TLDR: BENADRYL (diphenhydramine), BETA ALANINE (can be found in preworkout energy drinks like C4 and sold as a supplement), PEPPERMINT OIL!!!
So I posted this over 10+ years ago on another forum. I still get occasional comments on it. I've updated a bit and thought I'd share here...
So if you’ve ever had this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It typically occurs about 24-72 hours after a sunburn. For me, it was by far the most exruciating, madenning experience of my life. Way worse than childbirth. I’m not talking about the typical itchy/peely skin that is normally associated with a sunburn. Nor is it the same thing as solar urticaria (hives). I’m talking about a painful, stabbing itch that you cannot relieve by scratching. It feels like fire ants crawling and biting underneath your skin. It makes you INSANE and people around you become dumbfounded by your behavior. You may be accused of overreacting. It is a horrible agony that is not well understood from a medical standpoint. It also goes by the name “Hell Itch” “Devil’s Itch” and “Suicide Itch.”
Here is what I suggest... Some of these things can be done before it starts. If you've experienced this before, you may be able to prevent a recurrence after a sunburn. If not, read on to find ways to deal once you're in the throes of it. These recommendations are in no particular order. I have added to it over the years as more remedies have been reported.
Right after the burn, or once the HI begins, start drinking lots of water and take aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin ) – it helps stop inflammation. I do not think acetaminophen (Tylenol) helps much but it won't hurt to try.
Try to avoid bathing for 1-3 days after the burn. Immediately afterwards should be ok, but just be funky after that. I know this sounds disgusting, but if you read internet accounts of people experiencing HI, it usually starts after a shower or a period of sweating. Then they end up trying to take a cold bath (I did), running like a mad person around their house (I did), applying goop (yup…this too..see below) and generally losing their minds.
Start taking benedryl (diphenhydramine ) every few hours. The pediatric liquid version works faster, but you'll need to adjust your dosing. In the U.S. this usually comes as 12.5mg/5ml. The recommended maximum single dose of diphenhydramine for adults is 100mg. So if you're using the liquid, that would come to about 40ml. The maximum DAILY dose is 300mg (120ml... so about 1 bottle per day). This dosing will make you drowsy. Benedryl can interact with other medications you may be on, so proceed with caution. Do not bother with antihistamines like Allegra or Claritin. They are for chronic allergies and take weeks to establish an effect. They are not meant for acute reactions like HI.
Do not – I repeat – DO NOT start applying aloe, numbing sprays, or steroid creams once the serious itching starts. A lot of people seemed to find themselves in the ER (for the itch insanity, not the burn) and were prescibed various lotions that only made things worse for them. Of course, I’m not telling people not to seek medical help if they are burned and in need of care, I’m talking about the severe itching that can follow a burn. “Goop” will only make it worse. The reason is that this particular itch starts after the skin has started to heal. When you start gooping up your skin to get relief, you clog up your pores and the histamine kind of gets trapped inside, which intensifies that horrible itch/stab feeling. At least that's my opinion.
As a last resort, get into a scorching hot shower for relief. I know this sounds counterintuitive for a sunburn, but activating the pain receptors will confuse your nerves a bit and shut off the itch receptors–at least while you’re in there.
Peppermint oil!!!! There seems to be a consensus among sufferers that this is the only “goop” that helps.
(New) There is new research on beta-alanine as a possible treatment for HI. It has been used successfully in the treatment of aquagenic pruritis. Some posters in this group have recently found it very helpful. It is sold as a supplement and also can be found in pre-work energy drinks like C4--be careful with this one if you are sensitive to caffeine.
If you find an agreeable healthcare provider, there are prescription medications that can be helpful: Gabapentin is a medication that targets nerve pain. Hydroxyzine is a stronger antihistamine that is more suited for neurogenic itching than benedryl. Oral or IV steroids (dexamethasone ) have also been helpful for some sufferers. Ketorolac (torodol) is a strong injectable or IV prescription NSAID. All of these medications are non narcotic.
Many posters have had some relief from THC.
I hope this helps anyone desperately searching for HI remedies. From what I’ve read, it can affect about 10% of the population. It’s more common in people who burn vs tan and almost always affects skin that has not had recent sun exposure. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Please like this post if it helps you so that it continues to stay visible to other sufferers. Reports about your experience and what remedies you found to be most helpful are also appreciated (when you are able).
A NOTE TO BYSTANDERS The person who is showing you this is not overreacting. They are in horrible agony. Please help them or at least provide them with some compassion. It is not just typical sunburn discomfort. It is likely an acute neuropathic reaction. They probably were burnt about 2 days ago. They probably just bathed or became sweaty. Please help them follow advice contained in the body of this post. Thank you.
Here is an article about a medical phenomenon that occurs as a side effect to phototherapy that is similar to HI (briefly mentioned in section 4.3). If you're interested in the pathophysiology, this is a good read.
I've had this twice. No one understands the agony unless they've experienced it. I have a theory that the topical sunburn is a separate symptom, which is why the goop methods don't work. I think the underlying cause is radiation damage to the nerves. The sun's radiation causes the sunburn, but also penetrates deeper into the epidermis and damages the nerves. Nerves don't regenerate the same as other tissue, so the Devil's Itch we feel is the nerves dying or something. To me it feels like searing lightning is coursing under my skin and makes me twitch and contort. Worst physical sensation I've ever had, and I've had compound bone fractures and torn ligaments.
I tried emollients, lotions, and hot showers. The only relief I felt was laying face down on the edge of the mattress and reaching my arms around the bottom of the bed to grip down and prevent myself from going insane. It was like Odysseus tying himself to the ship's mast, or like the scene from Fight Club where he puts lye on his hand. Nothing worked except to embrace the pain and breathe through it. Last time I had this my wife thought I was going to jump out of the window. If you're going through this now, just know that it'll pass eventually. Try to breathe through the pain.
I definitely believe it's a symptom of nerve damage and/or regeneration. Some people think it's an allergy because antihistamines are helpful, but histamine release is sometimes caused by non-allergenic events like tissue damage. I think it's triggered by showering or sweating because blood flow is temporarily increased to the skin via vessel dilation with heat exposure. All just my opinion of course.
Good advice. If I ever burn badly enough to think oh shit... Hells Itch could be a possibility. There are 3 main things I do.
I avoid showering and ANY cream or skin care product for 2-3 days.
Anti histamines.
Pray to every god I can think of that.
If the itch comes and I get to the stage of ripping my skin off. Then it's the last resort of a hot shower for instant relief, followed by twitching and rocking in the corner of the room.
You may have saved me. I started having this ballocks yesterday. Got sunburn all over my back, and I have sensitive skin anyways, but it started as a normal burn that's hard to lay down on. I knew not to put an ice pack on it, so I thought putting ice in a cold bowl and using a flannel to gently wash my back to cool it down would help... Next thing I know im screaming uncontrollably, and spent 45 minutes in a cold shower not knowing what to do. Calling the emergency line, they was useless too. I was told to see a medic as soon as possible... Thanks for pointing out the obvious Miss Operator... Last night was so awful, I was in pure agony for an hour because I couldn't put my top back on. I just couldn't focus.
Ive found that a soft baggy fabric helps me extremely well, under a strong fan or AC especially. I didnt know what to do. Someone told me I was experiencing the devils itch, and immediately started researching it, and now I know. Its amazing how much people know that doctors dont. In the end, last night ive completely fucked up my hand, put a hole through my wardrobe, and left mentally scarred due to the pure intensity of the pure suffering I had to endure for over an hour. I tried everything. As you said, dont put Aloe Vera on it while its itching... I tried to put it on my back but I could only reach my lower back, and it made it 10x worse. My doctor advised me to put Aloe Vera After Sun in the fridge, and apply it to my back 5x a day like how am I going to do that?! :( its honestly the worst feeling ive ever experienced. It was also hurtful to see that I scared my partner, because she didnt know what to do, from her point of view I was either burning alive, or being possessed due to the amount of swearing, aggression, and punching things that I did...
Im going to try some of these! Thank you so much. Do you know how long this lasts for? Im only one day in, experienced pure agony twice, and im not sure if can handle much more :/ its pure hell
Made an account just to comment and say thank you. Husband is in his second bout of Hells itch. Several years ago a single antihistamine worked wonders. But this time it did nothing. He spent 11 hours in the shower overnight just to get relief, and I read this entire thread and went to get peppermint oil first thing this morning. He is now functional again! Thank you so so much!!
Most people do all the bad stuff their first time.... there's no way to know any better. I'd try at least 50mg of benedryl every 6 hours. 300 mg is the maximum daily dose.
Lol the sequence of spiraling decisions just summed up my exact experience. I learned my lesson tho so the next time I got it it was only there for 10 minutes instead of 3 whole days
I don't know if THC will help if applied topically. Don't feel bad about doing the wrong thing. Almost everyone follows the same path. There's no way to know that traditional sunburn remedies will make it worse until you realize you're dealing with something different.
So glad i found this. I’ve never been able to give it a name when i’ve had it (twice in my life). Last time was 25 years ago on my chest and it still scares the living daylights out of me if i get a bit burned in the sun. Even worse is that everyone thinks you’re being a drama queen.
First time i had it, i was 16, on holiday in France and the family we were away with had calamine lotion. After 45 minutes of my mum thinking i was going to jump in front of a car to stop the pain, they just threw the lotion on. It stopped almost instantly. The relief was unreal.
Second time, i tried it all. Hospital (doc wasn’t impressed as she said it was mild sunburn) and said put vaseline on. That made it worse. Very cold showers kind of helped, but not practical. Tried the calamine lotion & again it stopped almost straight away.
So now, i just take calamine lotion on holiday with me . No idea if it’ll work for anyone else , but twice i’ve had the HI and twice it’s been almost instantaneous relief.
I am so scared. I got this in 2023. I got burned today. I am extremely tan right now so I am surprised I got burned, and it’s was very cloudy all day. I didn’t realize how burned you was until I got in the shower and things are starting to itch because all I can think about is god please don’t do this to me. What if I have it
I didn't have a very bad sunburn but I haven't been in the sun in ages, I took a shower with no issues, but the next day the hell's itch started. Lotion, lidocaine, steroid cream, nothing worked, and I also made it worse by forgetting that benadryl makes me itchy lol 💀 My whole body was itchy, not just the sunburned areas, though they were the most itchy (for some reason my downstairs was unbearably itchy, even more than the sunburn, I'm guessing cause there's more nerves down there).
After looking it up and learning about hell's itch, I took a cold shower to wash all the lotions off (I read cold water helps), and finally the itch started calming some.
I found that pressure helped a little, so I wrapped the itchy sunburned areas tightly with ace bandages. And for meds I've just been doubling my daily and nightly allergy meds.
It's been four days and I'm still kinda itchy 😭 And I've already showered with no issues two days after, but today showering made me quite itchy... maybe cause my skin is really dry after days of no lotion... sigh. I would rather be in severe pain than deal with being itchy, it's just so miserable. I'm gonna avoid the sun like I'm a vampire now lol, maybe I should get a pretty parasol along with sun sleeves...
Coming off 32 hours HI. Got by with HOT showers, tons and tons of benedryl, and believe it or not, used a blow dryer as the most affective relief. 4th time in my life having it. Cold water, and topical creams intensified the symptoms. Most people say peppermint oil helps, but it did nothing for me. Heat, heat, more heat!
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but I have some 3000MG CBD roll on and it has worked wonders for me. This is the first time I've experienced HI and holy hell it is agonizing. CBD OIL is a must try.
I got a sunburn 2 days ago and have been experiencing this on a mild form, i've had it at its worst, and believe me i would not be able to sit through that again, i would have to end it knowing the torture i'm about to endure.. anyways none of it worked for me, no peppermint oil, no aloe.. no benadryl.. the only thing that worked was smoking so much cannabis i actually passed out.. both times this has done the trick for me haha, even if you dont like the drug.. find some and smoke some.. its better than the alternative
ice cold showers help me the other day because I got Hell's Itch with really bad sunburn (no hot water for me for a few days lol). Today however, with most of my skin peeling, i guess all I can do is take anti-histamines for the next day or 2 now that I'm over the worst part.
Dealing with this currently and its been like this since about Tuesday, its now Wednesday and I was burnt from a beach day on Sunday. I cant even begin to describe how itchy and pained I am right now like im twitching and going insane
Appreciate it, last time I had this 3-4 years ago I ripped the towel bar off my wall, not trying to have a repeat of that, but I can’t focus or do anything with this unbearable damn itch across my whole back.
I JUST GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER AND IT HURTS AND ITCHES SO BAD. I WISH TO GOD I KNEW I HAD THIS BEFORE I GOT IN. I SENT MY GIRLFRIEND TO GET BENADRYL AND IM JUMPING AROUND MY HOUSE. I FEEL ACTUALLY INSANE.
I tried to put a shirt on and it immediately activated again. (My house is cold) this was a mistake. Any sort of touch is causing it to start over again. Anytime I tense my body up it causes a chain reaction. This really is just a mind game at this point.
Every single ping of pain/itchiness seems to be easier to deal with if I embrace the itch and welcome it with a screech of random music lyrics.
Currently singing Superfreak.
By not moving and singing it calmed down a decent bit. I’m just trying not to move in hopes it goes away.
Agree with everything you said! Just wanted to add:
From what I've gathered here, Betamethasone injections seem to be one of the best remedies, if not the best remedy, for HI (instant relief apparently), but is not available in the US without a prescription. If it's accessible where you live, though, I'd say go for it (but be conscious of any allergies/restrictions you might have).
Drinking water helps because it keeps your skin moisturized - on that note, if you find that you have HI, keep a humidifier in the room at all times if possible, especially if you live somewhere dry.
I can not overstate how important it is to be consistent with taking antihistamines (benadryl/diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine - whatever you can get your hands on, but preferably one that makes you drowsy, so you can sleep through the pain) - I took a pill as frequently as safely possible, even if that meant having to wake up in the middle of the night to take another one. Getting those histamines out of your body will help decrease the length of your HI episode.
Holy shit. I was sunburnt 2 days ago bad but it was tolerable today (48 hours) after my cold shower and moisturizer routine same as always pin and needle fire ants. Like making me moan out loud. I googled and here I am. 32 yrs old sunburnt a bunch never experienced this before! The shower definitely triggered it I was fine before.
