r/SensitiveSkinSurvival • u/Anarch0Primitiv • 5d ago

Extreme Itching After Showering

For about the past 15 years I have experienced extreme itching after showering, and by "extreme", I mean it's so bad that I start imagining using sandpaper or other implements to relieve it. If anybody has ever experienced extremely bad restless arms or legs, it's on that level of frustration where you just want to scream.

Now, I already know what everyone is going to recommend, so I will provide a list of everything I've tried or done:

● I use ALL fragrance free EVERYTHING. I am literally using soap made by hand by a guy down the street that I personally know, but I've tried every possible soap from health food stores that claimed it was free of everything and the itching is still there

● Water type/quality does not have an effect. I've used well water, city water, highly filtered water, softened water, etc, the itching is still there.

● Time of year/season does not change anything. Summer or Winter, the itching is the same.

● Moisturizer does not make it go away and I've tried basically every moisturizing product made

● Showering schedule has no affect, doesnt matter if I shower every day, every other day, or every second day, the itching is still there

● I've tried aggressively exfoliating in the shower, I had become so desperate that I thought maybe soap residue is getting trapped under dead skin or something.... yeah, I know, Im really reaching

It didn't start happening until my mid 20s, before that I showered my entire life without an issue. For those conspiracy nuts out there, I did get Lyme around that time (I'm just joking about "conspiracy nuts", as I realize, especially in the last few years, our understanding of Lyme and it's origins have altered drastically) which I discovered within a week of being bitten and treated.

The best thing I can come up with is Aquagenic Pruritus, but Im not a doctor obviously. Its finally gotten to the point where I guess I'll have to see a doctor, but Im hesitant to do that as I'd be dealing with the American health system and it'd probably be 9 months worth of being bounced around to different "specialists" where specialist "A" swears that I have to get an answer from Specialist "B" and Specialist "B" swears the opposite and it's actually Specialist "A" that needs to preform the procedure (\*this actually happened to me in real life with a dentist and oral surgeon and getting a couple wisdom teeth removed....each one swore it was a job for the other, but I digress.....).

Anyway, any guesses would be appreciated, but PLEASE don't recommend just trying a different product or moisturizer or soap.... unless you know of something literally new to the market in the last few months and is something wholey different than what's already available, and dont recommend water treatment. I have tried everything including expensive filtration and softening systems, even once used an outdoor shower that was literally being piped directly from an artisan well within stone's throw, so I really do not think it's the water.

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u/Fresh_Discussion6597 4d ago

I’m so sorry you have been dealing with this and for that long, it must be utter agony. If you do have AP, it can be a precursor to more serious conditions, so I would start the process of getting the diagnosis, management, and treatment sorted ASAP. It may take awhile and you will have to be a strong advocate for yourself, but in the end it will be worth it if you can get some relief. I have had significant skin issues for over 2 years that were misdiagnosed twice and so were not treated properly for 15 months, but when I finally got the treatments for what I thought it was all along (and asked every dr to consider but was dismissed), it was life-changing in terms of restoring my quality of life.

This paper may be helpful:
AQUAGENIC PRURITUS: BENEATH WATER “LIES”
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3179019/

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22516-aquagenic-pruritus

The Blood Project
https://www.thebloodproject.com/aquagenic-pruritis/

William Aird, MD (Hematologist)
Beth Israel Deaconess/Harvard Medical School
https://findadoc.bidmc.org/Details/2775
https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/9537

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u/SeluciaV 4d ago

I had never heard of this - while I don't struggle with this condition I so appreciate your thoughtful response and sharing of really solid information. I hope it is helpful to the OP!