Trust me on this one...

[damonhoff]

I am a physician assistant and finishing medical school now and have been through too many physiology classes to talk about it.  I have practiced medicine since 2001 in all types of surgery including general and vascular.  I have the itchy leg thing after showers and at night and worse in winter and I can tell you what it is...  This is primarily related to vasodilation of the superficial vessels(near the skin in common terms).  Yes prostacyclin induced histamine release may play a role but to speak plainly... keep your legs away from heat and anything else that dilates skin vessels(ie heating blankets, too many blankets)  Alcohol can also induce a peripheral vasodilation that causes similar symptoms.  If you want to test my theory go out in the winter and let your feet get really cold (ie skiing, sled riding-try not to get frostbite...that will make this sound like a really bad experiment)  When you come in the house put your feet under warm bathwater before giving them a good chance to acclimate...if this induces the symptoms thats probably all it is.  Some of you may have other things going on but this may just be your body responding in a normal physiologic way to an environmental stimulus(the skin is supposed to vasodilate in response to heat because it helps to keep your core body temperature from going too high by releasing heat through the skin .  Just like when it is cold out and your vessels in the hands vasoconstrict to prevent heat loss from the core.  


This discussion is related to Itchy legs, no sign of rash or irritation.

[Shelly14]

So I've been having this problem only for a couple of weeks now and it is already becoming unbearable! It is usually after I take a shower and sometimes when I work out (especially if it is during the winter). It brought to tears this morning as I was having to use a hair brush to satisfy an itch that wouldn't go away, and here I am at the end of the day and i am still slightly itching. I am 24 and have taken hot showers all my life, so i don't see how it will all of a sudden do this. Plus I live in Texas and can't exactly stay away from heat. Any suggestions of what else I can do to help this?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Have i answered one of your posts previously?
Do you have any known allergies?

Change in temperature,humidity, and other environmental factors may play a role in pruritus or itchiness. However,it is still  important that you observe other possible triggers that could cause your condition.A reaction to dust,chemicals in the water or from the shower,sweating and the use of unknown irritants such as creams and lotion may lead to itchiness.Oral antihistamines and topical corticosteroids (inform your physician prior to using any of these) may help.

However,they may only alleviate the itchiness temporarily.The underlying cause or trigger has to be ascertained so at least it may be avoided.

[ashtro23]

hi i am 23 and live in NH and have been experiencing the itchiness for probably close to ten years, or at least that is as long as I can remember.  I definately agree that it is due to changes in temperature, my itching starts when I get out of the shower, and also when I wake up in the morning and throw my warm covers off my legs and have them exposed to cooler air.  So I am just wondering what you can do to help this vasodilation?  I would freeze if I don't sleep with covers and I definately need to take hot showers.  I feel I generally have extremely sensitive skin and am allergic to metals (they give me a bumpy itchy rash).  Are there any creams that help? Has anyone come up with a name for this strange disorder we are all suffering from?!

[shamrock_i_am]

Hello. I have the itchy leg syndrome also and was wondering if you or anyone else reading this has ever heard of treatingit with PUVA (ultra violet light) therapy? I have read on other links that this has cured the itch for others. I happen to work in a dermatology clinic and I saw one of the M.D's who did some bloodwork to rule out any systemic conditions. She drew for liver, kidney, gall, bladder, thyroid and of course a complete blood count. All tests came back just fine. She told me that I have atopic dermatitis and gave me Triamcinolone cream to try for three weeks to try to stop the itch/scratch cycle. The cream does not work and as I tried to explain to her, it is not skin related, it is internal. I do beleive that it has something to do with histamines and blood flow, but I think there must be a cure. WE souldn't have to live with taking 5 minute cold showers

[gwen33]

I am a  41 year old woman who has suffered from this for quite a few years now. Going to doctors never helped because they were always clueless and made you feel like you were just crazy and could never help.  I suffer from this intolerable itching every time a take a bath, jog, & sometimes in the mornings after my legs were kept warm under the blankets all night. My itching is on my legs, under my buttucks, & alittle under my armpits. The legs are unbearable. I used to scratch so hard I would cause bruising.   I don't beleive it is from stress at all because at times I have no stress. Nor does it have anything to do with soaps, detergents, or dry skin. It must have something to do with either blood circulation , or the sudden change of temperatures (as when you are getting out of a warm shower, into the cold air).  I hate taking showers because I know I will suffer 20 minutes or so afterwards & can do nothing until it stops and my body temperature goes back to normal. Then I am ok. The longer I am in the tub, the more I suffer from the itching. The only thing I have known to do is to try to make the water alittle cooler, bathe quickly and get out fast, try not to expose yourself to the air conditioning, keep the legs dry and covered from the cool air so that there is no extreme temp. changes, and massaging the legs with a lotion helps too.  Its good to know we are not alone and we are not crazy.  I hope this helps in some way.

