Brachioradial Pruritus

[hollyaimeemum]

hi sandy
 thanks for getting back to me , it is so nice to talk to someone else  with the same problem i thought i was going mad , im now hoping it will ease off , ive only been taking the tablets two days hydroxyzine twice of a night ( sooo nicee to get a full nights sleep haha ) and  i take hydrochloride twice of a day  and i feel nearly human again , its so embarassing  when it starts , i was on the train coming home from work  when it started, you can`t help but scratch .  not  good for people next to you ha ha thanks  sandy speak to you soon  niki

[davepaint]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Dave, I'm a 38 yo light-complected male and I've been lurking on this site for the past year.  I've been suffering from itching on my arms for about seven years now; it got really bad last year and I had a three month stretch of virtual sleeplessness, which brought me to this site.  I've read a lot of your posts, done some research (and trial and error) on my own and have managed to find some relief from the hell that this disorder can induce.

I have a few thoughts I'd like to share about my particular experience in the hopes it may help some of you as well.

Firstly, there seem to be a lot of people on this forum suffering from different forms of itching.  My particular disorder involves seasonal itching (late summer/early fall) with no visible lesions which mainly seems to occur at night, between the hours of 11PM and 4AM.  As I said before I've suffered with this for about seven years now.  When it began I was about 30, living in Boston, MA and was in my twelfth year of operating a house painting business, doing a lot of exterior painting in the summer months.  I never used sunscreen.  The itching started on my shoulders and would occasionally occur on my neck and upper arms.  The quality of pain was pinpoints of a burning sensation combined with itch.  It was extremely localized, sharp and specific.  The itching was sporadic and could usually be allayed by applying ice to the affected regions.  I would occasionally lose sleep, but the problem did not seem "chronic" at the time.  As I had pretty severe seasonal allergies which coincided with the itching, I assumed it was somehow related and didn't really give it much thought.

About three years ago I moved to southern California.  In the late fall of my first year here I was rear-ended in a car accident and sustained some minor injury to my neck.  It didn't seem serious and I never sought medical treatment.  The next summer however, the itching came on  early (late June), spread further down to my forearms and seemed much more intense.  This was last year.  I never would have made the connection of the neck injury and the itching if I had not found this forum.

There is much discussion about the origin of BRP.  Is it nerve damage from the sun?  Is it from cervical spine damage/degeneration?  I believe it is both.   I  also believe some people have a genetic predisposition to this disorder (my father suffered from itchy arms for about ten years whereupon the condition desisted-a fact from which I personally derive much hope) and that the environmental factors of injury and sun damage are exacerbating agents, as has clearly been the case in my example.

A facet of the condition which seems to confound most scientists is its seasonal nature  and the fact that it only comes on at night.  In my research I learned that some people have found relief from acupuncture and in my desperation last year I decided to give it a shot (it did seem to decrease the symptoms.) But before I had my first treatment I did a lot of research on the practice of acupuncture.  Now I don't c onsider myself too "new-agey", but I'm open to different ideas and I came across an interesting coincidence.  It seems that in Eastern medicine the channels of energy, or "meridians," that course through the body have cycles of activity and the meridians that move down the arms are most active between the hours of 11PM and 4AM; the same hours that my suffering is most acute!  This kind of blew my mind.  My acupuncturist   was like: "Of course.The planet has its cycles.  Your body is a part of the planet; its going to be affected by this and have its cycles too."   
I find it strange strange that I can get sun exposure for most of the year (and it's generally pretty strong here in SoCal) without reacting, but for the late summer months.  I know that the sun is strongest during these months, but I wonder if there is also some connection to deeper "rhythms" that occur this time of year.

So, combining Eastern and Western philosophies, it seems to me that what I am (and many of you are) suffering from is a seasonally/nocturnally affected neural disorder that is genetic in origin and exacerbated by physical and environmental conditions (injury and sun).  It's no wonder most doctors are so confounded by this disorder!

As I said earlier, I did find some relief last year from acupuncture, but it got pretty expensive and I had to cut back.  As the "season of the itch" is upon me again, I've been considering going back to the needles, as well as getting some chiropractic treatment for my neck injury. 
HOWEVER, in the meantime I've found that by using SPF 80 sunscreen on my arms and neck, in conjunction with wearing a long-sleeved shirt (when I've got a clean one handy) has done a LOT to keep the itch/pain under control.  And this is why I wanted to write this post... 
Try using a very high SPF sunscreen and long sleeve shirts!  The itching/burning isn't completely gone (my genes are my genes...) and it does sometimes flare up as the nighttime approaches if I've been outside a lot, but I have been sleeping  soundly at least two out of three nights; so much better than before!  I'm hoping that some more acupuncture and a little chiropractic care will really kick the remaining discomfort into submission until my body decides it's done with putting me through this torture...

I hope this helps.

