I hope the following helps:

I've had this condition for about 5 years now and :

I haven't used soap or any products containing Sodium L Sulphate for about 2 years - the itch persists;

I have moisturised before and immediately after a shower - it persists;

I have had the itch after a shower, fresh water river swimming, chlorine swimming pools, salt water swimming;

I have also had the itch from sweating after a hard work out;

I have also had the itch in extreme humidity (in Vietnam and Thailand);

I drink plenty of water yet it persists;

I haven't tried patting dry instead of rubbing so I might give this a go - thx for that.

My theory is that it has something to do with moisture remaining on the skin even after drying so I think the next thing I might try is a powder (talcum?) to absorb excess moisture after towel drying.

Here goes!!

Thanks to this forum for making me feel a bit more "normal". Good luck folks!

PS - I have also tried lowering the temperature of the shower just before getting out and this seems to help a little bit. - who knows?!

I've had this condition for about 1 year, perhaps just less.

I'm 21, male, and generally quite healthy. I drink more than enough water, exercise frequently, take a regiment of vitamins daily etc.

I get the itches on my lower legs mostly, but it frequently manifests on my shoulders and stomach. I tested changing soaps of all kinds, no soap, different water supplies and different temperatures. Nevertheless the itching still comes after ever shower. I have found one remedy (not cure), though.

When I feel the itching, I take one H1-antihistamine (I use Claritin). If I do this well before I shower, then I will feel next to no itching afterwards, and for roughly 4-5 days following. At that point I need to take another pill or the symptoms will come back. It's like clockwork.

Side note: When I itch I also get red, raised irritation on my skin, but only where I scratch.

It occurred to me that since this is tied to the histamine receptors (for me) it could have something to do with mold in the environment. My condition persisted when I went away, but I never was gone for more than 2 weeks so it's possible that wasn't long enough for my system to return to normal. Thoughts?

When this first started for me, I did only notice this after morning showers.The episodes are worse ten-fold in the morning, but now occurs whenever my skin is damp and exposed to air. For me, it seem pretty confined to my lower legs though the itch will occasionally occur in spurts on the back of my thigh or on my lower  arms but not with the intensity or duration of my lower legs.

It is very frustrating and near unbearable - definitely maddening at times - and causes stress levels to soar. Good luck to your boyfriend in finding a solution or combination of solutions that work for him.

I FOUND THE CAUSE AND CURE. I booked an appointment with a dermatologist, who said to me that this is just allegery to damp, humid, moist weather and anything wet, even sweat. He wrote me a prescription for a strong form of Reactine, which i couldnt afford. So i went and bought the on-the-shelf version of Reactine, the one that has these symptom reliefs: sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HIVES. Get the one that has hives as a sympton relief. Ever since ive been doing this, i have been cured. I take one pill before i go to the gym, cause i got itchy even from sweat and im good. I made sure to try with or without the pill and a world of difference. If that doesnt work for you, you might need the prescription version.

I FOUND THE CAUSE AND CURE. I booked an appointment with a dermatologist, who said to me that this is just allegery to damp, humid, moist weather and anything wet, even sweat. He wrote me a prescription for a strong form of Reactine, which i couldnt afford. So i went and bought the on-the-shelf version of Reactine, the one that has these symptom reliefs: sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HIVES. Get the one that has hives as a sympton relief. Ever since ive been doing this, i have been cured. I take one pill before i go to the gym, cause i got itchy even from sweat and im good. I made sure to try with or without the pill and a world of difference. If that doesnt work for you, you might need the prescription version.

I share this strange condition.  It seems the skin cells are most stimulated (itchy) from the evaporation of water.  As most of you know, lotions don't help.  In fact, lotions often make it worse because you are stimulating the skin more.  Try this remedy; it works for me.  I dry off in the shower then lotion up my legs before getting out.  The shower is very humid so there is minimal evaporation.  The legs are already dry and moisturized before they are exposed to the cold dry air outside the shower.  As many others have posted, it helps to get your pants or pajamas on fast.  I have experienced a ~95% reduction in the itching the last 10 days with this regimen.

I also have this problem with severe itching of my entire legs after I shower or bath. I take a zyrtec 15 minutes before I shower and it helps a little. I also use Gold Bond medicated anti itching lotion. It helps sometimes but not always. I try to pat dry, get dressed as quickly as I can. But most of the time nothing helps. If I try to distract myself by laying down and reading a book it goes away faster. I think stress and anxiety might have something to do with it. On the days that I am really stressed out it is worse and lasts longer.

i had the same problem and actually still have it sometime!! a while ago, it really could get me to cry cuz of it, but now i have found a small solution for the problem and that is to take showwer with a very warm water, and the problem is fixed!!! i still have problems with my legs, but not that much, it is just because of me, i am not showering them so much with the warm(almost hot) water!!!
JUST TRY, IT CAN REALLY WORK!!!!

I have this since my 18, over 15 years, irregularly, sometimes worse. As all of above, I have been searching, asking for help everywhere. I see interesting that many of us developed independently similar ways help the way out.

