Sure. See: http://www.ecureme.com/emyhealth/data/Photodermatitis.asp 
(among other places).

There's a first time for everything.

That was a pretty good list that Griffin supplied. Two (at least) there are
systemic diseases.
So if you follow the sun rules and it occurs again, that's perhaps something to
look into.

I've had pretty bad sunburns with blisters and the itching was associated with
the healing phases.
Otherwise, just severe sunburns, no blisters, no itchies.
Everyone's different, I guess, but I wondered if your cream is the culprit or
making it worse?
We used to use Calamine lotion (maybe ointment - I don't know what formula it
comes in these days).
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/showpreparation.asp?id=2970

No more than 10 minutes in the sun between 11 and 2 or 3 pm is what we're told
here. (northern Hemisphere).

Good luck and let us know if it recurs.
J

---------------------------------------------------------------

Benadryl will help itching but but the sounds of it, an allergic
reaction might not totally be your problem.  What I'm wondering is if
you may have encountered some heat stroke.  I'm not a doctor nor am I
close......if this is bothering you badly enough, see your doctor.

Hey John,

Benedryl pills are the best to relieve the itching.  It's an
antihistimine.  Don't moisture your skin with lotion!  It will trap in
the heat.  Suntan lotions with oil in them will make your skin feel
hot too.  Put the green aloe vera gel on your skin to cool it.  If
your in pain, take a pain reliever.  Some drugs and alcohol will
dilate the blood vessels and will make the sunburn feel worse.

If you keep on getting a reaction to the sun that is not normal
especially in the beginning or the season, you may have polymorphous
light reaction or PMLE.

Take Care,
Rob (not a doctor)      

Itching means irritation.

A sunburn is very drying to the skin. (duh.) :D

Try 1-2 cups of oatmeal in your bath water. Pour it in under the tap as it
runs. it has moisturizing properties.

Your doc may also give you some cream.

Emma

Hello,
I must reply to this story. I have experienced this sunburn itch madness 3
times in my life. It is just like you say. It is not just an itch that can be
cured with some kind of lotion. In fact when suggested lotions are applied
the itching goes into super hyper crazy mode and it is so bad that you almost
do lose your mind with the insane non stop pain which feels like hundreds of
pins being poked on your back non stop and there is nothing you can do. This
happens about two days after a 4 to 5 hour exposure in the direct sun. It
happens only once a year and it is the first time you get sun usually in the
late spring or early summer.
As the previous message sender says, I am a grown man who works hard outside
a lot of the time. I am not a sissy and I do not like complainers or I try
not to complain myself. But this itch thing is completely maddening and
insane. This morning was my newest experience with this itching thing. I got
sunburned two days ago and I was hoping this wouldn't happen. I woke up a 5:
00 AM and started to go nuts. I was thrashing against the walls and yes,
started crying because of the intense pain. I told myself after the first
time,  15 years ago, that I would never let this happen to me again. I have
found through realizing that I must survive through this somehow that a cool
soft shower on the itchy areas temporally releaves the pain and when you are
out of the shower take a soft dry towel and lightly fluff it on your back.
Believe me, people have lots of advice of whet to take and what to do, I know
they mean well but they have no idea what this is like. So these two things I
have mentioned have been the only things that have releaved the pain enough
to be able to be awake and not go totally insane.And oh yeah, of course the
other cure is time. Yes slow, slow time... It usally goes away in one day
after the madness starts. I am not a doctor and I am just telling people what
worked for me. Good luck, and from now on I will wear a shirt.

I'm very curious as to whatever this is. What many of you are describing is
EXACTLY what my boyfriend had last Tuesday. He called me at work in a panic,
didn't know what to do. He described the feeling of the itch being under the
skin, like being stuck by pins; it happened on the 2nd day; it was the first
burn of the summer. Everyone has the same story! I really wish a medical
person would see this forum and respond. I'd be curious to know the ages of
everyone, whether that is an issue. My boyfriend is 57 and it's his first
time. He has that kind of olive, non-freckly skin that can be in the sun for
hours and the next day it's turned to tan. He never even uses sunscreen. I
noticed however that this particular burn had a different bright redness to
it, more bright that his burns usually are, more or a deep red. We're living
in Bermuda (sub-tropical) but spent a year in Mexico, where he was in the sun
constantly and this phenomenon never happened so it doesn't seem to have
anything to do with being in more southern climes.

He also tried everything imaginable, aloe vera, cold shower, baking soda. The
thing that DID work however was a combination of vinegar and corn starch. And
it worked well. When I came home later I brought him some hydrocortisone,
that the pharmacist had recommended, and he said the reaction to that was
worse than ever.

I'll be checking back to see if anyone knows what this is.

Lisa

first of all, i will state that i am not trying to be rude in any way, shape,
or form. i am very happy that i am not the only person that this has happened
to, as well as very sorry for everybody who shares my agony. i received my
sunburn on a thursday afternoon after spending 4 or 5 hours at a public water
park. approximately 55 hours later, the itchy feeling started. about 5
minutes after that, i started going crazy about it.

just to let everybody know, i have noticed 2 things that have happened to me
that wasn't posted at all. 1) scratching or rubbing the itch only made it
worse, and 2) i had to take off my shirt because it was causing me to itch
also.

so far i have tried aftersun cream and hydrocortizone, which only made it
worse. the only comfort to me right now is how everybody has said that it
only lasts about 24 hours. i will be trying the vinegar and corn starch
tomorrow morning, since the itch started a little after midnight. thank you
all for educating me on what is going on, and i encourage everybody to talk
to a doctor to see if this has been diagnosed at all and post what the
diagnoses is, for i will be doing that as soon as i talk to a skin doctor.

Your Itching because your sunburned skin detaching from ur Body, the spots u
constantly itch is the areas your Probably going to peel first.

Your Itching because your sunburned skin detaching from ur Body, the spots u
constantly itch is the areas your Probably going to peel first.

OMGosh, what a relief to find this thread tonight, I thought I was going out
of my ever-living mind!!!  I am almost a 36 yr old woman, who has birthed 6
children, 1 of which was an abnormal labor with only 1/2 a working epidural.
I was in transition for 7 HOURS before they gave me my c-section.... Anyway,
after carrying on as I did tonight, I thought for sure I was losing it.  And
for sure that my kids thought mom was WAY over-reacting from a sunburn.  But
honestly as I lay crying in an oatmeal bath going into spasms almost where I
would ball up my fist and pound on the tub, I was telling my husband it felt
like fire ants were biting me all over, or like I had bugs crawling over
while someone repeatedly poked me with a needle.  This seemed to be centered
on my arms, which were not nearly as badly burnt as where the straps of my
swimsuit were on my back- though the "Hell-Itch" was there too.  I know
people who read this will have validation that they are NOT going out of
their minds.  But I also wanted to post what worked fro me:

2 Benadryl ASAP!!  It takes about 30 minutes for relief to kick in

LIBERAL amounts of Solarcaine "Cool Aloe" Burn Relief GEL!!

Then having someone blow on it, or sitting under a fan

I also forewent clothes, more or less.  Usually I don't wear tank tops, or
sleeveless items, so I had to improvise- what I did was got a flat sheet and
tied it under my arms, or my robe and tied it at my back.

4 Motrin, for pain and swelling

After awhile you will notice that the liberal amounts of gel you put on will
ball up.  If you decide you need a fresh coat, you can either get a wet paper
towel and gently brush it off, or get a cleansing wipe (makeup wipe) and use
that.  

You will have to VERY careful about what you put on your skin, as it's a
50/50 it can NOT work for you.  For instance oatmeal bath did NOT help,
Dermoplast (or Solarcaine) spray was like spraying a cooking spray for me,
and it burned.  Aveeno Soothing Relief lotion, also did not work, and I would
guess that the Vaseline Intensive Care or Lubriderm, etc that the pharmacist
suggested wouldn't either.

As itchies will remain, though not NEARLY as debilitating, I would light
stroke my skin, almost giving it a "chillsy" affect.  It would work, and
provide relief while keeping the itchies at bay, believe it or not.

And DEFINITELY distract yourself!!  That's probably some of the best advice
on here... play an online game, read (which you can do online too), listen to
some music... whatever you can do to kill time and suck yourself in- for once
you have a reason!!  LOL

Just some added, info... I burned on Saturday at the pool, my first burn (and
hopefully my last) of the season, so it was 2 days ago for me as well.  And
my first episode was early this afternoon, around noon.  Second was a little
while ago 10pm or so.  I hope to God, this is only a 24 hr thing for me, and
my time is almost up!!!

Prayers and blessing to anyone who comes upon this post suffering, or is
suffering still....

Hi all!

