Severe Itching on Legs

Over the past few months I have had severe itching on my legs literally from top to bottom. I have tried Benadryl with no luck and I am constantly putting Calamine lotion on my legs. The Calamine lotion usually helps for about 15 minutes but then the itching returns. I am at my breaking point with this. The itching causes pain and it feels like needles on my legs. I scratch them so much that I have fingernail marks all over my legs and sometimes even brusies. This causes my legs to look horrible. I'm so ashamed that I won't wear dresses or shorts. I haven't been to the doctor yet just because everything I have read hasn't given me much hope on a clear diagnosis. This has been an ongoing problem usually I have the severe itching for a few months then it will go away and out of the blue will appear again. I haven't changed laundry detergant, soap, lotion, etc. Please any help or insight you could give would be greatly appreciated! I really don't know how much more of this scratching my legs or me can take!  Oh and I noticed on some of the other posts people who had the same symptoms as myself were telling where they live...I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not but if so I live in Alabama.

[ibbrave7]

Hello Ferg2001..i just read your post and i'm just wondering....have you tried using a small amount of olive oil? And if i were you i would try to change your body soap to Carress. I've had the same problem but not as severe as yours. Do you notice it much worse after shaving?
Using olive oil and changing your soap may help. Although I m not a dr. any advice is worth it until you get a chance to make an appointment with a dr.
I also figure olive oil considering that is what they tell ppl to use on there dry scalp..

I hope this helps ya out!! Keep me posted.

sha:)

[Ferg2001]

I haven't tried the olive oil but at this point I will try just about anything. Yes, the itching is always worse after shaving. Shaving has become a very painful thing for me it just seems to irritate my legs even more. I will let you know if the olive oil helps. Thank you!

[nwd]

hi ferg! i had the same problem as you a few months ago, i was told to take hayfever and allergi tablets and use talc powder, so i done that for about 2 weeks and it had stoped the itching.

[OW2]

I have the same exact thing. It started a couple years ago, happened for awhile on one leg and eventually went away. Since then I have it come suddenly out of nowhere, both legs- though usually starts on one first. It always starts low, around my ankles. I can scratch till my legs bleed and have trouble stopping because it feels good and relieve the horrible itching. eventually bumps appear under the surface like a rash, and even when I can see the bumps, I can feel them. The more I scratch the higher it seems to travel. The highest point is mid- calf area but usually stops there. It will go on for a couple months, maybe, and then as suddenly as it appeared, go away. I am not on any medication but take a Benadryl every night for nose stuffiness. (and have for quite a long time). My legs are actually hurting now from scratching so much. One time I found (I've tried them all) an anti-itch over the counter cream (generic) that helped a lot but haven't been able to find it since. The skin on my legs has started to feel leathery and "dead" all the time, thick, and even in between the outbreaks, doesn't return to normal, ever.

I am at my wits end. I did go to the doctor about it a couple years ago when it first started and he said "it's probably dermatitis" and gave me some cream, but - guess what- didn't work or prevent it from happening again. Any real help will be so appreciated!

[Chadhoward82]

Are you guys ready for this?!  I have figured it out!  Im just like everyone here I have been itching my legs for over three years now and hating every minute of it.  My girlfriend cant sleep good at night and I cant sleep at all.  All of you are right about how to treat it and im going to tell you why.  I just figured it out after I saw these posts and talked to a random person that i knew.  I did alot of research and if you dont believe me you can look it up as far and long as you want and it will all come back to one thing!  SULFATE!  We are all allergic to sulfate!  
Wo wo wo  I now your all screaming for more.. so ill feed you baby birds!

People who quit eating bread and felt better well guess what?  Bread has sulfate in it.  A lot of foods have sulfate it, and when i say a lot i mean A LOT!  But most of these foods have low dosage in them so they dont bother us unless you eat a crap load of sandwiches (like me, im a sucker when it comes to meat and cheese between to thick slices of....) sorry lost focus.  Where was i... O yeah.  So the foods that use this sulfate, use it to keep foods fresh longer by keep fruits from browning to quick and bacteria growing on them.

Ok, now for the people that have to use unscented products and all that air smelling like nothing stuff.  Yuck!  Well your right!  Most of the good stuff has sulfate in it.  This sux!  I dont know about you guys but i like to smell good, especially for the ladies!  No girl ever says "I like the way you smell like nothing, it reminds of a time of no where"!  And before it was worth it, smelling good all day for a sleepless night of hell.  Ehh now that im spoken for,  hell no!  Give me the unscented crap!  But dont give up! There are alot of companies that make NON-SULFATE shampoos/soaps etc.. So scrub away with that ocean breeze!

