The Dermatology Blog

I have had this problem for over 12 years, first starting after my late husband’s cancer diagnosis. The itching does seem to exacerbate during periods of stress. I also have some moderate cervical spine disease and a history of prolonged sun exposure, so who knows? So far, only ice and topical menthol products (IcyHot etc.) are the only things that help me. I’ve tried Gabapentin, topical and systemic steroids, antihistamines, all with absolutely no effect. I can sympathize with all the writers who say physicians treat patients with these symptoms like absolute nut cases, because I’ve definitely had that experience too! Good luck to all, and here’s to less itching!

Saw a neurosurgeon today who has never heard of BRP. Waste of time, except he did tell me that the slightly compressed disc seen on the MRI does not warrant surgery at this time. He is referring me to a neurologist ( should have gone to one of those before the surgeon), and meanwhile has prescribed Neurontin ( well, the prescription is for Lyrica not exactly the same drug), but both are anti-convulsive drugs used to treat epilepsy and now being used to treat Fibromyalgia and shingles pain. Side effects are kinda scary- want to iscuss with my primary care dr before I try it.

But he looked very skeptical when I tried to tell him about the symptoms we all are suffering from. He still thought it is probably a dermatological issue, so I suggested that he research it on the internet as I did!

If I decide to try the Rx, I’ll let y’all know if it helps.

I’ve had this itch on my left forearm for about a month with no visible cause. At first I thought it was a really mild case of poison oak, but since no rash appeared and the itching hasn’t subsided, I decided to see what I could find on the ‘net. I’m 54 have degeneration in my cervical spine and Brachioradial pruritis fits all of my symptoms. Bummer.
The good news is that I have found that calamine lotion helps me a LOT. If I do have the same thing as the rest of you, maybe it would help you as well?
Good Luck!

Hi All
I notice that most of you are from the the States, thought you might like to hear from someone in the UK. I live in England where the the climate is relatively cool, my itching gets worse after the summer round about september and usually goes on until march, which is our spring.
The sun actually seems to make mine better.
It is always bad in the evening and always very bad through the night, i hardly sleep at all. I use ice packs and aqueous cream with menthol, but this is just a short term solution and sometimes only lasts for twenty minutes or up to an hour.
I have been to see many dermatoligists over the last 4 years, and was only told about BRP in october of this year, but have yet been told any more about it.
Reading your stories gives me some comfort, like some of you , I did feel that I was going mad and that it was all in my imagination.
I had a minor car accident nearly 20 years and had a cracked rib and wip lash to my neck, I now beleive this may be linked and will now try to follow this route into finding a conclusion.
I do have a stiff neck alot and have had headaches every day for the last 20 years.
Do any of you have these symptoms.
Would be glad to hear from any of you fellow sufferers.
Cheers for the support
Sandra

This makes so much since now. I had a herniated disc between the c7 and c8 about four years about. I was perscribe a steriod and phyical therapy and have continued doing the exercises off and on since then when i feel the pain return. Last weekend my neck was bothering me more than usual. I did my therapy for a couple days til the paid subsided. Wednesday, the itching started and has waxed and waned in intensity since then. Tonight it’s really driving me up the wall. I moved furniture today and that probably has had something to do with it. Thanks for the info.

This makes so much since now. I had a herniated disc between the c7 and c8 about four years ago I was prescribed a steriod and physical therapy and have continued doing the exercises off and on since then when I feel the pain return. Last weekend my neck was bothering me more than usual. I did my therapy for a couple days til the pain subsided. Wednesday, the itching started and has waxed and waned in intensity since then. Tonight it’s really driving me up the wall. I moved furniture today and that probably has had something to do with it. Thanks for the info.

@sandra bothwell
My itching started in the fall and has only gotten worst. Your right about the ice packs they do help. I have a lot of issues due to my spine I was born with klippel feil syndrome (kfs) which is the congenital fusion of 2 or more vertebraes. I jsut found out about it. It has caused all type of cervical issues for me stenosis,spondylosis you know all the good stuff. The itching the doctors could not explain but my primary did say that he thought it was all related. I thought i was just loosing it. Now I can go back a little more informed and ready to take the next steps.

