I'm glad I found this forum. My itchy hands and feet started just 5 days ago. I haven't changed soaps, lotions nor my diet. The first experience was in my car at lunch time going through the drive thru for lunch. The only thing I had was fries. I thought it was an allergic reaction to them. Now I'm not so sure. It seems to happen in my car. I have leather seats and a leather steering wheel and I was wearing leather shoes. I definitely think there is a connection there. The leather combined with the temperature of the car (hot! my car was in the sun on an 86 degree day). I got in the car to go home after work today and 10 minutes later the itchiness started. It can't be food related b/c all I had was a diet coke for lunch 6 hours ago. I've been keeping a log and the leather and the heat are the only things that are in common. Any thoughts?
I agree with the heat idea. I had narrowed my episodes to heat as well. I have not experienced any symptoms since so I think it was an allergic reaction to something. God only knows what.
Itch hands and feet can be caused by sulfite sensitivity and it is very common. Sulfite is a preservative that is in many foods (labeled 220). The itchiness can start immediately or sometimes several hours after ingestion. Most doctors are totaly unaware of this condition unless you are an asthmatic (the symptoms go to the lungs instead of the skin)
by the way diet coke is exceptionall high in sulfites.
Wonderful to know we all suffer so and apparently with no solutions...! Anyway, I just tried Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment on the damn footsies and hands...guess what? They feel so good I can now pay attention to my itching back and....lol...anyway, the ointment is a steroid, I believe, which I was prescribed after a severe reaction to a "natural oil"...think chemical burn and you get the sort of thing I'm talking about.
So, if only for a day or so, I'll try the ointment, to see if I can break the cycle. As it is, the itching may due to any number of things suggested before. I'm 44, female, on a lot of psych meds, BP meds, have iron issues, B issues and life as a painter has exposed me to more than a few lovely toxins...
So, I'll get the vitamin suggested before for women, avoid Starbucks, as any reasonable person should (sorry, but it's true) and would give blood, but I'm English so the US is worried about my donating mad cow disease.....hey....nah...!
So, if only for a day or so, I'll try the ointment, to see if I can break the cycle. As it is, the itching may due to any number of things suggested before. I'm 44, female, on a lot of psych meds, BP meds, have iron issues, B issues and life as a painter has exposed me to more than a few lovely toxins...
So, I'll get the vitamin suggested before for women, avoid Starbucks, as any reasonable person should (sorry, but it's true) and would give blood, but I'm English so the US is worried about my donating mad cow disease.....hey....nah...!
Regarding itching hands and feet:
I have had this condition for several years and finally figured out the problem. The itching is generally on the hands around the fingers and at the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger on the backside of the hand. Of course, my palms are sometimes affected, and my feet will itch in the region of the ankle, the outside of the shank, and the metatarsal. It's as if the itching is inside the skin -- not on the surface. It burns at times, and the constant itching and rubbing makes it worse. Sound familiar?
Here is what I've concluded: I have cut back on my intake of potatoes. Potatoes are members of the nightshade family of poisonous plants such as hemlock. After cutting potatoes out of my weekly diet, I have been free of the itching, burning sensations. I have also noticed that arthritic joint stiffness in my shoulders, knees, and hips has gone. I still eat potato two times a month, but I keep the portion size small. If I do get an attack, I simply run my hands and feet under cold water for up to a minute. That does the trick.
For those of you who refuse to stop eating potatoes, you may want to try taking a supplement of the amino acid Arginine (500mg) daily. This aids in the enlargement and strengthening of capillaries in the body, allowing toxins to move through the bloodstream instead of pooling up in certain areas of the body.
I have had this condition for several years and finally figured out the problem. The itching is generally on the hands around the fingers and at the fleshy area between the thumb and index finger on the backside of the hand. Of course, my palms are sometimes affected, and my feet will itch in the region of the ankle, the outside of the shank, and the metatarsal. It's as if the itching is inside the skin -- not on the surface. It burns at times, and the constant itching and rubbing makes it worse. Sound familiar?