My symptoms:
- itchy legs after any shower, esp. morning.
- itchy arms - only sometimes
- starts in 5 minutes after drying
- bath is OK
- ANY type of water ignites itchy legs
- NO significant help when changing the lotion/soap - I tried almost everything on the market.
- NO difference if I'm tan or not
- cold water is worse than hot.

As I have read all posts since 2008 :-) I feel it has something to do with missing minerals (possibly magnesium). I'm heavy coffee addict, I try to drink adequate amount of water, but I think I could do better. So it is symptom that the body is missing something.

I started drinking way more water, have a caffeine pause and I can recommend the tip above with really HOT SHOWER at the end and get quickly dress up. I think the hot water "drug" the nerves for the crucial period of time so the itch is overloaded by hot.

Try an epson salt bath, heavy on the epson salt and soak for as long as possible and then either rub or use a bath brush and take off all the dead skin.  If you do this at least twice a month it will eliminate the problem.

I believe stress might trigger this, and lack of B Vit's.  After reading all the posts I have come up with this conclusion.  Stress causes the body to use up Vit B and if one is not getting enough of the B's this condition is a result, one of many.

I have experienced this condition all my life, growing up I suffered and through my early and late 20's I still suffered.  I started changing a few things and looking back over the past 8 years I have only had episodes very seldom, and it was thinking about it when I neglected the Vit B and the epson salt baths and was not drinking enough water...

So to recap, VitB's (also gets rid of restless leg syndrome - one should also look at calcium intake as well) and epson salt baths.

Hope this helps you all because it is really an awful thing to go through and the feeling of stress/fear before having a shower to get clean and not wanting to dare using soap on your legs!!
Please try this.

I didnt think a bout the effect of hot water but its very true. In the past weeks i have been taking hot showers but i slipped up this morning, i used cold water to wash of my legs without thinking.

To everyone that has gone through this HORRIBLE ordeal and have felt like you needed to be committed to a mental institution.... I found help!!! I cant count all the creams and techniques that I have tried NONE of them worked with any kind of regularity. I finally found a dermatologist that took me seriously and did some research.... He couldn't really tell me WHAT was causing it but he DID give something to help.. The previous posts on here that were saying that this problem was circulatory related were right I guess. He prescribed me Propranolol, 10 mg to take 20 to 25 minutes before I shower. He said he had read research that suggested that Beta Blockers would be effective... And lo and behold... I popped my pill, took my shower and held my breath.....I cried... But for the first time it was because I DIDN'T itch!!! That was 5 years ago... Like so many of you mine does come and go....After I was on it a couple of months I tried a shower without my meds...I didn't itch so I went off of them. I went for 2 years without it at all, then when i started itching, I went back on it...Ive been going back and forth ever since....So to all my fellow sufferers.....call your doctor!

'ithnomore', cheers for that tip, and everyone, i've spent last hour reading all the posts, this forum is the single best thing i've found in ages,

For me, had it few years now, symtoms (symptoms) are I get the severe itching after i shower, and can feel milder versions of the itchyness when the weather is calmy or humid,

For me, wat i found, when i go to the gym, or for a long run, (build up a big sweat),  then when I go to shower after the gym or running, I get no irritation, no itchyness. (seems like its ties in with the 'circulation' point alot of people made)

So I basically dont shower unless I've been to the gym or gone for a run.  

I found the advice on diets, yeast intolerance etc very interesting, as I eat alot of bread, could be factor,

But its great have all the advice on here, all the examples of what people have tried, I will be giving most of them a go. Puttin on the pyjama's straight after the shower.... I would NEVER of thought of that ;)))

Thanks to all, I feel little more normal now, knowing i'm not the only one with it

Wouldn't putting pj's on straight away be putting them on your wet legs? that would surely have to be uncomfortible!
and if would make your pj's wet

I don't get what everyone is calling a "survere iching" because i have had somthing silmalar for the last year but the itch is only annoying, not so much painfull.
It lasts me 30 mins to get over it (depends if i move around alot, if i move alot it stops quicker) but only starts as soon as I dry off.
I still havn't found what stops it for me exactly but I was begining to believe that it may have had somthing to do with the hairs and sweat building up on my legs because if the shower is too hot i sweat. I do somtimes have the same problem when I get out of a pool and thought maybe there was a small bug in the pool that was biting my legs. I am 14 and don't want to put up with it my whole life, my mum thought it may be the water or chlorine in it... going by the chlorine build-ups in the shower heads that quickly come back.
Two things that help me though is walking around after the shower once i'm dressed and holding the ichy spots not hard but just resting my hand on it tends to numb it up!

I get itchy after showers, I never shower in the morning or if sitting down relaxing etc cause it's slot worse. I shower straight away after coming in from work or after being active keep the water as close to room temp and put cloths on straight away and just rub lightly over the cloths if I feel a bit of itch and be grand after 10 minutes. I have had this all my life and I have been diagnosed with raynaud's phenomenon a good number of years ago I myself believe it could have something to do with it. The blood vessels react to extremes to different temps. Never itch when in hot countries swimming or showering and can walk around wet and naturally dry.  

