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Want suggestions for uncontrollable itching since COVID-19 vaccine.
Background:
Moved back to the US in 2021 after living in Australia for 1 year. Got first dose of Pfizer vaccine within a week of moving back. Had some itching start but was not much of an issue. Received booster 1 year later, which is when the itching really started to get bad and feels like it has progressively worsened through the years. Seems to have phases of flare ups and being slightly dormant. Really affects my ability to sleep (cant sleep because I am itchy, or wake up and cant go back to sleep), to go in water (I swam through college), my confidence to be a father.
About me:
Male, 32, lift weights 5x per week, eat pretty well (mostly home cooked meals), about to be a father, live in Texas, have a hypoallergenic dog (lived with the same breed in Australia without issue). Currently working as a physical therapist assistant.
Presentation:
- no physical manifestations present (no redness, swelling, raised skin)
- itching occurs in torso, arms, legs, NEVER neck, head/scalp
- can feel like needles, burning, like my skin is being constantly waxed
Aggravators:
- water #1 (showering, swimming, touching my skin)
- changing clothing
- some scratchy fabrics
- prolonged contact with damp clothing
- laying on a certain side (it is random)
Who I have seen:
- family practice
- dermatologist
- allergist
- naturopath (acupuncture, herbal supplements, reiki)
What I currently take:
- hydroxizine pamoate
- montelukast
- ibuprofen
- Tylenol
- benadryl
Medications/vitamins I have tried:
- gabapentin
- paroxetine
- hydroxizine hcl
- dupixent
- allergy shots
- vitamin Bs and D
Lifestyle changes I have tried:
- gluten and dairy free for 6 months
- different clothing
- different laundry detergents
- multiple lotions and body washes
- no coffee or caffeine
- pre-workout without beta alanine (did not use any when this all started)
- air purifiers
- cold/cooler showers (showering every 2 days
- avoid water
- avoid putting anything on my skin like sunscreen, sand, other people
My life is very set around rigid routines I do to try and avoid as many things that will set it off. I am not sure if anything helps but I hope it does because that is all I really have.
Would just appreciate any suggestions! I am currently trying to see a neurologist and an endocrinologist. Also started a heavy metal cleanse.
Thank you
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Maybe consider dermatomyositis triggered by covid/vaccine. It can cause itching, often has a rash but is known to have itching with no rash. It has been documented that covid and/or vaccine can trigger dermatomyositis.
It is an autoimmune disease more often seen in late 40 or 50 year old females, but men do get it. Itching is not the number one side effect, but it is known to cause it.
My granddaughter has been diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis, considered a rare disease in children, she is 6. Her doctors believe it was triggered by covid or the covid vaccine - she had both.
A rheumatologist is the doctor to manage care. Methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine are typical prescriptions used, and do target itching. If you have this the antihistamines and singulair wouldn’t help. Corticosteroids are often first line drug, but then switched to the other drugs I mentioned. While gabapentin might dull an itch, untreated dermatomyositis will have a stronger skin issue, from what I’ve read.
What AI says about it: Dermatomyositis (DM) commonly causes intense, persistent itching (pruritus) that may feel neuropathic—burning, tingling, or crawling—even without a visible rash, often linked to small fiber neuropathy. This type of itch is frequently caused by autoimmune inflammation affecting skin nerves.
Here’s one article linking covid to dermatomyositis, polymyositis, myositis:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/8/1184
Google to get more info on the disease.
Hope you can find effective treatment! A rheumatologist may help diagnose what you have, even if it’s not dermatomyositis.
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2 ReactionsI got a very bad whole body rash following the shingles vax. It started 4 weeks after the vaccine. It is now 3 months and while better is not fixed. My rash is visible makes the skin red and itchy. Presently the itch has reduced. I have found that applying vaseline to the itchy site tends to reduce the itch quite a lot. Dont know if it will work for you. I am 76 and till this rash has given me a real kick in the rear end. Hope you find a solution.
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1 ReactionI’m hoping this is your lucky day!
I suffer from something called Aquagenic Pruritus (water itch). Initially triggered by water contact and then by change in temperature (maybe also other weather conditions) . Sounds weird by very real.
A few years ago, someone on a Facebook page for AP, discovered that her preworkout supplements stopped her itch…she isolated it to Beta Alanine. I’ve been taking it for 7 or 8 years now and it’s a life saver. I buy the NOW brand from Amazon and take 1500 mg 30 mins before showering, for some strange reason, it works best late in the day/evening. I take 750mg with the change in temperature itch… BA knocks the itch down by 80 to 100%.
If you take too much BA, you can get a tingling feeling on the skin. But in my experience, this is at higher doses. The bottle says the preworkout dose is 2250 mg. I have read that it targets muscles and nerves…my AP feels like pins and needles.
There are now a few papers on the subject and several medical websites note that it is a treatment for AP. But, because it is a cheap fix for a rare problem, we have not seen any real clinical trials or studies…the pdf attached is the best paper I have found…
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111%2Fpde.14440
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40657651/
Acad-Dermatol-Venereol-2023-Biazus-Soares-Aquagenic-pruritus-A-webbased-survey-study-exploring-itch-characteristics (Acad-Dermatol-Venereol-2023-Biazus-Soares-Aquagenic-pruritus-A-webbased-survey-study-exploring-itch-characteristics.pdf)
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1 ReactionThank you. I shall look into it. My rash is not getting any better more or less as is. Itch flares up in different areas but I control it with Vaseline or cream. Skin is still v red and I am getting swollen ankles due to water retention. Skin is also v sensitive. If my nail brushes against it it feels like a nail. One good thing is it does not disturb my sleep as yet. But as soon as I walk the tingling starts though much reduced. Once again thank u v much for your kind response.