Well i am back. I posted a couple of weeks ago and I have been experimenting with a couple of things over the past few weeks that seem to confirm my suspicions that this is my problem. When the itching starts I’ll do to of the PT exercises and stretches and the itching will decrease significantly and even go away for a few hours. I work at the computer during most of the day. I have a horrible posture and so when I feel the prickly itching coming on I quit what I am doing and flex a little bit and it really seems to help alot.

I was on this site last summer because of the itching in my arms…then fall and winter came, and no more itching. Well,i went to the beach for the first time this spring(i live in florida )got a little burned, and you guessed it! it’s back. here i am at 3 in the morning cause it wakes me up right out of a dead sleep.At least i know what it is from.ice is the only thing that helps me.It’s amazing so many people have this and there is nothing for it.

Hello all,
I have been experiencing itching for the last few months now. Not only is it on my arms and shoulders, it’s also in my ears, on my back and check and my legs and thighs. I itch all over and scratching only makes it worse. Sometimes the itching last all day. I started losing cartilage in my knees a few months ago and the doctor put me on an anti-inflammatory. I wondering if that has something to do with the itching. If someone finds out the answer, please let me know.

I have been putting up with this itching for a few years now. when i went to the doctor about it he told me it was eczema, i told him there is no rash when the itching starts, he pretty much blew me off, he prescribed Zyrtec and hydrocortisone cream. the cream doesn’t usually work alone, the Zyrtec helps but i think its just because it knocks me out. Like the rest of you ice is the only thing that really helps. I fell so much better after reading this! I started to feel like I was crazy!I did have a minor cervical injury when i was a kid, a few years ago I fractured T6, does anyone know if a thoracic injury can cause this as well?

Summer is here & I find that the itching starts when I get a bad sunburn. This year I try to wear long sleeves because I do not want that terrible itching to come back. It is like a curse. I was on the website last year & my doctor prescribed Zyrtec & a cream called Desoximetasone. That is the only thing that has saved me. I put it on in the morning & then at nite before bedtime. This is my relief as I have had this itching for over 7 years now & it absolutely drives me insane & has brought me to tears.

Hello Everyone
I have been on this site before, reading all of your comments and I also have posted a few times. I am in NY and I had a horrible outbreak where the skin broke in hives. I went to a relatives Doctor and didn’t say a word to him but, please tell me what this is. His words where Shingles or Postherpetic Noralgia. He took a blood test for the herpies-zoyster virus and I just got the results back and it came back positive for the virus. Last week when I first visited him he prescribed Valtrex and Lidoderm patches. The valtrex worked, I have to give the Vatrex alittle more time, I do get little outbreaks on the arm, nothing like what I had before use ice to sooth it. The Lidoderm are patches that numb the area, there okay you can wear them for 12hours so wore them at night. I will keep you updated, on my second week of Valtrex. FYI – only have this pain(itchy, burning feels like its inside the arm) on one side. I have had this for 8 years, have gone to doctors and they looked at me like I had 10 heads. I have used Zonolon, ice, also wanted to chop my arm off. I have had lower back surgery and fusion.

I have been a sufferer from Brachioradial Pruritis for years now. The ice pack was the only thing that worked for me, but we bought a new camper with no freezer, so I wont have my dependable ice packs. So after being on the computer for hours, I tried my husband’s Rub A535 extra strength cream. I think it is used for muscle aches and pains. Anyways, last night was the first night I could sleep without the ice packs. This cream, for me, works like a charm. Hope this helps other people out there. Next doctor’s appointment, Im bringing this to her attention and why dont doctors know about it????

Hello fellow itchers. This time around it’s my right arm rather than the left. Does anyone else notice that it alternates? It started in early June. I’ve posted here before. A native Long Islander suffering since 1994, now in NC for two years. What I’ve been doing lately is at the very first, subtlest sign of anything that resembles an itch is to puncture a vitamin E capsule and squeeze the oil out onto my arm and rub it in. It takes a little while, and I do have to do my best to ignore it during that time- but after that, I feel fine. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever tried, and believe me, I have scars now from scratching, burning myself etc… just to try to relieve this unrelenting itch. Would appreciate any feedback. It’s funny how we all have neck and/or back problems (me included) but yet this bitch only occurs at certain times of the year… Any answers?