I have had this itchy skin problem since 1979. I just happened to move states at that time and thought for awhile that was the problem, it wasn't. Have had all the tests and tried all the bogus "cures", here is what helps for me.
*Shower sparingly, twice a week.
*Use a non-soap cleanser like an oil soap or something, it doesn't have to be expensive to work.
*Use a thick lotion, but not too thick (bath and body works lotions work for me) lotion while still hot from the shower but mostly dry.
*Pat dry OR rub immediately if you get skin to roll off you like I do sometimes in a hot bathroom, then open the door and cool off.
*When you get the really bad itch in the winter or summer (both are bad for me) I go outside in bare feet (or on the cement basement floor) and the cold shock on my feet helps to soothe the rest of the legs up. Sometimes getting in the car with the air on high to blow up my pant legs helps a bit while the driving distracts me from the itch. Never put on shorts right after a shower it will entice you to scratch your skin raw even if unconsciously. *A cotton mumu is a good alternative, then turn the air temp down and stand on a cooler vent.
*Don't bother with expensive creams, soaps or cures as some may help for a time or two, then your skin gets used to it and it does nothing.
Especially don't bother with crap that smells bad.
*Shaving with a FRESH new razor is much better than a used one.
*Using lots of baby oil, non soap lather or hair creme rinse to shave with helps keep the razor burn down which is a must!
*I cannot shower before bed, the heat stays in my skin and keeps me itching all night.
   All the hoopla over sodium laurel sulphate is just that- hoopla. If you want to know for sure try showering with a soap without it and washing your hair in the sink separately so the shampoo doesn't get on your skin. I have.
    I gave up all kinds of soda for two years, nothing. Didn't drink caffeine for years, ate well, took vitamins, even prenatal ones, no dice.
   Itching while pregnant is bad, but trying to get yourself and a child dressed while you are itching to the point of pain while at a public pool or gym is horrible since people just look at you like you are a freak. Explain as best as you can to your significant other what it is like- if he has ever had poison oak it is a good place to start. Enlist his help with the kids. When we had a season pass to a water park I would shower the girls then send them out to dad who would have a table or blanket saved in the shade to sit and wait for me to get myself through the process of getting outside alone.
   Often wondered if the poison oak, severe chicken pocks and severe sunburns I got before age 12 were part of the problem, but my daughter has inherited the same problem and she never had poison oak, her chicken pocks were mild and she was always covered in sunscreen as a kid ( I never was).

I live in London, where the water is harsh, compared to countryside locations. There's lots of lime in the water and it dries on the surface of absolutely everything. Basically, the water's really hard. When showering, you are essentially replacing your naturally produced surface oils, with hard water and this irritates. It also really dries out your skin. Swimming pools are, basically,  filled from the tap, so in hard water areas, you'll have the same problem. The added Chlorene is a chemical, and this will also irritate your skin.

Incidentally, I now shower every other day and my itchiness has gone away. Basically, by showering every day, you aren't giving your body enough time to repair itself after hard water.

If you problem resists, even after reducing your showering regularity, why not install a shower filter? They attach between the hose and the shower head, filtering out the harsh lime and Chlorene content in tap water.

I hope this helps.

Hello all,
Glad i'm not alone and others have this problem.
Myself, my brothers and my dad all get this to a greater or lesser degree and have done for most of our lives.
I am going to spell out my symptoms becasuse from reading the posts it sounds like some of us may have different things wrong.
Itchy legs (mainly below knee) and arms - nothing on torso or back.
Morning showers are worse (ohhh way worse)
Pool water and sea water are worse than shower water
Sometimes swimming in river water does it and sometimes it doesnt.
Moisturising makes no difference (baby oils, aromatherapy oils, creams, body butters)
Shaving is scarey itchy - however i've found if i shave with moisturiser and not water at all its fine.
Water temperature has no effect
i live in western australia so very hard water however i grew up in scotland where the water is very soft and have the problem in both countries.
Outside temperature seems to make very little difference  (humid, dry, hot cold) i have it year round.
I am not B12 deficient (ive been tested) or anything else deficient except perhaps iron although that was 6 months ago and i have benn on supplements since - so unlikely.
My conclusions are that for me with the above symptoms it is an allergic/immune reaction of some sort heres my evidence:
About 18 months ago i started taking Claratyne (an over the counter 24hour dose of anti- histamine)  i took it for 1 week every day and it stopped the itching. after a week i stopped and the itching remained at bay for 1-2 weeks. as soon as the itching started (milder symptoms) i started again and it would stop. Then i fell pregnant so stopped taking the anti histamine. and i still didnt itch. the entire time i was pregnant and for 6 months after i had no itching at all - i could even shower without problems in the morning (unheard of in my world) i would sometimes shower twice in one day just becasue i could!. When you are pregnant the immune system shuts down somewhat and it takes a while for hormone levels to return to normal which is what i think has happened. Now the levels are back to normal the itching has returned with a vengence - but i cant go back on my anti histamine because i'm breast feeding and its not recommended.
So heres what i'm going to do: each day for 3 days i am going to try a suggested remedy and will keep you updated as to the results. maybe it will help someone else. tonight and the next two will be the talc and patting not rubbing.
Wish me luck

Hi,

I am a constant visitor to forums such as this, but never write anything. I thought this time I should stop being lazy and put my thoughts down. I get extremely itchy legs after a shower AND after swimming AND after exercise/sweating (particularly intimate exercise).

