Itchy Skin No Rash - Post Treatment

emdaniels
emdaniels Member Posts: 5 Member
edited October 2022 in Anal Cancer #1

Hello,

I am about 18 months out of treatment. About 1 year ago I noticed severe itching on my left forearm yet there was no rash nor visible skin issue. This would only happen every month or so. In the past 2 weeks it is affecting both forearms - still no rash. Prescription cortisone cream doesn't seem to help. Has anyone else experienced this?

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  • feckcancer
    feckcancer Member Posts: 189 Member
    edited October 2022 #2

    .

  • feckcancer
    feckcancer Member Posts: 189 Member
    #3

    Yes. started for me about 2+1/2 years after finishing treatment. now nearly 7-year NED. started on forearms but then goes then sometimes comes back on top and back of top of arms and/or shoulders. none at the moment except for two spots on my forearm that sometimes flare up but not too bad or for too long and if I apply ice as soon as they start itching it seems to stop these spots where it itches. no rash or welts. such intense itching and burning I end up with bruises and drawing blood. Seems to be worse at night but not always. When it first started it used to start at the beginning of winter and end at the beginning of summer but this year it stopped then started again when it was summer here (New Zealand) then continued when I was on holiday in the hottest part of Australia so maybe not season related like I thought (but who knows???). aloe vera gel used to help with the itching but doesn't seem to help anymore and now the only things that sometimes stop the itch is a piece of ice (but the skin is so hot and burning it melts really quickly), an ice pack or a tissue soaked in calamine lotion that's been in the fridge placed and left on the itchy bit. I told my doctor and she said, 'that's odd' and prescribed me cortisone cream which did nothing. I never thought to ask my oncologists when I was seeing them because I didn't think it could be related. The only things that I could find on google which sounded like what it could be were Brachioradial pruritus or pruritus hiemalis (winter itch) or thyroid issues. Thanks for posting this, I didn't even consider it could be connected to treatment. Please post back if you hear any other info about this.

    Brachioradial Pruritus: Causes, Features, and Treatment — DermNet (dermnetnz.org)

    Brachioradial Pruritus: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Recovery (clevelandclinic.org)

    Winter itch | DermNet (dermnetnz.org)

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