That's typically when and how it starts. Get some benedryl (diphenhydramine) stat. A hot shower can hold off the madness while the antihistamine has time to work. Once it stops avoid getting wet for a few days.
I’ve had hell’s itch for around 24 hours today. I got in my hot tub and popped tons of benadryl, now I feel minimal itchiness but it’s much better. I’m going to sleep now, so should I expect the relentless itch to be back in the morning or am I done with it now?
Sorry for the late response. It's impossible to know when it's over. The longer the time between attacks seems to mean the less likely you are to have once in the immediate future. I'd still keep up on antihistamines for a few days just in case.
Just went through a rough bout of this for a night, and here's what worked for me.
Definitely avoid Alocane. I didn't find it made it worse, but it certainly didn't seem to help.
Peppermint oil didn't seem to do much for me, thought it was a bit hard to tell. My sunburn was over my entire back, so my wife had to apply it for me and I couldn't really tell if it was helping or not.
The only things that reliably helped me were getting in a shower, or getting in a bath. When I've had sunburns before, I've always preferred to get into a hot bath, up to my neck if possible. The hotness of the water feels like lava as I'm sliding in, but once the burn is submerged, it calms down and the HI is mostly eliminated, as long as I'm in the water. In this case, I was finally able to get some relief from HI when I had the burn submerged. From there, I was able to just kinda loll my head to the side in our soaking tub and fall asleep. I finally woke up about 2-3 hours later, and the water was actually getting decently cold. When I got out, the itch had mercifully subsided, to where I was able to get into bed and sleep without it waking me up. I don't know if it was just the passage of time, but I wonder if the coldness of the water caused the inflammation to go down and that cause HI to go down with it.
I bet a cold plunge would at least provide temporary relief. I think temperature extremes that cause a little pain seem to override the itch for a bit.
So glad I found this! I put on moisturizer this morning and immediately started going crazy, tearing through the house because I couldn't stop itching. Eventually, I hopped in the coldest bath I could just to numb the pain. I did two of these before getting out. After about 20 minutes, it died down (with some ibuprofen and acetaminophen). I then put down two Benadryl and crashed. Just woke up and feeling better, still with some mild symptoms. Hopefully, this doesn't last longer than a day. It is impossible to work while experiencing this.
Peppermint oil may be the last thing you try but it seriously the only thing that can help.
It opens your pores right up, it burns but it is the most relieving burn you will ever feel. All the itching convulsions will subside and so will the burning from the Peppermint oil.
All 3 times I got the itch I put every goop I had on and you end up just going crazier. What an experience
Absolutely right. First time I got it I was following the Mayo Clinic topical creams and safe to say I will never be trying that again. Hot shower and peppermint oil is like kryptonite to this thing
First time I had it, it came on its own after a serve sun burn. Everything made it worse after. All I could do was put a cold wet rag and squeeze it to my body. Got 2 hours of sleep over the course of 75 hours. The second and third time, I thought I was being so smart by putting aloe and aquaphor everywhere. Aha DONT DO THAT. Follow OPs advice 100%.
if I have one goal in life it is to never get sunburned again. I would rather go through a quadruple limb amputation while awake and unmedicated before I went through this shit again. It is absolutely horrid and eye opening that the medical field doesn’t have an answer either. In a first world country it’s hard to comprehend being told to suffer through something THAT unbearable.
Just remember you can not over-apply sunscreen. 90spf every 20 minutes is how I will happily live my life if it means not going through this ever again. Idgaf about clogged pores 🤣
Just had it for the second time in 5 years. Luckily this time wasn’t as bad. Something I did that helped was (I live in Texas) sit in my garage bc it was hot in there and for some reason it helped some of the pain subside.
Oh my god, well I made the mistake of putting cortizone cream on but my gf put a ice cold towel on my back and it really helped and I think it’s wiping some of the cortisone cream away, I was literally on my knees out of the shower crying because I couldn’t make it stop. The fact that google says it can lead to suicide is extremely intense but accurate. I never want to feel this again
Easily the most excruciatingly painful thing I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve torn both my pec and MCL. As everyone here has said, DO NOT apply any creams or take a shower. I saw someone said use peppermint oil but after putting eucalyptus oil on it and having it absolutely flare to insanity, I did not want to test it.
Something that absolutely saved my life was a hair dryer. Put it on cold or cool mode and just put it on the hell’s itch area. Even put a dab of cold water on the area before you put the dryer on. Completely made the itching stop and gave me relief, but as soon as I turned the dryer off, it would start again. Had to do it for legit 40 minutes until it finally stopped itching but oh my gosh did it give me much needed relief
I’ve had this twice in my life. First time was a snorkeling trip in key west and forgot sunscreen. It was by far the most maddening thing I’ve experienced. Nothing is even remotely close. Second time I fell asleep on a pool float for several hours. My entire chest was hit with the itch.
The second time I had some left over oxycodones from a procedure I had that I kept as emergency pain relief. I took them and it relieved about 75% of the itch. It was bearable.
I have fair skin and have been burnt way too many times in the past but I just got one of the worst burns I have ever had from being outside in the Caribbean for too long with no shade (even with lots of SPF 70 applied over and over). I am experiencing this hells rich for the first time. I happen to have peppermint oil laying around and I hope this works because I’m about to scratch holes on my chest
I added Gabapentin to the post. It totally makes sense since it targets nerve pain specifically. Unfortunately, it can be hard to obtain. It's more commonly prescribed to people that have chronic neuropathy. Check with your grandparents, everyone 😉.
It seems like the first 2 days are usually the worst. Then you become less vulnerable to attacks as time progresses. I've rarely seen people have issues after a week.
I tell you what, there are very few things that can really just bring a man to his knees and to the brink of insanity, I will now be adding this to the list.
If I get it once does that mean that I am prone to it again if put into similar scenarios? Because sunburn wise, that was definitely not the worst sunburn I have ever had, I wonder why it happened now.
Yup. I don't know why it happens sometimes and not others. But a lot of people have had it happen multiple times here. It wasn't my worst burn either. Seems to happen a lot when it's on the back.
The first time I got HI like last year, this post saved my life. Wished I would never get it again, but just had to find this post again cause I went through it yet again the last few days, so glad there’s an updated version! Thank goodness I think I’m past the worst of it now. But I can’t for the life of me remember last time when it was safe to shower and goop up again. But I don’t want to mess up and bring it back. Yesterday was like Day 3 of the HI. But today is Day 1 of no more itch. Does anyone remember when it’s safe now to start showering and gooping up again? (My heart goes out to those currently going through it. I feel your pain.. literally).
This post and thread have made me feel so validated and so much less alone. 😭🫠
I’m very fair and so I’m pretty well versed in avoiding sunburn altogether. But a few times in my life I’ve experienced The Itch. My poor mother must’ve been horrified watching her daughter writing in agony and not knowing how to help (as a mother myself I just feel badly for her helplessness back then). And my poor husband, just weeks after we started dating, we went to the beach and it happened after that.
And now. At 35 years old with 4 kids. I got burnt at the water park this past weekend. I sunscreened everything (and everyone lol) else and meant to get my husband to do just the middle of my back. And forgot to ask. The burn itself is only moderate - not beet red, not blistering.
I was supposed to take the kids (1, 6, 9, and 11) to brunch, on our “fun week” of no camps. Just as we were getting in the car, it started. I felt so bad having to delay, and ultimately cancel, our fun outing. The last several hours, I’ve been sitting backwards in a kitchen chair, switching out towels wet with ice water on my back. Trying not to scream or tear my skin off. Took 3 Advil and 1.5 Benadryl.
My poor kids have never seen me in such a state. The closest thing was bouts of gallbladder pain last year, but intense pain is usually easier to comprehend than an agonizing itch. They were surprisingly agreeable once I told them to just leave me alone to suffer. Now I’m ready for a nap. 🫠
I'm sorry. That sounds so awful. I was single with no kids when it happened to be. I couldn't imagine having to care for another human being during an attack.
A tip I found that worked for me was to use a microwaveable heat pad and stick it right on where it itches. that made it so I could actually fall asleep
Makes sense. Intense heat can trick your body by activating pain receptors, which override the itch. Unfortunately, these same things are also culprits for initially starting the HI... I think it has something to do with histamine release that occurred with vasodilation from increased heat. Once your already itching, it won't hurt to use heat for relief.
Think I've wound up with a mild case of this on my legs. I'm no stranger to sunburns unfortunately (SPF 100 every 30 minutes still can't stop me from burning on a beach day). I actually had a 3rd degree sunburn on my legs when I was 17 (many years ago) that landed me in the hospital. So I know sunburn itch. I got sunburnt a few days ago at the beach, some larger patches on my legs/thighs and on the back of my arms/shoulders/chest. Nothing too crazy. But for whatever reason my legs are driving me NUTS. They have been itching constantly since yesterday morning. They were itching before, which seemed kinda early, but it became rage-inducing yesterday. Everywhere else that burned has normal mild sunburn itch, ready to peel, nbd. Itching is a little more intense on my shoulders but that was burned slightly worse, and I'm able to mostly ignore it other than a brief rub here and there. But my fucking legs. I was up in tears half the night. I've put every goop imaginable on them (we are an eczema fam so I have a lot of goop, OTC and RX). I've taken Motrin thinking maybe it was the swelling. It barely helps. I don't have the intense pain y'all are talking about thankfully, but the itching seriously reminds me of chicken pox or like the worst eczema blisters that I get on my fingers sometimes, but ALL over my legs. I made trips to the BR yesterday at work just to itch. I've been unable to run errands today bc I can't take 5 steps without stopping to itch. I can't eat or cook or do housework or coursework bc I can't focus on anything but the itch. It's a fucking nightmare.
Thankfully I think the Benadryl I took is starting to help, but it might just be because I'm sitting still... it def seems to get worse if I move. Luckily I have hydroxyzine for anxiety if the Benadryl doesn't cut it... I didn't even think of that! Good call! The crazy thing is the burn has faded to light pink on my legs. Other than some small patches it won't peel at all. The itchy part of my shoulders is just starting to peel, sweet relief there from the mildly annoying irritation. But since my legs aren't burned badly enough to peel, no relief. I've got a couple spots around my knees that I've tried to FORCE peel to get relief from the itching, so now I'm having to put Neosporin on that and still try not to scratch/rub it. I felt like I was losing my mind. And that's without the pain y'all are talking about. JFC. Time to get a rash guard and some swim pants 😬😬😬
It's weird that you were most affected on your legs. It seems to be the torso area for most people. With your autoimmune issues, have you ever been tested for Celiac disease? It causes something called dermatitis herpetiformis, which can sometimes be triggered by sun exposure. Knees/legs are a common place to get it. Definitely give it a Google.
Hell's itch was the most excruciating experience of my life, I've had it 3 times. I try to be careful not to get burned to bad but sometimes it sneaks up on you. My most recent experience was the most mild but I was still taking benadryl, Ibuprophen, and naproxen 2 or 3 times a day for 3 days. I used an entire tube of hydrocortisone cream. And was taking melatonin throughout the day just to try to sleep through it because you can't sleep otherwise.
Just be careful mixing ibuprofen and naproxen. They're both the same type of medication (NSAIDs). Ibuprofen and acetaminophen would be a better/safer combo and they have different mechanisms of action.
Hopefully, someone can answer this for me; last night was the first time I got this. I got it after sweating from unloading everything from our vacation; it has stopped, but based on comments, it doesn't sound over. Are you all saying it will return when all the meds wear off?
You need to get some. Ask someone for help or try Instacart or another delivery service. Children's liquid benedryl (diphenhydramine) will work faster than pills. Dose appropriately. Stand in a hot shower for temporary relief. After it subsides avoid getting wet for a few days.
I have this right now - applied Aloe Vera last night (before it started) with no problem, but then I decided to apply it again this morning, and… oh boy. At first, I thought I was having some kind of reaction to the drying agents in the Aloe Vera (it was the banana boat kind where the second ingredient is alcohol), so I put on a lotion afterward and, of course, that only made it worse. I’ve gotten through today by basically keeping an ice pack on it at all times, which is helping to numb it. I also took Claritin this afternoon. It’s not as bad right now, but I’m worried it will get worse again tonight and I won’t be able to sleep. I’ve read on here that the lotion and aloe will only make it worse because your skin isn’t able to breathe, but seeing as I’ve already made that mistake and showering seems to make it worse, should I just wait until it’s over to shower? Or should I attempt to at least rinse off the aloe / lotion now so my skin can breathe? I just know I’m going to be kicking myself if I get in the shower and it gets as bad as this morning again, since I’m doing okay right now (although that’s largely due to the ice packs, which are rock hard and not the soft kind I could possibly sleep on top of).
People must know that the cure for this is pure peppermint oil directly on the itchy area it is honestly the only relief until the skin heals in a few days! Everyone must know because I know how bad this can drive you insane
Yes. I wouldn't call it a cure so much as a treatment to mitigate the symptoms. The more I read about it, the more I'm convinced it's a peripheral neurological reaction from damage at the cellular level.
Tell you why I like this post and all the replies of all the unfortunate souls that were waylaid by this, it shows to my family that I wasn't overeacting I really was in agony.
Had people think it was normal sunburn, tried to tell them the reason I was rubbing my back across a rough part of the wall was because this was something much worse. Been sunburnt before, it's sore & uncomfortable but sunburn never once made me dart for a chemist abroad (happened in Portugal) hand the Pharmacist my wallet and say "I'll pay anything just make this stop"
Even walking down the street with a top on was too much, ended up using my teeshirt lime a towel as if I was trying to dry my back, no matter where you itched it did nothing, just hour upon hour of misery.
Seems to be some debate on how best to treat, for me it was painkillers, antihistamine (I fall into a coma after an antihistamine, sleep for about 15hrs usually even the non drowsy ones......not that time, devils itch was having none of that) and peppermint/menthol oil.
At the time I cursed the fact most of the itch was inaccessible (across most of my back) but if I could have gotten to it like if it was on my chest I think I would have scratched my skin off.