The itching doesn't start out as severe, it starts with a little twitch, or a desire to touch a part of my leg, then it slowly expands until the whole lower part of my body is screaming for me to itch it. If I do itch my legs, they become red and raw and the itching last longer, but I can't not itch them unless someone restrains me (it is so intense!).

The only thing I have found to stop the itch is a HOT shower, and I mean no cold mixed in! And I sit with the water running on my legs for about 10 minutes until I can't feel my legs anymore.

I dont get itchy legs all the time, but I know certain things which will trigger them, such as putting tight pants on strait away (but I have heard that this helps in the case of others, including my mother), taking too long to get dressed, and the biggest of all is STRESS. So of course if I am running late for something, and I take a shower, I get itchy legs because i am rushing around, and this is the last time I can afford to take a 10 minute shower.

I have also thought that it is psychological, because if i start to feel it coming on, and if i can get out of the house and walk my dog it subsides (take my mind of it).

I have been to doctors that have told me it is dry skin, but like everyone else lotions do not help.
I also came across the diagnosis of aquagenic pruritis, which I think is accurate, but this doesn't help me stop it happening.

So going with the allergy thing (aquagenic pruritis), I am going to try for the next month a daily antihistamine, regular moisturising with a preservative free moisturiser (such as one used in eczema), and also using a preservative free shower gel. While none of these things has helped in the past individually, I will let you know if I am successful.

lol exactly! i put on my pants ASAP too cuz somtimes it alleviates the itching, an in just the same way u said it hampers ur shaving it does the same to me, and when it happens all i wanna do i punch tha phucking mirror, it annoys me, it makes me very tormented and miserable, sometimes i feel like throwing a tantrum or punching someone, or screaming hysterically when it happens,,,i really gotta see a doctor and a psychiatrist

I too have this problem, and it's been going for a while. I think it's important to mention that I'm asthmatic and very allergic. For me, it's an allergy. I agree that humidity is the cause of it all, and cold showers should help a lot...but I can't deal with cold showers, so for me that's a problem. Putting on pants doesn't help at all...in fact it worsens it because I feel like I want to rip my pants off. What usually works for me is that I take a handful of ice and start to rub it in, and try to not go into despair (breathe slowly and put my mind at ease and try to think about something else). The ice DEFINITELY HELPS. Also, when I'm done with the ice (when the itching stops), I NEVER dry my legs with a towel, I just let them soak up the water. I also take an allergy pill (whatever I have in hand: Claritin, Allegra, etc.). Hope this helps!

OH MY GOD!!!!!

I JUST FOUND THIS. My upper and lower legs get so painfully itchy after showering that I start crying, sometimes even screaming, unable to think straight, and either itch my legs raw, or have to tie my hands together to not touch them (which makes it go away faster, but not fast enough) I've had this problem for several years, I'm 19 now, I don't find the temperature of the water to make any difference. I just got prescribed hydroxizine which is supposed to help with anxiety and moisture intake, does nothing, I also got ammonium lactate, does NOTHING. I am happy to know I'm not alone in suffering from this terrible problem. It is SO BRUTAL! Sometimes I can't even breathe, or my legs give out the painful itching is so bad. I had this problem in Ontario, and I moved to florida a while ago and I have it here too. I really wish this would just go away because I have dreaded showers for my whole life since I never know when the itchy-ness is going to act up, lately its been after every shower. I really don't think its a problem of the soap I use, the lotion, or anything like that. I am going to try a lower sugar intake, might find a shower filter (never heard of one before) taking more vitamins, but also I'm about to go get an anti-histamine and take one before/after showering. This has probably been the most frustrating and painful thing to deal with because IT DOESN'T STOP ONCE IT STARTS! and once it starts I regret showering no matter how badly I needed one. I really hope something helps because sometimes I want to knock myself out so I don't feel it anymore. Its terrible and i have SO MUCH sympathy for everyone who has to deal with this.

Omg thank god i am not the only one, i have just had shower and the itching was so unbearble. I am 16 and still live with my parents, after showering/bathing or swimming i have a good 30 minutes of severe itching, it can sometimes reduce me to tears but most of the time i just lose my temper for example i just recently told my mum to F off :/ I am going to try the baby oil and hopefully it gives me relief as i am at the step where i want to rip off my limbs.