I am going through this maddening itch as well. I just finally started
getting relief in the past 30 minutes.  I, too, like everyone else had the
same symptoms.  I got sunburnt on Monday (today's Wednesday).  I was in the
sun from 3 pm -5 pm.  My burn was very red.  The maddening itch started out-
of-the-blue tonight around 10:15 pm.  It feels like your going insane.  The
itch is so intense and I could feel this surge of thousands of tiny itches
that grappled the burnt area.  Initially I put some lotion on it but that
only aggravated it more forcing me to immediately jump in the shower and wash
it off.  I took a warm shower (didn't try making it hotter as that seemed
countertuitive).  I danced around like a mad man as the itch continued to
come in surges.  I had to put a t-shirt on just so I could lightly rub the
burn to get some relief.  I liberally coated the burn with aloe vera with
lidocaine and I ended up downing 3 Advil and 3 Benadryl (I'm 6'2" 240 lb) and
within 30 minutes I started to get relief.  Before the relief I couldn't do
anything.  I was near tears.  As soon as I stopped rubbing it would
immediately begin to itch just like everyone else here has described.   It
really feels like your losing your mind.  I'll see how the next 24 hours goes.
I'm hoping it doesn't come back in a revengeful wrath once the meds wear off.
Thanks everyone for posting!

***GET A SHOWER AS HOT AS YOU CAN TO GET RID OF THE HELL-ITCH!
***

You're sunburn is HEALING ALREADY when you get the itch so YOU CAN HAVE A HOT
SHOWER!!

DO NOT FEAR taking a hot shower - simply get in a cold one and start turning
the temperature up...

...YOU WILL BE QUITE SURPRISED AT WHAT HEAT IS COMFORTABLE - IT DOESN'T BURN..

!!!

TO GET RID OF HELL-ITCH - GET IN A HOT SHOWER ..PLEEEASE!!! i KNOW what you
are going through - it REALLY WORKS..!!!

*****THE HELL-ITCH WILL GO AWAY WHEN YOU GET A HOT SHOWER*****

It appears that applying creams etc seals in under the skin whatever it is
that causes the itch - ven though Aleo Vera does seem to help a little.

Taking a warm/hot shower (hotter the better - no you really won't burn your
sunburn, you're already in the healing stage) seems to OPEN the pours LETTING
OUT whatever causes the awful itching.

PLEASE EVERYBODY  - LISTEN TO THIS ADIVCE - I STUMBLED ACROSS IT WHEN I
THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO DIE FROM THE ITCHING PAIN, my wife came across this
advice which seems COUNTERINTUITIVE but it IT WORKS..!!!!!!!!!

I was relieved to see that I'm not alone in this terrible suffering. Nobody
I've told about this really understands just how bad it really is, and
finally I've found others who explain the same exact symptoms.

Today is the third time I have suffered from the severe itch caused by
sunburn (seems more like an allergic reaction to the sun). Fortunately, the
second time this happened to me I found the solution.

A) Hot showers do help, temporarily. Don't overdo it though because you'll
become dehydrated which makes things worse.
B) Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT put any powders, creams, lotions, even aloe vera
gel. It just irritates the skin, traps the monsters underneath, and will make
things so much worse.
C) Get MEDICATION. I think Benadryl will work, but what I've used with great
success is a medication called Atarax. It needs to be prescribed by a doctor,
but it works wonders. Taking two of these every 4 hours or so keeps the
'bugs' at bay so to speak. It also knocks you out, which is a nice plus.

How well does it work? Well, let's just say I was flying from Nantucket to
San Antonio today, with a 3hr stop in Newark. I took Benadryl right as I
boarded the flight from Nantucket to Newark, and it kept the itching away for
that plane ride. Shortly after arriving in Newark, the itching started to
return, so I had my doctor call a CVS a few miles from the airport with my
Atarax prescription. I took a cab from the airport and back, and I'm so glad
I did. I slept almost as if I were in a coma the whole plane ride with only
very minor itches every 15 minutes or so (nothing so bad I couldn't just
clench my teeth for a few seconds and go back to sleep).

I hope this extra info helps someone, as I haven't seen any success stories
about any medication - and I know how hard it is to just suffer through the
itching for an entire day like I did the first time it happened. Truly a
torturous experience.

f.ck a duck. I live in Australia, and again, around 50-55 hours ago was in
the sun for around 4 hours, during middle of the day. i got a pretty bad
sunburn, but not the worst ive had. I have competed for years as a boxer, and
kickboxer and have to say, none of the professional fighters i have faced
have done close to what this itch has done it me. my itch came on pretty
quickly, began with just a little irritation, when this irritation became
unbareable, i went and got the first bottle of skin cream i could grab, and
then it became the worst experience of my life. i jumped in a cold shower for
about half an hour, rubbing the itchy spots over and over with no positive
result. after about 30 minutes of screaming my rear end out, cringing on the
floor of my shower, i decided to stand and try to ignore it, and not itch..
within a few more minutes i was almost completely free.. i dont know what
caused this, or what really fixed it, but f.ck, i hope it never happens again.
. when i finally came to my senses, my father said to me 'it's just a sunburn?
you were carrying on like something was actually wrong' .. God. i couldve
ripped his head off..

i went to the pool with some mates a few days ago and we had no sunscreen but
we went swimming anyway. now i dont swim out doors very often and i always
wear a shirt when im out side so my chest, back, shoulders and arms are
completly white with no tan what so ever, and of course i got burned. i had
sun burn before so it was nothing new to me but 2 days later i woke up around
2:30am and my skin was just itching real bad, i gave it a scratch as you do
but it just worse and worse and before i knew it i was thrashing in my bed
screaming and swearing, it was the worst thing i had ever felt in my life, i
jumped on the computer to find out what was happening, everyone saif aloe
vera gel. i grabbed some out of the fridge and rubbed myself with it but it
didnt work at all. for the next hour or so i did what ever i could to
controle myself, i watched tv, played a video game, read a book but i couldnt
do anything for more then 10 minutes without freaking out. now other people
were sleeping in the house and i didnt want to wake anybody but it was now
4am and i was in hell so i thought it was time to stop thinking of othere for
one night and ran a bath, i kept the water cool and filled it enough so i
could put my whole body under water. the water did not get rid of my itching
but it brang it down to a level where i could stay calm and handle it. i laid
in there for about an hour and when i got out my itching stayed down, it was
still there but it was nothing i couldnt take, i suppose being in the water
allowed me to wait out the worst of the itching. any way thats my stroy,
maybe some one will read this, try it and they have to same luck as me

Glad to see this thread. I've seen others where people are asking for help
and are told to use aloe. THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY SUNBURN ITCH. I've had it
3 times, once from tanning and twice natural sunlight. I fear I will get it
again, as I am burnt so I'm here "preparing". From my previous experiences,
this is what I've came up with..

-DO NOT use lotion, aloe, toothpaste, rubber cement or equivalent.
-Stay near a shower and away from places that don't allow you to be nude.
-Once in shower go from hot to cold to hot to cold to hot to cold to hot to
cold. Repeat.
-Make sure to keep away from others as violent twitching will certainly
result in injury or death to them.
-Ensure your tongue is out of the way when you chew wildly on your towel or
shirt.
-In case you run out of curse words, visit urbandictionary.com.
-Show this web page to those who think you've gone completely insane.

I'm almost sure there is no cure just coping mechanisms. I too believe this
my be punishment for our sins. This is the only reasonable explanation for
this kind of horror. Good luck my fellow itchers. Your pain will be gone
tomorrow.

My husband has just suffered one of these sunburn attacks tonight.  We were
at the beach on Sunday (it's now Tuesday night) and he got sooo burnt!  We
live in Australia and we were at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast (what a
great part of the world).  I don't think he put sunscreen on all day!!
Anyway, he started to get a small amount of itchy-ness around lunch time
which kind of went away, but after his shower tonight, the itching started to
send him super crazy!!  He said it felt like sea lice biting, but never
ending and a lot more painfull.  The way other people described it on this
thread was exactly what he felt.
So, after his cool shower that didn't work, he has some antihistamine liquid
(it was Phenergan - I have it for the kids) as we don't have any tablets.
After about 25 minutes, this started to kick in. (Thank God).  I thought he
was just being a big wuss, but after sitting here for that last 30 minutes
reading all of these posts, I'm glad it's not me!!  He also had a couple of
Nurophen Plus (ibuprofen) which has also seemed to have helped.  He's not
climbing the walls in agony now.
He's just had the HOT shower (though he was a little scared to get in hot
water cause he is still so burnt looking) BUT he feels much better now.
Thanks for that tip!!  
I wonder if this condition has a medical name besides 'dumb a.ses who get too
much sunburn syndrome'.  I will definatley be taking more care in the sun
from now on!!!
Like everyone else, it was his first sunburn in ages, out in the sun in the
middle of the day, the sunburn is a very bright pink, and the pain is mainly
on his chest which is not the most burnt part of his body.  I bet it all
sounds familiar...
Thank goodness for the internet and for all of your posts.  Hopefully we
won't need this information in the future.  Don't forget to 'Slip, Slop,
Slap' everyone (It's an Aussie saying - google it!) and stay sun safe 8-)

