I have had this itching at night BE for too many years to count I read where someone said that their liver enzymes were elevated I have Hep C in remission since 96 now after bariatric surgery have pancreatitis. I don't drink alcohol ever I'm allergic to it and don't smoke cigarettes it as someone posted weed. I did notice that when I used Caress shower gel I did not have flares. I stopped and OMG last night was the worst even itching around my ears.
Hi Kelvin, I have the exact same problem with hands and feet itching, mostly hands but sometimes feet as well. The only thing that works for me is taking hydroxazine every single night, or fexofenadine works too. I have been to several doctors about the problem and no one seems to know, so frustrating. I have had it for about 13 years. No body can understand the depth and severity of this itch. It is mostly between my fingers and toes. Sometimes when my hands itch, the other had will itch in the exact same spot. You cannot reach or relieve the itch.
This only occurs at night. So frustrating. Hate taking the meds every single day.
Change bedding and vacuum bedding it could be dust mits I have hardwood floors and with cats hair and dust its aweful I have some of the simular symptoms I used rubbing alcohol to keep the dust mites down sleeping better
I have this same problem to this day both hands and feet and kegs itch all the time I use anti histomines every two days it stops the itching within the hour and lasts for about two days,it's no cure but it gives me some relief,I hope this is some help to you
Same problem. It just started for me this week, never has happened before and I'm 26 years old, female, not pregnant. It happened three times this week, only at night when I'm in bed. My hands feel hot and swollen and they get tingly and start to itch violently all over my hands, like in between fingers and everything. I feel it mildly on my feet, but not enough to really scratch at them. I think it lasts for less than an hour, maybe twenty minutes or so. I've tried lotions and no lotions thinking it could be an allergic reaction. I have been on different cold medicines and allergy medicines lately due to colds, coughs, and seasonal allergies. I ran out of my daily vitamins, so I'm wondering if it's lack of vitamins or change in medicines.
I can only explain it as like a restless leg syndrome in my hands but with violent itching. No rash or anything like that. Or almost like my hands are going through a drug withdrawal or something crazy. (I've never experienced withdrawal before though, I've never used any recreational drugs before.)
Throughout the day they feel mildly tingly, but I can barely feel it. Cold things feel fantastic on my hands when it happens. I have been stressed out this week, but I've been stressed out many times before and worse than this week so I don't know why it would be happening all of a sudden. I really hope it doesn't last like all of you have commented on. I couldn't imagine having this happen for years.
I read all of the possibilities that everyone has said it could be, but I've also read that it could be circulation, but rare. Well we seem to be rare. I'm wondering if I have a pinched nerve or something that flares up when I'm laying down in bed at night. The tingly-ness in my hands is almost a numbing feeling, but the itching doesn't make sense. I know what it feels like when my hands fall asleep. This is different! Any other ideas than what has already been mentioned?
Has anyone EVER figured out what causes this?
I am a 36yo female that has been dealing with this since I was about 24.
Doctors think i'm nuts and my bf is just like ok your crazy!
I told him it's so bad I want to cut my feet off!
It's mostly my feet but, sometimes my hands and fingers.
I don't have to be sleeping it starts within a hour of laying down trying to wind down. It has woke me from a dead sleep.
The itch is so deep scratching doesn't stop it.
Skin always looks normal.
Happens 3-5 nights a week.
I do have a history of depression and bi polar but, it happens weather i'm happy or not.
My back used to itch too as soon as I laid down to unwind but, that's seemed to have slowed down.
My theory for myself is a underlying auto immune disease but, who knows.
Could be a nerve disorder but, it's driving me INSANE and has been for many many years!
If anyone has anything please let me know.
There is absolutely NO pain just a deep god awful itch that last 1-3 hours *CRIES*
I too have suffered with these exact same symptoms and the only thing that helps is freezing some water bottles and then holding them in my hands.
A nurse friend told me to make an oatmeal and water paste and put it over my feet and hands. Probably will use gloves if driven to try it.
Itchy hands and feet are a sign of liver damage and I just finished a round of antibiotics called Augmentin which according to the internet site livertox causes liver failure. My stools are also a light clay color which is another sign of bile not getting through.
Tylenol and NSAID's can cause liver failure.
Apparently the theory has to do with bile salts in the skin. It appears to accumulate during the day.
I went in for liver tests a few days ago and will report back if indeed it was caused by the antibiotics.
Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Please answer.
Radishes, a large number of them like 6-10. I took them with apple slice so that the bitterness didn't bother much.
I am alive again :)
OMG, I have the exact problem. It's been happening for about 1.5 years and the only thing that helps is cold water or ice pack!
I am 14 and this issue started a week ago. An inner skin itch on my hands and feet and ankles that isn't caused by rashes or diabetes. I have no allergies or medical conditions. it occurs 2-4 hours after I fall asleep, and takes 1-2 hours to chill out enough for me to Fall back asleep. Are there any good ways to get rid of the itches before seeing a doctor? I've fallen asleep multiple times in class being woken up by the bell.
Oh my!! I woke up at least 5 times last night with my fingers itching like mad! I scratched them with my fingernails so much I thought I was going to scratch my skin off! I slathered hydrocortisone on one time, lotion on other times and NOTHING! In a few answers above, I noticed depression. I have been taking anti-d's for years and have been on Trintellix and Lamictil for about 6 mos. I am convinced my other unexplained conditions (memory loss being the worst) have to be related to them since all blood work and physicals are always frustratingly normal. Has nyone else found it could be related to your meds? Like another poster above, I feel like sawing my fingers off!