So I searched for this topic and I too am relieved/surprised that so many other people experience this. I am 25 years old and it's been going on with me for years. So a few years ago I started to pay close attention because it would only happen to me for a few months out of the year... Such unbearable itching (mostly in my arms and legs) after the shower that if I wasn't doing anything that involved getting sweaty or feeling dirty, I might not shower for a day or two at a time. It only lasts for a couple months... and I noticed that when it starts, it gradually gets worse until it peaks about 2-3 weeks after the onset , and then slowly subsides over the next few weeks. I started to notice it was always the same time of year... sep - nov ... and then it'd get better for the rest of the year. I couldn't figure out if it was because it was the fall or because it was after summer (aka the sun/getting a tan)
It wasn't until one year I went on a cruise in december that my suspicions about it being related to summer were confirmed. That year it was the same routine... had a great summer here in michigan... got nice and tan, and then when summer was over, and I stopped being in the sun, about a week or two later it started. Lasted for a couple months as usual and I was fine by nov/dec. Then I went on a cruise to the eastern carribean for new years. Got a great tan during that week. Came home, and about a week or two later as my tan was subsiding it started again. In full force. Pretty much until my tan went away.
This year I sort of had a bi-modal summer. I went to las vegas in june (got a great tan) then came home and was busy for a few weeks (so I didn't spend much time outdoors), and the itching started again... IN JULY! As the summer went on and I started to have more time to go outdoors.... my tan regained momentum and the itching subsided... until a couple weeks after I stopped going out in the sun!!!
So for me Ive come to know that its related to something the sun does to my skin (which I can only assume that it's tanning) .... I'm not opposed to living my life without getting tan anymore, though I do love the sun and vacationing. It won't hurt to not look like this person anyways.....
http://www.muvazi.com/assets/images/Blog/Bad%20Skin.jpg

I suggest that you look up restless leg syndrome and see a neurologist. Certain deficiencies such as iron can worsen this but it is mostly nerve related.

I have there same conditions as people above since I have started travelling   the top end of Australia ,but my left leg has begun to spasm as well, I know from past Experience if I don't take enough vitamin E or magnesia  in my diet that my leg spasms ,is there a link between these two conditions

I've had this since I was 18 (32 years ago, but only intermittently, and usually after showers (of any temperature and any kind of water).  From my experience, the mechanism that brings on the condition is a histemic reaction, but the question is what triggers it.  For me it seems to be changes in the weather (and possibly central heating being started up.  It is NOT a topical condition, but a systemic one.  Anti histamines seem to work after a while, as do some of the suggestions such as not rubbing the skin.  I was very interested in the use of propanolol which seems to be a logical and effective approach, if perhaps a little drastic.  I'll give it a go.

Use glycerin usp after u bathe. Make sure your body is wet ,take some glycerin in ur hands and add a drop of water to it.Now rub it between ur palms and appy it on wet legs..Your legs will never itch..It worked for me and i hope it will work for you all..alll d best

I too have had this on and off for years
For me it happens only if I shower or swim in the mornings
Never in the later day
It's def not skin itchiness more the under skin nerve endings
I want to scratch until I bleed , but instead slap gently
Which numbs the legs (only my lower legs suffer) until the antihistamine I swallow takes effect
I forgot why I never go for swim am and recently joined gym
Decided to go swimming seven this am
Showered after and then real quickly remembered why
OMG I am just stopping the horrible senssations now!
So I think it's systemic, possibly circulatory and histamine related, probably for some of us one but more likely a mix
Good luck everyone and do what works best for you
BTW that's my final am swim or shower ever!!!!
Maybe related to sun cos I been Egypt a couple of weeks ago ....

My problem started ~9-10 months ago.

I'm a 32-year-old white male living in North Carolina.

This occurs any time my legs get wet, damp, moist or (sometimes) hot. I get a violent itching that is more akin to fire/pain/needles than what most people describe as "itching". I identify with those who say this is an appropriate punishment for murderers and rapists, that they have used razors or other dramatic methods to cope with this torture, or lost their temper (which was my method).

The problem starts 5-15 minutes after stepping out of the shower. It persists 40-60 minutes afterwards. It has brought me to yelling and to tears.

I have tried showering and bathing.

I have tried hot, lukewarm and cold water. Super, super hot water causes me to itch less afterwards if the shower is very short. Lukewarm and cold water worsen the problem.

I have tried changing soaps, shampoos, detergents, etc. For any naysayers who believe this is product related, it happens even if shower with NO soap and NO shampoo and don't even use a towel afterwards.

I have showered in North Carolina, Oregon, and Florida at different homes and hotels. It makes no difference.

Sweating can bring this on, but doesn't always. I can't detect a pattern.

Bathing does not help, though bathing with epson salts reduces the severity of the problem.

Sex can cause this to occur, if the activity is rigorous. Calmer, slower activity does not cause my legs to itch afterwards.

Lotions and cortisone cream do not alleviate the itch. Sometimes, they prolong it.

The itch begins on my shins. On a good day, it stays localized to my shins. On bad days, it also occurs on my calves and thighs.

My legs itch so bad I don't notice elsewhere; however, I have attempted torso-only sponge baths and found that my chest itches like crazy afterwards. Perhaps the leg itching is so severe when present that I don't notice arms/chest. I can't say.

