Severe itching after a shower/bath
Discussion
Around 5 years ago i started to notice that after a bath/shower i would start to itch mainly on my legs and backs of my arms. This got worse up to the point where after one particular shower i was in so much pain and discomfort i went out into the garden and pretty much smashed it all up out of sheer frustration and discomfort, not that it did anything to solve my situation!. There would be no visible rash but the pain would at times be unbearable. I realised it was time to see a doctor.
They diagnosed an allergy to soap based products and prescribed me antihistamines and advised to wash all my clothes in some baby friendly type washing liquid/powder.
This worked to an extent but i still get itchy after most showers. The short temper that use to come with it has gone but the discomfort is still there. My usual wash routine is pop an antihistamine a few hours prior,wash hair (trying my best not to get the shampoo on any other part of me), a wash with a sponge and a sensitive soap such as simple or dove, scrub all over apart from my legs which get a light wash, drying is then done with a towel and a dabbing motion.
Like i said this tends to lower the symptoms to a bearable level but every now and then ill get a bad reaction. Anybody else suffer the same shower/bath fiasco? if so what have you found helps with it?
They diagnosed an allergy to soap based products and prescribed me antihistamines and advised to wash all my clothes in some baby friendly type washing liquid/powder.
This worked to an extent but i still get itchy after most showers. The short temper that use to come with it has gone but the discomfort is still there. My usual wash routine is pop an antihistamine a few hours prior,wash hair (trying my best not to get the shampoo on any other part of me), a wash with a sponge and a sensitive soap such as simple or dove, scrub all over apart from my legs which get a light wash, drying is then done with a towel and a dabbing motion.
Like i said this tends to lower the symptoms to a bearable level but every now and then ill get a bad reaction. Anybody else suffer the same shower/bath fiasco? if so what have you found helps with it?
Maybe not exactly the same, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachioradial_pruritu... ?
grumbledoak said:
Maybe not exactly the same, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachioradial_pruritu... ?
Same symptoms, ive scratched my legs until theyve bled a few times, just in different areas.After some more research i found http://www.steadyhealth.com/Severe_itching_after_s... It seems like im not the only one suffering. Someone on there summed it up pretty well when they sais they scratch their legs so much it hurts but that pain is easier to cope with rather than the itching.
Anyway after a lot of reading i think it may actually be the water, hard water, thats the problem and not so much the soaps and gels.
Anyway after a lot of reading i think it may actually be the water, hard water, thats the problem and not so much the soaps and gels.
t out of hanging baskets and a herb garden would be cool!matlee said:
After some more research i found http://www.steadyhealth.com/Severe_itching_after_s... It seems like im not the only one suffering. Someone on there summed it up pretty well when they sais they scratch their legs so much it hurts but that pain is easier to cope with rather than the itching.
Anyway after a lot of reading i think it may actually be the water, hard water, thats the problem and not so much the soaps and gels.
You're not the only one although what I sometimes get doesn't sound as bad as yours.Anyway after a lot of reading i think it may actually be the water, hard water, thats the problem and not so much the soaps and gels.
I've had a few episodes where, for a period of a few weeks, I've had a bath / shower, and then later, when going to bed usually, I find that my torso itches like crazy. Not fun when you're trying to get to sleep.
The first time it did it a few years ago I relaised I'd switched to Pantene shampoo before it started, so binned that and all was good.
Then more recently last year it started up again for no apparent reason. And just as wierdly went away again after a while.
What I found though was that the more I scratched it the worse it would become so I kinda got into the habit of laying there having to not think about it to stop myself reacting and moving around aggravating it. I wondered at the time if it might have been the conditione the OH was using on the bed clothes.
My guess is that you're coming into contact with something that is irritating your overly sensitive skin
.Have you tried SLS free shower gel/shampoo? Even stuff that is supposed to be good for sensitive skin (like simple, dove, some sanex stuff) often contains it, and it gives me and lots of others itchy skin. You can get a limited range of SLS free stuff from places like Boots, or loads online.
I thought id resurrect this thread (i was the OP, different account).
After more years of the same symptoms ive found a miracle cure!
After looking at suggested remedies for keratosis pilaris (red spotty things on the back of my arms) i came across a product called Amlactin. Tracked some down, not cheap at about £16 for a small bottle and decided to give it a whirl.
Ive been using it for two weeks now and not only have my little red spotty things on the back of my arms gone but i can now have a shower, scrub myself with any soap product i like and not have the slightest of irritation. Also, as femnine as it sounds, my skin has never looked so healthy!
So yeah, anyone with similar skin issues i highly recommend you invest in some Amlactin.
After more years of the same symptoms ive found a miracle cure!
After looking at suggested remedies for keratosis pilaris (red spotty things on the back of my arms) i came across a product called Amlactin. Tracked some down, not cheap at about £16 for a small bottle and decided to give it a whirl.
Ive been using it for two weeks now and not only have my little red spotty things on the back of my arms gone but i can now have a shower, scrub myself with any soap product i like and not have the slightest of irritation. Also, as femnine as it sounds, my skin has never looked so healthy!
So yeah, anyone with similar skin issues i highly recommend you invest in some Amlactin.
I completely used to suffer from this before relocating
In our old place the water was rock hard
After a shower I had the most unbearable itching
As my flat only had a shower this was an issue, it was horrible, really really unpleasant
My skin felt dry and I itched for half an hour afterwards
Strangely if I showered at the gym where it was warm I was OK, as was the case when I had a bath at "friends"
I now live in an area with much softer water and am fine
Whenever I return to hard-water-ville and shower though its still unpleasant - just not as bad as it was when I lived there full time though
Most docs are baffled, one once mentioned "aqua genic pruritis" but the internet is vague on how to treat this
Good luck
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