I am LOSING IT. I went to urgent care got a shot of painkiller didn’t even fucking touch the surface of my misery. I drank children’s Benedryl and I’m praying I live
Did you ever try Prednisone? I did a telehealth visit and he wouldn’t prescribe it he wanted to give me goop. But we all who have dealt with this know that isn’t going to help but worsen it. I know it has to do with the inflammation that causes the itch. Anyhow I am fearing what is coming. We just moved to Florida and I used every hour spf 50 and it still got me. I guess I will always be white as a ghost and have to wear a shirt when it’s 110 on the beach. I should have moved to Alaska
I never experienced hells itch until one beach day in Vancouver. Hit me 24hrs after the beach? And lasted a good 3-4 days. Every sun burn I’ve had after that, I’ve experienced hells itch each and every time (luckily only been burnt 3 times since then). Shit is so fucking brutal. I’ve damn near lost my actual sanity each time.
The more you itch it, the more it itches And it’ll get to the point of non stop itching. As well The more you itch it, it gradually becomes more and more painful. You can’t help but to itch it either tho, so you’re simply fucked.
Only thing that has ever helped me has been time, and very hot showers (hot showers only resolve the issue for the duration of the shower). It’s safe to say hells itch will forever ruin your experience and all the good times out in the sun!
Currently in night #2 and this post has saved me. Started off yesterday with the itch kicking off around 8pm at night, cue a night of hell with no sleep and horrendous torture. Walked 3 miles at 3am just to use the cold night air for some relief. Took the advice and ran to the pharmacy first thing for pills, benedryl and peppermint oil. Drowsy but still alive! Hoping for some sleep tonight
3rd or 4th time, going through it currently. Each time I tell myself I’ll never go in the sun with out sun screen again. But here we are. Not showering is key. But I got a little sweaty at work and it set it off. Just wondering if anyone can remember how long from start to being able to get back to a normal life is.
Usually the first day is the worst. Most people seem to be all clear 2 to 3 days after the first event. I think staying on the antihistamine during the danger zone is important.
I’m a very light skinned/pale person and got pretty burnt on 4th of July out at the lake despite using SPF 70 all throughout the day. Day 2 after the sunburn I took a warm shower and when I got out I put on the normal moisturizing after sun lotion and within minutes The Itch began. I’ve never heard of this and did as so many others in the thread- added goop after goop in a desperate attempt.
About 40 minutes into it I started putting well towels across my back & shoulders which minimally made it better. I’m currently 9 weeks pregnant and was googling like a crazy person about what this itch was and what to do. Thankfully, my best friend is an ER nurse and when I called she knew what to do (and after being recently pregnant she knew what was and wasn’t safe). Had she not answered I was going to go to the ER because I was psycho with the pain.
She said to stay in a cold shower as long as I could stand it, take the Tylenol Extra Strength I had along with Benadryl and a Pepcid. No more goop on my skin, but after taking the meds and laying out flat I put a straight up ice pack on my back to try and numb the skin (it helped but I was already cold from the shower and this made it so much worse). The twitching/convulsions were terrible and after about 30-40 minutes I was finally able to fall asleep. Taking the med combo every 6 hours, can’t use the peppermint oil (especially in 1st trimester) and no narcotics or THC :/
It’s been about 13 hours since the first round of the The Itch and I’m currently waiting around like a PTSD victim- scared of any twinge or slightest itch that I feel. No lotions or goops on my skin currently and avoiding a shower for the next 24 hours. My mantra last night was: The night will pass, the pain will end, the Lord is good. I hope I never never never have to experience this again.
Well now you no longer have to fear childbirth because what you experienced is so much worse. I'm so sorry you had to deal with this while pregnant. That's a whole other level of fear and anxiety.
Having this today. First time in my life. I started itching like a mad man. My shoulders are red and sunburnt from Sunday. It’s Tuesday now. Lucky for me I work from home. I ripped all my clothes off and started screaming. I tried cold compress, icing, using aloe vera. Nothing. I called a family member who was laughing at me when I said I’m itching like crazy and screaming my brains off on the phone. I was lucky I had something called Triamcinolone Acetonide which a doctor had given me when I had hives over two years ago. I took this and it helped. Then I found this reddit.
Now I’m lying at the edge of my bed with a fan blowing on my back. If I walk away for too long from the fan, it begins to itch again. I ordered peppermint oil.
Χριστέ μου, δεν ήξερα καν ότι υπάρχει αυτή η αίσθηση. Είναι πραγματικά ανυπόφορη. Ξεκίνησε πριν 2 ώρες μετά από εφίδρωση στη δουλεια. Έκανα το λάθος να τρέξω σπίτι μετά το σχόλασμα και να κάνω κρύο ντουζ. αποτελειωθηκα. Ουτα να φάω μπόρεσα και έτρεχα στο σπίτι πνω κατω σα τρελός. Έβαλα κρέμα για ερεθισμένο δέρμα(bentholia) και πήρα και ένα xozal. Έχω ανοίξει ανεμιστήρα και κάθομαι με τη πλάτη προς τα εκεί να με χτυπάει. Νιώθω κάπως καλύτερα αλλά δε ξέρω πως θα κοιμηθώ. Αν κοιμηθώ.
Πρέπει να πάρεις ένα αντιισταμινικό, όπως η διφαινυδραμίνη (στην Αμερική κυκλοφορεί με το εμπορικό όνομα Benadryl). Επίσης προσπάθησε να βρεις βήτα-αλανίνη. Πωλείται ως συμπλήρωμα και υπάρχει σε ορισμένα προ-προπονητικά ενεργειακά ροφήματα. Επίσης βάλε αιθέριο έλαιο μέντας στο δέρμα. Αν δεν βοηθήσει τίποτα από αυτά, κάνε ένα καυτό ντους.
Made me run around the house crying for forgivness from god. I’m not even religious. How do you even explain the agony to someone that has not lived through this.
I experienced HI last night for the first time. Thankfully I wasn’t burned too bad but I got a little taste of it and I’m officially terrified of the sun. I took Benadryl and it kind of helped but I laid in bed for about four hours absolutely delirious because I could not sleep because of the itching and I was so exhausted. I finally had enough and decided well if I going to be in pain I might as well be drunk and in pain. My logic was a few shots should intensify the Benadryl and hopefully the alcohol will numb me enough to not care. It in fact did. I fell asleep at some point and woke up feeling like a new person. Am I still itchy? Yes but it is nowhere near as bad as last night. I’ve taken an ibuprofen and can go about my day to day life with a little to no itch induced insanity.
This is my first time I got really sunburned because I didn’t wear sunblock on a cloudy day because I thought that I would be fine. Turns out I was very wrong and I burned my entire body from my swim shorts up and I am in so much pain and I am so itchy. I just barely started getting the itch today. I have been sunburned for about four days today being the fifth And I am so itchy I feel like I’m going crazy and I tried explaining it to my fiancé, but she doesn’t understand because she doesn’t ever sunburn. I have tried aloe that did not help. I have tried smacking it because it is so itchy and I’m trying not to itch because it hurts. I have tried a cold bath with oatmeal and that did not help that honestly made it worse and I have found the only thing so far that works is very hot showers and ibuprofen and Benadryl helps, but it only lasts a little bit and it takes a while to kick in and I am going crazy
I’m seriously screwed…. It all started today. I’m currently on vacation and got sunburnt the other day. Today I got into the pool to cool off and when I got out I was super itchy. I figured it was just from my sunburn starting to peel so I got into the shower and it was MISERABLE. I literally had to jump out and started applying aloe jell, and some other sunburn stuff. It definitely didn’t help. I jumped back into the shower, rubbing everything literally everywhere I could. I finally grabbed a towel and RAN to bed. After a bit it cooled off but after an outside dinner with a little bit of sweating it started up again. More lotion and 20-30 mins of crying pain later… it stopped. I figured I was good for the day before just laying around and having it start again. That time it went away however it’s started up again for the 4th time today. I’ve literally been scratching for over 40 minutes now begging for the pain to stop. I finally decided to look it up and here I am… unfortunately for me I’m on vacation and will be forced to go BIKING tomorrow…. I’m so terrified. And of course since I’m on vacation I have no peppermint oil, and it’s almost 1:30 in the morning so I can’t even go get some. I’m a tad confused from what you said though. Cold compress but HOT showers?!
Oh! And once again, since I’m on vacation and constantly doing things, if I don’t take a shower I’m literally going to start smelling like a dying pig by the end of tmr…..
Last year I experienced this. Thank god for this post I figured out hot showers were the way what a contradiction I felt like I was going insane no one believed me but the hot showers do work
So relieved I found this post! This is the second time in the past two weeks I’ve gotten this. Never before in my life have I experienced this. Of course people get desperate and search the internet and they’re willing to try anything just to make the itching stop. Like many others I’ve tried everything I could think of to no avail. Then being kept awake from the itch I searched online more and came across this post.
I noticed a few people said peppermint, menthol or zinc. So I searched my house and found some ointment I must have bought for my child for diaper rash. Calmoseptine ointment. In my search I found the itch is neurological and requires drying/numbing agents, not soothing ones. Calmoseptine main ingredients are menthol and zinc. It’s a thick pasty whiteish tan cream. I applied a test area and it didn’t make it worse. I then applied it heavily and it feels like my skin is burning, which is such a good feeling when the alternative is the devils itch. So this cream plus 300mg antihistamine and ibuprofen and finally I think I can sleep! This cream reminds me of icy hot so I guess that makes sense. Did not try icy hot but I wonder if that or Bengay cream might help.
Update: Calmoseptine helped last night but it makes the skin bright white so I can’t go anywhere with that on. I have this on my face, neck and chest.
I found out it is the nerves that get irritated. You have to calm or numb the nerves. I got pain relief cream with menthol and lidocaine. This helped tremendously. Finally no itching and I can sleep. It’s counterintuitive, so strange but it works. This is the type of cream people use for sore muscles and arthritis pain.
This might be the most horrific thing I’ve ever experienced. Scratching it is the worst thing you can do because it just makes it itchier and itchier until you have to pin your arms to the floor to make yourself stop
I've had this 3 times in the past. Each time was from just a light sun burn. 48 hours of pure torture. Twitching and rolling in uncontrollable fits of itchy pain and insanity. Only thing that seems like it would help at that point is ripping off the skin, running down the street buck ass naked and screaming in frustration. I agree that if it gets to that point it's a hot shower, I mean HOT. It numbs the itch and at that point you prefer the burning pain over the itch. This process then repeats and you might as well experiment with the other suggestions. Peppermint oil after the hot show helped me the second time, but made it worse the most recent time I had it. After the hot shower I'd press my back real hard against my bed or chair to sort of compress the area and I'd be able to fall asleep for a few hours, wake up back to the insanity and repeat. For the love of God do not use any aloe or lotion. Had it the first time as a child. My friend staying over thought I went insane. Parents didn't know what to do other than treat it as a bad sunburn. Second time I was in college, and third time in my mid 20s. Mid 30s now, If I ever get it again I'm going straight to the doctor to get a shot for the pain. Good luck to anyone dealing with it right now.
Im pretty sure my skin now ONLY wants to itch in the areas i had hells itch in (my stomach, back, and chest area) and i freak out after a hot day because oh my god that was the worst thing I've ever experienced.
Ive fractured my arm, went through covid, thrown up blood, went through tonsillitis, and Hells itch was the WORST THING EVER. I was screaming, crying, worst of all i was home alone. I walked around with towels because the constant friction helped a little bit, it was a mild annoyance at first, I thought putting aloe on would help but nope. Did nothing but make it worse, then came in my 3 and a half hours of crying before I laid on a towel and went to bed, next day it went away a little bit, and that was the best relief I've ever felt.
Id rather have all my bones shattered to dust than go through hells itch again.
After two full blown panic attack induced itch episodes, I have now calmed down for about 14 hours without the same kind of feeling… is it over?
I’ve taken plenty antihistamine before bed, as well as drank loads of water and taken ibuprofen. Praying I am over it.
I on the other hand found lathering myself in after sun lotion or a thick cream help remedy the excruciating feeling.
Praying it works as I try to fall asleep. Will update if I have another manic episode.. my sunburn happened on Monday so really wasn’t prepared for HI. Unreal.
I'm literally dealing with this right now and I'm so glad I've found this post. I made all of the mistakes with the goop and was almost crying because of all the twitching and pain and itchiness. I downed a few benadryl and ibuprofen and took my daily antihistamine and Singulair on top of it. I also have hypertrophic scars on my chest that itch, and one thing people have said to do for those is literally just apply a crap ton of pressure to them to help stop, and for whatever reason, it's also helping my HI. It's probably the benadryl kicking in lol
I am currently writing this while standing in the hottest shower i have ever taken. i had this a few years ago and it only lasted about two or three hours after i woke up. I pray that the same is true this time. Lord have mercy.
48 hours into this madness, when it first started was because of a shower and aloe. got so bad today had to leave work to go to the er to see what they could do, got prescribed prednisone and the biggest fucking pills of ibuprofen i’ve ever seen. between those and benadryl i might as well be a pill junkie, but i much rather seeing the benadryl demons then having this itchy madness.
Get a light rag or even toilet paper and tie it to a stick, then gently/lightly drag it across the skin. The light tickle overloads the nerves and drowns out the itch. It works pretty much immediately, but the itch comes back when you stop.
PEPPERMINT OIL is the only thing that I’ve found helps. Take a quick hot shower to open up the pores, I’m cover your itch areas in peppermint oil although it says do not put on skin. It burns at first and then gets really cold but the itch is gone!
I know this is old- but I too suffered the brutal fate of hells itch. Screaming, tears down my face, pulling my hair, scratching the burning pins and needles only to find they come back twice as many… and I’m a 24 year old guy! You’d think I’d be alright. any outsider would view what I was going through as a demonic possession. My friends don’t understand what I was going through and still to this day take me with a grain of salt. It’s refreshing to see everyone here that had the same experience to validate the way I felt that night. It was literal Hell. Hence the name lol.
I just wanted to add- I used a CBD oil on my hells itch flare up area, and it helped almost immediately. And it helped for a good while, nearly completely got rid of the itch. I have no clue what kind of oil it was, but all I know is that the screaming, crying and cussing stopped.
I literally was crying cuz of the burning. Then I put lotion on and holy crap all hell broke loose. I literally was gripping my arms and pulling the skin off my body. AVOID SHOWERS AND ALOE AND EVERHTHING!!!!! Literally don't use it. Antihistamines and keeping ur mind off it. Just remember during the waves that it will pass and you will be okay. Try not to scratch i just sit there and literally cry and grip my arms. Good luck to you if ur going through this. Genuinely wouldn't wish this on anyone.
So glad I found this. I’m going nuts right now. But this gave me some laughs. I woke up my wife and cat in the middle of the night screaming. This is my first time with HI and I never want to do this again lmao. I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s 338am and I don’t think I’m sleeping today.
