Itchy Fore Arms (Page 1)

I am taking Dermasilk which has lueten in it. I read about this on this website. My forearms had been itching for a very long time and I was very surprised that taking luetin would work. I took it for a week and I had results. I ran out of it and the itching came back, thats how I know it was the luetin in the Dermasilk. When i researched luetin Dermasilk popped up as one of the products with it and it is also suposed to be good for skin and aging. I don't know about that I have onleybeen taking it for 3 months or so. I was not sleeping and the itching was driving me crazing too. I had been taking things the dermatoligist gave me, it would work for a short while and then the itching would come back. He and my obgyn kept saying it was stress but I was reading Suzanne Sommers book on aging and the arm itching was noted as a symtom of menopause which I thought was the problem all along but the drs did not know about this. Webkin.

I have had a problem with very itchy arms for about 8 years. I would lose sleep, almost go out of my mind and no doctor knew why. But just recently my doctor said she was going to test my B levels. I thought No, it could not be as simple as taking B vitamins. Guess what!!?? I started to take a B complex every other morning and my itching has just about disappeared and it has only been three weeks. Please try it - it worked for me.

Hi there, I also recently discovered taking vitamin B12 was my main itching problem. I became very anemic in the spring of 2009, I almost had to be transfused. I had been bleeding very heavily as a result of uterine fibroids. a couple months later I got this intense itching of strictly my forearms. It took me months of research but I finally found out that having been so low on iron for so long affected my B12 levels,(one kind of depends on the other)I started B12 tablets and then found out there was a more bio available form of B12 on mercola.com so I ordered some B12 spray, you spray it under your tongue. It's been 2 weeks and the itchy is getting less and less, now I sleep at night again and am not scratching the hide off my arms any more Yaaaay! I hope this and the above post helps alot of people, there sure are a lot of itchy people out there!


I hope to run into some of the ladies I met on the itchy arm forum on the PIA web site

Hi ready2groove and others. I used to sometimes go on the PiA site as well and am also looking. I started a forum to replace it but have had trouble getting the word out, as these sites don't like links to other resources posted on them (which I understand). I'll pm you the link if you pm me and ask. If you find others please invite them too! God bless, Meredith

Hi everybody!
I've had itchy arms for so many years now i cant even remember. I'm 33 now. I basically self-diagnosed that I had bracchia radial pruritis which affects the nerves and my dermatologist concurred and prescribed me Doxepin which helped. I also notice it gets much worse with heat, especially the sun. t's hot where I am most of the year and every time I'm out in the sun, I itch like mad!! A couple of years ago, I found another forum where a woman said she went to her chiropractor who aligned her spine which immediately stopped the intensed itching on her arms. I am about to follow this up as soon as I can find a chiro who thinks they can help...will keep you posted! Nay

I too have this and don't know what causes it, but I tried something called BioFreeze and it gives immediate relief. Doesn't cure the problem, but covers the symptom so you can relax if the itching is intense. Here is the one I used - Biofreeze gel. Good luck everyone.

Hi all, I've been having very good results taking Milk Thistle, 200mg per day, since about Thanksgiving I have been taking it and had almost no itching, which is such an amazing change!!

I never tried Gabapentin or Neurontin, I would rather stay away from serious drugs like that and am sooooo glad to have found something that works for me!!

If you try it, post your own results. We need to find things that work, the medical community is not really interested.

Hi Meredith1962.
I know your post is older but thank you for your help. it's January 2013 now and I wonder if your itching is gone using the Milk Thistle? Have you ever tried the Vitamin B12 supplements or other B supplements?
My husband and I have the same thing, he's had it for over 2 years and now I have this crazy itching. I've only had it for 2 weeks and I can't believe he's endured this baloney!
We're in distress every night with the "hot spots" on our body getting this intense itching (it feels like the itch is internal, not the surface of the skin) and it is about to drive us insane!
Thanks so much!

