Allergic to water?

[Cain]

I read your respond regard a young girl who's legs are itchy after showering.  I am 43 and have been a sufferer of something very close.  I have been to many different doctors who cannot determine what the cause of this misrable affliction is.

When I get wet; shower, swim, sweat or rain my arms and legs itch so badley it makes me crazy.  I have been through all the changing of soaps, etc and nothing works.  I believe I have some type of defficentcey.  I am a psorious sufferer as well.  

I do not get any hive, bumps, rashes all I get is extreamly itchy skin approx. 10 minutes after being wet and dryed, it lasts between 40 and 60 minutes.  I must rub my legs lightly with a towel to help satisfy the itch, which actullay feels like pins poking my skin.  I have also tryied antihistamine, they don't help either.

The only thing that stops this or at least makes it tolerable is tanning at the tanning solon or being in the sun.  When my skin is tanned (which I do for my psorious) it make it bearable.

If I do not keep up with my tanning regime it is so painful that I avoid water, showering, swimming and even going out in the rain.

Please help me try and determine what this could be caused from.

PS:  I put all kinds of moisturizers on as well (I do not have dry skin).  I even put crisco lard on after a shower, which is really moisturizing and keeps my skin soft - but does not stop the itch!!

Thanks you Cain (Dawn)

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

As I've told others who asked similar questions, this sort of reaction tends to be physical (to warm water itself) rather than allergic.  I'm not sure which antihistamines you used and for how long, but I suggest you consult a dermatologist or allergist and have this both evaluated and treatmed more thoroughly.  Cure may not be possible, but substantial relief is.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[Shelley S.]

I also have this problem, and like you I've tried everything. I've changed soaps, shampoos,lotions everything. Nothing worked! I had my reaction to water on my chest, neck and my face. It itched terribly and I had red blotches. Well I finally went to the Doctor and he told me to get a luke-warm(meaning barely warm!) shower instead of a hot one. This has seemed to help quite a bit. Now I only get the rash occasionally, not every day.                                       Shelley S.

[amd]

Many skin conditions can be relieved by the use of aloe, especially when the condition involves itching and burning.  If you apply it every time as you get out of the water, it would probably help keep it from itching and burning so badly.  Either go and get 100% pure aloe for skin from your local natural foods market, or buy yourself an aloe plant.

[blawmt]

My wife gets red blotches on her arm and now some on her face after showering.  She has never complained about them itching though.  They disapeer in about 30 minutes.  Could this be similar?

[Imakethings]

Don't know if anyone is paying attention to this any more but I have the exact same problem, severe itching on my legs after showers, swimming... anything that involves wetness.  I also have found complete relief from it for a short 3 month period in my life.  It was when I was on Accutane, yeah.. the acne drug.  It was gone.. it was heaven!  And then it came back after I got off.  I'm not sure exactly what caused it to stop.. the Retin-A is my bet, but then... I'm not a docotr or anything close to the sort.  Just looking at the drug monograph though it looked like the only thing that would have affects for the duration of the drug and not after I was off it.  Anyway... I doubt this helps anyone cause you can't be on Accutane for life (trust me.. you wouldn't want to be).

[rodders]

I'm a freelance writer for the British national teenage magazine '19'.
I'm currently researching a feature on young British women who are allergic to water.
If anyone would like to share their experiences with me and appear in the magazine, please contact me as soon as possible.
Regards,
Katy Rodman.
***@****

[tms]

It was very interesting to read the comments by Cain and to learn that others experience the "itchy leg phenomenon".  

I am 31 years old and have experienced this since I was around 14 years old. My experience, symptoms and tried-remedies (changing soap and water temperature, antihistamines) appear similar to Cain's but I don't think as extreme. For example, my itchiness only seems to afflict me after showering, but not after any other type of contact with water (like swimming a lake or ocean, being rained on, or sweating)-- for which I am thankful.  After showering, I do not begin to feel itching until about 3 minutes after toweling off.  Then it becomes increasingly unignorable, until I too find myself using the towel to itch with.  I try to only do one long stroke down each leg as I find the more I respond by heavy scratching the more intense the itch need becomes -- and therefore if I can resist scratching sometimes it may avoid an all-out 'itchfest'. Sometimes I can get away with a mild episode (5-10 minutes), other times it's absolutely unbearable and I must engage in heavy scratching (10-20 minutes).  

I am lucky that my episodes in general don't appear to be as bad as Cain's.  Also, they are not consistent.  It seems to go in cycles.  And I'm not sure but it seems to occur with seasonal change overs (end of winter - beginning spring, and end of fall - beginning of winter) -- maybe it's the air temperature or something.  Also, the period of affliction (so far) seems to only be for a few weeks.  I wonder if others seem to experience a cycle of better or worse periods also???  Also, if it seems to have worsened or improved over the years???

