Brachioradial pruritus. (severe itching on forearms and neck, no rash).

Hi there…..I have suffered from this condition on and off for three years now and I feel for all of you who suffer this condition….it sux!!…At first I thought I had developed an allergy to sunscreen…...I live in New Zealand, I’m male, fair skinned, 58 years old and find episodes are definitely linked to uv/sun exposure to my arms between November and April or if overseas on holiday (Bali) in our winter. I have mild osteoarthritis in my c spine and a mild reduced gap between c5 and c6…fairly common for my age the doc says….I take antihistamines (Levrix) daily at the first sign of an itch which is always on both forearms below the elbow and sometimes around my jaw line. The antihistamines help a bit but the urge to itch remains in the background which I try to suppress. I sometimes take Phenergan (25mg) at night because it has antihistamine effects but also makes me drowsy and helps with sleep. I do my utmost to prevent causing skin damage from itching as this prolongs recovery.
I see an osteopath every four to six weeks to try and get some traction on my c spine and loosen muscles around my neck/shoulders……I’m not sure it works but I feel I’m doing something to help myself.
I work in law enforcement so wear a heavy stab resistant vest for shifts of up to 10 hours at a time and do shift work…….It’s become very apparent I should be looking at moving to an inside desk job where I don’t need to wear the vest as no doubt it won’t be helping the C5/C6 compression and may have even caused it……I am also an avid runner…..again I’m thinking pounding from running won’t be helping the spinal issue.
So has anyone sought and achieved a cure from surgery to open the C5/C6 gap and take pressure off the nerves being affected which seems to be the root of the issue causing this problem??
I’m thinking of seeking an appointment to see a neurosurgeon to investigate options…..seems extreme and I doubt they will want to operate but as you all know this condition is debilitating and distressing……I intent on retiring in 22 months and want to be rid of or better manage this affliction so I can live the best life possible. Thanks. Paul

I have suffered from BP for about ten years. I live in Florida and I've found the symptoms almost entirely cease in the winter months, starting in late September/early October. Then, starting around mid-March my symptoms gradually creep back until by June I'm in full-blown itch mode. So it's obvious that UV exposure is at least partly to blame for my case. I've had itching so bad that I've used a dinner fork to scratch myself bloody; the pain is preferable to the itch. Scalding water has a similar effect. Ice packs help too but, Florida. I've long since resigned myself to blood spots on my sheets.

You name it, I've probably tried it. Traditional itch remedies don't work; even corticosteroids do nothing: I graduated from Triamcinolone to Clobetasol and even THAT didn't work. Capsaicin does help but I have to be SO careful not to use too much, and to be diligent about washing up after applying it. And it only lasts a few minutes anyway. My hometown dermatologist prescribed gabapentin and a custom-compounded medicated jelly which included lidocaine and amitriptyline. This was the best treatment yet but I still had great difficulty during the summer months, in spite of heavy sunscreen use and wearing SPF clothing.

As luck would have it, my dermatologist's niece recently joined the practice, and she knew exactly who I needed to see: Dr. Gil Yosipovitch. Just Google his name and you will discover that he is internationally renowned for his work in itch. Turns out she did her residency at the University of Miami, where Dr. Yosipovitch is a tenured Professor of Dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine, and director of the Miami Itch Center. I thought it unlikely that I would be able to see him, but it turns out he takes my insurance (Tricare Prime) so I started the work to obtain a referral. It's a 3.5-hour, 190-mile trip one way but I only have to see him in person once a year. His treatment, while not perfect, is the best thing I've yet found: he has prescribed Lyrica (pregabalin), 100mg capsules four times per day along with a different compounded jelly that includes lidocaine and amitriptyline (like the other stuff) but with the addition of ketamine. This treatment makes it possible for me to enjoy the summer, but I have to be VERY CAREFUL about sun exposure.

M y wife has had BRP for a good 20 years. Tried everything. All kinds of meds for for other diseases that may help with hers. Oddly the best thing for her is Capsacin. I think I misspeleed it. But along with the Capsacin she uses Ebanol- which is a numbing creme. When she told her Dermatologist about what she was using he said to use it if it helps. By the way w live in NJ. So neither cold nor hot weather changes her situation. She had ben to many Dermatologists locally and most referred her to a Dr at NYU Langone. We didnt want to start with a Dr that was a long commute but we stuck with him for 10 years. Since nothing helped she deicided to try the Capsacin with Ebanol. And we quit going to him.

Have you ever done any genetic testing? Wondering about your low b12 and the possibility of MTHFS gene mutation (pretty common) which is linked to a whole slough of conditions.
I have had BRP for about 15 years now. I'm also chasing down some testing to see if I have the MTHFS gene mutation, which is linked to the laundry list of other issues I live with - but not (yet) to BRP.
One of the signs of MTHFS mutation is low b12.
Be interesting to see if anyone else has attempted to make this connection.

Welcome to Connect, @tinalk. The MTHFR gene mutation may contribute to a variety of health conditions. Sounds like you’ve been doing your research to see if any of your symptoms might be related. I’m tossing in another article about MTHFR just to add to your information library:

MTHFR
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326181
There are a few references in the forum from other members who also have the MTHFR mutation and mention low Vit B-12. These comments are scattered in various support groups but I thought you might find them helpful.
> @cll also has the MTHFR gene variant and experienced a deficiency in several B vitamins and Vit C. They share their experience in this post regarding:
GI disorders and internal shaking
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/722029/
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@kefnb shares their experience and what has been helpful with MTHFR and a correlation between Vit B12 in this comment:
>Treatment for chronic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/733044/
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@80rosy shares briefly their experience with MTHFR and low Vit B levels.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/287581/
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There are a number of member comments mentioning MTHFR…too numerous to link here. However, if you type in
MTHFR in the top search bar, you’ll see many pages of references.

I hope you’ve been able to find relief for your BRP. Are there treatments for this?
Have you been able to have the genetic testing? What other symptoms are you experiencing?

I had BRP for at least 8 years. Tried numerous doctors and found relief only from ice. No matter the season, only ice relieved the misery. I finally found a cervical chiropractor. Five sessions and the itch has disappeared for 2 1/2 years now. I now have a life.

Writing for my wife who is visually impaired. What is a "cervical chiropractor? Thanks in advance.

Sorry I havent open much mail from this site. Just found your message. She has not been tested for low B12 and this MTHFS is new to us. Can you briefly explain it?

I have this! I have seen my PCP, a dermatologist, neurologist, allergist and most recently a chiropractor. So far nothing has resolved it. Ice sleeves at night allow me to get some rest but it sure is miserable. All of my doctors "have heard of it" but none of their interventions has helped. Since I had a past history of trigeminal neuralgia (which MVD surgery helped tremendously) my neurologist thinks that my nerves just fire randomly causing the brachioradial pruritis. Who knows??? I just wanted to connect with someone else who understands how miserable, frustrating and mood altering it is. Sometimes we just need to know someone really understands....

HI - so what is your own remedy? Karen