Sunburn with horrible Pins and Needles Sensation

[cf_gal]

Hi...I am a 28 year old female.  I rarely sunburn and can count the number of times on one hand.  However, three days ago, I spent about three hours at the pool.  I covered myself in sunscreen prior to going and while there.  When I came back, it appeared I had a nice tan.  Then, as the hours passed, my back and the back of my legs became very red.  Since I was in the sun, I spent even time on both sides of my body so as to get an even tan, but for some reason only my back side burned.  

The real issue here is that now, after three days, I am experiencing extremely uncomfortable sensations that feel like pins and needles in addition to the fact that the burn hurts to touch, is hot, and red (although some redness has now gone away and some of the heat radiating from the burn has subsided).  Is this normal for a sunburn?  I haven't had enough of them to know really.  But, I have literally been awake all night and in tears because I cannot bear this sensation of pins and needles.  Is there anything that I can do to make this stop?  I am desperate.  I work and cannot function without sleep.  I cannot take off work as right now as I have deadlines that must be completed on time.  Please...is there anything that might help???  This is terrible.

Thank you for assistance.


This discussion is related to Sunburn .

[Stevelawson93]

Thanks so much for recommending hot water. I honestly thought a hot shower would add more burning sensation to the sunburn but infact took the pain away. I only happened to try it as a last resort as the aloe gel and moisturiser turned into a sharp prickly heat which pulsed across my back, chest and stomach. I couldn't bare it for much longer so jumped in the shower and turned to heat to roughly 40 degrees. Funny enough I didn't experience any burning sensation but slowly felt the pickling fade away within minutes. I don't understand why this works and why Google's "best ways to stop sun burn" is using creams and cold heat which only added further pain and irritation. Thanks to your comments I can now soothe the pain

[USMDude]

I just had the same sort of feeling two nights ago for the first time with a sunburn. The way I described it to my wife was like being electrocuted over and over again in a few spots. A cold shower directly on the painful areas was somewhat helpful but the ultimate answer appeared to be Benadryl anti-itch cream. It took about 30 minutes to start working, but thankfully it did. I was about to have my wife call 911 because I had never felt pain like that before (sunburn or not).

[Smanc71]

I have had this 3 times in my life and I am no baby but I am DEATHLY afraid of the sun now because of this feeling. My father called me a baby, my wife thought I was just burnt and a baby.  Until tonight.  When my son got the same reaction.  The twisting contortions movements.  And my son has the highest pain tolerance we have ever witnessed.   He didn't flinch when his appendix burst.  No lie.  He is flipping out now.  I bought benzocaine 20% spray and calydrl clear lotion.  This is day 2 after burn.  Just like mine.  It is working for him so far.  I wish my father ran out an bought up Walgreens to help.  I will post tomorrow.   I hope he doesn't go through more of what I and others did.  This was horrific for me and for us to watch with him.  Anyone know a medical term for it?  Seems like it's not just burn but a a sensitivity to the burn.  I am Italian with olive skin.  He is part Italian.   Anyone else here have a particular ethnicity or sKim pigmentation that might explain the sensitivity?

[Oggy1987]

HOT SHOWERS OR BATHS!!! I had the same "hells itch" in Mexico 3 years ago and am now stupidly in the same position experiencing It again only this time in Thailand, anything cold drives me crazy....Air con, bath or showers, towels, after sun, sudocreme and other lotions, just stick to a HOT as you can bare shower or bath for half an hour at at time and be patient, the affected area still tingles for a while but the sensation of someone driving pins deep into your (in my case back) is lessened massively and will all go away I found in a few hours, hope this helps anyone reading it.

[TheArtfulDubber]

So I get this about once a summer, almost any time I burn. The writhing, twitching, contorted body. The mental breakdown and tears while you are sitting through what can only be described as torture. I have an incredibly high tolerance to pain and this utterly cripples me for hours.

Know how I managed to solve the problem? And I don't mean tolerate, I mean solve?

I get drunk. Well, maybe not drunk but buzzed. It sounds juvenile but ******* if it doesn't work, and quickly. The booze numbs my nerve endings and dehydrates me. Typically two glasses of bourbon neat or on the rocks does the trick, and lasts long enough that the sensation subsides. If I feel it start to come back? No problem, pour another. I'm not joking, if you've experienced this you know it's not a laughing matter.

NO CREAMS, NO ALOE, NO HOT WATER, NO COLD WATER, NO SCRATCHING. Just a few stiff drinks stops it right in its tracks for me.

[TheArtfulDubber]

So I get this about once a summer, almost any time I burn. The writhing, twitching, contorted body. The mental breakdown and tears while you are sitting through what can only be described as torture. I have an incredibly high tolerance to pain and this utterly cripples me for hours.

Know how I managed to solve the problem? And I don't mean tolerate, I mean solve?

I get drunk. Well, maybe not drunk but buzzed. It sounds juvenile but ******* if it doesn't work, and quickly. The booze numbs my nerve endings and dehydrates me. Typically two glasses of bourbon neat or on the rocks does the trick, and lasts long enough that the sensation subsides. If I feel it start to come back? No problem, pour another. I'm not joking, if you've experienced this you know it's not a laughing matter.

NO CREAMS, NO ALOE, NO HOT WATER, NO COLD WATER, NO SCRATCHING. Just a few stiff drinks stops it right in its tracks for me.