Hello Everyone, Finally went home and tingling in the arm is still there but not as often as it was. The tingling use to feel like a burning, itchy feeling. I went on the second week of Valtrex and on the third week the dr. put me on 7 days of MethylPrednisololone. He wants me to see a Neurologist so he can work with me on medication. I am thinking an Anti-depressant med which works with the nerve. I have been sleeping great at night, no sudden wake ups with the arm itch(pain). I can’t believe that a few years ago I had searched the web and it came up with PostHerpetic Neuralgia. But when I went to the doctors they said I was to young to have any form of Shingles. Well I just proved them wrong. It won’t hurt to have a blood test for the virus. It will not show up unless you ask for one. I always get a blood test every yr and this test is seperate. It is a nerve problem and maybe its just a coinsident that I have had Cervical surgery. It is something that I will probably never get rid of but maybe go into remission, with the right medication. Will keep you all informed.

I started itching in 2006 and it seems like it goes away, or at least lets up in the colder weather. I had gone to the dermatolisitis today she said a big name for the itch. and a cream to use. The cream helps but it is not time for bed. She also told me the name of the crem made from peppers. I tried the ice packs and they do stop the itch. You guys are not giving much hope. I do feel like the rest of you It would not hurt if I could cut it off. I don’t know about any back prombles.

@Laurel
Hey, Laurel…I also am from NY (Adirondacks) and now have been in NC for 2 years! I have never tried vitamin E for my intensely itching arms which I’ve tore up from itching – so thanks for the info…I’ll try it! Yes, my itching changes from one arm to the other or sometimes both…sometimes it is mostly on the muscle of my forearm and sometimes it is all over my arms including my shoulders. I have noticed little pimple-like bumps that have come up through my skin on my shoulders – I wonder if my body is detoxing?? or why I’m suddenly getting “acne” on my shoulders?? wierd!!

The last time I posted here was back in MArch 09 after having been to a dermatologist who diagnosed me with Brachioradial pruritus following a cervical spine xray. Her prescribed creams did not work for me, so she referred me to a neurologist. He had never heard of this condition, but seeing a laptop computer open on his desk, I invited him to do a search . He pulled up some of the medical papers I had read on the net, and gave me a prescription for gabapentin — the oral medication used for epileptic siezures.
I HAVE BEEN SYMPTOM FREE FOR 5 MONTHS!! My arms are clear of scabs from the incessant scratching. I have not used any creams on my arms in 5 months (I used to go thru a whole tube of Lanacaine Max strength every couple days). Ice bags are a thing of the past. I am living a normal life.
I am taking a 300 mg capsule 2x a day. The dr told me I could easily increase to 3x a day if needed (I was concerned that summertime, with increased sun exposure, usually was the worst time, might make it flare up ). But- I am outside everyday, same amount of sun exposure as the last 4 years- and STILL NO ITCHING>

Everyone- please contact your doctor and ask for gabapentin. Neurontin is a similar drug, but with potentilly severe side effects- so dont let them prescibe it in place of the gabapentin. My doc said we would only try the neurontin if I had no relief with the gabapentin. ( I would not take neurontin after treading about the drug anyway.)

I have had no side effects from this drug.

Make the call- I got my life back to normal, and perhaps this will work for you , too. My squished disc that is causing the problem is not severe enough to warrant surgery, so who knows how long this drug will continue to provide relief- I am praying I am free of the horrible itching forever.

I realized that my last post here was in January, not March – after seeing the neurological surgeon- who had never heard of this condition and laughed at me. After that, I went BACK to the dermatologist and she then referred me to the nuerologist who, even tho he had never heard of BRP, was willing to listen to my symptoms and then read the info on the net. It was this doc who , after READING that gabapentin had provided relief to some patients,, agreed to prescribe the drug for me. God Bless him.

Janice,
Where do you live? Do you think you could get this doctor to write a paper about his findings. Have it pulbish and sent to all the doctors out there so all doctors know about BRP. Tell this saint that all of us need help…. What can all of do to help to make that happen? I belive that all of us would be willing to do anything we could help. Maybe he would let you put his name out here and we could have our doctors get in touch with him. Any thing is worth a try. Tell him he would be a life saver to all of us.

Well, I live near Rehoboth Beach, DE (So, I get ALOT of sun in the summer), but the docotr is in Wilmington, DE. He is Dr.W, Sommers, DO

I think if you just contact your doctor and talk to him, and ask that he try this medication for you, he should agree. But do it now before the govt takes over health care- if a drug isnt manufactured specifically for a certain malady, Obummer might not let you get it!