I am terrified to shower. I now only shower 1-3 times/month. When I do shower, I take the following steps to mitigate the itch:

-Exercise first to get up my heartrate
-Leave a gap in the shower curtain and the bathroom door open -- any drastic change from warm (steamy) to cool temperatures worsens the problem
-Shower as quickly as possible (~90 seconds)
-Keep the water as hot as possible without burning myself

When the itch occurs, the only way I can cope is to climb under the covers and gently rub up and down my legs with my fingertips, focusing on whichever part is worst until another spot takes over, while watching some movie or tv show to distract myself.

I have discovered it is completely unsafe to drive in this condition, nor do I recommend trying to converse rationally with someone while they suffer through this.

Best of luck to everyone until the doctors pull their collective appendages from their collective extremities and being HELPING DIAGNOSE NEW PROBLEMS instead of memorizing and reciting what's already known.

I forgot to add my day-to-day method of coping with non-showers, which is to take sponge-baths in the sink for just armpits, groin, rear, and not touching anything else. Washing my face is okay.

This is not ideal since I also suffer chronic back pain and this method requires a lot of bending, but that is all I can do.

I have the SAME thing!! It's not just chlorine though!! It happens with Well water, AND Chlorine. It is the worst thing I have ever gone through. It is just on my legs and thighs, and it is absolutely awful. I've notticed that keeping my legs moving seems to help. It starts quickly after showering. And then lasts 15-30 minutes.
Any advise?

I totally agree.  I am on a camping trip right now and the campground has an indoor pool.  I don't dare to get into a swimming pool  It's just not worth the agonizing horrow I have to go through when I get out.  I can't enjoy water sports with my grandchildren at all.
I have to use cool water to shower.  I usually take a benadryl before I shower but then I'm so drowsy that I am no good for about 3 hours or more.  I've been told that my body over produces histamines.  Well , why can't they come up with something to help me?  Nothing I have tried in that dept helps.  It really affects my quality of life as I'm sure it does yours too.  God bless

Many people are sensitive to the chemicals used in personal care products, especially scented ones.  Some are also sensitive to the fragrance or residue left in towels by laundry products.  Try a sensitive skin detergent with an extra rinse cycle and "free" dryer sheets, and try different bath/shower products.

I have had this for 30 years now and the only thing that really ever helped was tanning.  However, 3 years ago I developed Rosacea and was told to stop tanning because it makes that condition worse.  In addition, my Dr. put me on 100 mg of Doxycycline to help with the Rosacea inflammation.  The weird thing is I stopped itching but never really knew why.  A few weeks ago I ran out of Doxycycline and stopped taking it and the itching returned.  I'm back on it now and the itching is gone.  I take Doxycycline 100 mg per day.

There are not enough minutes in the day left nor enough characters for this post left to even begin to get into my whole story.  Suffice it to say, I, too, have battled itching like a mad-man.  For years. And years. In various places, head to toe.  This past year was... thee MOST ABSOLUTE WORST!!!  But I am better, much much much much better.  

I stumbled upon the source, tried some remedies (from drs. and internet alike), doubted everyone including myself, pretended to be normal, itched like mad, decided I and internet sufferers were right (not the drs), looked/searched for "cures", researched every thing and every angle possible, tried some things (I'll tell you in a minute), had terrible reactions or new strange symptoms which created doubt.... and this irritating cycle continued for MONTHS!  Excruciating months... like at least 5-12 months (depends on where you start counting) until I recognized the cycle (even with all it's twists and turns and "no, this [fill in symptom here] can't be related" type thoughts)  and realized I've suffered some form of it for YEARS!  For cripes sake, it's been years.... want to know what it is?  

Fungus... please listen to me.  I know the suffering and I'd never wish it on my worst enemy.  It sounds stupid, I know.  There's every reason in the world why you would not be plagued by a fungus... you're meticulously clean, you don't workout, you take precautions in and around moist, humid environments like public showers at the gym, campground, hotel, so on and so forth.  I know this (hence my doubt in every round of this multiple round cycle).   I can go on and on with a gazillion related, though seemingly unrelated, symptoms which can be alleviated for a while in various ways or explained away as "normal".  If you need to know them feel free to reply to this and I'll list them.  But I'd rather get to the part you want and need most... a remedy or better yet a cure.

Here's what made the most difference in the quickest amount of time -  IODINE.  Don't run out to get some just yet... keep reading.  There're other things you should try, too:
(oh, and I generally purchase these items from Amazon.com though some can be picked up at the local supermarket)

As for the Iodine, I love to know what I'm getting into so I research everything.  There's a lot out there on iodine and the types that work best.  Here's what I've found lugol's 5% solution (check amazon.com or health food type store) works best on skin with generic Betadine a close second.  You also need to get it INTO your body, ingest it.  There are pills and you can also ingest the lugol's type (not Betadine, I don't think anyway and I would not ever try it) but the easiest to go down and oddly enough the best working for overall effect is called nascent iodine.  It's a little bit pricey compared to the lugol's but it's all I'll use at this point for ingesting.  Please research how much to start with and move up to and all that on the internet.  Google it.  There are lots of sites and anything with Dr. Brownstein or Dr. Sircus (I think that's his name) are very very very good.

