Severe Itching Arms

Many people have raised the issue of severe itching on forearms. Doctors are of no help and sleep is imposssible.

Applying SELSUN (an over the counter pharmacutical) use for fungal infections seems to work if used daily for a week.

The smell may put your spouse off!!!

Good luck.


This discussion is related to Severe Itching on arms.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptom of severe itching on the arms, the possibility or brachiradial pruritis needs to be ruled out. The main cause of this condition is not known but there is evidence to suggest that it may arise in the nervous system.

No cure has been found. The only thing that seems to help most sufferers is the application of ice to the area until the itch is diminished. Other treatments include cooling lotions like those containing camphor or menthol, capsacain or local anesthetic creams, amitriptyline and gabapentin tablets and electrical cutaneous nerve field stimulation.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[joannie1952]

I have suffered for years with this, but this summer it is worse and happens all the time and all day long and at night waking me up. I have six rotating ice packs and that is the only thing that works temporarily until the arm defrosts and starts itching again.
Went to Internal Medicine doc yesterday and he prescribed EMLA cream (generic = Lidocaine 2.5% Prolcaine 2.5%) that penetrates the skin and deadens the nerve endings. Today is the first relief I have had in ages...and last night I slept through the night. It does wear off after  8 hours and must be reapplied. You must have completely clean skin without any creams or oils present in order for it to soak into the skin. It seems to deaden the nerve endings just under the skin where all the itching starts. The drug insert calls it a skin analgesic mostly used for children when starting an IV to ease the pain. It warns not to use on skin that is not intact, or open sores, so this is definitely for those of us that have no visible rash or sores. It has relieved the "bee-sting" sensation and the infernal itching that follows. Hope this helps someone.