@sandra bothwell
I am sitting on my computer at 1am because I cannot sleep, my itching is driving me nuts, it is on my neck and chest. I also have had a low grade headache for many months and sometimes have a stiff neck. As yet, I have not seen anyone, just applying hydrocortisone to skin. Will go to dr as I am going mad

@marianne
Hi. Here it is early Aug. and I haven’t itched in a few weeks. Knock wood. Probably just jinxed myself. Hope not, as my mosquito bites are providing me with all the itching I can handle! Did the vitamin E oil help you at all?

I am so relieved to read about all of your experiences because now I am not alone. My problem started about seven years ago when I moved to a home that is surrounded by woods, and I thought that is what was causing the itching and stinging. Mine starts when the ground thaws (late March/early April) and continues till it freezes (late November/early December). It is always at night, but once in a while during the day.

My internist sent me to a dermatologist who sent me to an allergist. He did a full battery of tests which showed I didn’t have any allergies that he was able to test for and prescribed Allegra and a prescription topical. I think the itching and stinging have lessened with the meds, but not to the point where I can sleep at night. I usually have it on my upper right arm, but sometimes, to a much lesser degree, on my upper left arm. Like all of you, the only thing that helps is ice packs. What’s interesting is that I have little white marks on the upper fleshy portion of my arm, and when I have stinging I can see that whichever white mark is stinging will become slightly indented. I also get weird growths on my arm that come out with the itching at night and during the day when the itching goes away my arms are smooth.

As far as my history, I had two discs in my lower back fused about thirty years ago. Since that time I have been in the ER numerous times because of muscle spasms with other discs. I have had mild shingles twice, both times in my abdomen area. I live in NJ and spent the first thirty years of my life lying in the sun from June to September, and never used sun screen. For the past thirty years I have gone to the beach every weekend but use #30 (I do not itch or have stinging while in the sun).

I’m going to take the information I found on the web about Brachioradial Pruritus and the different treatments that have worked for all of you, to my dermatologist and see about the course of action he suggests.

A quick question – do any of you think that the Brachioradial Pruritis is activated by allergies? I never had the problem till I moved to this home which as I mentioned is set right in the middle of the woods. Except for two other times, I’ve never had it anywhere else but at home. Both times I was in heavily wooded areas (at least one hour from my home), and at dusk the itching and stinging started at a full blown level. Both times I was in my car and the windows were closed (although I’ve found that whether the windows in my home are open or closed doesn’t matter).

OH MY GOD!!! I am almost in tears just because I am so happy to find out I am not alone. I have intense itching on my arms anywhere from the wrist up to the shoulders. It oftens switches arms. It gets much worse at night. There is absolutely nothing visible on my arms. Scratching makes it worse. I have tried every lotion under the sun and the only thing that works is ice. Doctors treat me like I’m insane. I have also have had neck and shoulder pain for many years although I have no idea whether I have issues with any of my discs. I also have restless leg syndrome. It is the middle of the night and I am seriosluy considering taking a knife to my arm. There must be a doctor somewhere that can help us!!

If you havent had a cervical spine xray, ask your doctor to order one for you. I had a very sharp dematologist who recognized that my symptoms were NOT a skin issue, but a nerve disorder. The GABAPENTON WORKS! 300 mg, 2x a day. Ask your doctor- insist on it. No topical cream is going to work, nor will any oral alllergy medications. It is a cervical spine issue- something is effecting the brachioradial nerve ( a slipped or squished disc, for example), and the pressure on the nerve is causing the itching sensation- instead of a sensation of pain.

However, if you are only having this sensation on one side of your body- you have to be tested to see if it could be the shingles virus. But shingles doesnt present on both sides of the body, so if both arms itch- either simultaneously or at differnt times, it probably isnt shingles.