Be prepared.  There may be die off symptoms... hopefully not if you take it slow.  And adding the iodine on the skin (the itchy parts, obviously) should help A LOT.  It took me months to realize that.  The skin might burn at first and the iodine will turn dark, like black or blackish purple-y.  When it does... do a victory dance.  It's killing the crap out of the fungus, whichever type of fungus it may be.  Iodine is not picky, it'll kill the bad stuff and not the good.  Also, the "bad stuff" can be fungal, viral, bacterial... again iodine is not picky... and it will not create any resistant type "bugs".  It always works.  However, MORE IS NOT BETTER.  Just, please, go slow.  Otherwise, you risk crazy die off symptoms, doubting yourself, stopping the progress, and creating a crazy cycle (sound familiar) like me.

Iodine, selenium, and magnesium are the most important, so says the majority of what I've read.  Selenium can be taken in the form of a pill or capsule.  So could magnesium for that matter. But I just learned something better... Magnesium Chloride is better than the magnesium oxide you find in most supplements.  You would probably have to order it.  Its also called magnesium oil or you can buy the flakes (and I've heard you can make the "oil" out of the flakes + water).  It's not really oil but it feels oily.  The idea is to use a spray bottle - spray it on, massage it it.  It's that easy.  I am not a scientist or nutritionist or whatever so I don't want to go into why we need it and why it works other than to say that our bodies NEED it badly and are generally very deficient.  Seriously, it's easy to look up.  But it works.  

Also, there are a multitude of other natural anti-fungals and some not so natural (like chlorine in the pool and sometimes water that you shower in).  They will all work but how well or how fast depends on how bad you've got it.  I started out with just about each and every type - oil of oregano being the first.  It's very powerful, caused strange die off symptoms and scared me so much I thought I was deathly allergic to it.  Garlic, fresh, eaten, crushed and taped to body parts, added to olive oil and rubbed on - you name it.  It's powerful too and, yes, I thought I was allergic to it also given my reaction.  The list goes on white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, various combos of herbs stuffed in little capsules and sold by various companies as "candida" cleansers.  But Iodine, by far, has been the best.  I've since gone on to add a few of these others after realizing the iodine was really getting somewhere.

I'm still working my way through it all.  It's been a lot of trial and error.  But I AM WINNING!  I will be your biggest cheerleader and answer any questions but I'm not a professional, just a fellow former 'itcher' who has learned a lot about a subject (fungus) that I never wanted to know about and that doctors don't take as seriously as they should.  The best advice I can give you if you do give any of these things a try is this... itching and/or burning becomes a good thing if it happens after using one or many of these treatment methods.  Even magnesium oil can sting/itch when it comes in contact with "problem" skin.  Anymore, I welcome it (ok, I will also welcome the day it doesn't itch because it will mean that the skin is healthy/ has less toxins).

Ok, well, that's my take on this subject.  So, if you've run out of possibilities or aren't making progress with what you're doing currently... start with iodine and go from there.  BTW... it's not just good for fungus.  We all need iodine for our thyroids, sexual organs, and basically every cell in our bodies... so even if you "know for sure" your itchiness is not caused by a fungus it's still ok to try and who knows, it might just do the trick.

Was your itching ever diagnosed?  I have suffered with sever itching on the bottoms of my legs, from my knees down to my ankles, several minutes after showering, lasting for about fifteen minutes or so.  It is so severe that I have taken two hair brushes, one in each hand, just to scratch my legs.

It feels as though a thousand red ants are biting the bottom of my legs.  Does this sound familiar to you?

BP

Thanks! I tried what someone posted here -get the room warm and shower with hot water, pat dry,lotion immediately and dress quickly. My itching was front thighs and legs,scratching made it worse due to release of histamine. I tried antihistamine which reduced the time and severity,but that gave me dry mouth. My itching started when I started taking a calcium channel blocker. No itching after my shower today. I pray I have found a non-drug solution.