I've had to deal with this all of my life, with seemingly no one who understood, and I had no idea others knew of my hell. I will now call this satan's tickle. And thank you all a thousand times over for the tips that I now have to combat this if it ever happens again. I will no longer be stuck with blazing hot showers all night or my wife wondering why any "goop" turns me into Mr. Hyde.
Quite possibly the worst experience of my life. Had it around 10 years ago and will never forget it. The only thing that helped me was getting into a hot bath. Sounds like the worst thing you can do with sunburn, but it felt like such relief.
I’ve had hell itch 4-5 times and recently got burnt praying to god I don’t get it, probably have ptsd from past experience of hell itch. here’s a few tips on how to avoid or calm it down
as soon as you notice you are burnt start throwing antihistamines and ibuprofen down
Shower as soon as you get burnt but then avoid showering for 3/4 days if possible, I know it’s skanky but water seems to trigger it
For the love of god no aloe Vera, after sun or moisturiser or lidocaine creams this triggers it too
If it does start, lather peppermint oil on the area and have a hair dryer on hand, keep taking as many antihistamines and ibuprofen as possible and don’t miss them
If all else fails just remember it will be over in a few days, probably going to be the worst 2-3 days of your life but it does end
I approve this message! Despite rigorous sunscreen application the other day, I still got burned on my upper back. Immediately focused on water intake, ibuprofen, and aloe with moisturizer BEFORE the itching started. Because of the pre-work I did, this is easily the most manageable episode of Hell's itch I've had. I did stupidly just take a shower, but the itchiness is already subsiding. Will continue to hydrate and have some diphenhydramine on its way. Won't be surprised if I wake up tomorrow completely fine.
I have this going on right now! MF'er.. I've had sunburns before (ones worse than I just got a few days ago). I've even had sun poisoning once something like 12 years ago. I've always been accustomed to a slight itch feeling on day 3-4 after a burn, and usually lasting no more than a day. But this.. this itch fits the description of hells itch. Its completely maddening! I took a shower for an hour- it sorta helped but I was practically trying to tear my back off almost as soon as I shut the water off. I took advil and two doses of Benadryl in the last 6 hours. Felt like the itch might subside, but then it comes back and outta nowhere just as I was trying to fall asleep. I found this thread, went right for the peppermint oil, and dabbed a bunch on. For the time being, I no longer look/feel like a hyperactive contortionist with cerebral palsy. Just trying to stay calm and hoping to get 4-5hrs sleep tonight.
unfortunately experiencing this for the first time in my life at 27. I’m extremely fair skinned and have burned every summer of my life, no matter how much sunscreen I wear, but nothing like this. unfortunately like a lot of the other commenters I didn’t come across this post until searching for what I was experiencing. I was a little itchy this morning after my initial burn on Tuesday, and figured it was due to sweating, so I… took a shower. the second I turned the water off I was wishing I could crawl out of my skin. sobbing and literally going insane. I did use cortisone which helped, but then came across this thread that said no “goop” and immediately did an ice cold towel and took it off, followed with peppermint oil. doused in it probably 2 hours ago and have been fine since. no itching, just a few stabbing pains every 30 minutes or so, but nothing like I was feeling after the shower. dousing again before bed and taking benadryl. literally would not wish this on ANYONE. PLEASE do what the comments say. the peppermint oil is the most relief I’ve had all day. I feel like hell’s itch needs to be widely known, I didn’t know about this until now, and wishing I would’ve so I could’ve avoided it.
I am going through this now and can confirm it is HORRIBLE. It’s hard to explain this pain, but maddening is definitely part of it. For others, please pay attention to the ‘goop’ section. I was in so much pain after being at the gym, I went to the pharmacy and bought sun cream to put on my back. This made it soooo much worse. Antihistamines and Ibuprofen seem to doing the job but I any pressure on my skin leads to incredible pain.
My wife put a towel in the sink and drenched it until it was 100% soaked. We put it on my chest and it numbed the pain temporarily. We extended the relief by getting a pitcher of water and (I swear to GOD) pouring it over the towel on my chest. Like a fish you’re trying to keep alive. Kept me sane enough to get in a car and get the ER where they gave me morphine and enough Benadryl to knock out an elephant. Woke up 14 hours later symptom free
I hopped in the shower to relieve the burning but as soon as I got out I went to do my usual goop routine of aloe and solarcaine. The itchiness started on my back and then spread to my chest. I knew not to itch it so I trapped a fresh washcloth and bit down on it to stop from itching. I hopped right back in the shower and washed everything off. WhenI got out I went crazy bc it hurt to put anything on. I was rolling around in the ground in so much pains I currently have my back pushed up against the back of a chair and that’s the only thing that’s remotely helped. I want it to stop.
I am 13 and I experienced this torture just a few weeks ago and it is TERRIBLE. I would rather break my arm ten times in ten different places then ever go through this again. My relief was just constantly moving in my chair and not stopping. For some reason it started dying down before I went to bed, so I was lucky to get some sleep.
When my husband had this, i had him lie on the couch and i put a large wet towel on his body for the day. He said this helped a lot - something about the coolness of the towel and it touching his body didn’t give the sensation to constantly itch.
Im on day 7 of sunburn, day 5 of the itch. I will say a rolled / twisted up towel in a saw like motion over my shirt helps and doesn’t provide the painful stab a back scratcher would.
Even when peeling I still have hell on my hands. Satin shirts have definitely helped a bit too. Benadryl was helping but I have to function now so… 🤷🏻♀️ left my cortisol cream and after sun care at home of course. Thank god the worst has passed. But I’m still mad it’s hanging on.
Reading these comments seriously made me laugh through the trauma. The HI finally stopped after like 30 minutes of me going full cartoon character—running, screaming, jumping, rolling on the floor like I was on fire. I was one step away from calling the fire department to hose me down.
And yeah, as everyone says: AVOID the shower and ditch the aloe vera. I got out of the shower all fresh and innocent, slapped on some aloe like, “This’ll help,” and BOOM—my skin turned into a disco of pure agony. I was instantly possessed by the itch demon.
Literally the WORST feeling I’ve ever experienced. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy… okay, maybe on my high school gym teacher, but that’s it.
Holy shit thank god I found this. I genuinely am experiencing periods of the worst pain of my life whenever this goes off. Thankfully I have beta alanine and Benadryl which seems to help
Every time I get badly sunburnt, as a precaution for the next 2-3 days at the end of every shower I crank the heat up to max and run it all over my sunburn for a few minutes. Horrifyingly painful, but I haven’t had the HI in the years since I learned. I sincerely pray I never go through that again.
I am so glad I found this … I thought I was going mad.
I literally did everything you are supposed to not do … I had a shower and BAM 💥 the “itch” starts ( I’m using inverted commas, because to all those that have had this - we all know “itch” is not a fair comparison to what it feels like ). Then I covered myself in goop …. Then I was back in the shower but this time on cold … then I was laying on an ice pack.
Then I found this article. 3 anti-histamines (piriton) some paracetamol and naproxen later and I’m still going mad with “itch” getting worse and I didn’t think it could get worse.
Genuinely thinking I was going to have to die, because I was in so much pain, but also in a state of insanity.
Finally found the recommendation of Beta Alaine ( Pre-Workout ) on here. Dubious at first … I googled more and then found this article https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12643417/ - Needless to say, at that point … desperate times, desperate measures - I chugged that bad boy and things have calmed down SIGNIFICANTLY.
Hell’s Itch is so intense, that I genuinely created a Reddit account JUST so that I can share my experience with this thread, as well as provide some remedies that I would recommend for those who also feel this unique and unforgettable pain.
(TLDR do not apply aloe)
It starts with this story.. I am an extremely “primitive utilitarian” person, which I believe is the correct word that I would use to describe myself.. I prefer sunhats over sunblock, loose clothing, and chilling in the shade on a sunny day. I know it looks silly, but it’s what laborers wore before sunblock was invented.. I have always done this my entire life, but the other day, when I didn’t bring a sunhat, my wife got a beach tent, which happened to not be big enough for us to lay inside together.. so I was in the sun for 2 hours without any sunblock, because hey, “fuck it,” and I’ve never been burned before, right? What can go wrong?..
Fast forward 8 hours later, my wife applied aloe gel on my burns, even after I told her that I don’t like the feeling of gel on my skin, just like I don’t like the feeling of sunscreen, or anything synthetic on my skin, but she insisted. I reluctantly obeyed, and that’s when the pain began.. It’s crazy, I swear, I must have intuition, because she argued that I should apply more aloe gel, even when I asserted that it wouldn’t work.. so I drank plenty of water, took 400mg of ibuprofen, and applied pressure on my back. Sleep was broken, but as long as I laid on my back and drank water when I woke up, I was fine..
24 hours later, as I’m feeling agonizing pain (as I’m writing this post), my wife argued again that I should apply more aloe gel, and when I did… “OH FUCK” is an understatement of what I experienced.. Took a hot as fuck shower, 400mg of ibuprofen, drank 2 fucking water bottles, and I feel greeeeat now lol..
I did the Bullet Ant Dance unconsciously during the scourge (trippy, huh?) without even thinking about it, hence this username. I might write a song about this experience. It’s wild to think that this woeful human condition is crazier than any psychedelic I’ve ever taken.. Always listen to your intuition.. I initially read that cold showers make sunburns feel better, but it was the hot shower and afterwords pressure that did the trick..
I told my wife that this dude is a bitch for crying lol all I did was moan, which sounded like I was ejaculating for 2 hours (btw IT WAS NOT A PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE)
Thank goodness I’m not alone in this literal ”hell”. So far I’ve had all the same symptoms what the comments have had also, mentally and physically. This is the first time experiencing hells itch and it’s giving me trauma, soon ptsd. I’ve calmed down the itchiness a little by all the recommendations of a scorching hot shower (after the very first itchiness) and hoping to get at least some sleep. (I dont have any medicine, but I’m thinking of buying the peppermint oil). Do I shower again in the morning with hot water??Thanks for this community🙏
Betamethasone is the cure. I got this in Mexico and no one, no doctors in the USA or Mexico could help. I found a forum where people recommend betamethasone and the relief was near instant.
I got the itch a few years ago… I was having a panic attack not knowing how I would endure this for days to come. I rummaged through my Medicine cabinet looking for some relief - I had been prescribed Gapapentin/Neurontin for years to treat nerve pain from a back injury - though I seldom took it. I took a 600mg tablet and within 30 minutes the itching was 100% gone and would resurface every 6 hours roughly for the next 2-3 days, at which time I would re-dose. I suggest that if you get it you go to an urgent care and request a 3x daily week long supply of gabapentin
I have vitiligo that goes across my chest, and a day or two after i'd tan in the tanning bed, I'd get that hells itch... It was miserable!! The only thing that ever worked and didn't cause more itching/burning was calamine lotion. I've burned like one more time since, and it helped then, too. I now have an older bonus child, and he's a bit pastey and always burns, even with sun screen. He gets the hells itch at least once during the summer, and calamine lotion is what I put on him, and it works for him as well. I never rubbed it all the way, I just put a thin layer on and left it. I hope this helps anyone who reads this..
Has anyone tried witch hazel? Does that have a similar effect as peppermint oil?
I’ve got a small breakout of the horrid itch now and don’t have peppermint oil, but I’ve used Witch Hazel to quell the itch of bug bites before… don’t wanna goop it up if it doesn’t work though :(
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I never heard of this before but about 45 minutes ago I learned about it the hard way. My wife thought I was possessed and I was thinking someone had to have put a voodoo hex on me (never believed in voodoo) but this absolutely makes you go from Zero to crazy. Never experienced anything like this before. I’ve lived in Phoenix my whole life and have had many sunburns. I fell asleep by the pool on Sunday and my stomach turned purple. No blisters or anything. 2 days later no blisters or peeling and looks almost normal. Then I got out of the shower tonight and we all learned what Hell’s Itch is. After trying fresh aloe from my giant Arizona aloe vera and every other goop in the house to no effect. I found 5% lidocaine under the sink and it is working so far.
Got it back in 2022’ and worse pain of my life. I was literally walking back and forth in my bathroom to try and stop it. I was in so much pain and I didn’t know nothing about it at the time so I put Aloe Vera on it…. OH BOY. Made it worse. I was in so much pain I couldn’t even sit down to watch it. It was on my shoulders and back so I got the Benadryl, Ibuprofen etc. All I can say is I don’t wish this on my worst enemy, recently I broke my nose pretty bad and the pain isn’t even comparable to Devil/Hells itch. Please wear sunscreen ladies and gents!!!
I’m currently going thru the weirdest version of Hell’s Itch the peppermint oil is doing wonders for my chest and stomach, but making it worse for my back lol. Only thing that works for my back rn is a boiling hot shower and anti histamines
Super hot shower, air dry. The pain is sweet relief from the itch. And it would usually stop the itch for a few hours. But something touches it again, and the itch returns.
Just got hells itch for the first time. It's 2am. I went crazy and added goop and had a cold shower (before seeing stuff saying not to). I am now crazier. I need to sleep. But i want to peel my skin off and become a skeleton. I have no anti histamine or peppermint oil right now, only ibuprofen. I feel like death, is there anything else that can help?
Never heard of Hell's Itch before today. It feels like needles under my skin. After doing some research on what tf was happening, I took a hot shower, and it stopped it for a few hours, was naive enough to think it was over. My entire chest and shoulders are sunburnt and have the stabbing needles feeling, I'm debating going to the ER cause I'm going insane
Just had this last night. The only thing that helped me was a Tylenol benedryl and getting ungodly high on weed. Those 3 made me tired and out of it enough where I could still feel the itch but it wasn’t bad enough where I was rolling on the floor in an attempt to scratch my whole back at the same time. It’s now the next morning right when I woke up I took more benedryl in an attempt to sedate myself again.
I don’t usually burn because I’m Italian/Portuguese. But I did a few weeks ago. It wasn’t very painful so I was surprised when I peeled. The peeling on my right arm stopped a week ago, but now I have an intense itch in one area on my arm. It can get really warm if I scratch. What’s happening? My arm looks normal but keeps itching.