I am a 50 yr old male in Boston MA and have had itchy forearms for about 10 years now. My dermatologist also diagnosed Brachioradial Pruritus. Said it is more common in Australia and although some people down under believe the cause to be related to sun exposure... he did not agree and sun exposure is not really an issue for me...it is more likely nerve damage, he said there is no known cure and very little research occurring. Doxepin worked for me but it has a "hangover" affect on me so I can't take it. I use a steroid cream called fluocinonide with some success. Anyone other suggestions would be appreciated. There is a website DermNet NZ..... a New Zealand Dermatologists site and you can find literature on this condition.

hi,ive had itchy arms for 4 years ive tried everything,creams,icepacks,lots of things from my gp and a dermatologist all to no avail.im now taking vitamin b12 complex and after taking it for a week or so the itching as gone ive been itch free now for about 6 weeks..

I too have have been diagnosed with brachiordadial puritus and was prescribed Gabepentin 600mg last fall. It has worked like a charm. NO MORE ITCH!!!!! I also now wear sun block when outside in the summer.

Thank you ujpro1 for your reply as you are the only other person i know diagnosed with same thing. Will try that cream you recommended. Have you tried witch hazel for a cooling effect? Also Atlasprofilax treatment has been recommended to relieve the nerve damage which could be the culprit - chiropractors do this apparently. Thank you also for info re: common in Aus. Drives me nuts! Doxepin gave me bad hangover feeling too so I dont take. Humid nights especially bad!! Please let me know if you come across any other treatment!!

I have had itchy arms for about 5 years and it has driven me nuts. Keeps me awake at night and the minute I scratch it gets really, really itchy. I have discovered a treatment, finally, and I am now itch free. It is a combination of 5 over the counter ingredients hydrocortizone cream .1%, Monistate 4%, Sarna Original, Sarna Sensitive, and Coppertone (Water Babies) Pure and Simple. Mix equal of each except twice the amount of Monistate. It felt better the next day but took about two weeks to stop itching all together. Also I cleansed my arms while showering with Hibiclens or better yet the Walgreens brand of it. I am a laboratory technologist and I believe this to be a fungus of some sort that is killed by the monistate. The other ingredients cut the inflammation and surface itching so that yu can live comfortably while the monistate does its job of killing the fungus. Try it! It works!!! Emeraldgirl3

How long (how many days) do you need to use this combination of things to be itch-free? Also, what if you only used the Monostat? Would that work?

I applied at least morning and night and after showering and cleansing with Hibiclens. I tried the Monistat by itself but it didn't really feel better until I started using the Sarna and other products with it. I think you have to break the itch habit and sensation to give your skin a chance for the inflammation to calm down. The hydrocortizone helps cut the inflammation. I believe it is important to mix these products together and whenever you start to itch reapply immediately. My neighbor had exactly the same ailment and her itching has gone away too. She had been itching for years also and had resorted to pinching herself instead of scratching because once you start to scratch there is no end to it! Same thing I experienced. It took a couple of weeks cure it and I still use it some just because I don't ever want it back again. It is easy to mix together and I think you will get the best results by mixing them all together. Monistat comes in different strengths. I used the 4% prefilled applicators because I felt I was diluting it with all the other ingredients and just pushed out the cream and mixed it with the other ingredients. Let me know how it works? By the way, Sarna is a wonderful moisturizer and really helps give some immediate relief from the itching but is not a cure. I was looking for a cure when I came up with the mixing of these ingredients!!

Thank you for the information! Will have to give this a try. This has been going on for years on and off. It is miserable. So far, the ONLY relief I have found is using a product called BioFreeze when the itching starts - it is not a cure, but it does instantly stop the itching. I think it "confuses" the nerve endings because there are so many sensations at once that you can't realize you are itching. At least wtih the BioFreeze, the itching subsides but it always returns at a later time. Your method sounds like it may be a cure. THANK YOU.

Hi,
It sounds like you could use a long sleeved Dermasilk T-Shirt. My son has eczema on his forearm and we tried the t-shirt on him. It is silk and has an antifungal/antimicrobial attached to the fabric which almost instantly reduced the itching for him (within an hour. By using this shirt, the inflammation has become way better and because of this, we were able to cut down on his medication considerably. He only uses corticosteroids a couple of times a year now, instead of daily like before. Good luck!