Cheers, K

This has to be the most excruciating pain/itching I've ever felt.
2 days ago i went to the pool thinking id get started getting my tan on right,
well that night after the sun went down i was as red as a lobster, silly me..
Didn't put on hardly any sunblock on, if no more than one appliance in 3
hours. I was sitting at my laptop after a strange quick itch on my back, but
i thought nothing of it, and a minute later the itch from hell began. I
literally ran for the Solarcaine spray, because it had been what i was
putting on it the past few days to help the burn, but even though i thought
the itch and pain couldn't possibly get worse, it DID get worse after i put
it on. I was screaming and running around putting on every kind of cream of
gel on it that i had in my room, i was extremely frantic and DID start crying
and scratching it which once again, made it WORSE.
First thing i could think of was to jump in the shower to wash the gels off
cause i couldn't bare it, to be honest i never knew getting in a warm/hot
shower with a sunburn was bad, it may have hurt but i had done it before
(Directed by my mother), and with great relief the itching actually stopped
while my back was under the verging on hot water, and kept turning it up
hotter, it felt amazing.
I then got out of the shower, but instantly starting itching horribly again,
so i would get back into the shower ever few minutes and be in there for a
good 10 minutes each time. After about 3 nice hot showers i got out and did
not dry my back at all, because i knew even touching it at all would irritate
it real bad.
I went into my room, did NOT put a shirt on, and i even turned off my ceiling
fan because it felt like the wind from it was actually helping to irritate it.
I took an 800mg Ibuprofen,  lied on a towel on the floor (ON MY STOMACH,
don't let anything touch your irritated skin) for about 30 minutes without
touching it or moving around at all, justing reading these posts. Now the
twitch and pang of itch/pain has faded to almost nothing and i'm finally
feeling sane again.
If i have to give advice to anyone with this strange condition I'd have to
say:
-HOT/WARM SHOWER
-LEAVE the skin ALONE, don't apply ANYTHING to it, what so ever, don't be
afraid to stay naked for awhile.
-Take some ibuprofen, maybe some of the other pills suggested by the others,
i wouldn't know i didn't have any to use.
-Occupy yourself, you don't want to be focusing on the hell itch at all.
-Try not to go completely insane. If you're feeling what i'm feeling, i send
you all the best wishes and hope it ends soon, because no one deserves this
kind of torture..

Right, I have experienced this itch for the past 5 hours now I found myself
waking up at 2:30am with this dull little itch, I was really tired so didn't
really think about it but 5 minutes later I was screaming and twitching all
over the place. I shouldn't relly have done it but I ran a hot bath and got
in, the pain from the hot water seemed to dull or sometimes get rid of the
itch. After about 1 hour in the bath I plucked up the courage to get out of
the safe haven that was my bath tub but as soon as my back dried it felt like
I was being stabbed in the back by a thousand needles and I'd get the odd one
that hurt that much I'd twitch quite badly because that's all that seemed to
help it. I then got my girlfriend to try out all the methods I've read about.
Firstly your run of the mill after sun lotion spray, to cut a long story
short it made it 10 times worse so I tried a plain moisturiser because it
seed to fix my sunburn before but that made it another 10 times worse (I only
tried all these things because I hadn't read this blog and never heard about
this itch) I then tried White vinegar in a spray bottle because I heard it
god rid of the sting... I think you all know what happened after I tried that
lol. I then found comfort for all but 10 seconds by wetting one off my
favourite shirts in freezing cold water and putting it on( it's mad what this
itch can make you do) then after screaming, running up and down the lounge
and punching anything in site I ran another bath at 4:00am and stayed in it
for a good 2 hours it is a really good way to stop the itch but really bad
when you get out. I got out at 6:00am and dried myself and put a plain cotton
shirt on and went to the lounge where the itch started again. I started just
lightly scratching my back on the pillows I have and have been doing it for
the past hour and a half now and it seems to be dying down now.

After telling you my long winded story I want to list a few things that will
help:-

•a hot bath will take away the sting but as soon as you get out it starts
again
•DO NOT add any creams or ointments as this seems to irritate the itch
•Taking paracetemol, ibuprofen and anti-allegory tablets together seem to
help even if it is only a little
•something that takes your mind off the itch helps alot like reading that I
wasn't the only freak who had this itch.
•It was my first burn of the hot weather since last year so I think that no
exposure to the sun for long periods of time, then suddenly reintroducing
your body to the sun and getting burnt is the cause of the itch.
•We all say it after but make sure you wear suntan lotion. I've definitely
learnt my lesson! Hope this helped guys

I've had this twice. Its really miserable and drives you insane.
1.The ointment Lanicane-maximum strength is actually a hemroid cream. It
actually numbs the skin and can give you a couple of minutes to breath before
it comes back.
2. Soaking in an oatmeal bath helped....until I got out of the bath.
3. Avoid people.....Being so insanely ichy put me in a bad mood (especially
when they acted like they knew what was going on).
Other than that take deep breaths and try to think of something else. Sadly
only time gets rid of this. You'll lose sleep and have emotional break downs.

So is the itching caused by the dryness of the skin, the beginning of the
skin-peeling, creams caught in the pores of the skin, or an allergic reaction
to creams or sunlight? I know hot showers feel great, but in the past every
time I have taken a hot shower the itching comes back even worse when I step
out of the shower because the hot water makes the skin dry. However, it seems
that for many here the hot shower relieves the itching even after you step
out because it opens the pores and releases fluids causing the itching.

The treatment for itching depends on what is causing it. For me, it's the
dryness. A hot shower will relieve my itching as long as I am in the shower,
but it will dry my skin even more, and thus make the itching worse. If your
itching is principally due to dryness, use aloe vera cream immediately after
prolonged sunlight exposure and continue to do so if you see that your
sunburn is bad. Do NOT use oil creams - . Take Advil or the like as well.
Again, for only dryness, I would not take a hot shower as it will make your
skin dry and itching worse after. However, if you bare an intense wave it
itching and are at the point of suicide then  by all means, take the hot
shower.

Just my two cents.

Ok.. first Off... Holy sh.t.. im glad i found this Site.

I spent 8 years in the Marine's (Infantry) and Im a Combat Vet. And i've got
to say if you are experiencing this... incredibly painful / itching / want to
rip off my skin feeling.    Don't feel bad..  It f.cking sucks.

Just like most other folks, about 48 - 50 hours after getting Sunburned i
have This EXTREME HOLY f.cking sh.t ITCH...  Nothing else worked for me
except pain meds.. I have a strict no medicine policy unless i absolutely
need it, and at this point i was grabbing some leftover Lortab i had from
when i had shrapnel in my eye.  

GET Painmeds. Get a HOT shower.. And the only topical stuff i found that
helped was Aloe sunburn relief with Lidocain.

I have experienced this ITCH FROM HELL two times in my life... Once was about
2 years ago, the other is right now. It happened the same way most of the
other poster mentioned, the first real burn of the season in the beginning of
the summer after about 5 hours exposure and about 2 days later the itch sets
in. The first time was excruciating and I even contemplated suicide
frequently. This is what I have learned so far....

1. DON'T TOUCH, ITCH, OR IRRITATE THE AREA!!!
2. Don't use any type of lotions or creams, they make it worse!!
3. Showers work for temporary relief but when you get out it comes back and
may be worse!
4. All you can really do is deal with it and try not to think about it!
5. Also, take tylenol, benodryl, or another medication as they work to relief
it but not totally.
6. JUST KEEP TELLING YOURSELF YOU'LL MAKE IT THROUGH, ITS ONLY TEMPORARY!!!!

I normally never ever post, however, given just how awful the itching is, and
considering I have looked everywhere for a cure and there seems to be none,
I'll share my experience.

This is absolutely the worst, most maddening thing, fire ants biting you is
an accurate description except this is much worse. And yes, I have been bit
by hundreds of fire ants, that sucks, but not as much as this.

I was burned 2 days ago, not the worst burn I have ever had (I have a lot of
experience with burns, I burn even with spf 70+ applied liberally). Like most,
it was approximately 24 hours and then I experienced the Itch from Hell, this
is NOT a pre-peel itch, this is different, like the others have said if you
haven't experienced this, you DON'T know what it is like.

