Severe itching after showering

Guest · Guest

Hi All,

Thought i was going mad. Can't believe i've found a forum for this condition. i've had it a few years now and all doctor's, about 7 or 8, I spoke to had no inkling to what it was.

I've had it about 3 years now. As a earlier post suggested, i think it might be diet related. I know when thresholds for certain foods are reached in your body, you can suddenly become allergic to that food.

And I know certain gene groups , e.g. irish etc, are more allergic to dairy products than other gene groups.

Thanks for confirming i'm not a nut!!!!!!!!! Wink

))) ha

For me its always my legs which are affected, no where else. And the temperature of the shower has a direct effect on severity of itchiness.

Will check back with the forum on my progress.

Thanking you all,

Guest · Guest

I'm 37 years old and I started suffering from itching after showering about 2 months ago. It was great to find this page but it is also a bit depressing to hear that this maybe a life lasting condition. At first, I blamed on an allergic reaction to a lavender soap. Tanning seems to help it but not too much. Interesting, after swimming and showering I don't feel itching. I notice that lately I switched to non-dandruff shampoo, I will go back to try using dandruff shampoo and see what happens.

Guest · Guest

I am a 21 year old guy. I've had this same problem for 2 years now. I can understand what the ppl who posted here go throught.

I too have seen several doctors but none of them have any idea what is happening nor have they ever heard of a condition like this. And none of there recommended treatments have helped (like using heat pouders and lotions).

For me the only way to ease the itching is to heat the itching area (for me that is the whole torso, especially the back). Even rubbing my hands together and pressing on my body relieves the pain.

As far as i am concerned the next medical marvel would be to find a cause and cure for this

MAYMIE · Newbie Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

I have sufferred with this shower itch for 10 years now. Through trial and error, I have come across some things I noticed regarding me and this condition:

1) I do not have the problem if I take a hot shower (I mean as hot as you can stand it). This is the main relief I get from this symptom. Some of the other posts on this thread mention heat as a source of relief so there may be a correlation there. Once I found this out, it has caused me great relief. However, if the water is warm, I still have post shower itching.

2) After taking a shower, dry yourself thoroughly but do not rush. I find it helpful that after I shower, I dry off and dress in front of a cold source like a fan or air conditioner. Also, do not rush in drying and get dress right after. I noticed that if you rush, you are more likely to get overheated from the exertion and this also causes itching. There is that delay between the end of the shower and itching (about 8-10 minutes). I find it more bearable if I am dry and mostly dressed at that time.

3) I use a moisturing soap like Dove which helps as well.

4) If you can't take a hot shower, then it is better to take a quick shower which someone else mentioned on this message.

I happen to use Head and Shoulders and someone mentioned not using a dandruff shampoo. I will try that. I haven't got much if any relief with allergy medication so I don't use that. Hope this is helpful to some of you. I will write back more if I find any more helpful tips.

Guest · Guest

Guest · Guest

I have had this condition for about one year now, and I have found a "cure" that works for me.
If I shower after eating (or drinking) carbs I will get a severe itch. Showering before breakfast is not a problem, and if I wait several hours after my last meal, or alcoholic drink, I'm also ok to shower.

dkm · Newbie Joined: 10 May 2008 Posts: 1

Hi all,
Its kind of soothing to read this forum, i am suffering from this itching from last 20 years, i am 28 now and very scared to get married if my wife will know what she will think? its frustrating that there is no permanet cure fo this problem, just hit and trial, and temperory relief, i have tried everything but nothing works for me Sad

..i use oil in shower that give me lil relaxness sometime but not always, don't know what to do please help me out, do i need to go to doctor to get these medicines like Allgera and xenax? or what you suggest for that, i just took the shower and its itching alot...

Guest · Guest

My husband had this for about 18 months. We could get no answers. Finally I back tracked everything that we had changed since it started. I removed a large plant from our house the mat the plant was setting on was covered in mold/mildew. HE HAS HAS NO ITCHING SINCE!! Check your house see if there is any mold check everywhere. Turns out he is highly allergic to mold, we never knew... Good luck

AZ · Newbie Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 1

I've been going through this since college, I'm now 32. I thought that the atmosphere in school had caused my skin to go bezerk because I started having all these ailments, stys on eyes, skin breakouts, itching of the skin, etc.

Anyway, years later, the only thing that remains is the itching of the skin. I tried changing my bath towels and wash clothes everyday. It didn't work. I tried changing lotions. It didn't work. I went to a dermatologist and he said it was a dry skin reaction to overly heated water and to take shorter, cooler showers, as well as not to completely dry off when getting out. He prescribed some steroid creams and a pill to take. I did that and it worked to an extent. I also changed my lotion and soap to Cetaphil which hydrates your skin. After about using it for a couple months, I don't experience this "horror" as much as I had. The issue still exists if the water is too hot or I dry off too good so I guess this is a life long issue that we're going to have to deal with.

I primarily itch on my back and rib area and have scratched myself pretty good over time. I have no scarring but damn, it's annoying. I think I have developed a small nervous reaction as well, where I would get a "tick" when I feel the itch coming. Something else to get checked out as well.

So my solution to this problem would be to take short, cool showers, don't dry yourself too good, and change your soaps and lotions to Cetaphil.

There's a joke out there that says, lawyers die and go to Hell to itch for eternity. So I guess we're all going to be lawyers in Hell, unless some of us already are on Earth.

Guest · Guest

I too have it but it comes and goes.

Dehydration is what I think causes my symptoms to appear and going for a sunbed, moisturising and plenty of water sees it pass after a few uncomfortable mornings.

Whether there is something in my diet that also is triggering it I have no idea.

I did have mackerel fillets in tomato sauce yesterday for a change but I thought the fish oil would be good for the skin!!

Severe itching after showering

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