FINALLY!!! After 11 years of this madness I was enlightened to Brachioradial Pruritis yesterday by a P.A. at my annual dermatologist appt. having some moles checked!!!! I have seen every doctor under the sun for this HORRIBLE itching, got tested gor allergies- which showed I am allergic to 9 differnt grasses in the s.east and oak. took allergy shots for 2 years once a week and it didn’t help the itching- only the sinus problems(which I would choose any day over the itching arms! So I had pretty much given up on any help for it. My itching usually starts in spring; but from July thru Aug or Sept it is hell. I get mine alot during the day too though- as well as many sleepless nights up and down to the freezer for more ice. I always take a small cooler and hand towel with me in case of a “flare up” and everybody that knows me knows what the towel with ice on my arms is for. From reading other comments, I think mine itch during the day because of the high humidity where I live. I am in Savannah,GA-almost everybody that I have been reading about is alot farther north and seems to have it limited more to nighttime.I love to go to the beach and tan,but by the middle of July I am usually tired of it ,and DEFINATELY by now-but the part of the summer that the itchingarms and shoulders go totally bananas is when I am least in the sun. I am 37 and have always had neck and lower back issues since I was 12yrs. when I wrecked a 4wheeler. I have always gone to the chiropractor when my neck/back acts up. I asked the P.A. if she thought it might be a good idea to find a reputable accupuncturist- and maybe between that and giving this info to my chiropractorand let him focus on this when he is adjusting me. She said there could definately be potential!I just really dont want to take all these scary sounding meds! I am going to make an appt. next week. I’ll post an update to inform what happens. Sorry I typed an autobiography!!! I am so excited to finally know that I am NOT the only person in the world with this weird,unexplainable itching- and mostly that I’m not crazy and there is a name for it!!!

Jessica,
I live in Alabama and I have had these itching arms off and on for about 5 years. When it first started I thought it was some medication that I was taking…but finally determined it wasn’t. I do take herbal products but very particular on the brands. It seems to start all of a sudden like it started around the last of July of this year. Sometimes I wake up at night with it itching and sometimes during the day or late afternoon. No ryhme or reason for it to start up. I’m age 59. I’ve had sciatic nerve pain off and on for the past 9 yrs and have been under chiropractic care for it since then. I do have some disc degeneration, but no back surgeries. Seems like it might start up in the late summer. I spend alot of time outdoors flower gardening during the spring and through the summer. At least I know I’m not alone with this problem. I don’t have any friends or family with this, so I was beginning to feel alone until I found the blogs and websites about it.

I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago. I took my paper with me with the name on it and told him that Gabapentin is what helped people who had posted on the inter net. No gripes about me wanting to go on it. He put me on it right away. 300mg. 1 pill at bed time. The only side affect I had with it was when I first started taking it I was dizze, but that has passed after time of use. He told me to take 1 claritin in morning. Then I still take benadryl during the afternoon and evening. I still take the cold packs to bed and start out with them, but I don’t wake up to replace them once I am asleep. Thank you Janice and thank your doctor.

linda- My doctor had me start by taking only one 300 mg capsule at bedtime ( due to the slight chance of dizziness) for the first week, then I went to one capsule in the am and one at bedtime. try that, and I just KNOW you wont need the claritin OR the benadryl.(It’s NOt a histamine reaction- it’s a NERVE issue!!!). Your body will adjust , if you only take the gabapentin at bedtime for the first week or two. I have NO side effects at all.

I am so gladyou are willing to try this medicine- it has made BRP a thing of the past for me, and I hope it will do so for you,too. Keep me posted!

linda-what I mean is, I think you need to be taking it 2x a day, and eliminating the claritin and benadryl ( which can cause dizziness and or drowsiness, too). My doc told me that 300mg 2x a day is a very low dose, and that there is plenty of room to go up in dosage, if needed. I dont think 300 mg once a day is enough to totally relieve the symptoms.

I went to my dermatolgist today for a skin check and while I was there I described the ferocous itching that comes out of know where that’s just on the tops of my mid arms mostly on left and sometimes on the right. He immediately told me it was Brachioradial Pruitis. I was sort of shocked because most Doctors don’t have a clue. He said it was triggered by sun exposure or nerve damage cause by the sun to the brachioradial muscle nerves in that part of the arms. Right now it has subsided, but had it the whole month of August. He told me to use Capzasin cream as soon as it starts itching. The cream burns or is hot, but it’s suppose to stop the itching after the Capsasin cream stops burning. That’s about all he said about it. You can buy it over the counter at the drug store. I’ll try it next time…but hope it’s not a next time.

