burning itch below skin on forearm

[subcan]

I read the following post in this forum.  This is exactly the type of itch I get.  It is not always present.  I have actually gone for about two months with no itching at all.  Now I am awake at 4:30am with such intense burning itch just under my skin.  I cannot itch it better, but this is what my skin screams for.  I feel like I could take a knife and cut off the top of my skin so that I can get to the actual itch.  
I wonder if it is stress related in any way.  I don't have any "known" stresses at this moment, but maybe there is something.  It has been about one hour now and the burning is subsiding a bit.  
Any help on this would be great.

by peepot, Jan 23, 2004 12:00AM
help!!!  FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS I HAVE HAD AN ITCHY RASH ON MY FOREARMS. ONLY ON FOREARMS.  IT BEGINS AS AN INTENSE STINGING AND BURNING ITCH ALMOST AS IF SOMETHING IS DEEP DOWN UNDER SKIN AND IS EATING OR STINGING ME.  IT JUMPS BACK AND FORTH FROM LEFT TO RIGHT ARM OFF AND ON.  NO CREAMS OR OINTMENTS RELIEVE ITCH. THE ONLY THING THAT ARRESTS THE ITCH IS AN ICE PACK.  THE ITCH IS ALMOST ALWAYS WORSE LATE IN THE DAY AND AT NIGHT. I WORK FOR A PHYSICIAN AND SOMETIMES (no joke) A DIFFICULT PATIENT  OR STRESSFULL SITUATION WILL START THE BURNING ITCH. I HAVE A SCABBY FOREARM RIGHT NOW FROM SCRATCHING SEVERELY 2 DAYS AGO DURING THE EXAMINATION OF A VERY DIFFICULT PATIENT.  I HAVE BEEN TO A DERMATOLOGIST AND TRIED VARIOUS OINTMENTS AND CREAMS.  IS THIS A FORM OF ECZEMA OR SOMETHING PSYCHOLOGICAL?? i NEED HELP, I AM SCARRING UP MY FOREARMS.  PLEASE SOMEONE RESPOND.



This discussion is related to Burning and painful skin.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Differentials in your case will be atopic dermatitis, an allergic dermatitis , contact dermatitis and an allergic reaction to some unknown trigger.

Dermatitis or eczema usually presents with a reddish rash which may be weeping or excoriated due to frequent scratching.Border of the rash is not well demarcated and there are tiny  vesicles or lesions containing fluid in the involved area.

As this is usually aggravated by excessive emotions and also noted to  usually  occur at night,stress and hormones may be involved here.

Are you taking any form of medications?

Are the topical medication effective?

Oral antihistamine at bed time may be able to help.This may be a form of hypersensitvity reaction and determining the possible triggers may be difficult but essential.So continue to observe any food, event,conditions or activities that may cause the itchiness.An allergic skin test may help.

[weezer55]

I have had this same stinging itchy  for a couple of years now.  Occurs off and on,  I have noticed stress/nerves   is when mine usually occurs.  It can make you climb the walls.....     I am like you ,  the only relief is to apply ice.   I have not gone to a Dematologist,  we just do not have a good one in our area.    But I have searched for answers.      I also notice anytime I am in  "direct hot sunlight"    it will also start .    I am wondering if it is somekind of  "skincancers"    because I can feel many little bumps,   not  rash like .     But if you ever have it you can not sit or lie still,     It is the most uncomfortable stinging itching feeling I have ever had,  and I am  55 years old.      I did go in the sun an awful lot as a teenager and now am wondering if it could be related to ....     Wow,  I wished someone had an answer.....   And the bad thing,   you just never know when it is gonna strike .  

[oreo717]

I also have this burning, stinging itch under my skin.  I hadn't had it in almost a year and out of the blue, it returned.  It is always on my arms, always either upper of lower, never both at the same time and always one arm, never both at the same time.  I do not know of any stress that I would have to make it come back.  I do not have any allergies. An ice-pack is the only thing that helps at all.  I am desperate to find out what this is and what causes it!!  It can make a person want to climb the wall, it is very painful.