Here is what I've concluded: I have cut back on my intake of potatoes. Potatoes are members of the nightshade family of poisonous plants such as hemlock. After cutting potatoes out of my weekly diet, I have been free of the itching, burning sensations. I have also noticed that arthritic joint stiffness in my shoulders, knees, and hips has gone. I still eat potato two times a month, but I keep the portion size small. If I do get an attack, I simply run my hands and feet under cold water for up to a minute. That does the trick.
For those of you who refuse to stop eating potatoes, you may want to try taking a supplement of the amino acid Arginine (500mg) daily. This aids in the enlargement and strengthening of capillaries in the body, allowing toxins to move through the bloodstream instead of pooling up in certain areas of the body.
I have been dealing with the same problems, but add swelling to the deal. I was stung by a wasp 14 days ago in my left shoulder and yes I am very allergic to bee's and thought this was the cause as my shoulder was still red and hot to the touch 11 days after being stung, but that went away and the itching started. My entire hands and fingers, my legs, and my feet itch and my fingers will swell up. I do not believe now that the bee has anything to do with it, I am now wondering since I just moved into another house if I am allergic to it. I cannot walk on the carpet without socks on, or my feet feel like they are on fire, my hands and legs just start itching out of no where and that is the only other thing I can think of. We have well water with no softer (yet) so I am trying to find if that may have something to do with it, I washed my hands today and right after my hands itched and finger swelled, but I haven't found anything on well water. There could be mold in the house, hiding somewhere, and I think I will get a carpet cleaner to see if that helps. The cold water or ice idea is correct though, I found that out by mistake.
Knowing I am not alone is a relief! I've had the itch in different forms since my first pregnancy in 1996 (before , during and after).
My third and last pregnancy in 2005 didn't let go of the itch. IT stayed to today. My weird hands and feet itch starts with either my right or left hand then it transfers to the other. They somtetimes itch at the same time before they subside and transfer to either my right or left foot till finally both feet itch painfully. They sometimes do it all at the same time. The severity depends on what I probably have taken in or my activity or when it's almost my mentruation period. There are no rashes at other times though my fingers, palm and sole thicken with stinging pain.
IN 2004 even my eyes were severly itchy and my itch had rashes that starts from either left or right arm and then travels to my armpit, then my chest going to the other arm. Same with my thigh, my buttocks as the rashes travel and transfer to the other thigh. Weird!
I used to kid myself and say my allergy has a mind of its own. IT knows where its going, it can tell when it's night time (that's when it attack at its best). INcredible! and i hate it!
It's terribly difficult. It's been years. I've done dipping my feet in hot water -- pain kills pain, I've done ice cold compresses, rubbing menthols, lotion, cream and ointments during episodes. OH, here's one! I once accidentally stepped on an army of ants and for a moment enjoyed the stinging sensation better than my itching feet! --- but then again that was just for a moment.. :-)
I've taken antihistamines, loratadine and other allergy medication --- which now I feel is causing harm to my kidneys. I wake up with terrible mid right back pain every after I take meds at night.
I now realized the itch do not only come from foods I take -- it is actually induced by my moods as well. Over joy, anxiety, stress, even when I get surprised or when I suddenly wake up from bed especially in wee hours of the night...
It's hard..... it's been over a decade now.
My third and last pregnancy in 2005 didn't let go of the itch. IT stayed to today. My weird hands and feet itch starts with either my right or left hand then it transfers to the other. They somtetimes itch at the same time before they subside and transfer to either my right or left foot till finally both feet itch painfully. They sometimes do it all at the same time. The severity depends on what I probably have taken in or my activity or when it's almost my mentruation period. There are no rashes at other times though my fingers, palm and sole thicken with stinging pain.
