severe arm itching

my dad has had the same thing in the same place for 7+ years... now i friggin' have it...my arm itch sooooo bad ... keeps me up all night.. ruining my job... i'm 33 and it never happened before... i move from new mex back to Pennsy... i thought it was something in my parents house.. so i moved... now its happening here... and i'm keeping me and my girlfriend up at night.. this becoming a major problem... i gave up with doctors.... for relief..(very temp or not all..) large amounts of benadryl or prednesone... i know.. you don't have to tell me the side effects of either.. it f'ing *****..not sure what else to do... its 1030 now .. i should be sleeping.. tomorrow is already ruinded for work... had to cancel a 6am job because i know ill be up all night..

[mondo57]

I could not be more sympathetic.  I have suffered from the exact same condition for over 30 years.  doctors assume you are crazy, and believe me I have tried every medication there is with no relief.
However, there are a few things you can do to make it through the long nights when you're about ready to kill yourself.
First and quickest, though short term, ice. Get some of those gel freezer bags they use for athletes, and keep them frozen.  (i have half a dozen on hand at all times).  Place them on the itchy areas , (directly, not wrapped in any kind of cloth or it isn't cold enough to help).  That usually calms things down to where it is at least bearable.
Second, try not to expose your arms to any sunlight.  I know this is tough, but I think this has something to do with a sensitivity to sunlight.  I also think that heat will bring it on, so try to sleep with your arms outside the covers, keep your bedroom cool, and try sleeping in light long sleeve shirts. (I know how this sounds, but as I say I have been dealing with this for 30 years so I have come to some pretty valid conclusions I think).
for longer term treatment, try getting some raw aloe, (you can usually get them at the grocery store), some colloidal oatmeal, and some dried chamomille.  Scrape the gel out of the aloe, mix it with equal parts oatmeal and chamomille, and run it through a blender to make a smooth gel.  Keep this in the fridge, and slather it on as often as you want.  Theres nothing in it that will bother you , (you could eat it if you wanted to).  Be sure to put it on before bed, and hopefully you will find it will get you through most of the night at least.
Wish you the best.  You are not alone, there are hundreds (or more likely thousands) of fellow sufferers who have been dissed by the medical community.  Hope this helps.  Wish I had better news.
Let me know if any of this works for you.  I am kind of collecting info from fellow sufferers to see if we can find a solution