Wow, I am not crazy!! Although I don't wish this itching on my worst enemy, I am glad to find I am not the only one. I have not met anyone else with this issue before, and I cried when I read all the posts last week. I have had this since I was about 9 or 10. I am 39 now. Like many of you I was told by doctors that 1. It was all in my head (I think mentally thinking about it makes it worse but I don't believe is the cause) 2. I have too much histamine in my body and given hydroxyzine (didn't work at all and horrible dry mouth) 3. It is dry skin (don't think so!) Although in my younger days I actually considered suicide as an option, I have pretty much learned to deal with it over the years. It is mostly my legs, but sometimes my arms and chest. It sometimes waxes and wanes, and I could never make a connection to why. I don't ever swim. Mornings are worse so i always shower at night. Shaving makes it itch worse immediately after, but I have found that keeping shaved at least once a week helps in the long term. I have lived in both MI and AZ, have used softened and hard water. Also happens when I swim, but I've been able to be in a hot tub. Because of that I found out that HOT showers work best for me, and if we run out of hot water and it turns lukewarm I will start itching terribly before I am even out of shower sometimes. Putting loose pant soon after patting dry helps a lot, I think because of the slight contact helps to appease the itch. If that it not enough I will rub everywhere as gently as I can while curled up in a ball on the couch until it passes, usually within 30 min or so.  After reading a few comments (yes I sat for hours and read them ALL) about circulation (worse after sitting around, better after activity) I have been paying attention and it does seem to itch less if I am moderately active right before shower. I had never made the connection before. I do seem to have lowered circulation (arms and legs fall asleep easy) and tend to have low blood pressure at doctors, I wonder if that is the connection?

i have this and find to use talc helps

I to have this problem i mostly have it in the summer after my tan seems to be fading the itching drives me mad i shall try having warmer showers as nothing else has worked.

I had this for about 5 years, with similar symptoms to many on here. Mine is always only present during the summer, typically when tan is fading (as previous poster). The itch is far worse after a morning shower and often non-existent or mild if I shower in the evening.

Having read everything on here and conversed with others (including my cousin who suffers greatly) we believe that the root cause is dry skin. I believe that at night I sweat and rub my legs (in my sleep) very hard against my sheets. This washes away the natural oils and causes nerve ending sensitization which becomes irritated by the morning shower (explains why there is no itching after evening shower). I exercise a lot and eat healthily. I do not suffer from stress, thyroid, circulatory or any other illness (as far as I am aware).

So, I have found the following solutions and non-solutions to the problem:

Changing shower gel/soap etc. does not work
Lotions and potions have not worked for me
Showering in the evening is much better than the morning
Not washing legs in morning shower is better than washing legs (if you must shower in the morning)
Putting clothes straight over legs eases the pain
Cooler water helps
Doing some exercise/movement before showering helps
AND THE WINNER IS:
Taking one anti-histamine at night (around midnight) means I can shower in the morning no problem/no pain. I find that after a few nights of doing this, I don't even need the tablet and the pain is not present.

allergy to chlorine will produce the same problems

I decided to try the iodine.  I just happened to have some on hand, both the topical and oral type.  I hope it helps as my fungus' "cycle" was starting again today.  I get lesions on my back that itch me to death!  I hope the Iodine works.  If it does I will tell all the people who posted in "Bugs under the skin" and "Gnats that follow".  We all itch intensely and need relief!  I do believe our modified foods have something to do with it.  I try to eat organic and the Dr. has taken me off all starches and carbs.  I hope it works.  

I have been suffering from whole body etching after bath for the last 15 years. lately I had to refrain from bathing as much as I could and could not rub off the scales because it caused tremendous etching.

After long years of suffering I found a cure for me. I take 500gm Epsom salt in my bath tub and fill it with water and take a mineral bath. can rub as much as I can without etching!  Relaxing bath after 15 years. Works every time!

Epsom salt is cheap 3-4$ for 2 kg packs and found everywhere. You can try this easy way!!

Thank goodness I'm not alone! I have suffered from this since I was a teenager and I'm now 55! Having read all the posts, I'm going to try anti- histamine tablets first. I'll keep you posted. I've had to give up swimming due to the excruciating itchiness in my legs and sometimes arms for half an hour afterwards but this gives me hope that I can try it again. I'm also interested in the anti-fungal strand and in investigating the use of sls in shower gels and shampoo. I will do some experiments and report back. I never thought I'd find a cure or that anyone else had the same thing. What a wonderful thing the Internet is!

It is so good to hear that I am not the only one expirencing this...
I have cried and scratched so bad after showering that I
thought I had a diease or needed to go to the hospital.
After trying serveral things, I have found somewhat of
soultion that thank God Has helped alot.
I use Aveno baby fragrance free soothing relief moisture cream
(located in the baby section) I used it immedialtey after showering
and I would still itch alittle but after a few seconds it dried and relived
my itching tremendously, but some times it wouldn't work as good as others but it was so much better than anything else I tried.
So after reading some suggestions on here, I started to dry my legs in the shower before the air could hit them and apply the cream right away before I got out, instead of watting after I got out, and it has been such a blessing and it helps so much. So I hope this helps and blesses someone and offer some relief like it did me...blessings Mia

VODKA works. It has something to do with evaporation. HOT SHOWERS work too.

Rub vodka or 100% alcohol on your skin. It relieves the itch!

After seeing 4 different dermatologist all of whom diagnosed it as dry skin, prescribed similar lotions none of which worked. I noticed during the summer when I got a little tan on my legs the itching stopped. I explained this to each Dermatologist, I'm not sure they heard a word. I now go to a tanning salon between 2 & 3 times per week. Towel dry after showering, apply Keri lotion, NO MORE ITCHING. The medical profession claims tanning is dangerous but until someone listens and determines the cause, I have opted to take the chance... it works for me.