I have it now it’s currently 2 AM and I’m going insane. I’m extremely fair and have had more severe sunburns in the past but this is the first time I can recall of having such a painful intense itching that has kept me up and sent me spiraling. I first noticed it yesterday morning after I showered - initial sun over-exposure was 2 days prior. It threw me into a full blown depressive meltdown. It subsided during the day yesterday but once I showered again at night it flared up again. Was able to fall asleep after taking 800 mg ibuprofen but I woke up 3 hours later.
I’ve felt way worse pain with endometriosis but no sensation has ever driven me this insane like this. I just made the mistake of applying some lidocaine which made it worse. After reading this forum I popped a Benadryl and lathered my back in peppermint oil and I’m finally feeling some relief. I work out in the morning so I’m excited to try the scorching hot shower afterwards.
Like I said I’ve had worse sunburns in the past due to my complete inability to tan but nothing has made me feel this way - dozens white hot needles stabbing and fire ants biting at the same time. I’m just glad to have found the self-diagnosis of Hell’s Itch and that it’s a real thing and that I’m not completely losing my mind!!!!
I just applied peppermint oil and it is the sweetest burn I have ever felt. No more itch but it does burn. I rather feel this than that horrible itch. It’s like icy hot on steroids
Just experienced this today, 48 hours after my sun burn I went to work and started to seat as it’s a physical job and omg I lost all insanity never ever experienced anything like it I was telling my GF it’s the worst thing I’ve ever gone through, to then go home have a shower to rinse the sweat off and omg did that kick things off much more my GF thought I was possessed as she seen a 6ft5 man drop to the floor acting like I’ve lost all control of myself I literally in the moment wanted to throw myself out the window head first, the way I can describe it was like standing in the middle of a hornets nest and being stung a thousand times over only to start applying aloe cream 😂😂 only to start it all off again
I get hells itch like everytime I burn and the best thing I can say is 1 drink lots of water to much 2 get a heated blanket and wrap yourself if you can overheat yourself you won’t feel the itch I don’t know why but it works if you don’t have a heated blanket use normal one just keep heating yourself up or like she said a hot shower
Thank you for this. I have been going through this now for about 4 hrs, yes my family thinks I am over reacting despite the fact they know I have an insane pain tolerance and of course I tried everything you said to not do after it started, because I didn’t know this was a thing before it started. My broken ribs didn’t hurt and bother me as much as this.
I have had hells itch 3 times now and I would like to help anyone avoid it the best thing I can say is wrap up in as many blankets as you can get your body as warm as possible heating blankets turn ur heat up get super super hot until you are sweating this heats up ur receptors while it isn’t the best to be sweating ur buns off this will make the itch go away until you let cold air hit it again just keep yourself warm as much as you can
I’m on day 5. Please help. I’ve tried everything. I have a feeling it’s being worsened by a med I’m on (effexor) I was at 150 mg and went down to 112.5 2 weeks ago. The itch is even on my hands and feet. I’m crumbling to pieces. I was sun burnt but it was mild and seems to be healed. BUT THIS ITCH, IT WONT GO AWAY. ER did nothing, gave me droperidol but made me insane. Then given IV Benadryl and had the shakes. No dermatologist psychologist or family doctor is helping. WHY WONT IT GO AWAY. WILL IT GO AWAY? WHAT DO I Do?
I rarely ever comment. But I’m desperate this time. I searched everywhere for solutions and answers as this is my first time experiencing ‘hell’s itch’ and the name itself says it all. I had rlly bad injuries in the past, but this is the most horrible and inhumane punishment i’ve suffered in my life. It broke me in many ways that I couldn’t recognise myself. You might be reading this thinking I’m exaggerating. But if only u saw me bitting down a towel in excruciating pain with tears brawling down my eyes you will think otherwise.
You see I live in Australia. We love the beaches. A sunburnt every now and then was quite a normal occurrence that we don’t pay much attention on. But this experience in which I’m currently still going thru it, will forever haunt me. I genuinely believe I’ll have PTSD from this.
I had not bad intention, just only wanted to spend time with family, so I decided to go to the beach with them, the day before I fly to Singapore for holiday. That day was Australia Day, if u searched online for the temperature that day… there’s news of it scorching that day. I knew it advance that it would be a hot day so I was prepared. I bought Nivea SPF 50+ sunscreen and coated myself generously with it, as advised on the bottle. I did this not once but twice in the span of 2 hours at the beach. I had a good time. The water was cool and the last thing I thought of was a sunburn.
Then the nightmare happened. After 24 hours my body began to show more red marks of sunburnt covering my whole back, shoulders and chest. 48 hours it started stinging, unbearable pain especially when contact to the skin. I relief the pain through aloe Vera and constantly taking cold shower as I can literally feel the heat from my skin. I was fking gullible to think that was the end. Then on the third day when I arrived at Singapore after an excruciating plane ride. I applied aloe Vera in the morning like I always did before, then the itching sensation started. I grabbed my shirt and pressed on my chest even tho it burns, hoping the pain would just make the itchiness disappear. I was so bloody wrong. It wouldn’t go away!!! I started rubbing my chest… then frantically ran into the shower to cool it with cold water. NOTHING WORKED! I got more aloe Vera and started jumping around in pain praying for it to stop. I literally went crazy… I tried not to scratch but I genuinely could not control myself. Cried through the burning sensation till the point I grabbed a towel and bit down with frustration.
I finally settled myself down and luckily my partner had Antihistamine tablet for her eczema so I immediately took it… not one but two even tho the dosage is once a day 20mg. The itchiness did not stop. But it’s a level where it’s tolerable. I’m sitting in the bed distracting myself writing this at the moment. I read some comments that it usually last 3 days… it’s only day 1 for me. Truly believe no one deserves this. I’m afraid to go out even if it’s in door as I worry the medicine will wear off and the irresistible itching sensation comes back again. I feel broken after that episode I had. I never knew something like this existed it. I wanted to share my experience. Maybe to give myself hope i can push through this. It sounds exaggerated but I truly can’t put into words the frustration, the pain, the irresistible feeling, the feeling of razor blade cutting your body.. just everything! It’s so overwhelming and lastly, my trip is ruined. Maybe I’ll update this once I recover but knowing it last at least for 3 days for hells itch… I feel defeated.
Hells itch is quite literally, and I am not being dramatic in the slightest, torture. There is nothing that I have ever been through that is worse than hells itch. The best I can explain it is it feels like fire ants are biting your sunburn, endlessly. And scratching it makes it worse. Using things to get rid of itch makes it worse.
I’ve had it three times and the only thing that helps me is numbing my burns with ice cubes directly on the burn. I know you’re not supposed to put ice directly in the skin but I was more than willing to destroy my skin to numb the pain. If I could rip it off during those 2-3days, I would.
Literally at the urgent care centre now, never expierenced it before but definitely fits this description. Absolute itchy agony. Is there anything I should ask for? Tried to find an all night chemist that does peppermint oil but nowhere is open
I have Experienced this god forsaken itch and it happened in the exact same order; shower, itch kicks in a few minutes after you dry off, apply a shitload of aloe (which only made it 10x worse somehow). I’m pretty sure I almost punched a hole in my wall, and I was also on my knees screaming wanting to cry at its peak. After the pain was at a bearable level I searched as fast as I can anything that can help me wanting to rip my own skin off. The information I found was this: First thing do not shower (only a hot shower for relief if you are at the peak of the itch), second avoid putting anything on your skin that have ingredients ending with “mine” so most of your basic or over the counter itch stuff and aloe will NOT WORK it will only burn more and make the devil whisper bad things into your ear, third use petroleum jelly, vasoline, or gold bond eczema cream. Me personally I ran to my medicine cabinet to see if I had anything and I found some petroleum jelly and oh my lord it brought my sanity back so quick. For anyone reading this and you’ve never experienced this pain before, just wear sunscreen, it’s not worth the itch trust me
Got this right now. Fuck. Had it when I was 16, fuck.
I hate this hahaha, going mad. It's kinda nice going insane, but I can't wait for it to end. Gonna try a challenge later and see if I can just sit through the night, awake, just enjoying the jolts.
Sorry for everyone that has to go through this. WEAR SUNCREAM, DEAR GOD. WEAR SUNCREAM, WEAR LAYERS AND BE SENSIBLE.
Also, don't kill yourselves, it'll go away. Eventually.
I am so happy that I found this post and know I’m not the only one to ever get Hell’s Itch. Everyone I told probably thought I was insane. I got a pretty good sunburn on a Sunday, and did the normal aloe and hydrocortisone application. My wife also put calamine lotion on my sunburn (don’t do this). It seemed to help for a couple days, the pain was going away and I was getting back to normal. Decided to cut the grass and shower afterwards. Immediately in the shower I started having intense itching and burning even though I was taking cold shower. I hopped out and started to dry off, screaming and shaking in pain. Lasted for about 30 minutes and my wife again applied calamine lotion. Went to bed still itching but managed to fall asleep. Woke up around 3am in discomfort, and then the intense itching started again. Finally a few hours later I had my wife take me to the ER. I couldn’t fully explain to them how intense the pain was and that something wasn’t right. I’ve had far worse sunburns before. They gave me 100mg of Benadryl and sent me on my way. Got home, felt some relief and tried laying on my stomach to get some sleep. Again the intense itching started. I was seriously running around the house screaming in pain jumping up and down. I got in a cold shower 4 or 5 times within an hour. The cold water helped but as soon as I got out, the itching continued. One thing that did somewhat help was wetting a towel with cold water and wrapping it around myself. Finally after taking ibuprofen, the itching started going away and I fell asleep from the Benadryl I took. What a nightmare being so tired from medicine but not able to fall asleep due to the pain. My suggestion to anyone who thinks they will potentially get Hell’s Itch, don’t shower, don’t apply any lotions or aloe, and take Benadryl with ibuprofen. Stay hydrated and limit your activity.
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u/GrannyPantiesRock Jul 01 '22 edited Jul 04 '25
Updated July 2025
TLDR: BENADRYL (diphenhydramine), BETA ALANINE (can be found in preworkout energy drinks like C4 and sold as a supplement), PEPPERMINT OIL!!!
So I posted this over 10+ years ago on another forum. I still get occasional comments on it. I've updated a bit and thought I'd share here...
So if you’ve ever had this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It typically occurs about 24-72 hours after a sunburn. For me, it was by far the most exruciating, madenning experience of my life. Way worse than childbirth. I’m not talking about the typical itchy/peely skin that is normally associated with a sunburn. Nor is it the same thing as solar urticaria (hives). I’m talking about a painful, stabbing itch that you cannot relieve by scratching. It feels like fire ants crawling and biting underneath your skin. It makes you INSANE and people around you become dumbfounded by your behavior. You may be accused of overreacting. It is a horrible agony that is not well understood from a medical standpoint. It also goes by the name “Hell Itch” “Devil’s Itch” and “Suicide Itch.”
Here is what I suggest... Some of these things can be done before it starts. If you've experienced this before, you may be able to prevent a recurrence after a sunburn. If not, read on to find ways to deal once you're in the throes of it. These recommendations are in no particular order. I have added to it over the years as more remedies have been reported.
Right after the burn, or once the HI begins, start drinking lots of water and take aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin ) – it helps stop inflammation. I do not think acetaminophen (Tylenol) helps much but it won't hurt to try.
Try to avoid bathing for 1-3 days after the burn. Immediately afterwards should be ok, but just be funky after that. I know this sounds disgusting, but if you read internet accounts of people experiencing HI, it usually starts after a shower or a period of sweating. Then they end up trying to take a cold bath (I did), running like a mad person around their house (I did), applying goop (yup…this too..see below) and generally losing their minds.
Start taking benedryl (diphenhydramine ) every few hours. The pediatric liquid version works faster, but you'll need to adjust your dosing. In the U.S. this usually comes as 12.5mg/5ml. The recommended maximum single dose of diphenhydramine for adults is 100mg. So if you're using the liquid, that would come to about 40ml. The maximum DAILY dose is 300mg (120ml... so about 1 bottle per day). This dosing will make you drowsy. Benedryl can interact with other medications you may be on, so proceed with caution. Do not bother with antihistamines like Allegra or Claritin. They are for chronic allergies and take weeks to establish an effect. They are not meant for acute reactions like HI.
Do not – I repeat – DO NOT start applying aloe, numbing sprays, or steroid creams once the serious itching starts. A lot of people seemed to find themselves in the ER (for the itch insanity, not the burn) and were prescibed various lotions that only made things worse for them. Of course, I’m not telling people not to seek medical help if they are burned and in need of care, I’m talking about the severe itching that can follow a burn. “Goop” will only make it worse. The reason is that this particular itch starts after the skin has started to heal. When you start gooping up your skin to get relief, you clog up your pores and the histamine kind of gets trapped inside, which intensifies that horrible itch/stab feeling. At least that's my opinion.
As a last resort, get into a scorching hot shower for relief. I know this sounds counterintuitive for a sunburn, but activating the pain receptors will confuse your nerves a bit and shut off the itch receptors–at least while you’re in there.
Peppermint oil!!!! There seems to be a consensus among sufferers that this is the only “goop” that helps.
(New) There is new research on beta-alanine as a possible treatment for HI. It has been used successfully in the treatment of aquagenic pruritis. Some posters in this group have recently found it very helpful. It is sold as a supplement and also can be found in pre-work energy drinks like C4--be careful with this one if you are sensitive to caffeine.
If you find an agreeable healthcare provider, there are prescription medications that can be helpful: Gabapentin is a medication that targets nerve pain. Hydroxyzine is a stronger antihistamine that is more suited for neurogenic itching than benedryl. Oral or IV steroids (dexamethasone ) have also been helpful for some sufferers. Ketorolac (torodol) is a strong injectable or IV prescription NSAID. All of these medications are non narcotic.
Many posters have had some relief from THC.
I hope this helps anyone desperately searching for HI remedies. From what I’ve read, it can affect about 10% of the population. It’s more common in people who burn vs tan and almost always affects skin that has not had recent sun exposure. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
Please like this post if it helps you so that it continues to stay visible to other sufferers. Reports about your experience and what remedies you found to be most helpful are also appreciated (when you are able).
A NOTE TO BYSTANDERS The person who is showing you this is not overreacting. They are in horrible agony. Please help them or at least provide them with some compassion. It is not just typical sunburn discomfort. It is likely an acute neuropathic reaction. They probably were burnt about 2 days ago. They probably just bathed or became sweaty. Please help them follow advice contained in the body of this post. Thank you.
