arm itching

[Queenie55555]

I searched for arm itching which lead me to you blong1717 and others who suffer from arm itching. I too am so glad to see that I am not the only one. I have had this for 4 years now. Mine started out with poison ivy (which I thought was the problem) for the first summer even tho I still itched at times in the winter. The second summer I got it again and went to my Dr. and got a shot. When the poison ivy was gone I knew that was not the problem as the itching still occurred into the winter and ever since. I have been to my Dr. twice for this and was prescribed creams, which neither one helped. She told me I needed to see a skin Dr. I have not done this yet and see that so many of you have and still have no solution. I figured this would be my outcome and they would come up with nerves for the answer and I too would have no solution. I am over 40 yrs old. No new soaps, medicines or anything different that I am doing or using to cause this. Your description of the itching is so RIGHT ON I know that we suffer the same exact thing! It is so much more than an itch. It is like the nerve endings are going crazy! I have given into this itch so many times. What an episode of hours I go through. Sometimes crying hysterically. Like bee stings on every spot of the itch. It is like a pain itch. I have taken asprin, benedryl, other prescription creams, lotions, washing with soap, to just washing my arm with hot or cold water. Cold water is the best. I too use ice which is the best way to help. To sleep I put a cold washrag on my arm or arms and wrap with an ace bandage. When I have them wrapped I slap my arms up and down very hard, the pain is soothing compared to the itch. I see another person used a wooden spoon, glad to see I'm not the only one. I have given myself black and blue marks, isn't that sick! I've rinsed my arms with bleach after digging my arms (I have caused scabs just to rescratch later and bleed) which stings bad but feels good to relieve the itch for a minute. My itching was two years on both arms from my shoulder down to my wrist. Sometimes just a 3x3 area and sometimes in different areas at a time. Last year it was just my left arm and lately it is both of my arms. Right now it is the worse with both from top to wrist but always only on the outside of arms not inside. In reading others arm itching I see a pattern, I too Love the SUN. I am positive that over exposure to the SUN has caused this, So what is it? Any Dr.'s out there? There is no rash, the skin looks normal. It can go for long periods of time with no itching at all. It can be in a small area at a time on one arm or a large areas. It mostly starts itching at NIGHT. I hope this will be posted for others to see. Please let me know if anything helps.


This discussion is related to Sever arm itching.

[NurseNurse]

I too experience intense itch, tingling, skin crawl sensation in the area described as brachioradial pruritis. I have it predominantly at night- I wake up scratching constantly, and nothing other than ice packs provides relief. I did have cervical neck manipulation and Chinese cupping last time it became intolerable and for some time it did go away, however it has now returned again and may have coincided with the onset of the summer weather and/or a holiday to a tropical destination, or just be a relapse. I am going to revisit a chiropractor and have further cupping to see if I can get some relief from this frustrating and exhausting condition!! My skin is quite tanned and freckly but other than a slightly thickened dermal layer as the result of my constant scratching there is nothing to see....it seems the more I scratch the more intense tingling, itching, skin crawling it is felt. I try to distract myself or ignore the itch but I too have taken to slapping my arms as the sting is much better to cope with than the itch.
It seems from all the web reading I have done that there are many people suffering these symptoms but unfortunately very little is known of the condition as most Drs etc want to treat it as a dermatitis condition whereas I feel it's it's definitely a nerve generated tingling itch, and is particularly worse at night time. I think it's important to share our experiences with others as there really is so little known treatment available. I was interested to read that some one takes 600mg ibuprofen at night and seems to have some relief from that. It does make sense to use an anti-inflammatory to help with the symptoms .... So I'll be giving that a try tonight!!
Please keep posting any ideas, suggestions as there are a lot of us out here looking for answers... I hope to be able to share some successful outcomes in my next post!! Warm wishes for a good nights rest to all who are reading this!!

[highlandmonster]

thanks for the information, due to the severity and reocuurring problem i was forced to search the web for an answer as the so called experts, my doctor for example does not know what the problem is.
ive had this problem for over 5 years, dont know the cure yet , glad to know i,m not the only sufferer, but why no-one knows the answer to this is just as puzzling to me as the incredible itching which also makes me feel is some sort of severe skin affliction that can also spread to other parts of the skin over the whole body. This is mainly to my left arm but has been on the right arm too.
long sleeve shirts is something i started to use to distract me from the temptation more than anything to start the slightest scratch to relieve the pain as you suffererers know this only leads to a more stronger need to scratch. also i report a feeling of the whole skin organ feeling so dry.As i pause again to scratch the left arm in the middle outer arm between the elbow and hand is where it is at its worst these last few days. What i would like to describe to you fellow sufferers is that when i feel the pain i also think of taking one of those steel brushes that you use to scrub industrial ovens and scrapeing my arms down to the bone to get rid of the pain when it is at its worst- for gods sake someone has to do more research here so we dont have to suffer like this before someone ends up cuting their arm off

[jba14980]

Thank you for your excellant description. I have the identical problem. It also went away for several years only to return a few months ago. It's been off and on since then but mostly on. I wonder if any dermotologist has  take a skin sample and looked for a bacteria as the cause. I personnally feel that the cause is coming through my poors and that it's an internal expulsion of something. Both episodes seemed to corrolate to a period when I quite smoking. This time I have not smoked for 3 months. The itching started one month into it. I was thinking it could be a detoxing issue.

[Desrtdove]

Hi there Queenie and mauilt,

Come on over to the itchy arm=Brachioradial Pruritus forum under this same site. Many of us sufferers are there and can possibly provide you with the answers you seek. To much information to retype it all. We would love to have you and discuss the findings and possibilities with you!!!

[mauilt]

I have had the itching arm problem for a number of years, as described by others, it goes away, often for years, then returns.  I have it right now on my right arm.  The only thing that helps me is ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours, along with Sarna lotion. And ignoring it if at all humanly possible.  Try the advil, I think it helps calm down the nerve endings.  Good luck