Itchy Legs after showering or swimming

[dalbs]

I have been experiencing extremely painful itching in the legs, which starts about 10-15 minutes after getting out of the shower and will last about 15-30 minutes. It started out by happening occasionally but now it occurs after every shower and has started happening after getting out of the swimming pool. The itching is getting more intense and I'm afraid that it will continue to just get worse and last longer.  Water is the only thing so far that triggers this.  This is not a topical or dry skin itch, it's like my nerve endings are going wild inside my legs.   Nothing seems to relieve the itch, it just has to "run it's course".  I've tried different lotions, not using soap, not shaving my legs, warm water, cold water, not drying off, change the floor rugs.... nothing makes a differnce.  I found where this problem had been discussed on this forum a few years ago but no one seems to be able to find a solution. Is there anyone out there that has found a solution to this every painful, unexplained problem?

[sk2006a]

have you consulted a doctor?  my brother-in-law has developed a similar sounding problem.  he cannot take a shower because he begins itching all over his body after he gets out.  he now has to take baths, which greatly lessens the itching.  apparently the itching is initiated by the shower spray hitting the body.  also, he has found information on the internet.  i guess it's an actual medical condition, but not very common.  good luck :)

[Bullbuyer]

Hi there,



I was beginning to think I was the only one that has ever had this happen to them.  I have the itching pretty much all over at this point.  It started out that it only happened on my arms but it gradually progressed.

My doctor doesn't know what is happening to me.  He suggested that I use antihistamines before I shower.  I don't want to do this so I discussed the situation with my pharmacist.  He suggested that I might be reacting to the chlorine in the water.

I went on holidays and spent time with friends who don't have city water, they have a well.

I still had some minor itching but nothing like what normally happened.

I've since bought a chlorine shower filter.  I am having some success with it.  The results are similar to when I was using the well water.  I've had an itching episode since then and I realized that when I would vigorously was my skin the itching was worse.

I'm still trying to find out more about my condition but am having some relief.



However, I no longer go swimming in a chlorinated pool.



Hope this helps.



Bullbuyer

[sk2006a]

wow - i would have never thought of the chlorine in the water.  i'll suggest it to my brother-in-law.  since the doctor recommended it, you might try taking a low level antihistimine such as benedryl if you shower in the evening.  some people have a "sleepy" reaction to benedryl, although it wears off after using it awhile.  good luck!

[jordygirl]

I think I may have found the answer.  It's called Aquagenic Pruritis.  If you do a google search, you will find a lot of good information.  I've been suffering from the same thing - unbearable itching after showering.  Like a thousand needles were under my skin.  I would sometimes cry from sheer frustration.  After reading another forum, some people on there had found this, I looked it up and did a little research, and it's dead on.



I haven't found a cure by finding the name for this, but one thing that's helped me is immediately after showering, using my hair dryer on my legs.  It takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes, but the itching subsides.  It apparently has something to do with the moisture/water drying on your legs, air touching your legs, and the drying.  I don't quite understand it all, but I know that as soon as I got out of the shower or pool and regular air hit my legs, I would panic because the itching would start.  From reading different sites, hot water bottles, heating pads and even small space heaters work.



Nothing else worked for me.  And I tried absolutely everything.  Please look this up - at the very least you might be like me - knowing you're not crazy!

[wshumom]

I suffered from all the debilitating itchy leg symptoms described here, primarily on Sunday mornings when I was extra stressed trying to get the family out the door in time to teach Sunday school. Since I always change the sheets on Saturday, my husband suggested that it might be the detergent/fabric softener. Switching to unscented, hypo-allergenic products did help to alleviate the problem, and today I am symptom free. Of course, my children are grown and I no longer have the stress levels, either ...

[dustyisdusty]

starting when i was a little girl i would get out of the tub or shower and would scratch my legs till they went raw. They itched so bad i would cry. I tried every kind of lotion nothing worked. It stopped for a while and recently it started up again and it itches so bad i cant do anything but sit there and hold them. I dont know what is wrong with me. Its nice to know that im not the only one with this issue.

[WOWWEWOW_JABBER]

My Dermatologist prescribed Cutivate lotion ($150) my not coast you as much. Also prescribed Doxycycline(capsules). These both are for fighting bacteria. Have worked for me thus far. Itching has stoped since taking the meds.Legs and feet have subsided, with a little itching here and there. But I am also still on the meds. Hope this will help. It mite be a form of bacteria that some of you are dealing with. Rather than an alergic reaction to water as I was told by one dematologist.

[frank09]

hi all!  
am i joining the club or welcoming you into the club.  tonight is the first time i decided to research this...i can help a bit i hope.  i know the itching is unbearable ..i just finished a little one a few minutes ago after coming out of the shower.  this is what helps me...my dermatologist recomended lowering the temp of the water of the shower to room temp but what really does the trick for me (unfortunately not a solution but a great band aid) is putting pants on immediately ..pajamas or sweats whatever. hope this helps you all and i will continue researching.  good luck.

[frank09]

hey all...maybe im over reacting ( i hope not ) but i think i can help.  i just got out of the shower and i feel fine.  now i pulled all the tricks tonight and if you want exactly what the solution to the problem is then i guess you need to narrow the variables; but i think the goal is to simply get rid of the problem - not so much to find the cause..
anyway- i lowerd the temperature of the water for about 5 minutes before shutting the water to about room temperature(70degrees); throughout the shower i marched in place periodically to keep the blood flow even(which i really think played a big factor); then i grabed the towel and dried off in the shower with the curtain still closed so i wouldnt be exposed quickly to the cooler air; i also patted dry, no rubbing dry; when i came out i put a bit of gold bond powder(little bit), and i immediately put my pajamas on and kept the legs moving.  I HAD NO ITCHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOPE THIS HELPS YOU ALL AND GOOD LUCK.  

[Steve355]

Hi- on a side note, have any of you gotten this from exercising / sweating?  I get it from showering as well as sweating.  I've never really thought much about it before until I saw this post.  In the case of sweating, it can't be chlorine, right?

[frank09]

ive never really gotten it from sweating.....

[roxyblue]

It is from not drinking enough water.  I never drink water. I hate it and this use to happen to me. I bought some flavored water and started making myself drink it and ever since the problem has almost gone completely away. You have to drink plenty of water. If you don't - when you are in the shower your body is soaking up as much as it can b/c your body knows it will be a long time before it will get water again. Then when your out of the shower and begin to dry it trys to get that extra little bit of moisture and then your pores begin to close back to normal size.
Hope this helps

[Kryonite]

I read an interesting article on the internet that said the source of an itch after your shower could be the ingredient sodium lauryl sulfate in shampoos and body washes.  It's one of the ingredients used to make a lather.  I have been using perfume/dye-free body washes, fabric softener and laundry detergents for years but it hasn't made a difference.  I noticed that my shampoo and fragrance-free "for sensitive skin" body wash contains sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS).  My legs itch after a shower and sometimes other times for no apparent reason.  Just my lower legs though--nowhere else.  Sometimes it's painfully itchy--you guy know what I mean!  I use a combo of benadryl ointment and oral benadryl, which of course puts me to sleep so I can't take it during the day.

[spdswm]

You could be itchy from the chlorine in the water and also in the air running around in swimming fools. Also the floors of the showers in swimming pools are usually washed with a mix of pure chlorine liquid and water - if floors not rinsed well the chlorine lingers in the atmosphere until completely vaporized.

Does this feel strange when you also take a shower at home?  If not it could also be a nervous issue in the sense that when you swim you are irritating some nerves - test and see if swimming a different stroke would aggravate the feeling. One stroke a day.

Good luck.