Also, this is a bit of a tangent and perhaps very specific to me, but the tanning idea seemed an interesting solution.  When younger, I often tanned alot to control acne (large pimples)than appeared on my face, neck, shoulders, chest and back.  This is period has by-and-large passed, but I did at one point around the age of 14 use accutane as a possible remedy for the acne.  I tried not to stay on it for too long for fear of possible side-effects and it didn't really help.  But, it's interesting that someone noted that they used accutane as a remedy for the itching.  So there may be some chemical that appears more or less in our physiology than most of the populations that is affected by accutane????  

These are just some thoughts.   It was actually comforting to hear that others experience this or something similar to this, as doctors have really left me with know useful advice... or confidence in the matter. So, I hope that my bit of experience provides some contribution to our ideas of what is going and how it can be dealt with.

Take care all,
tms

[tms]

It was very interesting to read the comments by Cain and to learn that others experience the "itchy leg phenomenon".  

I am 31 years old and have experienced this since I was around 14 years old. My experience, symptoms and tried-remedies (changing soap and water temperature, antihistamines) appear similar to Cain's but I don't think as extreme. For example, my itchiness only seems to afflict me after showering, but not after any other type of contact with water (like swimming a lake or ocean, being rained on, or sweating)-- for which I am thankful.  After showering, I do not begin to feel itching until about 3 minutes after toweling off.  Then it becomes increasingly unignorable, until I too find myself using the towel to itch with.  I try to only do one long stroke down each leg as I find the more I respond by heavy scratching the more intense the itch need becomes -- and therefore if I can resist scratching sometimes it may avoid an all-out 'itchfest'. Sometimes I can get away with a mild episode (5-10 minutes), other times it's absolutely unbearable and I must engage in heavy scratching (10-20 minutes).  

I am lucky that my episodes in general don't appear to be as bad as Cain's.  Also, they are not consistent.  It seems to go in cycles.  And I'm not sure but it seems to occur with seasonal change overs (end of winter - beginning spring, and end of fall - beginning of winter) -- maybe it's the air temperature or something.  Also, the period of affliction (so far) seems to only be for a few weeks.  I wonder if others seem to experience a cycle of better or worse periods also???  Also, if it seems to have worsened or improved over the years???

Also, this is a bit of a tangent and perhaps very specific to me, but the tanning idea seemed an interesting solution.  When younger, I often tanned alot to control acne (large pimples)than appeared on my face, neck, shoulders, chest and back.  This is period has by-and-large passed, but I did at one point around the age of 14 use accutane as a possible remedy for the acne.  I tried not to stay on it for too long for fear of possible side-effects and it didn't really help.  But, it's interesting that someone noted that they used accutane as a remedy for the itching.  So there may be some chemical that appears more or less in our physiology than most of the populations that is affected by accutane????  

These are just some thoughts.   It was actually comforting to hear that others experience this or something similar to this, as doctors have really left me with know useful advice... or confidence in the matter. So, I hope that my bit of experience provides some contribution to our ideas of what is going and how it can be dealt with.

Take care all,
tms

[TinaMarie1206]

I am so relived to hear other people share my problem.  I have been suffering from ichy legs for over 20 years.  My legs itch for 15-30 minutes after showers and beach water.  They start itching about a minute or two after I dry off and nothing I have tried relives it.  I actually notice if I itch my legs the itching takes longer to go away.  I usually put on some sort of tight pants right after showering and walk around the house until it goes away.  Although I think I do this to try and keep my mind of it.   I have tried using different soaps and lotions without much success.  

One thing I have learned over the years is it seems to subsided in the May-July months.  I am usually tanning during these months which after reading some of the other post might be the reason why.  Either that or the change in Ph/humidity for those months might play a part.  

Still searching for an answer. . .

[kimmoe]

I just got out of the shower, and am itching like crazy again!  My symptoms are exactly like tms's, occurring seasonally with no observable, traceable reason. I tried the really cold water before getting out of the shower, and that helps rarely.  I take zyrtec, and also levothyroxin (levothyroxine), for hypo-thyroid.  I also have tried antihystemines before and/or after my showers, without success. I always dread the coming of fall and the first outbreak of itches, because I know what is in store for me.  Lightly stroking my skin for 10-25 minutes usually relieves the itch, but only while the contact is made. I am a busy person (as we all are!) and hate this inconvenience!!! I have never had any distinguishing hives or color change, just the itching, that is definitly NOT cured by your normal scratching, but by the smooth touching, stroking of the skin on my legs and arms.

I too, am still searching for an answer!!

[kimmoe]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I immediately use moisturizer after showering to still damp skin, and have very smooth, well moisturized skin, and also drink a lot of water. I do not change my routine at all, yet this unexplained itching comes, and it seems to be, like I mentioned earlier, seasonal.

[Hitcho]

A related discussion, not allergic to water was started.

[avatar1]

A related discussion, Is water, water? was started.