First time expiriencing itchy skin with no rash at winter

[Joelbans]

Hi my name is Joel I've been expiriencing itchy skin but no rash , it start with my skin being poked by a lot of needles in different areas starting from my back neck to the scalp and chest, especially when I'm nervous or in a hot environment, even when embarassed, or while eating spicy food and is winter aswell, it's been going on for a month and after this month is going to be 2 months, I also have dry skin but I do mosturise myself but the cold weather also plays a part on my skin. And this sensation have been driving me crazy I can't be in a public place of I start itching. My GP suggested me 2 creams (aveeno and E45) and I spent a lot of money by getting a lot of them and is still not working. So I have another appointment with my gp, to see if there are alternatives medications hopefully antihistamines or another med will help me get rid of this problems so that I can go back to my normal life. I also want to know if there are other people with the same problem and they feel confident to share there story or advices would be very thankful.

[lovesradio]

So vexed that this is affecting your life choices. Itchy skin is awful, I know as I have eczema, and yes the itch is worse in cold weather, hot conditions, under stress or anxiety and so on. I'm sorry to hear that your expenditure on Aveeno and E45 didn't help and I think you are right to go back to GP. Here in UK it's quite difficult to get GPs and even dermatologists to consider skin conditions as originating from our internal system rather than an external problem.

[JackieRic]

I am unsure if you will ever get a resolution. I have a similar condition, which started 30 years ago. The problem with dermatologists is they want evidence. If they can't see anything then they 're not interested. When trying to describe the the feeling I say it is like you are laying in stinging nettles, so you get the prickles and the intense itching. Push this with your GP, don't be brushed off. Things that can make it worse are hot water, stress, pressure (including from clothing). Avoid hot baths/showers, or end your bath/shower with cold water (not pleasant but it relieves the itching) Cold water is a life saver, even if it only offers relief for a few minutes. Antihistamines should help (not antihistamine creams) and you can test this yourself by buying it over the counter and increasing the daily the dose above what they suggest. I am currently on enough antihistamines to keep Boots in business for the next 5 years so upping the dosage for a short while will not have a detrimental effect. But the best advice I can give is push this with your GP for a referral to dermatology, and if they can't fix it then to immunology, because it is not always skin related but can be autoimmune related.

[freefallmode]

I have something similar for the last 3 years. Sudden itchy spots, so intense if I didn't lather on topical steroid then I scratched until the skin bled. Also, dry flaky skin. It was a living nightmare. During winter it got worse. This may be because chlorine levels are increased in the water here during winter.

I discovered that taking dairy out of my diet reduced the problems by half, so after playing around with diet for 2 years, have got back to normal skin by removing dairy, soy, most grains, eggs, most types of seafood and nuts, also, importantly, only drinking spring water and limiting showers. I never had any food allergies before 3 years ago, so it's strange, but it's obvious that when I eat the above foods I have a skin reaction within 24 hours (note: not immediately, which made it tricky to find the connection.)

Sounds complicated I know. But I would definitely recommend a short test of dietary factors. I'd say that even 3-5 days of a strict diet (eg. veggies + fruits, or AIP diet) and filtered water will give you a good idea. A week or 2 is an even better test.