Next.....The stress/depression folks,  well hey let me make it easy for you.  Stress/depression = more food = more.... you guessed it..SULFATES!!!!  and to make it worse alot of the medications for those problems have some kind or other sulfate-ish ingredient in them.  Sorry guys cheer up everything will be ok.  Look at the bright side at least you will smell good!

Oh and this, what im about to tell you, i think is the worst part of being allergic to sulfate.  So, i live in a big city in Florida thats always cutting corners to save money, called Jacksonville.  I have only been here for a little over three years. Huh,  thats about how long Ive had the itchy leg itus.  What happens is that natural waters/springs contain a high level of sulfate and the cities with the crappy water purification habits tend not to filter all of it out,  So this why we all get those little red, five minute rashes when we get out of the shower along with the bloodshot or itchy eyes.  O that reminds me temperature does matter too, cause your body tries to secrete this when your allergic to it to get it out of your body so it tries to push it out of your pores. Thats why saunas are bad for us (if we r not watching what we eat/drink if so, then they rock!) cause we leak sulfate that irritates the skin.  Hot showers feel awesome until we get out into the steam filled room,

So yes everyone is right for dulling or suppressing the symptoms with their methods and most of you were right with the problem you just didnt know why.  So now we do know, and i dont know about you but im feeling better all ready!

So if you want to still eat/drink/use all of that stuff that contains sulfate go right ahead just limit your intake, or saltwater bath after, or lotion, or run with natural honey in your mouth into the ocean with fresh sunscreen and dont forget the unscented lotion afterward to keep all the salty moisture in.  Hey as long as it works keep doing it just keep in mind the real cause of all our agony.  SULFATE, F^*#ing SULFATE, i hate you, you ruined my beautiful hairy legs!

If you are parents definitely look at these web sites cause if your kid has asthma sulfate can hurt them also.

Just so everyone knows that this allergy is just a random occurrence to random people nothing causes this as far as they know but for some reason though ever place i read said it happens to people more it there twenties.  Hmm two more years and ill be 30 so hopefully ill be safe.

Here is a website that has all the foods that contain sulfate
http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/sulfites.htm

and for those skeptics that dont believe me here is a website that you can start your own research with
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/32915/what_is_a_sulfate_allergy_and_how_will.html

Its not all the research but its a good place to start.

I hope this helps everyone!

Good luck and quit scratchin!

[Chuck505]

I've had this very same itching problem for about 15 years. Mine is most prominent in the cold months. My itching is on my lower legs usually on the shin or calf and the itch seems to track down the vein. The itching/scratching is usually in the evening-early morning, very intense and will sometimes end with blood. I found that I was able to get a little relief when I was a smoker. When it would wake me up in the middle of the night I would go have anywhere between 1/2 and a whole cigarette and it would dull the itch to where I could go back to sleep. My mother said her dad had the same issue and that his Dr. prescribed a med for it, it was a steroid and when I looked it up it was primarily used for (low, I'm guessing) blood pressure issues. I told this same story to my Dr. and she told me to stop taking hot showers. I wanted to choke her and say it's not dry skin!!!!

So in my opinion, my situation could be a blood pressure issue, (that is hereditary, my grandfather and my oldest daughter). Though my blood pressure has never been an issue, maybe when my heart is beating it's slowest in sleep it's dropping to a point that causes this itching and waking me up. My grandfather had the steroid Rx and smoking which boosts blood pressure are my clues.

I came searching tonight to see if maybe this sensation we're feeling and assuming is itching really is something else hence why scratching just won't make it go away.

[74years]

Same problem as all of you  74 yrs male . Iching for the last 3 yrs
I have no long term solution but I believe its all blood related
What do I do ? use J&J baby oil and lots Keep the skin soft, when it get realy bad I go to the hand held shower and sray HOT water on my leggs for about 3 min
That veel so good plaster it with J&J bay oil good for about 24 Hr

[halene]

Chad i think you hit it on the button, no you did, i have suffered this problem for many yrs.my dad had the problem to and when i started dealing with itchy legs, i said oh  no there gonna look like dads and i'm just like him.. well few yrs back i had an alergic (allergic) reaction to some prescription medication that contain sulfate in it, never thought about the connection with the itchy legs,and i like alot of toast for breakfast, i do not eat alot of sandwhiches,and like many others on here it's not all the time , it flares up mostly in cold weather. or when severe weather comes on, beleive it or not, but sulfate comes from the ground, i would assume, we must have such a connection with our earth.. funny to say.... i will watch what i eat with sulfate in it thanks chad

[Talk2megoose]

Hi all,

I came to this site hoping to find some answers about my own itching problem. My problem is a bit different than the ones discussed. What happens to me is about a quarter of a mile of walking or jogging my legs begin to itch. They usually itch behind my knees and on my lower thighs. My legs become red and you can see my pores or hair follicles (not sure which). The itching just almost makes me mad and it also causes mild nausea. I have to just stop where I am and scratch. I am only 28 years old and this has plagued me for quite some time. I just want to exercise and not be held back. I have the ability to keep on walking or jogging, I just cant stand to because I want to scratch my legs until I bleed. I have tried allergy medicine, topical and oral and still nothing.