I searched all over the internet, from medical sites to boards, I tried
anything and everything I found or could think of. Here's a list of what I
tried that didn't work:

Take a cool shower to rinse off - the shower works only while in it

Apple Cider Vinegar - takes the sting away, does nothing for the itch

Apple Cider Vinegar lukewarm bath/soak - doesn't help

Coconut oil - application feels good, makes it worse

Aloe Vera (not the cheap kind but organic 99%) - this only feels good during
application, after which, it makes it worse

Rose Water - feels better during application, no affect beyond that

Dermoplast - helps only slightly, like for 5 minutes after application

Jasons Vitamin E cream 25,000 IU - makes it worse

Jasons Coco Butter - Makes it worse

Benedryl, oral medication - Helped only very slightly, made me so drowsy,
which made being kept awake by itch much worse

Mortin - no noticeable positive or negative affects

Diaper rash ointment - doesn't help

Lightly tapping fingers on back (where my burn is) - helps only while tapping,
then it is much worse

Ice pack - only works when applied to skin, then it gets much worse

Hot Shower - I saw this recommended here, I was very hesitant to try this as
it will dry out your skin, it will help for about 10 minutes, HOWEVER THIS
WILL END UP MAKING IT WORSE, it WILL dry out your skin especially if your
municipal water uses chlorine to treat the water making your skin more
alkaline, Short chemistry lesson*

*The pH of your skin is 4.2 to 5.6 (acidic) give or take based on diet, etc.
(men are normally more acidic than women), the average pH of water is around
8 which is alkaline (7 being neutral) this will KILL fish and irritate your
skin, and given that heat will magnify the effects of a chemical, as well as
dilate your pores, the alkaline water will go deeper into the layers of your
skin and further dry out and irritate your skin - in other words DON'T DO IT

After all the failures and constant pain, I was determined to figure out why
this is happening. The only thing I could find was a doctor had said it the
nerve endings were damaged. From what I ascertain  *DISCLAIMER: I am NOT a
doctor, this is my own hypothesis*

Fact I: A medical site says serve itch is due to nerve ending damage (I don't
remember the site, Google it)

Hypothesis I:

The reason most people experience the Itch from Hell on the first burn of the
season is the nerve endings are closer to the surface of the skin and upon
any threat or damage they go deeper in the layers of the skin, thus why it
doesn't seem to occur in future burns.

Hypothesis II:

The longer any area of the body has been out of the sun the closer to the
surface of the skin the nerve ending are, the more likelihood of experiencing
nerve ending damage and the Itch from Hell.

- Which could explain why my arms, which are burned pretty badly, do not itch.
My back has not been exposed to direct sunlight in 3 years (since I moved to
Boulder, CO, I have done this to prevent burns, until 2 days ago)

Hypothesis III:

Gradual exposure to sunlight (with ample sunblock) will cause nerve endings
to sense a threat without significant damage, and thus retreat to deeper
layers of the epidermis. This would prevent nerve ending damage from burns
acquired later in the summer.

Hypothesis IV:

Factors could change based on the age, race, sex, and health of the
individual. Contributing factors may also include hydration levels, as well
as foods and drinks consumed before, during, and after sun exposure.

Hypothesis V:

The nerve endings are sending signals to the brain "I've been hit!" this,
along with the repair work causes extreme discomfort.

Observation I:

Light stimulation of nerves reduces or eliminates itch only while stimulation
is occurring, i.e. applying lotions, shower hitting area, gentle massage, etc.

Hypothesis VI:

Stimulation of affected area will cause nerve endings to forgo "I've been hit!
" message and send appropriate signals of pressure, heat, cold, etc.

Hypothesis VII and Observation II:

Applying a otc cream that will register a cold/hot signal will reduce or
eliminate Itch from Hell signal, otc cream such as IcyHot, Bengay, Tiger Balm,
etc.

Remedy:

*AGAIN DISCLAIMER I am NOT a doctor, nor a scientist, nor a chemist this is
what worked for me USE AT YOUR OWN RISK*

Based on information of nerve ending damage, as well as my hypotheses and
observations (including others' experiences/deductions) this is what I used
and provided significant relief for me

1)  Take recommended dose of Benedryl oral medication (the sleep inducing
kind at night, no drowsy if you need to be awake) with a full glass of water
*Always check dosage label and ingredients list to ensure you are not
allergic and that it will not negatively interact with other
medications/conditions

2)  If desired, Anti-inflammatory medication that works for you

3)  Shower, Lukewarm, NO SOAP, NO HOT WATER - 15 mins

4)  Gently towel pat dry, DO NOT RUB

5)  Spray thoroughly with Dermoplast antibiotic/antiseptic spray, again check
ingredients and follow manufacturer's instructions

6)  Apply an otc sports cream for muscle soreness etc. to affected areas, I
used both Tiger Balm and IcyHot Balm, I would apply one, when that wore off I
would apply the other. I applied all over the burn area, and then reapplied
only to the area that began itching. *Use as per manufacturers' instructions,
OVERDOSE OF SOME OF THESE INGREDIENTS CAN CAUSE DEATH, if you have ANY
underlying health conditions or are on ANY medications, ensure you are able
to use this product safely, if you are unsure consult a physician

7)  Keep hydrated, but don't over hydrate *Death can result from stripping
all your electrolytes

8)  Moisturize only once itching subsides, I discovered coconut oil from this
which is great (I have not yet used it enough to fully vouch for it), jojoba
oil by Aura Cacia has been by far my favorite oil it has the best healing
properties I have found (it doesn't break me out, I have hyper sensitive skin)

For me step 6 was the relief I needed, no it didn't completely remove the
itch, but it made it so much more manageable, and yes I did wake up once
during the night and had to reapply, but I was able to sleep, before that I
was ready to die.

The recommendations for relief given on every site vary on effectiveness for
each individual.
Depending on the depth of your nerve endings, the length of your exposure,
and the severity of the damage, as well as a bunch of other factors, will
determine which treatment will work for you. Just because one treatment will
work for one individual doesn't mean it will work for another, you may have
to try several to find the one the provides the most relief for you. However,
following basic understanding of cause and effect on the skin, i.e. NO
SCRATCHING, NO HOT SHOWER, can minimize further damage/discomfort.

I will not be testing my hypotheses, nor will I be arguing these points,
these are for you to use to hopefully find some relief. I know just how
terrible the Itch from Hell can be.

*FINAL DISCLAIMER* I am NOT a doctor, scientist, chemist, or any other
specialist, I do not endorse any of these products chose your own, these just
happen to be the ones I used. As always follow the advise of your physician
before attempting or using any new medications/creams.

Ok first off I'm probably not going to come back to this site to say when my
itch went away

BUT I DO HAVE A TEMPORARY CURE

I have my hell-itch on my upper back

this is what I did

I took a white cotton shirt that I dont really care about and tied it around
me like toga style as TIGHT as I could possibly make it (like cutting off
circulation tight about)

It helped me tremendously for the first half hour, but then the Wrath of God
was back upon me

But keep untying it and repeating

Greetings Fellow Sun-Sufferers,

It is interesting to see others suffering with my "delayed" sun syndrome.
Recently, I question if it is a type of delayed onset "Porphyria?"  I was
exposed to much direct sunlight being reared in Georgia and Florida.  Yet my
first symptoms, lasting about two days, appeared suddenly and aggressively at
nine years of age.  Do you wonder if there is a "saturation point" at which
our bodies reset and no more sun is tolerated?  Interestingly, someone here
said it seems to be a problem with the "nerve endings."  I agree with this
description.

From the U.S., I am a mutt and have good skin.  Nearly olive, I tan easily if
I start slowly and progress slowly.  Otherwise, I get the same 24-48 hour
delay of "ants crawling and stinging me all over" feeling many of you
describe here.  I can find no similar familial history.

No one, save my immediate family, ever truly believed me because there are No
Visible Symptoms!  There is no associated rash, nothing.  Doctors suggest
oral and topical antihistamines.  They are completely ineffective leading me
to believe it is not a type of allergy.  I found slight relief once from a
pain killer I had on hand, and once again from marijuana, only because I
think they slightly numbed my nerves.  However, it was not real relief, not
in the least.  During an episode I can neither sleep, drive, nor interact
with people.  It is an all-consuming horrific stinging, itching, burning, and
generalized agitation on my body.

Because I guard myself, literally hiding from direct sunshine lasting more
than five minutes, I have experienced recurrence symptoms only about five
times in my half-century lifetime.  I am completely horrified of the sun.  On
tropical vacations, outdoor sporting events, and walks, I hide underneath an
umbrella even though I'm covered with sunblock.

I suggest we all warn our children and their children's children to NEVER
place their babies in sunlight!  If this is hereditary, can you imagine the
suffering caused before a baby could communicate symptoms.  And, we cannot
predict when their 'onset' might first occur.

Hopefully, an institution will take us seriously one day and begin study.
But I assume this is an "orphan" disease.

Might I suggest you read about "Porphyria" and the "vampire" lifestyle some
of these people lead running from shade tree to umbrella while outdoors.

My most sincere empathy to everyone here,
allison

i never experienced an annoying insanely itch like this before, ive been
sunburned & had poison oak many many times, but this sunburn on my back has
been the worst!
Exactly 3 days later after the sunburn, the itch kicked in. thought hmm ill
put some aloe on it, NO it did not work then took a warm/hot shower to wash
it off. The itch came back within mins then i tried moisturizing lotion then
it even got worst. took another warm/hot shower to wash it off then i
researched & ended up here.

So this is what i did & i am feelin a lot better within 3 hours from when
itch started:
1. take Benadryl asap, also drink lots of water & eat of course
2. hot shower to temporary relief itch
3. then Dermoplast my sunburn
4. this really did the job; i fought fire with fire. i went out in the sun
for 10 mins & itch was gone after that. (an old wise man told me to do that &
it worked) it seems like the sun pulls the itch out or maybe its a combo of
everything i did.

I'll keep you posted on how this night's sleep goes. i am kind of scured.

