Severe Itchy Arms

[SFAnnie]

I cannot believe that there were so many posts that described my problem exactly. I have suffered from unbelievable burning/itchy arms for over 25 years.  Ice was the only thing that gave me relief.  I scratched until I bleed and it came and went with the most severe problems in winter and at night.  Same pattern for so many of you who posted here.   I have been to 22 different doctors - dermatologists, internists, neurologists, Therapists, Herbal remedies,  Acupuncture - no answers at all.

Then I find this web site and people are talking about Chiropractic relief.  I never would have thought of that. I went to 3 sessions in the last 3 weeks and have not had the same burning sensation since.  I have slight itching, but not the deep down pain that I felt before.  From your postings I found that this is called Brachioradial pruitus and that it is real and I am not crazy.  Just thought I would share the bit about my Chiropractic relief.  For hose who found chiropractic relief earlier,  how often do you go?  I am waiting a month now to see what happens, but considering I was in the midst of a very bad dose of it, I cannot believe that it appears to be working.   The logic is that the “itch” is nerve pain radiating down the arm due to pinched nerves in the neck.  I always knew it wasn’t really an “itch” since there was no way you could ignore it!  Wow.  Wish I knew this years and years ago. Thank you to everyone who posted!  

[Penny1956]

I itch from my shoulder to my elbow.  I have red bumps & is warm. I have Never had this before.  It will wake me up at night. Sometimes I cannot sleep for hours.  I have scratched so bad that my arms will bleed and I have even bruised myself using the back side of a brush.  I like to sleep on my side and I thought maybe my arm got hot and started itching.  I am under a lot of stress. I have been using Ice & heat & Hydrocortisone cream. The cream and the ice work for a little while.  I didn't know if I could get a shot to get rid of this itching. I'm also wondering if I got bit by something that caused this.  It is driving me nuts.  It feels like million pinchy stingy bites all at once.  It is awful.  I wear long sleeved shirts to work because people freak out when they see it.   HELP

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be brachioradial pruritis. Brachioradial pruritis is an intense itching sensation of the arm usually between the shoulder and elbow of either or both arms. The itch can be so intense that sufferers will scratch their own skin to a bleeding condition.
The main cause of BRP is not known but there is evidence to suggest that BRP may arise in the nervous system. BRP may be attributed to a neuropathy, such as chronic cervical radiculopathy.

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.