I tried chiropractic but my chiro was clearly not familiar with this condition and i got no releif. I would be anxious to hear some details about other peoples experience with chiropractic treatment for this condition. My primary care physician did say that he agrees with the dermotologists diagnoses and that he will now be aware of any new accepted treatment (even though it may never happen, yay), but that is better than his original diagnosis of "stress". i think all of who have this know this is not stress. uj

ps, I realized this is a "women's forum"... hahaha... trust me, this is not a condition that affects only women... uj

I've had itchy arms for several years in the winter, but last year (2009) nothing worked to ease it. I tried prescription steroid creams, moisturizing lotions of all kinds, etc. I could barely work or sleep from December to May. Ice packs and aloe with lidocaine helped some, but had to be constantly reapplied. The dermatologist was little help.. Anyway, when I started to itch this past fall, I happened upon a suggestion in a blog for witch hazel. It is an astringent, so seems counter-intuitive, but since it only costs around $2, I thought I might as well try it. To my amazement, it works. If I start feeling that prickly sensation, I dab it on my arms with a cotton ball once or twice a day, as needed. It leaves no residue and doesn't seem to dry out my skin. I can hardly believe it myself, but I can function normally, and don't even think about my arms. What a relief! When I researched it further I learned it is sometimes recommended for chicken pox and even the itch and skin pain of ALS patients. I can't explain why it works, I just know it does for me

My forearms get hot and itchy at the beginning of spring. I hoped it was an allergy and it wouldn't come back, but it did. Someone told me to try methylated spirits. I tried it tonight and the itch vanished within 1/2 hour. It think metho would work in the same way witch hazel does. It dries and tightens the skin. I also found it reduced the swelling. I can't believe I have found relief so quickly. Last year the doctor gave me steroid gel. I always felt it made the itch worse as it was so thick and I suppose the skin needed to dry out. I don't know if this is because of the inflammation, bacteria or even a type of fungi. I don't know about the safety aspects of metho and witch hazel for long periods though. But test it out and see how long it lasts.

I grew up on witch hazel!!! Unfortunately, it has no affect on my itching. (

Thanks for sharing ujpro1. I am a 55 year old female experiencing what sounds like brachioradial puritis. I saw a dermatologist last year in March 2009 and he did not use that term, but prescribed the same medication that you have referenced, Doxepin. I also get a bad hangover effect from Doxepin, but if the itching starts earlier in the night (Midinight or before) I take it any way just to get some sleep. My dermotologist told me to take 3 10 mg. capsules each night, but I only take 1-2 to decrease hangover effects. When I went to the derm last year the itching had spread to my legs and I was so bad I had to take time off work. Since then, I have not had it on my legs, but my arms periodically get bad. I use cold packs and ice packs if it is past midnight so I don't have the hangover from the pills. The PA in the dermotologists office also gave me samples of Xyzal. It was as effective as Doxepin, but perhaps this will work better for you. Sleepless (and itchy) in Chicago.

I had an itchy arm, that I would scratch until it bled and saw many doctors as a result without help. After reading on a forum that the problem is probably a nerve ending problem I consulted another doctor. This doctor prescribed Neurontin that started at 100 mg and increased 100 mg each following week up to 2700 mgs. The itch has gone away and I am a firm believer in the medicine. The medicine has few side effects too.

I has an itchy arm that I would scratch until it bled and saw many doctors as a result. After reading on a forum that the problem is probably a nerve ending problem I consulted another doctor. This doctor prescribed Neurontin that started at 100 mg and increased 100 mg each following week up to 2700 mgs. Thge itch has gone away and I am a firm believer in the medicine. The medicine has few side effects too.

For the past 2 weeks the inside part of my harms in itching and I have blisters now from scratching. It started after I spend an afternoon gardening when got some scratches from roses The itching gets worst at night The only thing is helping now is ice pads and benadryl. I'm seeing a dermatologist tomorrow.
I'll let you know. I can concentrate or relax so much is itching!!!

Brachioradial Pruritis is commonly connected with neck problems. An Upper Cervical Chiropractor would be best able to help with the underlying cause.

i too get really itchy arms, lower arm and forearm, but no spots or bumps as sign of bites or anything. I am 27 yrs old and so i know this cannot be related to menopause (as someone earlier mentioned )It comes anytime during the day and night and it's driving me crazy !!! I need to know what this is, can anyone help please thanks a million

I tried a number of things for years and last year found that hydrogen peroxide dabbed on the area seems to stop it for quite a while. Very cheap and very simple. I really believe that cutting out junk food, drinking water makes a difference. If you are somewhere away from other help, rotating your arms from the shoulder forward and back a couple of times seems to improve the blood flow and the itch will ease off rapidly.