Fellow Hell Itch Sufferers,
I have suffered from hell itch for my entire life (now age 37).  In total I
have had 6 major sunburns, all of which have resulted in hell itch in a
similar manifestation to that described but many of you.  My symptoms begin
about 48 hours after the sunburn with an uncontrollable itch that makes me
effectively become insane for about 24-30 hours before the symptoms begin to
go away.  For several days they may be irritated at any time and have a minor
flare up that follows.  Finally it is gone within about 7 days after the
initial sunburn.  
I am currently sunburned and I’m trying a treatment that includes:

1.  Aquaphor Dry Skin Treatment (over the counter) – this stuff greatly
soothes the sunburn feeling and may be helping A LITTLE with the itch - not
much.

2.  A prescribed steroid: Methylprednisolone which should help with the
inflammation

3.  Ibuprofen 800 MG 3 times per day

4.  Hydroxyzine Pamoate 25 MG capsules – 1 tablet every 8 hours--  this is an
anti-itch prescription medication that takes the edge off the itch making it
much more bearable—although it definitely continues to itch somewhat.  

5.  Plenty of fluids.

6.  All the mental tricks I know to keep myself sane.

I think that this is the best treatment that I have tried to date with
moderately good results.  
Hope that this helps.
Chris

So this is the second time I've had been in this itchy skin hellhole. I tried
absolutely everything, and nothing seemed to really solve the problem. I was
getting incredibly anxious, so I took .5 mg klonopin (clonazepam) which was
prescribed to be for anxiety. I expected to calm down a little but what
within an hour the itching was nothing like what it had been. combined with
benadryl, this is a real solution. I can still feel the itch a little but
it's nothing like what it was before. this itchless heaven lasts about 7
hours before the klonopin starts to wear off, when you need another.

KLONOPIN (together with benadryl if needed) WILL SOLVE THIS PROBLEM! at least
it did for me.

always be careful when taking something like klonopin, it's addictive and its
not the kind of stuff you want be taking all the time.

So this is the second time I've been in this itchy skin hellhole. I tried
absolutely everything, and nothing seemed to really solve the problem. I was
getting incredibly anxious, so I took .5 mg klonopin (clonazepam) which was
prescribed to be for anxiety. I expected to calm down a little but what
within an hour the itching was nothing like what it had been. combined with
benadryl, this is a real solution. I can still feel the itch a little but
it's nothing like what it was before. this itchless heaven lasts about 7
hours before the klonopin starts to wear off, when you need another.

KLONOPIN (together with benadryl if needed) WILL SOLVE THIS PROBLEM! at least
it did for me.

always be careful when taking something like klonopin, it's addictive and its
not the kind of stuff you want be taking all the time.

I know exactly what you are going through. 50 hours ago I hit the surf for
the first few waves of summer. I forgot my sunscreen. 2 1/2 hours ago the
itch from hell began. This is my third encounter and also my mildest. Only a
little bit of my back is burnt, as opposed to my first two times where I was
burnt all over. I've tried a lot of things, lotions, vinegar, special baths,
aloe, etc. It helps for about 4 seconds, or as long as you are applying it
and then it gets maddeningly worse. I hadn't found any relief my first two
times, but I came across here and saw the CAPS post about a hot shower. In
the middle of a frenzy I immediately ran to the shower and went from hot to
cold. This provided great relief, I was in the shower for about ten minutes I
got out and toweled off. And had no itching. About ten minutes later it came
back, but not anywhere near as strong. Very mild. This was about 30 minutes
ago, and I am happy to say it is still very mild. Just the occasional sting,
way more bearable than earlier. It feels much like it does toward the end,
that weird crawling sensation, not sure how to describe it effectively. I
will say though that a hot shower seems to do the most good. Maybe other
things work better, but this is working best for me. Now if I can just
survive the next 21 1/2 hours.  Planning on getting home from work, showering
and taking some heavy sleeping pills, I'm praying that will do the trick. I
don't think noon will come fast enough tomorrow.

I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
Good luck all!

Hello everyone. I'm 20 years old from Croatia
I'm so relieved to see that other people have this also , even if that sounds
selfish.
I've been at Island Krk in Croatia 2 days ago , and today i've been feeling
that itch from hell on my back. My parents don't understand the pain i'm
going through. They think i'm overreacting , but the fact is they don't know
what kind of pain i'm going through. It makes me scratch it , but by doing so
it only makes things worse. I'm trying not to loose my mind because I want to
suicide. This is living hell !!
I found it relieving to take a hot bath because it takes the pain away , but
only for as long as you're in the shower.. After you get out of it , it
starts itching again after 20 minutes or less.
Applying after sun lotion just made it worse , like other people stated. I
wish I had seen this before I did that! Worst mistake! My mom tried applying
yoghurt , it did release the pain for like 10-15 minutes , but after that it
started to itch again , maybe even worse! I ran to the bathroom to take a
bath . Was in there for about an hour . Then I went to buy some kind of
lotion called bepanthol which i currently have applied on my back.. It's
itching but not as much , I just have to ignore the pain which is impossible ,
but I try to distract myself by watching TV , youtube , games , music etc..
It actually started last night when I was going to sleep around 4 AM , but
then woke up at 9 AM and couldn't stand the pain , so I believe it's been
about 16 hours from this hell , and I hope that the calculations are right
and that it will be gone in the next 16 hours ! I wonder what did I do to
deserve such pain . If there is God , why is he doing this to me? I've
experienced something like this , and I do get sunburn every summer , but
this is just beyond every imagination possible. HURTS!!!!!!
I hope you guys hold in there whoever has this hell pain right now , because
I know how it is! Good luck to you , and remember if it gets really
unbearable get into hot shower , even though people say shower might
dehydrate your skin even more , making the pain even worse , there's no other
alternative other than painkillers!
Oh and , I still didn't cry - yet.

I am going through this as I type, and this is torture. I'm only 17 and just
got back from West Virginia, used no sunscreen on a beautiful day, and got
fried. The itching is under the skin as everyone says. My shoulders and arms
are toast, and I'm scratching them like I'm wearing a stray jacket repeating
"please stop". I haven't and can't sleep and it's 6:30 in the morning. I just
realized earlier today (yesterday), I got really dizzy with a cold sweat when
I was out with some friends. We were at the hookah bar and I don't think the
smoking helped whatsoever. Your not alone my friend...itch has gone away
somewhat, but keeps creeping.

Good luck guys! Hopefully someone can find a cure. Bye!

I haven't tried the warm water method yet, though I am trying to keep my body
warm with a sweatshirt and a hoodie, and it has been helping me.
I called my mother, who is a doctor, about this. She isn't familiar with any
sort of disease name or anything that causes this, though apparently it is
something that does crop up.
My brother had a similar episode a few years back. When my mom looked for
help, she was told that a warm, wet compress (or hot bath or shower) will
indeed help relieve the sensory overload from the itching.
For me, cold water was a massive mistake. All it did was aggravate the
itching.
Also, my mom told me the anything with lidocaine or benzocaine tends to dry
out your skin more. Drying the skin will probably only make the issues worse.

Before asking my mom, I tried solarcaine as well, and it resulted in a very
painful reaction that almost put me on the floor.
I'd like to note that I have a high pain tolerance. I have had some fairly
bad injuries and I'd take those again over this itch. When it first hit me I
was almost ready to call 911 for fear that I was having some sort of severe
allergic reaction. It was effing terrifying. I almost wept.
Ibuprofen seems to help. If you want it to work fast, chew it. It'll taste
nasty, but it will work very quickly. so far, it has helped. This was also
recommended by my mother to me.
Keeping warm and keeping busy seems to help as well and has for the last few
hours or so. I can feel the itch wanting to poke its head back out, but with
some concentration and relaxation I have been riding a precarious edge with
it, keeping it subdued... chances are... it's just the warmth and the
ibuprofen.
Another tip: don't get your heart rate up. If you begin to vasodilate
(vessels widening, higher blood flow) it'll in all likelihood make it worse.
My first huge episode came after I rode my bike to the library and back. I
was in the middle of cooking breakfast and barely managed to get the food off
the stove before the attack hit.

Rules:
-No creams, ointments, or whatever. They'll make it worse. Lidocaine and
Benzocaine based ones will dry out your skin and make it even worse.
-Stay calm, relax as much as you can. Getting excited will raise stress and
probably aggravate the situation. You will be ok. Just ride it out.
-Keep distracted. Youtube, Twitter, IM Chatting... anything to get your mind
off of it.
-Keep warm. Cool air (for me) is painful and doesn't help. Cold water doesn't
help either.
-DO NOT TOUCH IT. Be as gentle to the area as you can! If you wear clothes,
make sure they are soft.
-Warm baths or showers if you don't have a bathtub. Bathing is most likely
best because the shower does kind of pummel you a bit. If you can't wait for
the bath, just shower.
-Warm washrags or compresses, if you can do it. Again, be very gentle.

I've had these attacks 4 times in my life now. All of them being on my back.
The first couple of times I applied Aloe Vera and just told myself that it
was all just a mental thing and tried to block it out. The third time I
didn't apply anything due to the severity of the itch after applying Aloe so
I just toughed it out. This time however I bought the Dermoplast and took hot
showers and the itch is much more bearable. The itch is still there but it is
something that will pass in time and can be just toughed out when suppressed
by  these two things. Hope you are better and hopefully I remember to wear a
shirt at the beach next time.