[ItchyScratchy907]

I am reading all of these posts because my ankle/lower shin and calf on my left leg has been itch on and off for about 5 months.  I have no idea what is causing it.  I get some temporary relief when i put Cortizone 10 on it after the shower in the morning, but by mid afternoon I am itching again. I get NO relief from anti itch creams, anti fungal creams, tea tree oil might have helped a little but it stung.   And the itch is so unbearable that I scratch until I am bleeding.  I have nothing to show on my legs except scabs from the scratching that never seem to heal entirely, the itch is on and off consistantly, and it is so frustrating.  

[momtoo2bs286]

I am a late started to this website but trust me I have been searching for an answer forever! I first noticed the severe itching during the last 3 months of my last pregnancy, of course this type of itching is common in pregnancy so I assumed it would go away once she was born. It has now been 4 months and I continue to have what I can only call"severe itching " on my lower legs and arms. The term itching doesnt even touch it though , it feels like someone is pouring acid on your skin or stabbing little needles in your leg. The crappy thing is it doesnt itch like a bug bite so there is no relief from scratching. my itching usually starts very early morning say between 3-4 a.m. Trying to stand in one place to get ready is excruciating. I also have a very very hard time after a shower. I dread my nightly shower because I know the outcome, if possible I will take benadryl 30 mins prior ... sometimes it helps sometimes it doesnt. I no longer can us a razor to shave because the after effects are too hard to cope with, I have since switched to the hair removal creams and although it helps a little it doesnt eliminate it altogether. I cant take anymore, it gets so bad it drives me to tears. Anyone in the same boat with the stabbing/acid being poured on your skin feeling?

[smcgovern]

HI... my dad has an itch for the last few months... occurs mainly at night... would have to itch so hard to draw blood.. the itch is from ankle to mid calf on both legs..

any suggestions in what it could me or what the problem is... please and thank you

[Lazulii]

i see this is quite a recurring problem with alot of people especially women =O heres my story, when i was 16 it started for lets say 3 weeks, i tried allsorts, eczema cream - e45 blah blah. then all the sudden it went, now, being 20 it has returned with a vengence.

The only way i can describe this itching is like having athletes foot all over your shins and thighs, although it doesnt go passed mid-thigh. if you have ever had athletes foot you shall know how insane that makes you.

Last time i had this itching it drove me insane too, i even have a scar above my knee where i scratched too hard because it was driving me nuts. I think it may be linked to warm weather, i live in the UK and it seems to crop up in warm weather (as we dont have alot of it ¬¬)

also i tried deducting my pill, i used to take microgynon then switched to logynon and now back to microgynon again and its recurred when ive been on the microgynon pill. But now i cant even use that as an excuse because ive heard men having the itching.
Although im pretty sure its hormonal somehow, pregnancies ive heard of it cropping up alot.

Even so i am no doctor, and no one knows how to get rid of this damn itching!

i thought it wise to post my comment as the more stories people hear maybe it will make a bigger picture.

My sympathies go out to all of you who have this =( but the best thing for me is taking my mind off of it, but i know i know it occurs when im trying to get to sleep too!

[bill23460]

I have had the same problem for about 9 months.
I found that an antihistamine tablet taken at night so it doesn't make you drowsy the next day stopped it after a couple of days.
My problem was definitely an allergic reaction, to what I have no idea but at least I can stop it now.
Good Luck
Bill

[SadieJean]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!! I'm 20 and I've had severe itching after getting my legs wet for as long as I can remember! at 16 I stopped shaving my legs and started having them waxed because I couldn't stand it anymore and that helped for a while but it's since come back worse than ever!! Now it's started on my arms too particularly after a shower but also when I go to bed, in the morning and when I change my clothes as anything that causes friction causes my legs to itch (which has now led to me avoiding certain items of clothes like jeggings/ jeans for fear of taking them off)! I'm pretty sure it's not washing powder or anything like that as it seems to be more bearable for a few months at a time whilst still using all of the same products. Also I'm not sure if it's aggravated by hormones as a certain points in my cycle its so bad I cry at least once a day!
I'll try anything if anyone else has any solutions!

[eeeeeeeeeeee]

I too had this problem. What is really needed when there are skin irritations is Omega 3, 6, and 9. You can get the pills at the health food store. Try to get one that is not made with fish oil. You can also find them here: www.********.com. I also purchased a skin brush from vitacost. I brush my legs and entire body before going to bed. This has worked wonders. Hope this helps.