[shadowtear]

just to add to this string and talk to the doctor at the top who started this thread. i have had "itchy leg syndrome" for about 3 years. i live in england, not too hot over here =o) besides this i do NOT get the symptoms after showering or bathing and I like my water extreemly hot. I generally get it slightly during the day and intensly at night no matter it the heating is on / off, window open / closed, quilt on / off and no heated blanket. I have ruled out washing powder, chemicals, moisturisers, never been allergic to anything. one website suggested pressure hives but like hundreds of people I am drawing a blank to this problem. I am going to see my GP on monday as my poor partner finds me scratching my legs at night untill they bleed intolerable. I think some people my suffer from a slight reaction to extreem temperature change but not all. especially those that have tried everything and still have this problem. i agree with most that talk about this that our GPs probably think its in our minds or are slightly crazy but with all these people suffering the same sypmtoms and most doctors not knowing what the issue is then something is obviously a miss.

[joviprincess]

hi shadowtear, what did the doctor say?  I live in England too and have the same problem with my itchy legs at night, not after showers and my poor boyfriend also get very annoyed with my itching under the covers.  I have been thinking about going to the doctor about it but after reading so many posts on forums I have been put off.  So I wondered if it helped for you?

[Sarah223]

Damonhoff-

I have been suffering from severe itching on my legs and occasionally my arms and back for almost 5 years now. First I saw a dermatologist, then I saw my internist, who then referred me to my current allergist. He also claimed my itching was probably related to vasodilation, primarily since alcohol, hot water, humidity, sweating, shaving my legs, and chlorine seem to set it off and the only thing that helps at all are ice packs. My doctor has now put me on hydroxyzine, sudafed, xyzal, zantac, and several nasal sprays.

I'm a very complicated case in that I not only am dealing with this itching, but have Type 1 Diabetes, Crohn's Disease, and Sleep Apnea. I'm not sure if one of the medications I'm on has started this itching or not, but if so, it would likely be one of the Crohn's meds. I've found that the itching is the worst though if I let the hair on my legs grow too long or if I shave my legs (so it's pretty much a big Catch-22). Do you have any insight as to what may help additionally with the itching...I managed to scratch so hard several months ago I actually managed to get ringworm on my arm.

[darbee]

I have the same itchy legs. But for me if i dont take a hot bath the itching will be worst. It seems to be worst if i take a bath in the morning so i always take one at night. It also seems to be worst in the summer than winter. when I get up in the morning i cant wear socks because it will itch very bad. I dont scratch cause that seems to make it worst so I will sit and just rub my legs. I think it does have something to do with blood circulation and nerve endings.  

[StacieA]

Hi.  After reading these post I am almost in tears.  I too have been itching for at least 9 years now on my legs and sometimes on my arms.  It is the most intense, painful itching.  It is so helpful to know that there are other people out there that know what its like, know what I am going through.  I try to explain it to family and friends, even doctors and I always feel they dont truley grasp how interfering this is.  The earliest itching spell I can recall was around the age of 19.  It seems that it is worse in the morning after I get out of the shower.  I itch everyday, just on a different level.  Some morning the itching is at a 4 and some its a 10.  the 10's are what I call itch attacks.  I have learned to tolerate the 4 and 5 days, even though it is still very uncomfortable however the 10 days are not.  It seems once the itching hits its peak I cant do anything.  The pain and itching in so intense it brings me to tears, begging for it to stop.  Nothing seems to help.  Lotions, ice packs, laying down or putting something over the itching body part.  I have seen all kinds of dotors over the last 8 years and have tried all kinds of medication.  Allergist, dermatologist, neurologist and internal medicine doctors; lotions, lotions w/ steroids, antihistamine, anti-anxiety medication, anti-depression medications, medication for nerves; I have had tons of blood work as well as an EMG and MRI.  Nothing seems to help, no one seems to know what to do.  Has anyone found anything that helps?  Has anyone been diagnosed with anything?  I would love to talk to more people with some of the same symptoms.  It makes me feel better knowing there are people who understand and that I am not crazy, that this is real.