Wow. It's astounding how long this thread has been running--there are new
posts every year at the start of summer if you go through and look! LOL!

I am currently convalescing from a similar condition that I had no clue
existed-- at least until I thought I was about going into convulsions and
started searching the internet as a desperate last measure (this all occurred
from Thursday 7/11/11 to now.)

The sunburn which caused my Hell Week was, as many are, the first sun of the
year. I guess not technically, but it was the first time I have laid out
WITHOUT a shirt and sunbathed. I'm not sure where the HECK my brain was, but
I laid out from about noon to 4 with ONLY tanning oil (no SPF) and absolutely
no prior sun exposure in my chest/stomach area. Of course I was feeling great.
..soaking up the sun...cooling off in the nice refreshing pool...it was so
pleasant for about 5 hours.

THEN I thought...hmm...better go inside and check out my tan lines; I bet I
got a tad red, but it'll fade to a tan anyway. I'll look GREAT in the morning!

Boy was I mistaken. About 9 or 10 that night the intial post-exposure heat
& fever was getting pretty intense. I was fine with it, as I considered
myself a sun burn veteran from many 'a day at the lake and beach etc. I knew
if I just took a cool shower, put on some aloe, and took a couple benadryl I
would be good as new in the morning. The morning came and went, but the heat
remained and with it the 'soreness' and sensitivity we are all familiar with
(basically you can't pat the sun burn or press against it.) I reassured
myself that I would be fine; I just needed another day or so. That night I
applied more aloe. I took some motrin and benadryl before bed. All would be
fine and dandy in the morning!

I woke up at about 6:30 am the next morning (WAY earlier than I would ever
even consider waking up) I WAS IN SUDDEN AND INDESCRIBABLY EXCRUCIATING AGONY.
It felt as if my chest and upper stomach area was being bitten by billions of
tiny insects with billions of tiny sharp stingers stabbing in and out of my
skin. Then the heat--my whole chest and abdomen felt like it was being heated
from the inside out by a industrial hair dryer set on super hot. I started
twitching and jerking like I had Turrets. My whole body convulsed and
contorted trying to cope with the pain. That was the closest thing to a
seizure I have ever had. I got out of bed desperately looking for relief. I
had no idea what to do. I grabbed a magazine and fanned myself as I tore
through the medicine cabinet for ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. I found all kinds
of ointment and creams; I lathered on everything I could find. I got some
temporary relief from something I put on...not sure what it was. That gave me
time to get medicine in my system. I took 800mg ibuprofen, 1g of tylenol, 4
50mg ultram and 1 goody's powder (aspirin+caffine)--(I know...a little much).
Then, I jumped on the computer and started looking for things to stop sunburn
pain. I got a bunch of BS that I did not have time to deal with! Every site
said use aloe, so I found my mom's 99.9% organic aloe gel and squirted LARGE
quantities all over my chest and stomach. Then, I got fans going in my room
and I laid down in my bed. I was tolerating the pain OK now with everything I
had put on. The meds started going into effect shortly after that. I was
buzzing off the ultram about an hour later. That day I stayed doped up and
took 4 ultram every 4 hours (I didn't intend to, but I could feel each time
it started to wear off.)

Finally the night came and I took 4 Benadryl, 1 ambien, 4 more ultram and
stuck a transdermal fentanyl patch on my back (I just found these in my
cabinet and looked up the use--PAIN RELIEVER! SCORE!) I read on the internet
to cut the patches up for opiate intolerate individuals, so I did into 8
peices (the whole patch was in the middle-low dose range for tolerant people)
By about 1am I was in LaLa Land. I felt slightly nauseous, but it beat
sunburn pain. Sleep came shortly after.

The next morning--this morning actually--I woke up with a similar pain as
before, but I expected it. I still felt woozy (The patch was still in effect
apparently), but the pain was there for sure. It felt really sharp and tight
and prickly with every move or breathe I took. I had the aloe at bedside with
which I proceeded to apply liberally. The aloe have me enought flexibility
(from the extreme tightness/inability to move from the searing pain) to get
up out of bed. I had read on this site the night before (I'm assuming because
it was up on my computer--I guess I got amnesia) and I read to take a HOT
bath and not a cold one. I was up for anything! I grabbed 2 500mg tylenol and
jumped in the shower. I started off cool, then luke warm, the warm, then
warmer/hotish.) I was astonished at the lack of pain caused by the warm water
(one would think that HOT pain + HOT water = BAD, but it sure felt good to me!
) I rinsed under the water for at least 45 minutes (I didn't wash, just
lightly rubbed the aloe/creams/ointments gook off myself and used the water
to dissolve it away. When I got out the only pain present was a slight
prickly pins type pain. It was tolerable and more annoying than painful. I
got back on this site and read some more.

I had layed down to watch TV when all of the sudden the EXTREME EXCRUCIATING
PAIN returned! WHY OH WHY???? I hadn't out any Aloe on after the shower! DAMN!
I was out of Aloe! I had been to liberal with it before! I examined my chest
and stomach and little white flakes and a bunch of tiny bumps (looked like
chill/goose bumps only RED and permanent and PAINFUL) had appeared. The heat
started back again then. It came on SO quickly I thought I was going to DIE!
Then...ITCHING! Extreme and intense itches started! This was the worst
pain/feeling/sensation I have EVER imagined or felt. It was HORRIBLE.

I ran to the bathroom and tore more ointments out. I was in a blind panic. I
needed to get rid of the heat. I found a jar of ancient Vicks Vapo Rub from
the paleolithic era. I just ripped the jar open and rubbed it all over myself.
Right after I did that I thought I had made a mistake in my frenzy. I was
expecting it to irritate my skin extremely bad and cause an even worse
reaction (I had my phone in my hand read to call 911--no joke.)

But then, I felt a little tingling sensation. Then the heat feeling
intensified (it's hard to expain--it didn't intensify in a bad way) and the
heat felt like it was all coming to the surface of my skin and heating up the
Vicks stuff. The gel literally stated melting like when vaseline gets hot...
it just turned to liquidy goo. I laid down to it would all drip off. About 15
seconds later I felt the COOLING sensation! The heat just dissipated and an
intense cold feeling covered my entire chest and stomach. The Vicks has
soothed the flaky white skin and the itching with which it appeared. The
Vicks continued to--what felt like--draw out the heat and itch and irritation
of the burn/rash/horrible feeling. It seriously just pulled it all out to the
surface and cooled it down to cold. That's the only way I know how to explain
what happened.

Here I sit; I haven't reapplied the Vicks whatsoever. I even put a shirt on
over it. The cooling sensation is still there, but not intense like it was.
Just cool and soothed. There is not a trace of itch, burn, sting or anything
whatsoever. It has been 6-7+ hours since the Vicks. I'm cured!

Sorry to draw that out, hope it didn't disappoint!

IF YOU FOUND THIS FORUM LIKE I DID, GO TAKE A HOT SHOWER, DRY YOURSELF WITH A
SHIRT (OR SOME SMOOTH FABRIC--TOWELS HURT) BY PATTING GENTLY AND FANNING
YOURSELF DRY. THEN, GET SOME VICKS VAPO RUB AND COAT THE ENTIRE AFFECTED AREA
LIBERALLY. LAY DOWN WITH A CEILING FAN ON AND VIOLA! INSTANT AND PERMANENT
RELIEF!

So glad I found this message board last night!  I received a typical sunburn
on my back a few days ago and last night it started to itch like crazy.  I
have never experienced this before.  Nothing I did relieved the itch and I
was acting like a crazy person.  My husband didn't (couldn't) understand what
was bothering me so much and told me to quit acting like a drama queen.  I
asked him to go to the store to get me something to help and while he was
gone, I got online.  Luckily, he came back with a can of Dermoplast (pure
luck & coincidence!).  I hopped into the hottest shower I could stand and
when I got done, I sprayed my back with the Dermoplast.  I took 2 Benadryl
and a 1/2 of a pain pill.  FINALLY - RELIEF!!  
Today I am still a little itchy, but I'm using the Dermoplast and taking some
Benadryl (not as much...have to be able to function at work).  
I would encourage everyone to follow the directions that so many other have
posted on this site.....it really works!  HOT as HELL shower + Dermoplast +
Benadryl + Tylenol (or something stronger if you have it) is the only way to
take care of this problem.  Trust me - I tried everything else: cold
compresses, cold showers, oatmeal lotion, sensitive skin lotion, after sun
lotion, aloe vera, noxema, first aid ointment, etc, etc, etc.  

I have been sunburned pretty badly previously, once was a 2nd degree sunburn
(complete with water blisters) over 2/3rds of my body from 4 hours in the sun
between 1 and 5 on the white sand beaches in Florida on the gulf. Needless to
say, I learned my lesson that time.