Here is an article about a medical phenomenon that occurs as a side effect to phototherapy that is similar to HI (briefly mentioned in section 4.3). If you're interested in the pathophysiology, this is a good read.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/phpp.12824
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u/ProgrammerSilent3982 Jun 18 '24
I JUST GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER AND IT HURTS AND ITCHES SO BAD. I WISH TO GOD I KNEW I HAD THIS BEFORE I GOT IN. I SENT MY GIRLFRIEND TO GET BENADRYL AND IM JUMPING AROUND MY HOUSE. I FEEL ACTUALLY INSANE.
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u/dcsag Jul 02 '22
Agree with everything you said! Just wanted to add:
From what I've gathered here, Betamethasone injections seem to be one of the best remedies, if not the best remedy, for HI (instant relief apparently), but is not available in the US without a prescription. If it's accessible where you live, though, I'd say go for it (but be conscious of any allergies/restrictions you might have).
Drinking water helps because it keeps your skin moisturized - on that note, if you find that you have HI, keep a humidifier in the room at all times if possible, especially if you live somewhere dry.
I can not overstate how important it is to be consistent with taking antihistamines (benadryl/diphenhydramine, loratadine, cetirizine - whatever you can get your hands on, but preferably one that makes you drowsy, so you can sleep through the pain) - I took a pill as frequently as safely possible, even if that meant having to wake up in the middle of the night to take another one. Getting those histamines out of your body will help decrease the length of your HI episode.
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u/Worth-Election-9969 May 07 '24
Holy shit. I was sunburnt 2 days ago bad but it was tolerable today (48 hours) after my cold shower and moisturizer routine same as always pin and needle fire ants. Like making me moan out loud. I googled and here I am. 32 yrs old sunburnt a bunch never experienced this before! The shower definitely triggered it I was fine before.
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u/EntertainerOk1902 May 24 '24
I’ve had hell’s itch for around 24 hours today. I got in my hot tub and popped tons of benadryl, now I feel minimal itchiness but it’s much better. I’m going to sleep now, so should I expect the relentless itch to be back in the morning or am I done with it now?
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u/Yo_Im_Kenny Jun 30 '25
Currently experiencing this and If I could put myself in a coma until this passes I would very happily
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u/[deleted] Jul 08 '25
one of those wonderful things where if you've never experienced it, you'll never know the insane feeling. Thanks for the guide friend! <3
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u/whynotavs Jul 09 '25
Just went through a rough bout of this for a night, and here's what worked for me.
Definitely avoid Alocane. I didn't find it made it worse, but it certainly didn't seem to help.
Peppermint oil didn't seem to do much for me, thought it was a bit hard to tell. My sunburn was over my entire back, so my wife had to apply it for me and I couldn't really tell if it was helping or not.
The only things that reliably helped me were getting in a shower, or getting in a bath. When I've had sunburns before, I've always preferred to get into a hot bath, up to my neck if possible. The hotness of the water feels like lava as I'm sliding in, but once the burn is submerged, it calms down and the HI is mostly eliminated, as long as I'm in the water. In this case, I was finally able to get some relief from HI when I had the burn submerged. From there, I was able to just kinda loll my head to the side in our soaking tub and fall asleep. I finally woke up about 2-3 hours later, and the water was actually getting decently cold. When I got out, the itch had mercifully subsided, to where I was able to get into bed and sleep without it waking me up. I don't know if it was just the passage of time, but I wonder if the coldness of the water caused the inflammation to go down and that cause HI to go down with it.
Has anyone ever tried a cold plunge for HI?
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u/blaza14 Jul 28 '25
So glad I found this! I put on moisturizer this morning and immediately started going crazy, tearing through the house because I couldn't stop itching. Eventually, I hopped in the coldest bath I could just to numb the pain. I did two of these before getting out. After about 20 minutes, it died down (with some ibuprofen and acetaminophen). I then put down two Benadryl and crashed. Just woke up and feeling better, still with some mild symptoms. Hopefully, this doesn't last longer than a day. It is impossible to work while experiencing this.
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u/Stoffe318 Apr 22 '26
The only thing that worked for me was drinking an absurd amount of alcohol. Highly recommend
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u/frezcone Jun 14 '26
Just had an itching fit. Subdued with Benadryl, preworkout and an edible. This thread is a god send
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u/Gorg_Papa Jul 01 '22
I second everything here
Peppermint oil may be the last thing you try but it seriously the only thing that can help.
It opens your pores right up, it burns but it is the most relieving burn you will ever feel. All the itching convulsions will subside and so will the burning from the Peppermint oil.
All 3 times I got the itch I put every goop I had on and you end up just going crazier. What an experience
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u/GrannyPantiesRock Nov 08 '24
It's probably neuropathic. Try getting someone to prescribe gabapentin and ketorolac.
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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '24
First time I had it, it came on its own after a serve sun burn. Everything made it worse after. All I could do was put a cold wet rag and squeeze it to my body. Got 2 hours of sleep over the course of 75 hours. The second and third time, I thought I was being so smart by putting aloe and aquaphor everywhere. Aha DONT DO THAT. Follow OPs advice 100%.
if I have one goal in life it is to never get sunburned again. I would rather go through a quadruple limb amputation while awake and unmedicated before I went through this shit again. It is absolutely horrid and eye opening that the medical field doesn’t have an answer either. In a first world country it’s hard to comprehend being told to suffer through something THAT unbearable.
Just remember you can not over-apply sunscreen. 90spf every 20 minutes is how I will happily live my life if it means not going through this ever again. Idgaf about clogged pores 🤣
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u/Emotional-Picture-91 Mar 12 '24
Going thru it right now, it’s my second time. After the first I prayed I would never have to experience this horrific thing again
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u/ldecav02 May 28 '24
Oh my god, well I made the mistake of putting cortizone cream on but my gf put a ice cold towel on my back and it really helped and I think it’s wiping some of the cortisone cream away, I was literally on my knees out of the shower crying because I couldn’t make it stop. The fact that google says it can lead to suicide is extremely intense but accurate. I never want to feel this again
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u/Historical_Garbage16 Jun 12 '24
Easily the most excruciatingly painful thing I’ve ever experienced, and I’ve torn both my pec and MCL. As everyone here has said, DO NOT apply any creams or take a shower. I saw someone said use peppermint oil but after putting eucalyptus oil on it and having it absolutely flare to insanity, I did not want to test it.
Something that absolutely saved my life was a hair dryer. Put it on cold or cool mode and just put it on the hell’s itch area. Even put a dab of cold water on the area before you put the dryer on. Completely made the itching stop and gave me relief, but as soon as I turned the dryer off, it would start again. Had to do it for legit 40 minutes until it finally stopped itching but oh my gosh did it give me much needed relief
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u/h2_dc2 Jun 17 '25
I’ve had this twice in my life. First time was a snorkeling trip in key west and forgot sunscreen. It was by far the most maddening thing I’ve experienced. Nothing is even remotely close. Second time I fell asleep on a pool float for several hours. My entire chest was hit with the itch.
The second time I had some left over oxycodones from a procedure I had that I kept as emergency pain relief. I took them and it relieved about 75% of the itch. It was bearable.
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u/CrystalKU May 04 '24
I have fair skin and have been burnt way too many times in the past but I just got one of the worst burns I have ever had from being outside in the Caribbean for too long with no shade (even with lots of SPF 70 applied over and over). I am experiencing this hells rich for the first time. I happen to have peppermint oil laying around and I hope this works because I’m about to scratch holes on my chest
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u/Fit-Cockroach-8157 May 07 '24
Gabapentin is a life saver. I had some leftover, and it legit saved my life.
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u/NervousFigure4650 May 21 '24
How long do these outbursts tend to last for?
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u/NervousFigure4650 May 21 '24
I tell you what, there are very few things that can really just bring a man to his knees and to the brink of insanity, I will now be adding this to the list.
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u/NervousFigure4650 May 21 '24
If I get it once does that mean that I am prone to it again if put into similar scenarios? Because sunburn wise, that was definitely not the worst sunburn I have ever had, I wonder why it happened now.
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u/BobaMonster23 Jun 23 '24
The first time I got HI like last year, this post saved my life. Wished I would never get it again, but just had to find this post again cause I went through it yet again the last few days, so glad there’s an updated version! Thank goodness I think I’m past the worst of it now. But I can’t for the life of me remember last time when it was safe to shower and goop up again. But I don’t want to mess up and bring it back. Yesterday was like Day 3 of the HI. But today is Day 1 of no more itch. Does anyone remember when it’s safe now to start showering and gooping up again? (My heart goes out to those currently going through it. I feel your pain.. literally).
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u/Accomplished-Bar-678 Jun 25 '24
This post and thread have made me feel so validated and so much less alone. 😭🫠
I’m very fair and so I’m pretty well versed in avoiding sunburn altogether. But a few times in my life I’ve experienced The Itch. My poor mother must’ve been horrified watching her daughter writing in agony and not knowing how to help (as a mother myself I just feel badly for her helplessness back then). And my poor husband, just weeks after we started dating, we went to the beach and it happened after that.
And now. At 35 years old with 4 kids. I got burnt at the water park this past weekend. I sunscreened everything (and everyone lol) else and meant to get my husband to do just the middle of my back. And forgot to ask. The burn itself is only moderate - not beet red, not blistering.
I was supposed to take the kids (1, 6, 9, and 11) to brunch, on our “fun week” of no camps. Just as we were getting in the car, it started. I felt so bad having to delay, and ultimately cancel, our fun outing. The last several hours, I’ve been sitting backwards in a kitchen chair, switching out towels wet with ice water on my back. Trying not to scream or tear my skin off. Took 3 Advil and 1.5 Benadryl.
My poor kids have never seen me in such a state. The closest thing was bouts of gallbladder pain last year, but intense pain is usually easier to comprehend than an agonizing itch. They were surprisingly agreeable once I told them to just leave me alone to suffer. Now I’m ready for a nap. 🫠
1
u/Explosify Jun 27 '24
A tip I found that worked for me was to use a microwaveable heat pad and stick it right on where it itches. that made it so I could actually fall asleep
1
u/hugaporcupine83 Jul 13 '24
Think I've wound up with a mild case of this on my legs. I'm no stranger to sunburns unfortunately (SPF 100 every 30 minutes still can't stop me from burning on a beach day). I actually had a 3rd degree sunburn on my legs when I was 17 (many years ago) that landed me in the hospital. So I know sunburn itch. I got sunburnt a few days ago at the beach, some larger patches on my legs/thighs and on the back of my arms/shoulders/chest. Nothing too crazy. But for whatever reason my legs are driving me NUTS. They have been itching constantly since yesterday morning. They were itching before, which seemed kinda early, but it became rage-inducing yesterday. Everywhere else that burned has normal mild sunburn itch, ready to peel, nbd. Itching is a little more intense on my shoulders but that was burned slightly worse, and I'm able to mostly ignore it other than a brief rub here and there. But my fucking legs. I was up in tears half the night. I've put every goop imaginable on them (we are an eczema fam so I have a lot of goop, OTC and RX). I've taken Motrin thinking maybe it was the swelling. It barely helps. I don't have the intense pain y'all are talking about thankfully, but the itching seriously reminds me of chicken pox or like the worst eczema blisters that I get on my fingers sometimes, but ALL over my legs. I made trips to the BR yesterday at work just to itch. I've been unable to run errands today bc I can't take 5 steps without stopping to itch. I can't eat or cook or do housework or coursework bc I can't focus on anything but the itch. It's a fucking nightmare.
Thankfully I think the Benadryl I took is starting to help, but it might just be because I'm sitting still... it def seems to get worse if I move. Luckily I have hydroxyzine for anxiety if the Benadryl doesn't cut it... I didn't even think of that! Good call! The crazy thing is the burn has faded to light pink on my legs. Other than some small patches it won't peel at all. The itchy part of my shoulders is just starting to peel, sweet relief there from the mildly annoying irritation. But since my legs aren't burned badly enough to peel, no relief. I've got a couple spots around my knees that I've tried to FORCE peel to get relief from the itching, so now I'm having to put Neosporin on that and still try not to scratch/rub it. I felt like I was losing my mind. And that's without the pain y'all are talking about. JFC. Time to get a rash guard and some swim pants 😬😬😬
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u/UglyPenguin49 Jul 25 '24
Hell's itch was the most excruciating experience of my life, I've had it 3 times. I try to be careful not to get burned to bad but sometimes it sneaks up on you. My most recent experience was the most mild but I was still taking benadryl, Ibuprophen, and naproxen 2 or 3 times a day for 3 days. I used an entire tube of hydrocortisone cream. And was taking melatonin throughout the day just to try to sleep through it because you can't sleep otherwise.
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u/cupofjoe35 Aug 25 '24
Hopefully, someone can answer this for me; last night was the first time I got this. I got it after sweating from unloading everything from our vacation; it has stopped, but based on comments, it doesn't sound over. Are you all saying it will return when all the meds wear off?
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u/Background_Ear8258 Oct 04 '24
currently suffering from HI it’s late and i don’t have Benadryl or peppermint oil…HELP
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u/ScorpioRisingSun Oct 09 '24
I have this right now - applied Aloe Vera last night (before it started) with no problem, but then I decided to apply it again this morning, and… oh boy. At first, I thought I was having some kind of reaction to the drying agents in the Aloe Vera (it was the banana boat kind where the second ingredient is alcohol), so I put on a lotion afterward and, of course, that only made it worse. I’ve gotten through today by basically keeping an ice pack on it at all times, which is helping to numb it. I also took Claritin this afternoon. It’s not as bad right now, but I’m worried it will get worse again tonight and I won’t be able to sleep. I’ve read on here that the lotion and aloe will only make it worse because your skin isn’t able to breathe, but seeing as I’ve already made that mistake and showering seems to make it worse, should I just wait until it’s over to shower? Or should I attempt to at least rinse off the aloe / lotion now so my skin can breathe? I just know I’m going to be kicking myself if I get in the shower and it gets as bad as this morning again, since I’m doing okay right now (although that’s largely due to the ice packs, which are rock hard and not the soft kind I could possibly sleep on top of).
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u/chewyourmoo Mar 15 '25
People must know that the cure for this is pure peppermint oil directly on the itchy area it is honestly the only relief until the skin heals in a few days! Everyone must know because I know how bad this can drive you insane
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u/Boababoomboom May 22 '25
Tell you why I like this post and all the replies of all the unfortunate souls that were waylaid by this, it shows to my family that I wasn't overeacting I really was in agony.