[savedbygrace08]

Hi Dave,

I've suffered for the past 4 years from this intense forearm itching and have tried just about everything you can think of, over-the-counter and prescription.  At the beginning of this week, my seasonal itching started up again (starts in September and continues for about 6 months) and out came my scissors.  That's what I have to use to touch the surface of this insane itch.  FYI:  I say seasonal to differentiate from BRP, which I originally thought I had.  Of course if that was the case, it wouldn't start at the same time every year. 
To be brief, for the past two days, I've juice carrots and cucumbers for breakfast.  I'd decided to start juicing for health, and read somewhere that carrot and cucumber juice (freshly juiced) are both very good for your skin.  I have not itched in two days. 
Good nutrition plays a such a huge role in everyday health and I will continue to experiment for other areas that need improvement in my life. 

Let me know what you think!

P.S.  Sunlight IMPROVES my skin and I don't ever use sunscreen.  Check our Mercola.com for information on the need for sun exposure (not to the extent that you get burned)

[davepaint]

Saved,

Great news!  I agree that proper nutrition is key to ALL aspects of health.  I juice frequently and will try the cucumber/carrot mix you describe. 


I've been seeing a chiropractor since my last post.  I've had about six treatments and I'm quite happy to report the itching has further subsided... and this is usually the worst time of year for me.   I'm not convinced that just because someone's symptoms are seasonal that it's not BRP.  As I said in my previous post, there seem to be cycles of activity that the body goes through and the seasonal nature of this syndrome could be demonstrative of this.  In the end, who really knows?

Anyway, my chiropractor told me that my neck was completely locked up.  The first treatment felt great, but it didn't bring the itching down much further than where it had been (which was relatively low from my sunscreen/long sleeve use... I'm assuming).  I was discouraged and hesitant to continue because I know some chiropractors will milk a "soft tissue" injury for all it's worth... and my insurance doesn't cover chiropractic.    After a few treatments however, the itching practically disappeared.  I occasionally have a slight irritation on my arms the night after an adjustment, but nothing major.  I plan on returning monthly to keep things in line until next season...

I still put the SPF 70 on but have gone back to wearing short sleeves and it feels great (it's been pretty hot here in SoCal lately!)

I strongly urge anyone whose symptoms resemble mine to give chiropractic care a try.  Do your research and find a reputable doctor.  Be patient with it; your muscles will be pulling the bones back into the unhealthy positions they are used to, but hopefully after a few weeks you'll experience some relief.

I really hope this helps someone.
Good luck to you all.

[sandylb]

Hi everyone,
I haven't written for awhile because...miracle of miracles...my itching has stopped.  When I wrote the last time, it was fall of 2006.  I had one more episode in the spring of 2007, but for about a year and a half now, I haven't had any episodes.  I'm so hoping that it's gone forever.  I don't know if it is, and my fingers remain crossed, but maybe whatever it was has run it's course.  All together I had it for about 9-10 years.  So maybe after suffering all that time, it's finally and completely gone.  Do I dare to dream?  If anything changes, I'll get back to you. 

Good luck to all of you.  There are some really good suggestions in this thread to help.  I know what helped me get through it was the hydroxyzine, but the chiroprator suggestion and the juicing all sound like viable suggestions.  Whatever works for you is exactly what you should do.  I wish all of you well, and hope I don't have to come back.  LOL

Sandy

[Maria1972]

I would like to hear from members who are experienceing itching on their forearms. I have experienced this twice now and it lasts usually for a month. There is no noticiable rash , rather a stinging sensation followed by intense itcing. Scratching does offer some relief, but causes ugly sores and scabs. I also have brown discolorations in the affected area. My internet research seems to identify it as Brachioradial Pruritus, which DR's identify as originating from nerve interference in the spinal cord and or prolonged exposure to sun.  I am a middle aged woman who resides in Florida and who spends quite a bit of time ourdoors.If anyone has experienced similar symptoms, I would appreciate hearing from them, especially if they have found relief from condition. Thanks

[Maria1972]

Hi there, I am a 36 yr old nurse with long term back problems, i have degenerative disc disese, i have had 3 microdisectomies and i have 9 disc herniation between my neck and lower back. I started itching on my left arm 15 months ago and was informed by a Dermatologist it was firstly Contact dermatitis and 2ndly a condition called Nodular prurigo but then did my own research and i founf when i visited my Osteopath and had manipulation of my upper ribs and neck, it affected the itch. Once when i has my neck manipulated the itch started on my rt hand 1/2 an hour later. So i started myself on Lyrica and the intensity of the itch reduced down to about 2/10ths and i started to get some sleep, for the last year it was just at night but now os starting during the day, i carry instant ice packs with me everywhere and now am doing fertility treatment so have had to come off Lyrica so the last 3 days and night i've not had any sleep. I know for sure it is related to my back problems but am dreading what it will be like if the fertility treatment works for 9 month of no sleep. Any suggestions please?
Maria