I am a 51 year old female and I have experience itching for over 10 years. It starts in August and last for months. It is about to drive me insane. I sleep with an ice pack every night. It is an itch that scratching makes worse. It starts to burn really bad with a tingling sensation. My itching is just as bad during the day. I have not had a good nights sleep for over a month. I have reviewed some postings that other people have made and I going to the Doctor today and I am going to ask about Gabapentin. It would be a miracle if it works. I have had skin biopsy that come back with no real answer. I have tried many creams that don’t help at all. We have to find an answer some where, there has to be a name for this and a solution. If anyone has a solution please post it, I am desperate.

Thanks everyone,

Vickie

@Janice

Hi Janice,
I have been reading your posting, I went to the Dr. today and she gave me Gabapentin 300mg three times aday. I am so glad that I found this web-site, I am so miserable with this itching and burning in both arms. I have cried many days and nights. I have suffered for over ten years. I hope I have finally found a solution. I do believe that it is a nerve issue. My arms are so sore from scratching them, and the bad thing is it makes it worse. The only thing that helps is an ice pack. I hope we all can be relieve from the horrible condition.

Vicki-
Thank goodness your doctor gave you the prescription!!! I suffered as horribly as most here- the itching came day and night,but most severely at night.I was going without sleep night after night. I found relief with only 2xa day (300mg 2x a day), so you may be able to scale back once you get relief. Post here as soon as you begin to see a differfnece- and I really, really think that you will!

I did follow my doc’s advice with starting with 300mg at bedtime only for the first week, so my body could adjust to the medicatiopn, if needed. But by the 2nd or 3rd night, I was already seeing a difference.

Did your doctor suggest this, too??

Hi Janice,

She started me taking 300mg for the first day, 2x second day and then 3x daily. I really felted funny in my head after I took it, but I am sure that I will adjust. I also felt really sick at my stomach. I can live with that compared to the itching. I go back tomorrow, she said that 300mg my be to much for me, I am a small person I only weigh 115 pounds. I hope my prayers are answered. Do you have to take this year around, are only the itchy months? Thank you so much Janice for your advice.

Vickie

@Vickie

Hi Vicki,

I’ve only been taking the drug since March- and right now ,(September) is usually the time I would be suffering the worst. So I cant really answer your question. I am wondering myself if i will be able to back off the gabapentin in the winter months, but i am not yet ready to take the chance of the itching coming back! I see my doctor this month to renew my prescription and will seek his advice . I’ll let you know what he suggests, and whether I decide to try to wean off the drug ( altho I highly doubt I will do that!). I have been so TOTALLY normal- which includes spending time in the pool whenever I can ( and therefore, getting alot sun exposure), that I dont want to risk ever going back to that tortuous itching.

I’m surprised she’s trying to get you up to 300mg 3x a day so soon. I weigh 125 lbs and find that the 2x a day dose is enough. Perhaps you could talk to her and see if you could back it down to 300mg 2x a day.Perhaps the side effects wont be so prevalent then. I have no dizziness at all. No side effects at all, for that matter.

You didnt mention if you are getting any relief yet. Are you??

Be patient and give it time to work!!!

Vicki-
Rereading your post and I really question your doctor having you go up in the dosage so quickly! I was on 300mg at bedtime for 7 days before going up to 2x a day. Perhaps she is anxious for you to see results.But if your body is telling you that it is too much, too soon, ( the dizziness), then I would talk to her right away about it.
In other words, dont let any side effects dissuade you from taking the drug- just lower the dosage for a bit and allow your body to adjust.

@Janice
Hi Janice,

I wanted to tell you I went back to the Dr. on Friday and she did decrease my Gabapentin to 100mgx2 and 300mg at night. The dizzyness is getting a lot better. I have to tell you that I can really tell the different in the itchy it starts when the medicine is wearing off. I can not thank all of you for your posting. Please everyone try this medicine, it is a miracle for me. I have suffered for ten years+. Thanks again Janice. We will keep in touch!!

I am so glad it appears to be working for you, too,Vickie!!! My only question is whether or not we will need to be on this med for the rest of our lives, and if there is an potential problems with doing so. But for now, I am so very, very thankful that my doc was willing to listen to ME and was willing to try to help me with a condition he had never heard of before.

Keep me posted on how you’re doing.
Wishing you many, many nights of sound and restful sleep!!