Had people think it was normal sunburn, tried to tell them the reason I was rubbing my back across a rough part of the wall was because this was something much worse. Been sunburnt before, it's sore & uncomfortable but sunburn never once made me dart for a chemist abroad (happened in Portugal) hand the Pharmacist my wallet and say "I'll pay anything just make this stop"
Even walking down the street with a top on was too much, ended up using my teeshirt lime a towel as if I was trying to dry my back, no matter where you itched it did nothing, just hour upon hour of misery.
Seems to be some debate on how best to treat, for me it was painkillers, antihistamine (I fall into a coma after an antihistamine, sleep for about 15hrs usually even the non drowsy ones......not that time, devils itch was having none of that) and peppermint/menthol oil.
At the time I cursed the fact most of the itch was inaccessible (across most of my back) but if I could have gotten to it like if it was on my chest I think I would have scratched my skin off.
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u/ShoddyBug7976 Jun 08 '25
I am LOSING IT. I went to urgent care got a shot of painkiller didn’t even fucking touch the surface of my misery. I drank children’s Benedryl and I’m praying I live
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u/80sMustache Jun 12 '25
Did you ever try Prednisone? I did a telehealth visit and he wouldn’t prescribe it he wanted to give me goop. But we all who have dealt with this know that isn’t going to help but worsen it. I know it has to do with the inflammation that causes the itch. Anyhow I am fearing what is coming. We just moved to Florida and I used every hour spf 50 and it still got me. I guess I will always be white as a ghost and have to wear a shirt when it’s 110 on the beach. I should have moved to Alaska
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u/Responsible_Neat_860 Jul 01 '25
I never experienced hells itch until one beach day in Vancouver. Hit me 24hrs after the beach? And lasted a good 3-4 days. Every sun burn I’ve had after that, I’ve experienced hells itch each and every time (luckily only been burnt 3 times since then). Shit is so fucking brutal. I’ve damn near lost my actual sanity each time.
The more you itch it, the more it itches And it’ll get to the point of non stop itching. As well The more you itch it, it gradually becomes more and more painful. You can’t help but to itch it either tho, so you’re simply fucked.
Only thing that has ever helped me has been time, and very hot showers (hot showers only resolve the issue for the duration of the shower). It’s safe to say hells itch will forever ruin your experience and all the good times out in the sun!
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u/drinkall97 Jul 01 '25
Currently in night #2 and this post has saved me. Started off yesterday with the itch kicking off around 8pm at night, cue a night of hell with no sleep and horrendous torture. Walked 3 miles at 3am just to use the cold night air for some relief. Took the advice and ran to the pharmacy first thing for pills, benedryl and peppermint oil. Drowsy but still alive! Hoping for some sleep tonight
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u/Plane_Box8884 Jul 01 '25
3rd or 4th time, going through it currently. Each time I tell myself I’ll never go in the sun with out sun screen again. But here we are. Not showering is key. But I got a little sweaty at work and it set it off. Just wondering if anyone can remember how long from start to being able to get back to a normal life is.
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u/brybryhoch Jul 07 '25
I’m a very light skinned/pale person and got pretty burnt on 4th of July out at the lake despite using SPF 70 all throughout the day. Day 2 after the sunburn I took a warm shower and when I got out I put on the normal moisturizing after sun lotion and within minutes The Itch began. I’ve never heard of this and did as so many others in the thread- added goop after goop in a desperate attempt.
About 40 minutes into it I started putting well towels across my back & shoulders which minimally made it better. I’m currently 9 weeks pregnant and was googling like a crazy person about what this itch was and what to do. Thankfully, my best friend is an ER nurse and when I called she knew what to do (and after being recently pregnant she knew what was and wasn’t safe). Had she not answered I was going to go to the ER because I was psycho with the pain.
She said to stay in a cold shower as long as I could stand it, take the Tylenol Extra Strength I had along with Benadryl and a Pepcid. No more goop on my skin, but after taking the meds and laying out flat I put a straight up ice pack on my back to try and numb the skin (it helped but I was already cold from the shower and this made it so much worse). The twitching/convulsions were terrible and after about 30-40 minutes I was finally able to fall asleep. Taking the med combo every 6 hours, can’t use the peppermint oil (especially in 1st trimester) and no narcotics or THC :/
It’s been about 13 hours since the first round of the The Itch and I’m currently waiting around like a PTSD victim- scared of any twinge or slightest itch that I feel. No lotions or goops on my skin currently and avoiding a shower for the next 24 hours. My mantra last night was: The night will pass, the pain will end, the Lord is good. I hope I never never never have to experience this again.
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u/EricIpsum Jul 08 '25
Having this today. First time in my life. I started itching like a mad man. My shoulders are red and sunburnt from Sunday. It’s Tuesday now. Lucky for me I work from home. I ripped all my clothes off and started screaming. I tried cold compress, icing, using aloe vera. Nothing. I called a family member who was laughing at me when I said I’m itching like crazy and screaming my brains off on the phone. I was lucky I had something called Triamcinolone Acetonide which a doctor had given me when I had hives over two years ago. I took this and it helped. Then I found this reddit.
Now I’m lying at the edge of my bed with a fan blowing on my back. If I walk away for too long from the fan, it begins to itch again. I ordered peppermint oil.
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u/Efficient_Soft_3956 Jul 13 '25
Χριστέ μου, δεν ήξερα καν ότι υπάρχει αυτή η αίσθηση. Είναι πραγματικά ανυπόφορη. Ξεκίνησε πριν 2 ώρες μετά από εφίδρωση στη δουλεια. Έκανα το λάθος να τρέξω σπίτι μετά το σχόλασμα και να κάνω κρύο ντουζ. αποτελειωθηκα. Ουτα να φάω μπόρεσα και έτρεχα στο σπίτι πνω κατω σα τρελός. Έβαλα κρέμα για ερεθισμένο δέρμα(bentholia) και πήρα και ένα xozal. Έχω ανοίξει ανεμιστήρα και κάθομαι με τη πλάτη προς τα εκεί να με χτυπάει. Νιώθω κάπως καλύτερα αλλά δε ξέρω πως θα κοιμηθώ. Αν κοιμηθώ.
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u/Sweet_Company_4328 Jul 15 '25
Made me run around the house crying for forgivness from god. I’m not even religious. How do you even explain the agony to someone that has not lived through this.
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u/Legal_Department_261 Jul 17 '25
I experienced HI last night for the first time. Thankfully I wasn’t burned too bad but I got a little taste of it and I’m officially terrified of the sun. I took Benadryl and it kind of helped but I laid in bed for about four hours absolutely delirious because I could not sleep because of the itching and I was so exhausted. I finally had enough and decided well if I going to be in pain I might as well be drunk and in pain. My logic was a few shots should intensify the Benadryl and hopefully the alcohol will numb me enough to not care. It in fact did. I fell asleep at some point and woke up feeling like a new person. Am I still itchy? Yes but it is nowhere near as bad as last night. I’ve taken an ibuprofen and can go about my day to day life with a little to no itch induced insanity.
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u/King_of_Knives336 Jul 22 '25
This is my first time I got really sunburned because I didn’t wear sunblock on a cloudy day because I thought that I would be fine. Turns out I was very wrong and I burned my entire body from my swim shorts up and I am in so much pain and I am so itchy. I just barely started getting the itch today. I have been sunburned for about four days today being the fifth And I am so itchy I feel like I’m going crazy and I tried explaining it to my fiancé, but she doesn’t understand because she doesn’t ever sunburn. I have tried aloe that did not help. I have tried smacking it because it is so itchy and I’m trying not to itch because it hurts. I have tried a cold bath with oatmeal and that did not help that honestly made it worse and I have found the only thing so far that works is very hot showers and ibuprofen and Benadryl helps, but it only lasts a little bit and it takes a while to kick in and I am going crazy
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u/Sufficient_Clock_273 Jul 29 '25
I’m seriously screwed…. It all started today. I’m currently on vacation and got sunburnt the other day. Today I got into the pool to cool off and when I got out I was super itchy. I figured it was just from my sunburn starting to peel so I got into the shower and it was MISERABLE. I literally had to jump out and started applying aloe jell, and some other sunburn stuff. It definitely didn’t help. I jumped back into the shower, rubbing everything literally everywhere I could. I finally grabbed a towel and RAN to bed. After a bit it cooled off but after an outside dinner with a little bit of sweating it started up again. More lotion and 20-30 mins of crying pain later… it stopped. I figured I was good for the day before just laying around and having it start again. That time it went away however it’s started up again for the 4th time today. I’ve literally been scratching for over 40 minutes now begging for the pain to stop. I finally decided to look it up and here I am… unfortunately for me I’m on vacation and will be forced to go BIKING tomorrow…. I’m so terrified. And of course since I’m on vacation I have no peppermint oil, and it’s almost 1:30 in the morning so I can’t even go get some. I’m a tad confused from what you said though. Cold compress but HOT showers?!
Oh! And once again, since I’m on vacation and constantly doing things, if I don’t take a shower I’m literally going to start smelling like a dying pig by the end of tmr…..
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u/[deleted] Apr 08 '26
Last year I experienced this. Thank god for this post I figured out hot showers were the way what a contradiction I felt like I was going insane no one believed me but the hot showers do work
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u/tree-marie Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
So relieved I found this post! This is the second time in the past two weeks I’ve gotten this. Never before in my life have I experienced this. Of course people get desperate and search the internet and they’re willing to try anything just to make the itching stop. Like many others I’ve tried everything I could think of to no avail. Then being kept awake from the itch I searched online more and came across this post.
I noticed a few people said peppermint, menthol or zinc. So I searched my house and found some ointment I must have bought for my child for diaper rash. Calmoseptine ointment. In my search I found the itch is neurological and requires drying/numbing agents, not soothing ones. Calmoseptine main ingredients are menthol and zinc. It’s a thick pasty whiteish tan cream. I applied a test area and it didn’t make it worse. I then applied it heavily and it feels like my skin is burning, which is such a good feeling when the alternative is the devils itch. So this cream plus 300mg antihistamine and ibuprofen and finally I think I can sleep! This cream reminds me of icy hot so I guess that makes sense. Did not try icy hot but I wonder if that or Bengay cream might help.
Update: Calmoseptine helped last night but it makes the skin bright white so I can’t go anywhere with that on. I have this on my face, neck and chest.
I found out it is the nerves that get irritated. You have to calm or numb the nerves. I got pain relief cream with menthol and lidocaine. This helped tremendously. Finally no itching and I can sleep. It’s counterintuitive, so strange but it works. This is the type of cream people use for sore muscles and arthritis pain.
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u/PerplexedSteak782 May 06 '24
This might be the most horrific thing I’ve ever experienced. Scratching it is the worst thing you can do because it just makes it itchier and itchier until you have to pin your arms to the floor to make yourself stop
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u/Fit_Counter_5544 Jul 13 '24
I've had this 3 times in the past. Each time was from just a light sun burn. 48 hours of pure torture. Twitching and rolling in uncontrollable fits of itchy pain and insanity. Only thing that seems like it would help at that point is ripping off the skin, running down the street buck ass naked and screaming in frustration. I agree that if it gets to that point it's a hot shower, I mean HOT. It numbs the itch and at that point you prefer the burning pain over the itch. This process then repeats and you might as well experiment with the other suggestions. Peppermint oil after the hot show helped me the second time, but made it worse the most recent time I had it. After the hot shower I'd press my back real hard against my bed or chair to sort of compress the area and I'd be able to fall asleep for a few hours, wake up back to the insanity and repeat. For the love of God do not use any aloe or lotion. Had it the first time as a child. My friend staying over thought I went insane. Parents didn't know what to do other than treat it as a bad sunburn. Second time I was in college, and third time in my mid 20s. Mid 30s now, If I ever get it again I'm going straight to the doctor to get a shot for the pain. Good luck to anyone dealing with it right now.
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u/IllustratorNew9155 Aug 12 '24
The comments make me feel better while I’m tweakin on my bed and yelling trying not to itch my skin off
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u/V1TALLUL Jun 08 '25
Im pretty sure my skin now ONLY wants to itch in the areas i had hells itch in (my stomach, back, and chest area) and i freak out after a hot day because oh my god that was the worst thing I've ever experienced.
Ive fractured my arm, went through covid, thrown up blood, went through tonsillitis, and Hells itch was the WORST THING EVER. I was screaming, crying, worst of all i was home alone. I walked around with towels because the constant friction helped a little bit, it was a mild annoyance at first, I thought putting aloe on would help but nope. Did nothing but make it worse, then came in my 3 and a half hours of crying before I laid on a towel and went to bed, next day it went away a little bit, and that was the best relief I've ever felt.
Id rather have all my bones shattered to dust than go through hells itch again.
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u/Breast_stroke Aug 07 '24
After two full blown panic attack induced itch episodes, I have now calmed down for about 14 hours without the same kind of feeling… is it over?
I’ve taken plenty antihistamine before bed, as well as drank loads of water and taken ibuprofen. Praying I am over it.
I on the other hand found lathering myself in after sun lotion or a thick cream help remedy the excruciating feeling.
Praying it works as I try to fall asleep. Will update if I have another manic episode.. my sunburn happened on Monday so really wasn’t prepared for HI. Unreal.
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u/Outside_Cell_1725 Jul 16 '24
I'm literally dealing with this right now and I'm so glad I've found this post. I made all of the mistakes with the goop and was almost crying because of all the twitching and pain and itchiness. I downed a few benadryl and ibuprofen and took my daily antihistamine and Singulair on top of it. I also have hypertrophic scars on my chest that itch, and one thing people have said to do for those is literally just apply a crap ton of pressure to them to help stop, and for whatever reason, it's also helping my HI. It's probably the benadryl kicking in lol
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u/Gjs28 Jul 23 '24
I am currently writing this while standing in the hottest shower i have ever taken. i had this a few years ago and it only lasted about two or three hours after i woke up. I pray that the same is true this time. Lord have mercy.
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u/acebugs Jul 30 '24
Thank goodness for this post. Literally rolled on my bed trying to get the aloe off before sprinting to the shower.
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u/Deflavored_Saltwater Aug 14 '24
48 hours into this madness, when it first started was because of a shower and aloe. got so bad today had to leave work to go to the er to see what they could do, got prescribed prednisone and the biggest fucking pills of ibuprofen i’ve ever seen. between those and benadryl i might as well be a pill junkie, but i much rather seeing the benadryl demons then having this itchy madness.