[Zorno]

I have similar symptoms - forearms only, possibly sun related as it has consistently come up every mid august.  Interestingly enough, it started one year after I was playing with a young (but large) dog.  I was teaching it to stop mouthing, tempting it with my forearms and then correcting the behaviour.   He never bit hard, and learned, but I was always curious if this may have initiated some form of perennial infection or allergy as it comes back around the same time each year and lasts for a very annoying month.  Is that more likely just coincidence with the likely problem being sun related?  I seem to be suffering from allergies around this time of year more intensely than I ever have (actually, I never did until about 5 years ago)

[weezer55]

I really think this stinging itch is  "sun related"  because once the summer heat is gone and fall and winter is here I never have it.  I usually starts about in June through August or September.   But I just feel going to the Dr. would be a waste of time and money,  he would only be guessing just like we are .    Mine will not even be bothering me and in the middle of the night,  sound asleep,  will wake me up stinging,  and have to get up and apply ice to get it to stop ...   Drives you crazy...

I really dont think it is a "perennial infection",  but I bet there is a name for it,  and hopefully a cure for it ...

[whitealleycat]

I have the exact same thing on my forearms.  Sunlight has aggravated it several times over the years. I would only get it occasionally in the summer months once or twice in sevearl years.  I thought it was caused by the Sun, but a holiday in Cuba never brought it on.  Finally this summer I have narrowed it down to an allergy to Cherries.  I had Cherries for three or four days and it appeared, usually worse at night.  I stopped eating cherries and it went away.  Finally today I ate a bowl of them (fresh with pitts) and have had a few tingles, indigestion and horrific gas.  I would bet that many are suffering an allergy that they need to identify.

[navymom8]

I have had the itch described - on forearms and now on upper arm - left side.  Doctors have declared it stress reaction - but I really wonder. Have you heard of other food triggers?  I have wondered about caffeine - since I drink more coffee when stressed, I have thought this could be a trigger.  Or at least exacerbate it.
I have tried ointments - Aveeno seems to work the best, but not a big improvement.  As mentioned ice packs are a real relief - but it's a bit hard to go out and about with a gallon size bag of crushed ice strapped to my forearm. (I will say that 7-eleven stores have been great about letting me get free crushed ice when I am away from home, I just fill my ziplock baggie and am on the road again:)
I am experimenting with oral antihistamines now - but so far can't tell if anything is working.  The sporadic nature of the itch makes it hard to tell if it is subsiding because of medication or just going away on its own for a while.  It is so irritating, and really does limit activity to a degree - because it is so embarrassing to be clawing my arm when out with friends, or working.  Feels like I am wearing fiberglass insulation on my arm.
I am willing to try anything that someone has found that works.  
Thanks for the advice,

[itchymanoldman]

Hi,
I visited this website about a year ago and was surprised at how many people suffer from this problem of 'itchy' forearms (usually only one arm at a time). The description of how terrible the itch was exactly matched my symptoms - my doctor was no help (creams etc., didn't help) - he couldn't get past the fact that it only seemed to appear on one arm and might sometime later come on the other forearm. It was not logical to him. I was sent to a specialist and he said I should cover up and stay out of the sun - I concluded that he should follow his own advice but at least he didn't have to pay me an exorbitant fee from my useless thoughts.
Anyway, I seem to have stumbled on the cause (at least for me) by accident - I stopped buying multi-grain bread and have not eaten any for sometime and the itching stopped. To test my theory, I purchased a loaf after 6 months of NO itching and it came back again the same day I had eaten the bread. I don't know what grain or what ingredient is causing the problem but the multi-grain bread (9 grain in this case) is the culprit. Now I think back to when it first started to affect me I realise that it was at the same time I started on what I thought was a healthy choice of bread. Try this solution - I swear it has worked for me even though I have not isolated the ingredient or grain causing the problem. I no longer get the itch - thank God!