So, I got a pretty good sunburn on Sunday. Forgot to take sunscreen to the beach. No biggie, I've been burnt before, honestly, I kinda like the feeling a little. Have a fan blowing on my oversensitive skin feels kinda good. For two days I was putting on aloe lotion to try and keep from peeling, everything is progressing nicely.

Last night, I put on the exact same lotion and Armageddon started on my skin. I started itching... and not the my skin is peeling itching. An insane, bugs crawling under my skin while lying on a nail bed kind of itching. I have never experienced anything like it. I have had kidney stones, I have broken three ribs, I have had finger nails ripped off. I would choose all three at the same time over this. My wife thought I had literally snapped and lost my mind. I couldn't lie down, I couldn't stand up, scratching didn't help. It just wouldn't stop, all over my chest and back. I would probably cry, but I couldn't think clearly enough to even consider it.

Luckily my wife got online and started reading about this Hell's Itch that occurs on some cases of sunburn. Basically, histamines react to remove an allergy, except that there isn't an allergen to scratch or wash away, so they continue the assault on your skin. Lotions/balms/lidocaine/etc trap the histamines, so it is like throwing gas on a fire.

The solution? Take ibuprofen, Benedryl and get in a hot shower. I had my shower turned on all the way on hot... you would think that would hurt, but it was instant relief. Apparently, you pain receptors can interfere with your itch receptors. Now that 800mg of ibuprofen and 50 mg of Benedryl have kicked in, it is a dull annoyance. But, I fear when it starts wearing off.

I think I will be able to handle it better, knowing that it has a solution and there is relief.

PSA end.

Slicer97 said:

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If you're going to the beach, how do you forget sunscreen? That's like going camping and forgetting your tent.

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We forgot because the weather was crappy for two days and we didn't need it. Honestly, I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I have had worse sunburns... way worse. If I had gotten anymore cooked I would have worn a shirt at least, that is how this sunburn rated with other sunburns that I have had.

I've never been so close to absolutely losing my ish than the two times I've inflicted myself with hells itch. Like lock me in a looney bin crazy because the minute I stepped out of the hot shower because I thought I was ok, then dry off and nope back in the shower. That stuff is miserable.

Preguntar su hijas

Hijo de puta

Sounds like you should have gone to the doctor and asked for opioids. The news/media think that's what doctors would Rx - yes, some rotten apples would but not 99%

Never had it, and had some burns where skin turned purple.
It sounds like comparable pain to cracking a molar when you are a day away from a dentist. Don't EVER put Anbesol or any other toothache pain on a cracked tooth. I think that it would be better to just die than deal with that pain again. It felt like a hot dagger going from my jaw straight into my head behind the eye. That pain was worse than having a heart attack......

It's the reason I'm adamant about sunscreen or a shirt. Had it a couple times and I don't ever want to have that bs again.

I'm so pale and prone to sunburn, and skin cancer runs so prevalent in my family, the only way I'm going to the beach during the summer is going full burka.

I had this same thing the last time I got really sunburned. I had no idea it had a name. I thought I had some kind of neurological defect. It would make my body twitch and I was like a human incarnation of Daffy Duck. It felt like the horrible sensation came from deep within the tissue of your skin. It was the worst time I can ever remember having on this earth. I have not gone shirtless since. I'm not kidding. That's how horrible it was and how sure I want to be that it never happens again.

Claritin or Xyzol or Zyrtec can be taken with Benadryl to help suppress the histamines through another mechanism, and they don't tend to cause drowsiness.

I've had a case of heat rash the first time I went to Singapore where it is horribly humid 24/7 and I was working outside mostly. That itches like hell 24/7. Fortunately I was able to find some generic histamine blocker once I figured out it wasn't a food allergy. Took about 3 weeks though. Miserable.

This happened to me once as well. I was just out of college and working the sales counter as a Trainee. It felt like needles stabbing me randomly all over my back. My body would randomly flinch every few seconds and I could not stay still. It is not easy to help customers while you are flinching and making yourself look crazy.

It came back, but I took some more ibuprofen, Benedryl and then sat in another scalding hot shower for 25 minutes until the hot water ran out. That is the holy trinity now as far I am concerned, as it has mostly gone away. I hope that this doesn't last that much longer.

I have Aquagenic Pruritus (we've determined it's Genetic... dad and brother have it). Same itching situation but it's triggered by contact with water. Pools, ocean, and sweat are the worst. I've learned to crank up the heat in the shower before I get out... helps quite a bit. Booze helps too as well believe it or not.

Sine poena nulla lex.

I came here hoping to hear a funny story about someone with an STD, and now I have another thing to be terrified about. I've never heard of this and I always manage to get a good sunburn at least a couple times a year.

Anytime you get too much sun, rub Noxzema on the burn dry. Let it sit for 10 min then rinse off.
I didn't believe it until I tried it. Hydrates your skin and prevents peeling. Im not sure exactly how it works but it does. Repeat as needed. Usually just takes the one time.

Woody2006 said:

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I came here hoping to hear a funny story about someone with an STD, and now I have another thing to be terrified about. I've never heard of this and I always manage to get a good sunburn at least a couple times a year.

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+1

had it once when i was a teenager.

weirdest damn thing as i've had worse sunburns than that.

i had no idea what happened, but the shower was the only thing that brought relief, stayed in so long my mom finally made me stop.

ended up lying a towel on my bedroom floor and literally just moved up and down to try to take my mind off it.

i couldn't sleep at all that night, it will make you lose your mind.

luckily it went away by the next day but i was petrified it would come back.

to this day, and that was over 25 years ago, i am religious about sun block and reapply often as i never want that feeling again.

kinda cool thread, i didn't know it had a name or other people experienced it.

my parents and best friend just thought i was crazy and said to get over it.

Update: I took another hot shower and dosed up on ibuprofen and Benedryl before bed. I woke up at about 4 to take my nightly pee, and no more itching so I think that it is over.

So, once I found out about the showers, ibuprofen and benedryl, it was pretty manageable. Before then, it was the worst experience of my life.

I have heard of this. I am religious about sunblock for this very reason.

Icy Hot works too. I discovered this once by accident, trying desperately to find something to stop the itch. You'll scream for about 10 seconds, but then it will go numb.

Had it a few times too, apparently it's a reaction to the dead tissue under your skin.

Worst pain of my life and the only thing you can do it blast it with hot showers and antihistamines.

Have had this a few times as well, your explanation of the pain is on the money, worst feeling of my life. Thanks for the tip.

Ive had this also. Only hangs around for about 15-20 minutes the next day after I shower. Those minutes are miserable though

I have had this several times, and figured out the bendadryl hot shower remedy about 7 to 10 years ago.

Hell's itch is very aptly named. It's not even describable the amount of discomfort you are in. It also becomes a mental state issue approaching paranoia. My parents would just blow me off thinking it was regular sunburn itch and put lotion on it (making it worse). I remember one time laying on a twin bed as a teenager trying so hard not to scratch my sunburn. I was just screaming and hugging the mattress as tight as I could, I ended up working my arms all the way around the mattress and just bear hugging that thing to death. I also have noticed that I typically get it when the sunburn isn't quite bad enough to cause peeling. My brother got it and ended up in the hospital, at the time they just sedated him.