On Monday, I was in Florida again, and went out for only 2 hours, applying
85spf twice during my outing. I did get sunburned, but nothing bad at all. It
was merely painful to wear a bra or carry a purse, and my shirt occasionally
stuck to it after using solarcaine. Now, it's Wednesday night/Thursday
morning (3:41am here) and I am in hour 3 of the HELL ITCH! It started off
slowly, coming out of nowhere after we got home and I settled in my bedroom.
Then the itch began between my shoulder blades in that impossible to reach
area.

I had someone put some lotion on it thinking that it was itching because it
was dry. BIG MISTAKE! I was shaking and twisting and turning and twitching
and hyperventilating and even began to cry. And I've had 2 kids!!!! I have
never felt anything like this before in my life! I'd much rather go through
the 10 hours of natural labor I experienced 11 months ago than go through 1
hour of this itch.

The itch quickly spread to my shoulder blades, and then outlined my burn on
my back. My chest, arms, and face don't itch at all and they are all burnt
too. The burn and increased itch from the lotion made me insane. I had that
same someone apply solarcaine to it and it was even worse after the initial
15 seconds of relief the cold caused.

Finally, I jumped in a warm shower (now I wish it had been hotter) and used
my shower head to 'scratch' my back before I proceeded to wash off all of the
lotion and solarcaine. After getting out, I hunted down some aloe with
lidocaine. The brand I have is Banana Boat Sooth-A-Caine. It has 0.7%
lidocaine in it plus the aloe. My back is now coated in about a quarter inch
of it, I've taken 100mg of benadryl, and 800 mg of ibuprofen.

The itch is minimal and I get occasional twinges of the fire ant like
stabbing bite. But, I think I might be able to sleep. I don't have a shirt to
cover it and am refusing to move my back unless necessary. I think the
movement aggravates it. From what I've read, I have another 13-21 hours to go
before the itch is gone.

I think this itch is something that should be used as an interrogation tactic
or a form of slow, torturous death. I don't wish this on my worst enemy at
this point and hope no one else has to ever go through it, but the outlook
for that wish is very gloomy.

Good luck to everyone else and I'm sitting here trying like hell to avoid the
urge to scratch.

sweating, goosebumps, hyperventilating, nausious, dizzy and LIGHTNING BOLTS
hitting me all over my chest arms and shoulders!

Hi there, ok im just coming to the end of one of these dreadful attacks,
here's a link to picture of me and what the burn kind of looked like (colour
and position etc) sorry there's nothing clearer, this happened in Mallorca
and came as a result of no sun cream being on me. i've had worse before and
never any reaction like this.

[IMG]
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb93/Ortayga/MallorcaBiffyyeah.jpg[/IMG]

you can see there below my neck line and on my upper arm (im on the right)

it's kind of a pinky colour that i got.

anyway, that pic was taken on tuesday and it's saturday now, i was sitting at
home uploading photo's and started getting some itching on my upper arms,
which i scratched, within a few mins it went to my chest and shoulders and
almost sent me into a frenzy, i tried to apply Astral cream and aftersun
which just made it way worse, i then had 3 luke warm showers. the first one
seemed to ease it a bit, but then it came back like some kind of relentless
horror story almost made me scream a few times, i was having a full blown
panic attack.

i basically rubbed the cream all off me with a towel, and hurt myself doing
it. but then i came on here, and wrapped the towel around me, and 2 things
happened.

towel = 100% cotton, and it's not new, so it's slightly erm, firmer? then a
one.
1) the heat my body generated under the towel seemed to soothe the pain!
2) the kind of courseness of the towell is making it now so that when i get
those little lightning bolts hitting me i just apply pressure with my hand to
the area (not scratching) and the towel seems to neutralize them.

Make sure it's a dry towel!!!!

still suffering lightly here but it's manageable now (im 2.5 hours in now)

Tob

Hi All!!!

I am currently 9 ish hours in to my EXTREME ITCH!!!!
Second time in my life that this happened, and I thought the first time was
Hell...But NO...this time is so much worse.

I'm 21 years old, and decided that I would attempt to go on a sunbed (yes I'm
a fool) just to make myself heel a bit better as I'm naturally and ill
looking past. 6minutes on there, without any cream as the girl behind the
desk didnt explain that i should wear cream...in fact she didnt really tell
me anything about it even though i said it was my first time.

The burn came on 3 hours later when i was at work, and that was painful
enough. The past two days I wasnt able to wear a tshirt because the burn was
really bad, not the worse i have ever had though. This morning i wake up to a
dull itch, so naturally i scratched...BIG MISTAKE...

this turned into a mad frenzy of itching so i applied some Aloe Vera gel..
like i had been the past two days to help with the burn...it appeared to work
but half hour later it got worse.
Mum bought me back some e45 cream from tesco, so i tried that as well which
just made it soooo much worse. So i took her advice and jumped in the shower..
.again big mistake!!! this turned in to the worse part so far, i was smashing
walls, rubbing the towel up and down my body it was horrible. It was
literally as soon as i stepped in the shower i broke down...I literally had a
mental break down.

I'm now just sitting on the sofa, i have just taken two antihystameans
(taking the advice from above) and i have managed to put a shirt on as this
is gently rubbing the itch on my back which is keeping it at bay to be honest,
but i'm petrified its going to come back. The only other option for me is to
drink myself into coma so that i dont feel the itch anymore, but alas I work
in the morning!

I'm hoping that mine will only last 24 hours, like everybody else on here as
my symptoms and process seems to be the same as theirs, and im also praying
that mine may have started in my sleep last night so that i dont have to wait
as longer.

I actually did think i was the only one who ever suffered from this, and that
i was just a total wuss, but thank god i found this site!!! thank you so much
everyone, at least i know what to do in the future if it ever happens again!!

Oh...and NEVER GO ON A SUNBED!!!! ITS NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!!

I got the itch as we speak.  Just like everyone else I was outside playin
with the kids on monday, figured I wouldn't wear a shirt to try to get rid of
the neon whiteness on my chest and back (my arms are already tan).  got a
pretty bad burn but it didn't bother me, the pain never does, but when I was
laying in bed last night I found myself not able to get comfortable. I
finally fell asleep and woke up this morning and went to cook my son
breakfast and that's when the "hell itch" started.  I toughed through it till
his breakfast was done, then I headed straight for the shower. I had this
once before on the farm, but i was young.  thought my skin was dryin out so I
used a lotion soap, BAD IDEA.  rinsed that off and just stood there under a
hot shower.  It helped.  then I switched to cold, again BAD IDEA. back to hot.
got off and it started again. I toughed through the drying off process and
put some medicated powder on my chest and stomach. some relief then got the
benadryl.  that was about an hour ago and i'm getting some relief.   I have a
very strong will and can usually block out pain or itching but I can't this
time.   just sit or lay still is about the only thing I found that works.
hoping it goes away soon.  thanks for the post and all the comments.

My deepest sympathies go out to anyone who has experianced this problem.
I am a 32 year old man who used to be in the british army and through out my
life i have broken many bones including my jaw, leg, all toe and fingers, my
elbow/arm etc etc and all of fthe pain from these combined doesnt even begin
to express how bad the Hell Itch is.
It has happened to me 2 times in my life the 1st was when i was around 12
years old and i got sun burn all over my back. The sun burn was manageable
but the day after the Hell Itch began and all i can remember was me running
around the holiday resort like a sheep thats just had its wool set on fire...
it was so bad that i remember i went to the wall of the resort (which was
made of pebble dash ) and began rubbing my back as hard as i could against it
and my back was scratched to pieces.

The 2nd time it happened was around 3 months ago and i was very angry that i
have been scared to go into the sun (sunbathing) since this 1st episode, so i
booked me the wife and my eldest sons 1st sun holiday (previously we only
went skiiing). This is how things went for me :---
Day one I decided to sunbathe for an hour and got a very bad sunburn but i
thought as long as the itch doesnt start i will be fine. Day 2 i woke up at 5
am with an unbareable Itching all over my chest and went around the room in
circles and thought the best plan would be to have a shower. From 5am until
11 am i stayed in that shower and was alternating the temperature from hot to
cold every time the itching started (around every 30 min or so ), so the
shower thing does help if your willing to stay in the shower for the duration
of this Hell Itch but it can last for a long time, for me it lasted 5 days.