IVe had this, whatever it is, for years! Only at night, both hands and feet! An itch that cant be relieved no matter how much rubbing or scratching! Does anyone see a relationship between the itching and the amount of daily sodium. Guilty pleasures olives, I can guarantee if I eat just one I will scratch all night. Anybody?
I have suffered from all of these symptoms for 5 years now. It always starts in January and lasts until March. Intense itching with no rash on my toes and sometimes the soles. The other night, in desperation, I put BioFreeze gel on my toes and it was amazing. The itch stopped!
I too am suffering from the same thing. 46 yr old female. For me it starts around 8pm every night. I have no rash or correlation to anything (like many of the others that posted). I do find relief temporarily with benadryl cream and then a blast of CryoDerm spray which offers a cold sensation. I spray it on right before bed so I can fall asleep. I do have rheumatoid arthritis and have wondered if it is from swelling from working all day, but still happens on my days off. There is no correlation to meds as I have changed many times to different brands and nothing changes. When I wake up in the morning I am better. Wish I had answers.
I, too have all the symptoms described here. Although I do experience the worse of it at night, I also get flare ups during the day. I am diabetic and also have very dry skin, but I remember having this long before I was diagnosed with diabetes. I haven't tried the cold compress yet but I will the next time it happens. I am 59 years old, live in CT and so ready to find a solution. My hands and feet are so sore to the touch from scratching. I've had thoughts of sticking myself with pins and/or needles but somehow knew that wouldn't work. I've told my doctor about this but she just looks at me like I'm speaking Latin and shakes her head in confusion. I have other health issues but again, I don't think they have anything to do with this problem. I've noticed lately that my upper back itches terribly but not in the same way my hands and feet do. I scratch my feet so hard that I end up with peeling skin. Like all of you, I am in dire need of answers or solutions to stop this madness!!
Put a nice dose of Campho Phenique on the toes twice a day, BEFORE they start itching. Do this for one month. Don't stop just because the itch goes away. This is the ONLY thing I found to work. My fourth toes itch like CRAZY. It was even hard to determine the exact location of the itch, so I had to profusely rake my toes against the bed so much they were in distress. After finding over the counter cortizone and left over prescribed anti-inflammatory creme, I desperately found an old container of campho phenique, and it worked. Because my itch started right after leaving the spa, I think a germ was in my cuticles and skin gtew over it making it hard to locate, so I had to beat my toe for relief.
Same, same... Female, 45, fairly healthy (30 lbs overweight) terrible intense itching on hands and feet - only at night, no rash, redness, etc. (until I scratch so hard I break the skin) not consistently every night, sometimes nothing for a couple weeks and then a season of 3-4 times a week awakening with it. I think the 2 benadryl only help because they knock me out so hard I sleep through any itching. Over the last 5 years or so it has gotten worse. I agree with hormonal spikes maybe even triggered by certain foods? The endocrine system is all linked together and related to nutrient intake and hormones.
Something new I just noticed... I have been on a strict diet for about 2 months, have lost 26 lbs (no carbs, no sugar, no processed food, limited salt) have had almost no itching in the last month! Until tonight, but I have been once again slipping into bad habits (3 days now) but today was the worst probably. I had bread, and sweets, and tons of salt. Thinking that all that garbage is trying to escape my body? Maybe it spikes hormones or thyroid? Either way, I just scratched the crap out of my hands and feet with my hairbrush and after an hour of sleeplessness will head back to bed (4:30 am) ugh! I do love food, especially processed, but for the sake of sanity, sleep, and health - I guess I just need to grow up and eat the nutrient rich foods my body needs. Not worth the dermatological war with my appendages :-/
Hope you all find relief as well. It really is a blessing to find other people with similar issues - misery loves company??? Lol I will repost soon with another update to see if my hypothesis is correct. Sleep well all - no scratching.
Yes, try Zyrtec or a generic form of it. I had similar symptoms (itchy feet only at night keeping me up, no rash or marks, feet would feel hot) and this worked for me. I don't have any known allergies but after taking a tablet of this antihistamine 20min later it does the trick and the itch goes away for me. I try to take one when I suspect the itch is coming to prevent but either way is good. Definitely worth a shot, I got a bottle of Cetirizine Hydrochloride from Amazon. Good luck everybody, glad there are forums like this, it was very helpful and reassuring that I wasn't alone.
I have this exact thing. I started taking loratadine in the morning and benedryl at night and it has helped a lot. I also notice that alcohol (especially wine) and NSAIDs (ibuprofen, motrin, etc.) make it much worse.
This thread. This. Thread. :)
I, too, am looking for a solution to the deep-in-the-foot itch. Am a mid-30s female from WI. Mine was always mostly at night (am writing this at 1:30 am, for example, having once again performed my "what IS this?" search) BUT the last few months I've gotten it twice while on a half-hour drive. Agony!
More interesting? I am not the only person in my family to complain about this. (Extended family who live in another house- so rules out environmental.)
I am pretty sure this didn't hit until maybe ten years ago. I recall the first time it happened. And I feel it has gotten worse (sensation the same but with greater frequency). It wakes you from sleep! Gah!
Hairbrush. Stairway edge. Spinning in circles on carpet on ball of foot. Tried them forever but to no avail. Always end up just "waiting it out". Also of note: itch is almost always on the pad of my foot where it's deeply calloused (am a runner) BUT sometimes I feel it's deep between the toes in the softer, hurts-to-scratch-it-too-roughly area... you know, just for variety. Sigh.
Doctors haven't an idea of what it is. Hellllp, fellow sufferers!!!!!
ZYRTEC. Nothing else. ZYRTEC.
Have you found the solution to itching heel?
Does anyone else notice restless legs feeling with this?