I an so interested in reading about everyone’s different ways of dealing with this horrible ailment. I was lucky and only suffered for about a month when I found a link to Gabapentin which I took to my doctor. She prescribed it as 100 mg 3xday and it has worked like a charm. I actually have upped it to 100 mg 4xday and so far so good. My husband has taken Gabepentin for years for a neurological condition and he takes 300 mg 3xday and his doctor told him many patients take a total of 1,800 mg per day. Please everyone who is trying different creams and antihistamines ask your doctor for Gabapentin because IT WORKS.

Hi Ann,

Yes you are right, I have been on it for almost two weeks and it has really help me so much. It feels so good to be able to sleep thru the night and without a ice pack. (Horay) I just wish I understood this medical condition. I have suffered for 10 years+. I was diagnosed twelve years with lupus. My Dr. and I thought that is was part of the lupus. I have this itching from July to Oct. and sometimes in goes into Dec. If I only knew way. My Dr. also told me about Bio-freeze. it really cools my arms when they are buring. What did your Dr. diagnose you with? Thank you for your posting and good luck to you. I hope you never have to experience this again.

@Vickie
Hi Vickie,
Actually I “diagnosed” it myself as Brachioradial Pruritis from searching on the Internet. I’m fortunate that my doctor is willing to listen to her patients and she was very happy to discover a new ailment. I find it very odd that so little is known about this problem since it seems that it has claimed numerous victims. I think it’s being so misdiagnosed because it’s almost always thought to be a dermatological problem. I hope that more fellow sufferers discover this site and try Gabapentin. Good luck to you too and happy non-itching.

If you read everyone’s posts here carefully, you will dicsover that we all have a common denominator: a problem with our spine or discs. The braccioradial nerve runs from the cervical spine down the arm. If this nerve is compromisedin some way by some sort of damage or change to the cervical spine, rather than feeling a sensation of pain,we are experiencing the horrible,burning itch.

this is why topical creams and anti-histamine drugs dont work. Ice gives temporary relief because it numbs the nerve endings to the point that you dont feel anything.But remove the ice,and within a few seconds the itching sensation returns once the nerve endings “thaw out”.

I havent seen anyone post with the symptom who hasnt also mentioned some sort of change or issue with their spine.

Gabapentin seems to be working for many of us-the question is for how long. I’m glad to hear that dosages up to 1800mg a day appears to be safe.

@Janice
GABAPENTIN AND NEURONTIN ARE THE SAME EXCACT DRUG,DIF NAMES…I AM GLAD YOU ALL HAVE FOUND SOME RELEIF,THERE ARE TWO TOPICALS THAT WORK, ZOSTRIX HP AND LIDEX GEL…YES I TOO TRIED EVERTHING,I WENT TO EVERY KIND OF DOCTOR IN DALLAS TEXAS AREA,SPENT A SMALL FORTUNE,YES THE NEURONTIN/GABAPENTIN DUE WORK MOSTLY,I DO HAVE TO APPLY MY TOPICALS SOMTIMES AND EVEN MY OLD TRUSTY ICE PACKS BUT MOST OF THE TIME ITS MANAGABLE.THANK GOD.ITS CALLED,BRACHIORADIAL PRURITUS,A CURSE INDEED……

YES ,ITS TRUE.. ASK ANY DOCTOR OR PHAM,….GABAPINTIN …THE BRAND NAME FOR GABAPINTIN..IS IN FACT NEURONTIN ! ITS A GREAT DRUG NONE THE SAME…

I WOULD NEVER RECCOMEND TAKING 1800 MG A DAY,I BELEAVE THATS TO MUCH OVER ANY TIME FRAME…IT WOULD RECK YOUR LIVER,KIDNEYS….STICK TO 100 ,200,EVEN 300MG ,TWICE A DAY AND ONE AT BEDTIME…GOOD LUCK ALL

WHAT CAN SET IT OFF ? A BUG BITE, SLITE SUN BURN, A SRATCH, OR STRESS ITSELF CAN DO IT,IT SETS OFF A CHEMICAL REACTION IN THE NERVES AND NERVE ENDINGS,,THUS THE ITCH..BRACHIORADAIL PURITUS A CURSE INDEED..BUT NOW WE HAVE A NAME ! FIGHT THE ITCH .. I DID AND WON MY LIFE BACK….