IN 2004 even my eyes were severly itchy and my itch had rashes that starts from either left or right arm and then travels to my armpit, then my chest going to the other arm. Same with my thigh, my buttocks as the rashes travel and transfer to the other thigh. Weird!
I used to kid myself and say my allergy has a mind of its own. IT knows where its going, it can tell when it's night time (that's when it attack at its best). INcredible! and i hate it!
It's terribly difficult. It's been years. I've done dipping my feet in hot water -- pain kills pain, I've done ice cold compresses, rubbing menthols, lotion, cream and ointments during episodes. OH, here's one! I once accidentally stepped on an army of ants and for a moment enjoyed the stinging sensation better than my itching feet! --- but then again that was just for a moment.. :-)
I've taken antihistamines, loratadine and other allergy medication --- which now I feel is causing harm to my kidneys. I wake up with terrible mid right back pain every after I take meds at night.
I now realized the itch do not only come from foods I take -- it is actually induced by my moods as well. Over joy, anxiety, stress, even when I get surprised or when I suddenly wake up from bed especially in wee hours of the night...
It's hard..... it's been over a decade now.
I THINK IT COULD BE CHRONIC URTICARIA, IVE SUFFERED FOR YEARS! YOU DONT HAVE TO SEE HIVES IT CAN OCCUR WITHOUT VISUAL WELTS ON THE SKIN. ITS AN EXCRUCIATING ITCHY BURNING SENSATION. ANTIHISTIMINES HELP BUT IVE NOT FOUND THE ROOT CAUSE YET.
I have a great deal of experience in the area of food allergies and nerve disorders (my son has both) and believe a great deal of the users here may be dealing with pretty moderate food allergies. The great thing about taking an antihistamine and feeling relief, is that that pretty much eliminates nerve disorders (but not in all cases)! I would recommend that most of those who are experiencing itchyness (especially in the hands, feet, face, throat and or tongue) look very closely into what they are ingesting. Allergies in these area's indicate a systemic reaction to an allergen. You don't have to have all of these symptoms at once to rule it out. I'd start with a diet rich in meats, fruits, and veggies and then gradually introduce, nuts, wheats and grains. Their are specific diets you can find online for allergies, you don't NEED to see a doctor to do them and they are very effective in finding out what your allergies are. Keep in mind a yeast overgrowth in the gut can cause allergies in some, so holding off on wheat, gluten and sugar for a while (6 weeks) can help to verify if this is your allergy culprit. As far as the artificial sweeteners are concerned, be good to your body and don't put anything into it that is artificial -stick to whole nutritious foods. I hope some of this info is helpful! Also, someone mentioned circulation being a potential problem. I wouldn't rule it out completely, but I 'd start with the diet. I wish you all wellness, peace and relief!
I just started with this itching problem on the hands and feet. Never had it before, but all of sudden, itching more & more. No rash, no bumps. After reading all of the entries since 2007, I think a couple of people may have hit on the reason for mine. I just started eating this nut mixture I got from a discount store that I have never eaten before. Since I have numerous food allergies and have done nothing else different, I'm thinking this may be it. It's a combination of almonds, pecan and cashews - cashews being the main culprit. The package says 100% natural, no artificial flavors, no added colors, no preservatives. It is sweentened with brown rice syrup and organic sugar and it has sea salt and sunflower oil. I am not allergic to any of those ingredients, so since someone mentioned cashews and I don't usually eat cashews, that's probably it. I've been eating it for the past two or three weeks because I'm trying to do a low carb diet and that's when it all started. I am going to stop eating that and see if the itching goes away. I'll report back because I know so many people are plagued with this horrible itching thing! If anyone is eating cashews (or foods in the cashew family, check those too!) try stopping for a long time and see if it helps. Let me know! I've also had a mild sore throat that has lingered for a long time, drainage in the back of my throat, sneezing attacks and headaches, none of which I was having until recently. (except the sneezing) I am open to any insights of any of this. I'm sure it's more an allergy thing than anything else. I just read something about the waning ozone layer that is causing our strange weather could be making allergies worse too. Who knows?
