pages from this forum and took them to him, just to show him.......SEE I'M NOT CRAZY! My severe, uncontrollable itching is only on my left arm, only on the top side about 6" above and below my elbow area. The open sores and rash only come from or after the excessive scratching. I've only had this for 2 years now, summer and stress do make it worse, and it's unbareable at night causing lack of sleep. Benadryl no longer works. Last year, the itching was only about 3" above and below my elbow. My symptoms seem to progressively get worse. Have your symptoms spread to a larger area of your body (In this forum, see: Severe itching from head to toe)? Someone in that forum suggested "gasoline" to control the itching. Sometimes at night my itching is so severe I've wondered if they meant to light it after applying it....
Please pass on any information you can. I WANT ANSWERS TOO!!! The medical profession seems to be baffled.
SherryG
I read with much interest your most recent
comment re: high levels liver/protein. Very
interesting. I've always believed my itching
problem is "internal" so to speak.
As well,I did have a heart attack last summer
and it sure surprised many, considering my diet
and exercise regime, especially me.
This news as either associated with the "itch"
or higher risk of heart problems is much welcomed
Please keep posted.
Thanks a bunch
I read with much interest your most recent
comment re: high levels liver/protein. Very
interesting. I've always believed my itching
problem is "internal" so to speak.
As well,I did have a heart attack last summer
and it sure surprised many, considering my diet
and exercise regime, especially me.
This news as either associated with the "itch"
or higher risk of heart problems is much welcomed
Please keep posted.
Thanks a bunch
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