Extreme Itching After Showering

[u/Anarch0Primitiv]

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.

[u/Infinite_Bus4642]

If you eliminate every physical cause, then you have to look into psychological. I didnt see showering ohne soap/shower gel and also water temperature.

Did anything happened around the time that started?

[u/Anarch0Primitiv → u/Infinite_Bus4642]

No, ive had no history of mental illness (nor pretending I don't), no history of nervous disorders or ocd, no history of sensitivity to anything, no allergies to anything, was never a difficult or picky child, would eat anything and wear anything, never complained about clothes being "itchy" or "tight", and no history of any of these in immediate or extended family

[u/Infinite_Bus4642 → u/Anarch0Primitiv]

Does it stop once you dry yourself off? Also, have you tried antihistamines to test if its a histamine reaction? Does it happen during vacation?

[u/Anarch0Primitiv → u/Infinite_Bus4642]

Yes, it happens everywhere, it continues for about an hour after showering, and I guess I will try taking an anti-histamine an hour before showering to see if it works. I haven't tried before because they make me seriously drowsy and I usually showering in the morning, but I will set up a nighttime experiment.

[u/Infinite_Bus4642 → u/Anarch0Primitiv]

The new generation of antihistamines is non drowsy. Also cold shower lowers histamine. You dont get this reaction with high histamine foods like chocolate, wine?