This sounds like scabies itching usually occurs at night time and is on feet and hands also you sometimes get a small bump under the skin which is itchy.
This itching is maddening! I'm a 21 year old male and I barely got any sleep because the itching was so severe. I don't know how anybody was able to deal with this for more than a few days, but some are saying they've had it for years.
I had a fever the night before and then I went to church Sunday morning. The itching was very gradual, it seemed. My hands started to itch a little bit more, regardless of washing my hands. Eventually, I was scratching my hands and looking for any sort of sign as to what may have caused it. There were no bumps or marks at all, but I noticed the sides of my feet started itching, too. When I got home, I washed my hands again and applied lotion, in case it was dry skin, but that didn't help. I started researching the itching, and one website suggested that a deficiency in certain B vitamins could cause itching. I'm quite a fan of Vitamin Water, and each bottle has 100% values for vitamins B3,5,6,12 so I don't think I'm deficient.
The next post of interest I found was about dyshydrosis, which occurs when you sweat and reabsorb and create fissures (or something like that) and I figured because I had a fever the night before, that was pretty reasonable. But I don't have any of the blisters.
I just have ridiculously itchy hands, while the feet have calmed down (Thank GOD!). My hands now burn and itch, and the only thing that seems to soothe them is cold water, and that lasts until they warm back up. Warm/hot water causes my hands and feet to sting, and bending my fingers/folding my hands feels like I have exercise callices (SP?) all over my hands. Benadryl did nothing for me, and neither did Calamine Lotion, or athlete's foot spray. Maybe I missed the diagnosis, but if anyone could help, it'd be amazing! If not, prayer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks. :)
I had a fever the night before and then I went to church Sunday morning. The itching was very gradual, it seemed. My hands started to itch a little bit more, regardless of washing my hands. Eventually, I was scratching my hands and looking for any sort of sign as to what may have caused it. There were no bumps or marks at all, but I noticed the sides of my feet started itching, too. When I got home, I washed my hands again and applied lotion, in case it was dry skin, but that didn't help. I started researching the itching, and one website suggested that a deficiency in certain B vitamins could cause itching. I'm quite a fan of Vitamin Water, and each bottle has 100% values for vitamins B3,5,6,12 so I don't think I'm deficient.
The next post of interest I found was about dyshydrosis, which occurs when you sweat and reabsorb and create fissures (or something like that) and I figured because I had a fever the night before, that was pretty reasonable. But I don't have any of the blisters.
I just have ridiculously itchy hands, while the feet have calmed down (Thank GOD!). My hands now burn and itch, and the only thing that seems to soothe them is cold water, and that lasts until they warm back up. Warm/hot water causes my hands and feet to sting, and bending my fingers/folding my hands feels like I have exercise callices (SP?) all over my hands. Benadryl did nothing for me, and neither did Calamine Lotion, or athlete's foot spray. Maybe I missed the diagnosis, but if anyone could help, it'd be amazing! If not, prayer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks. :)
One of the most common causes: bedbug nests in the inner soles of your shoes, especially sandals. Raise the inner soles and you will be surprised. Discard those shoes!! I found that out by coincidence only. Nobody seems to realize this is happening. Bedbugs are carriers of dangerous diseases. Beware!
not sure if this will help anyone but i was first drawn to this site while having hand & feet itching at night. it was so bad i started searching to see if i could find a solution to my problem. i for years had sinus issues as well but thought it was just weather pets etc. anyway i recently found out i am allergic to yellow 5 a dye that is in almost everything, food, drink, lotions, soaps u name it. i had been washing my feet & hands with dial soap b4 bed & that contains the dye. once i started avoiding this dye the sinus problems along with the itching are gone. if this can help even one person i would be happy :-)