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.
Plain and simple, I don't know. One always invokes stress and psychology with restraint, but after all the evaluations and workup and treatments you describe, I don't have any other ideas. My approach would be to treat the symptoms with topical steroids, anti-itch lotions containing camphor and menthol, and antihistamines. I realize these have been tried, but there are various examples in each category, and sometimes one works where others have failed.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Dr. Rockoff