[pom818]

Hi, I have found all the responses very interesting and i am pleased that people are experiencing the symptons ie. the intense feeling like pins being stuck in your legs and the crazyiness it makes you feel.
If anybody can help with my problem it would be great.  

I get itchy thighs in the Fall/Winter after a shower, extreme itch, redness and hives.  It goes after one hour with Lancarne and anit hestimine.  I am trying to work out what causes it.  It started 2 years ago when i moved into this house (wooden in winnipeg built in 1970) at the same time i had a baby so I am not sure if it's a hormonal thing or to do with the air in this house.  Other symptons i have suddenly had in the last 2 years, dermatitis and fungal toenails.  I suspect there is mold in this house and i am describing symptons caused by mold.  what do you think?  Any advice would be welcome.

[amyjade21]

I've also had this same itching, but i'm not in my twenties, im 17!
It only really happens during the warmer seasons when I get out of the shower. I did go to my doctor about it, because i have long nails, so when I do itch i normally do it so hard I bleed, that's how irritating it is.
Anyway, my doctor told me it's occuring because my legs are too dry, and sorbolene should make it stop.
Hope that helps.
Also, Chadhoward82, your explanation makes a lot of sense, but mine isn't due to food, it's the water, and I live in Australia. But I am aware that there is sulfate in the water. So thank you, your infomation was a great help. =]  

[jonadams]

I have had much of the same leg itching problem as most people are describing.  I also tried lots and lots of things.  My problem is worse in winter as it is so dry where I live - in Winnipeg.  One consistent thing I realized is that when I get undressed and my legs are exposed to air I get itchy.  What I discovered was to use a very heavy hand cream - I like Glysomed by far the best.  But it is greasy and sticky when you put a lot on.  I put quite a generous amount on and the put on pantyhose.  That was I can still wear pants over or if I am at home I just wear shorts.  If I do this about 3 nights a week my skin totally clears up.  I think it is as much the pantyhose because it keeps the air off the skin.  Also, the Glysomed really helps with getting the skin healthy and naturally oily - in a positive way.  Guys, don't think this can't work for you because it is pantyhose.  I am a guy.  There is nothing wrong with wearing pantyhose, especially if it is effective.  Actually, my wife likes seeing them on me.  

[believinginGod]

I have itchy legs at night and put urine on a paper towel and put it on my legs and the itching went away instantly. I was putting urine in my bath water for a year before I even told my wife.It's embarrassing I know so juat do it and don't tell anyone you are. I clawed and clawed my legs hoping each one would be the last until I gor desperate enough to try this and it worked instantly. I don't know if I am allergic to sulfates or what but this works every time and if I stop the itching comes back.

[believinginGod]

Actually I used a kleenex not a paper towel.

[Wisnhmr]

I've had the same issue with my legs, itching burning needle like stabbing. Crazy. It definately is an allergy, because when I forget to take my Zyrtec it's worse or reappears.  What I recently found out is I'm allergic to Aspartame.  Especially Crystal Light.  Weird, I know. I stopped drinking crystal light and slowed down on diet soda, and I have not had anny midnight burning itchy legs.  Occasional dermatits, dry skin itch, but livable.  Thanks chad for the Sulfer info. I'm totally going to look into it.  I've also started laser on my legs for the coarse hair and it's working.  The burn has not returned.  good luck all

[shrtexas]

I can't tell you how relieved I am after reading all of these posts.  I am in the same boat!  The itching occurs on my lowers legs (below the knees) and occasionally on my arms - NEVER  anywhere else.  It is most common in the morning and at night before bed. It's often triggered by a shower or swimming in the pool, but sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere. It feels like a burning, itching, pins and needles sensation from the inside out.   I have been to 3 doctors and they all had different solutions - none of which worked.  I get some relief from Benadryl or a super, super hot shower or bath.  I am 36 years old and I first noticed the problem when I was pregnant -  about 7 years ago, during my last trimester. Now, I'm thinking the sulfate thing may make sense.  Let me tell you why... I recently went on a diet called "Ideal Protein."  As partof that diet, I had to give up carbs (which means I didn't eat any bread for 2 months).  I ate the pre-packaged, protein rich food, 6-8 ounces of meat a day and 4 cups of veggies a day.  I also gave up diet soda.  I only had the "itches" once during that 2 months. I'm back to eating normally again and I am itching 3 to 4 times a week.  I'm going to research this further and take the information back to my doctor.  Thanks Chad for the valuable info and the comic relief!

[kaylagray25]

hi my name is kayla gray im 18 and this is my first pregnancy. i have been experiancing severe itchy legs for a week now. what can i do to make is stop?