The only relief i found apart from the shower was to calm myself down and
take control and to say i was stronger than the itch and when an itch came i
would gently use all my fingers to press on the area that was itching (if i
press to hard it would relieve the itch but it would start itching even worse
so gentle is the key).
I wish there was a medical term for this as it is not a standard sunburn and
it truly sends me to the brink of insanity. I will never try laying in the
sun again and hope anyone who is reading this and has the Hell Itch will heal
up soon :)

I came on this site looking for any type of help I could find for my 15 year
old son that is currently experiencing the "HELL ITCH". My son went to the
beach Saturday afternoon and came home around 10pm and I FREAKED the F out
when I saw him. Before he went to the beach I gave him a bottle of waterproof
SPF70 sunblock and told him to put it on 30 mins before he went to the beach
and every 2hrs after that while he was there, he did not heed my warning and
I almosted died when he got in the car. He was fried. The next day he woke up
and his entire face was swollen and it was shocking. I took him to the ER and
the doc gave him a script for 400mg ibueprofin and for 2.5%cortisone cream
for the swollen face. His eyeballs were sunburned as well so we had to buy
Natural Tears for daytime and lacralube (gel) for his eyes for night. He
seemed to be doing good after the ER visit until this morning when the "HELL
ITCH" came on. He comes flying down the stairs screaming like a mad man but
it was almost cartoonish watching how fast he kept running up and down the
stairs screaming and then he would run to his room and punch his chair and a
few walls and then run back down. I finially forced him to stop to tell me
what was going on and he described these exact symptoms "severe itch that he
can't scratch, burning, and thousands of needles poking him over and over
again".. I have had blisted sunburns in the past but never experienced the
"HELL ITCH" before. I though he was over reacting but I gave him ibuprofen
and benydril just in case it was an allergic reactio to some of the lidocane
we put on him the night before. He took cold showers and that helped NOTHING.
It finally went away after 30 mins of hell and he was fine until a few hours
ago. He did the same thing with running up and down the stairs but now he was
slapping himself in the chest where some of the burn was and I knew it had to
be really bad when he screamed out "IT HURTS LIKE HELL MOM".. My sons do not
swear in front of me so I knew it must of been bad. I hurried to the laptop
and dove into research. I found u guys right away. THANK GOODNESS. While I
was reading this my sons pain started to subside so he didn't get a chance to
try the hot showers, i'm hoping this will be the end of the "HELL ITCH" but
at least I know what to do for him now if it happens again tonight. I'm sorry
to each and every person that endures this pain but I thank you for all your
great help that I can try for my son. LET'S ALL PLZ REMEMBER TO WEAR SUNBLOCK
FOR NOW ON. I will post again if he has this happen later tonight to let you
know if the shower worked.

I HAVE SEEN THE DEVIL - THE HELL ITCH. THIS IS THE WORST PAIN I HAVE EVER
EXPERIENCED AND EVER WILL.

FIRST OF ALL DONT EXPECT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN THROUGH
IT, AFTER ALL YOU WOULDN'T HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT BEFORE YOU HAD IT.

TAKE A WARM BATH OR SHOWER - THIS IS THE CURE

I stupidly got burnt in midday sun but it was no problem just a sun burn,I
used 100% aloe gel to cool it down and apart from it being a bit sore all was
well.

then 48 hours later my chest felt a little itchy just as i was about to drive
home from work, so i decided to take my t-shirt off. as i drove home in heavy
traffic the hell itch began! not that i knew what it was.

It was the worst pain imaginable, total an utter uncontrollable itching it
felt like my skin was on fire, I was screaming and shouting, people were
staring at me in my car as i was stuck in traffic and I was going f**king
INSANE!!!!!!! I didn't care, all i could think was that i needed to be
unconscious by crashing my car into a wall or anything, or that I needed to
get home asap.
I dont know how i did it but after shouting PLEASE GOD HELP ME, PLEASE GOD
HELP ME, over and over i finally got home.

I ran in and started running the bath with just cold water (we don't have a
shower) i throw myself in lying front down (my sun burn is only on my front)
this didnt help at all. i jumped out and put aloe gel on it, this didn't help
either. I ran down stairs to take as many pills as i could get my hands on,
(paracetamol, ibuprofen, Codeine, antihistamine,) I was still screaming and
shouting, I couldn't understand what was going on and I thought that god was
punishing me for something. I was going completely mad and was thinking about
running out in the middle of the road to be hit by a car just to be knocked
out to stop the pain.

I grabbed some frozen food from the freezer and held it to my chest this
helped enough for me to type in to google ''sun burn itch'' and thats how i
found this forum and see that people were saying to take a hot bath. THIS
WORKED, the relief was indescribable. I would never have thought of it as i
just thought I needed to keep it cool. As someone had all ready mentioned It
opens up the skins pores and relieves the pain.
I have been sun burt a lot worse before but never  experienced this itch
which took place 48hrs after the burn.

I am now 72hrs in and it just feels tingley and the odd sharp pain. really
hope Im through the worst of it.

I am 30 years old and have been in the parachute regiment and know what
extreme pain is like and also what its like to push my body to the absolute
limits and to feel physical pain burn through my body but nothing compares to
this hell itch.

I NOW KNOW WHAT HELL IS LIKE AND AND I WILL TRY AND BE A BETTER PERSON TO
AVOID IT WHEN I DIE

I WILL NOW RESPECT THE SUN FOREVER AND NOT BE CARELESS

It was a stroke of luck i found this thread when i did. I was about to go to
the Urgent Care center. I went to san francisco on vacation for 10 days. I
Got a considerable sunburn just on my back. It hurt for about 1-2 days. I get
home, about to get into the car to go home, and my back just ignites with
itch. It was the most painful experience ive ever had. I was going completely
insane. 40 minutes in the car... Dear god. 25 minutes in and i was crying. My
parents just thought i was overreacting, which made me go insane. It felt
like somebody poking 100000 pins in my back continuously. I couldn't itch it
away. I didnt get any sleep last night. around 10am i fell asleep and woke up
at 12. I didnt feel the pain, so i jumped in the shower. I got out, dried off,
and the pins started again. I was freaking out. Like i said, i was about to
drive to the E.C., when i found this thread. I really hope my pins go away
soon... One thing that is working well is a HEATING PAD. I put it on the sofa,
positioned it to my back, and I'm just sitting here with my computer watching
TV. The hell has dissipated where the heating pad is. I could even stand up
and walk around alittle without the feeling coming back. I wouldnt wish this
upon anyone...
Good luck.

I have a possible solution!!!

I'm in O'ahu, Hawai'i and am from the NW, US. I spent three hours in the sun
a few days ago without sunscreen like a damn idiot and im suffering from the
ITCHES FROM HELL!!! It comes in waves and yesterday i was flopping around on
my bed like a dying fish, trying to alleviate my itches with a warm towel and
rubbing it on my back. The itches came on from jumping in the cool pool at
night last night and wind blowing on my back. I almost ran into trees trying
to get to my room where i could look like an idiot.

The only thing that has worked for me: MUSCLE RELAXERS, CANNABIS, AND SMALL
AMOUNTS OF ALCOHOL (maybe a few drinks ever couple hours, not good to mix
with muscle relaxers). The muscle relaxers that my GF gave me for the plane
ride to and fro came in handy for this exact moment. I was freaking out,
trying to get into a trance to ignore the pain, then couldn't handle it
anymore. I took half a 4-hour muscle relaxer and within 10-15 minutes the
itches went away!!! I proceeded to feel great for the last 6 hours of last
night by just smoking cannabis and drinking a few drinks every couple hours.
My GF said to try benadryl but it looks like that doesn't work after reading
this thread. And showering cold to hot to cold to hot didn't help much just
irritated my burn a little more and brought on more itches--shower may not
have been hot enough though.

Try muscle relaxers if you have them available, maybe opiates would work too
if all else failes, but the muscle relaxer took away the pain very very
quickly. Impressive. Cannabis might not work for you if you're not used to it
and it could maybe make you freak out even more. If none of the above works,
try mind over matter, imagine yourself as a monk on a warm beach and getting
acupuncture in your back or something... might help?

Has anybody had a doctor actually name what this "hell itch" is???

They just seem to take a guess and never seem to understand the actual
torture of it!

WOW!! I just don't seem to learn..

I've had this HELL ITCH on 3-4 seperate occasions now after being badly
sunburnt (I promised myself I would never get burnt again!) and as bad as
this sounds, I'm glad I'm not the only one so that we can have some symphathy
for each other!! Other people just dont understand how bad this itch is!!

The previous time this happened I thought I found gold when I sprayed vinegar
on myself and the itching stopped.

However this time I can concurr with others that Aloe Vera sprays and gels do
not help, neither does first aid burn cream, vinegar or anti histamines.. I
loaded myself up with anti histamines and codeine type stuff to try knock me
out but there's only so much it can do and I had to take the day off work :(

I found the ONLY thing that would give me relief for 15 minutes or so was
having the HOT HOT showers. I would have the hot shower, leave my back wet
and then lie down on my stomach for a bit. All is ok until it dried and when
moving is when the hell's ant army returns.

After a few HOT HOT showers I noticed my skin start to dry out and begin to
peel, so I think the itching is from the nerve damage and skin wanting to
peel off, the hot showers kind of 'promoted' the peeling.

It was a solid 24-36 hours before the itching got a bit more tolerable and I
managed to sleep a little bit better last night as long as I didn't move.

Today I'm back at work with the occasional 'itch wave' but with a shirt on
and a few wriggles it sorts it out. Back is peeling like crazy now so I think
I'm on the home front.

It's amazing what this itch from hell can do to someone.. I have heaps of
large tattoos and can take pain, but this thing reduced me to wanting to kill
myself haha.. would not wish this on my worst enemy!

Moral of the story - apply sunblock!

And for those reading this with the itching right now, hold in there!! Go and
have some warm/hot showers on a repeating basis, it's the only thing that
gives some relief sorry! The rest is just time..