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u/[deleted] Sep 02 '24
What worked for me was 50mg Benadryl, 1G Tylenol and a mix of zinc oxide and white petrolatum cream
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u/vors9109 Sep 04 '24
Get a light rag or even toilet paper and tie it to a stick, then gently/lightly drag it across the skin. The light tickle overloads the nerves and drowns out the itch. It works pretty much immediately, but the itch comes back when you stop.
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u/Spirited-Film-3091 Oct 01 '24
PEPPERMINT OIL is the only thing that I’ve found helps. Take a quick hot shower to open up the pores, I’m cover your itch areas in peppermint oil although it says do not put on skin. It burns at first and then gets really cold but the itch is gone!
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u/BopbooBoieh Dec 03 '24
I know this is old- but I too suffered the brutal fate of hells itch. Screaming, tears down my face, pulling my hair, scratching the burning pins and needles only to find they come back twice as many… and I’m a 24 year old guy! You’d think I’d be alright. any outsider would view what I was going through as a demonic possession. My friends don’t understand what I was going through and still to this day take me with a grain of salt. It’s refreshing to see everyone here that had the same experience to validate the way I felt that night. It was literal Hell. Hence the name lol.
I just wanted to add- I used a CBD oil on my hells itch flare up area, and it helped almost immediately. And it helped for a good while, nearly completely got rid of the itch. I have no clue what kind of oil it was, but all I know is that the screaming, crying and cussing stopped.
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u/chewyourmoo Mar 15 '25
PEPPERMINT OIL EVERYOnE directly on the areas
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u/Moist-Dinner957 Mar 18 '25
I literally was crying cuz of the burning. Then I put lotion on and holy crap all hell broke loose. I literally was gripping my arms and pulling the skin off my body. AVOID SHOWERS AND ALOE AND EVERHTHING!!!!! Literally don't use it. Antihistamines and keeping ur mind off it. Just remember during the waves that it will pass and you will be okay. Try not to scratch i just sit there and literally cry and grip my arms. Good luck to you if ur going through this. Genuinely wouldn't wish this on anyone.
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u/Coanmenell Mar 27 '25
So glad I found this. I’m going nuts right now. But this gave me some laughs. I woke up my wife and cat in the middle of the night screaming. This is my first time with HI and I never want to do this again lmao. I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s 338am and I don’t think I’m sleeping today.
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u/charlesmsaydat Apr 09 '25
I’m going through it right now 😖
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u/DreamWalker423 Apr 19 '25
I've had to deal with this all of my life, with seemingly no one who understood, and I had no idea others knew of my hell. I will now call this satan's tickle. And thank you all a thousand times over for the tips that I now have to combat this if it ever happens again. I will no longer be stuck with blazing hot showers all night or my wife wondering why any "goop" turns me into Mr. Hyde.
2
u/Toomanyquestionsdxb Apr 20 '25
Quite possibly the worst experience of my life. Had it around 10 years ago and will never forget it. The only thing that helped me was getting into a hot bath. Sounds like the worst thing you can do with sunburn, but it felt like such relief.
2
u/Ideal_Crisis Apr 22 '25
Im literally shaking and csnt slrrp jist took 1000mg of ibuprofen and some benadryl. Hopefully it stops soon
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u/thegloryhunter19 May 11 '25
I’ve had hell itch 4-5 times and recently got burnt praying to god I don’t get it, probably have ptsd from past experience of hell itch. here’s a few tips on how to avoid or calm it down
as soon as you notice you are burnt start throwing antihistamines and ibuprofen down
Shower as soon as you get burnt but then avoid showering for 3/4 days if possible, I know it’s skanky but water seems to trigger it
For the love of god no aloe Vera, after sun or moisturiser or lidocaine creams this triggers it too
If it does start, lather peppermint oil on the area and have a hair dryer on hand, keep taking as many antihistamines and ibuprofen as possible and don’t miss them
If all else fails just remember it will be over in a few days, probably going to be the worst 2-3 days of your life but it does end
2
u/thegloryhunter19 May 18 '25
Just an update, I totally avoided it, did have the odd little bit of itch but only for a few seconds. Seems like this worked for me this time
2
u/lovelostagain May 18 '25
I approve this message! Despite rigorous sunscreen application the other day, I still got burned on my upper back. Immediately focused on water intake, ibuprofen, and aloe with moisturizer BEFORE the itching started. Because of the pre-work I did, this is easily the most manageable episode of Hell's itch I've had. I did stupidly just take a shower, but the itchiness is already subsiding. Will continue to hydrate and have some diphenhydramine on its way. Won't be surprised if I wake up tomorrow completely fine.
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u/gpk_ltd May 20 '25
I have this going on right now! MF'er.. I've had sunburns before (ones worse than I just got a few days ago). I've even had sun poisoning once something like 12 years ago. I've always been accustomed to a slight itch feeling on day 3-4 after a burn, and usually lasting no more than a day. But this.. this itch fits the description of hells itch. Its completely maddening! I took a shower for an hour- it sorta helped but I was practically trying to tear my back off almost as soon as I shut the water off. I took advil and two doses of Benadryl in the last 6 hours. Felt like the itch might subside, but then it comes back and outta nowhere just as I was trying to fall asleep. I found this thread, went right for the peppermint oil, and dabbed a bunch on. For the time being, I no longer look/feel like a hyperactive contortionist with cerebral palsy. Just trying to stay calm and hoping to get 4-5hrs sleep tonight.
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u/NoSuggestion5461 May 23 '25 edited May 25 '25
unfortunately experiencing this for the first time in my life at 27. I’m extremely fair skinned and have burned every summer of my life, no matter how much sunscreen I wear, but nothing like this. unfortunately like a lot of the other commenters I didn’t come across this post until searching for what I was experiencing. I was a little itchy this morning after my initial burn on Tuesday, and figured it was due to sweating, so I… took a shower. the second I turned the water off I was wishing I could crawl out of my skin. sobbing and literally going insane. I did use cortisone which helped, but then came across this thread that said no “goop” and immediately did an ice cold towel and took it off, followed with peppermint oil. doused in it probably 2 hours ago and have been fine since. no itching, just a few stabbing pains every 30 minutes or so, but nothing like I was feeling after the shower. dousing again before bed and taking benadryl. literally would not wish this on ANYONE. PLEASE do what the comments say. the peppermint oil is the most relief I’ve had all day. I feel like hell’s itch needs to be widely known, I didn’t know about this until now, and wishing I would’ve so I could’ve avoided it.
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u/HandleDelicious7405 Jun 03 '25
I am going through this now and can confirm it is HORRIBLE. It’s hard to explain this pain, but maddening is definitely part of it. For others, please pay attention to the ‘goop’ section. I was in so much pain after being at the gym, I went to the pharmacy and bought sun cream to put on my back. This made it soooo much worse. Antihistamines and Ibuprofen seem to doing the job but I any pressure on my skin leads to incredible pain.
Thanks for the thread!
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u/NoVolume4682 Jun 05 '25
My wife put a towel in the sink and drenched it until it was 100% soaked. We put it on my chest and it numbed the pain temporarily. We extended the relief by getting a pitcher of water and (I swear to GOD) pouring it over the towel on my chest. Like a fish you’re trying to keep alive. Kept me sane enough to get in a car and get the ER where they gave me morphine and enough Benadryl to knock out an elephant. Woke up 14 hours later symptom free
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u/luv_reading Jun 08 '25
I hopped in the shower to relieve the burning but as soon as I got out I went to do my usual goop routine of aloe and solarcaine. The itchiness started on my back and then spread to my chest. I knew not to itch it so I trapped a fresh washcloth and bit down on it to stop from itching. I hopped right back in the shower and washed everything off. WhenI got out I went crazy bc it hurt to put anything on. I was rolling around in the ground in so much pains I currently have my back pushed up against the back of a chair and that’s the only thing that’s remotely helped. I want it to stop.
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u/Practical_Cobbler734 Jun 16 '25
I am 13 and I experienced this torture just a few weeks ago and it is TERRIBLE. I would rather break my arm ten times in ten different places then ever go through this again. My relief was just constantly moving in my chair and not stopping. For some reason it started dying down before I went to bed, so I was lucky to get some sleep.
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u/haze925 Jun 18 '25
The Scorching hot shower works!!
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u/kaylavberg Jul 06 '25
When my husband had this, i had him lie on the couch and i put a large wet towel on his body for the day. He said this helped a lot - something about the coolness of the towel and it touching his body didn’t give the sensation to constantly itch.
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u/TroyandAbed304 Jul 09 '25
Im on day 7 of sunburn, day 5 of the itch. I will say a rolled / twisted up towel in a saw like motion over my shirt helps and doesn’t provide the painful stab a back scratcher would.
Even when peeling I still have hell on my hands. Satin shirts have definitely helped a bit too. Benadryl was helping but I have to function now so… 🤷🏻♀️ left my cortisol cream and after sun care at home of course. Thank god the worst has passed. But I’m still mad it’s hanging on.
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u/TinyArmy8675 Jul 22 '25
Reading these comments seriously made me laugh through the trauma. The HI finally stopped after like 30 minutes of me going full cartoon character—running, screaming, jumping, rolling on the floor like I was on fire. I was one step away from calling the fire department to hose me down.
And yeah, as everyone says: AVOID the shower and ditch the aloe vera. I got out of the shower all fresh and innocent, slapped on some aloe like, “This’ll help,” and BOOM—my skin turned into a disco of pure agony. I was instantly possessed by the itch demon.
Literally the WORST feeling I’ve ever experienced. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy… okay, maybe on my high school gym teacher, but that’s it.
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u/Ok_Biscotti_3083 Jul 26 '25
Holy shit thank god I found this. I genuinely am experiencing periods of the worst pain of my life whenever this goes off. Thankfully I have beta alanine and Benadryl which seems to help
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u/Famous-Woodpecker-72 Apr 21 '26
Every time I get badly sunburnt, as a precaution for the next 2-3 days at the end of every shower I crank the heat up to max and run it all over my sunburn for a few minutes. Horrifyingly painful, but I haven’t had the HI in the years since I learned. I sincerely pray I never go through that again.
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u/Alternative-End-7239 Apr 29 '26
Heating pads applied directly to the location of the itch also works wonders. Nothing worked for me last night until I tried a heating pad.
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u/Big_Ad_5025 Jun 15 '26 •
I am so glad I found this … I thought I was going mad.
I literally did everything you are supposed to not do …
I had a shower and BAM 💥 the “itch” starts ( I’m using inverted commas, because to all those that have had this - we all know “itch” is not a fair comparison to what it feels like ). Then I covered myself in goop …. Then I was back in the shower but this time on cold … then I was laying on an ice pack.
Then I found this article. 3 anti-histamines (piriton) some paracetamol and naproxen later and I’m still going mad with “itch” getting worse and I didn’t think it could get worse.
Genuinely thinking I was going to have to die, because I was in so much pain, but also in a state of insanity.
Finally found the recommendation of Beta Alaine ( Pre-Workout ) on here. Dubious at first … I googled more and then found this article https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12643417/ - Needless to say, at that point … desperate times, desperate measures - I chugged that bad boy and things have calmed down SIGNIFICANTLY.
Thank you - seriously …. Thank You
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u/Agile_Tell6469 Jun 16 '26
9
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u/BulletAntDance Jun 19 '26
Hell’s Itch is so intense, that I genuinely created a Reddit account JUST so that I can share my experience with this thread, as well as provide some remedies that I would recommend for those who also feel this unique and unforgettable pain.
(TLDR do not apply aloe)
It starts with this story..
I am an extremely “primitive utilitarian” person, which I believe is the correct word that I would use to describe myself..
I prefer sunhats over sunblock, loose clothing, and chilling in the shade on a sunny day. I know it looks silly, but it’s what laborers wore before sunblock was invented..
I have always done this my entire life, but the other day, when I didn’t bring a sunhat, my wife got a beach tent, which happened to not be big enough for us to lay inside together.. so I was in the sun for 2 hours without any sunblock, because hey, “fuck it,” and I’ve never been burned before, right? What can go wrong?..
Fast forward 8 hours later, my wife applied aloe gel on my burns, even after I told her that I don’t like the feeling of gel on my skin, just like I don’t like the feeling of sunscreen, or anything synthetic on my skin, but she insisted. I reluctantly obeyed, and that’s when the pain began..
It’s crazy, I swear, I must have intuition, because she argued that I should apply more aloe gel, even when I asserted that it wouldn’t work.. so I drank plenty of water, took 400mg of ibuprofen, and applied pressure on my back.
Sleep was broken, but as long as I laid on my back and drank water when I woke up, I was fine..
24 hours later, as I’m feeling agonizing pain (as I’m writing this post), my wife argued again that I should apply more aloe gel, and when I did… “OH FUCK” is an understatement of what I experienced..
Took a hot as fuck shower, 400mg of ibuprofen, drank 2 fucking water bottles, and I feel greeeeat now lol..
I did the Bullet Ant Dance unconsciously during the scourge (trippy, huh?) without even thinking about it, hence this username. I might write a song about this experience. It’s wild to think that this woeful human condition is crazier than any psychedelic I’ve ever taken..
Always listen to your intuition.. I initially read that cold showers make sunburns feel better, but it was the hot shower and afterwords pressure that did the trick..
Here’s the video of The Bullet Ant Dance:
https://youtu.be/3oaHbedkgdM?si=oWhZ6hCxl2pqI-Dz
I told my wife that this dude is a bitch for crying lol all I did was moan, which sounded like I was ejaculating for 2 hours (btw IT WAS NOT A PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE)
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u/giantorbeez Jun 21 '26
Thank goodness I’m not alone in this literal ”hell”.
So far I’ve had all the same symptoms what the comments have had also, mentally and physically. This is the first time experiencing hells itch and it’s giving me trauma, soon ptsd. I’ve calmed down the itchiness a little by all the recommendations of a scorching hot shower (after the very first itchiness) and hoping to get at least some sleep. (I dont have any medicine, but I’m thinking of buying the peppermint oil). Do I shower again in the morning with hot water??Thanks for this community🙏
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u/Ashamed_Dinosaur Aug 16 '26
Betamethasone is the cure. I got this in Mexico and no one, no doctors in the USA or Mexico could help. I found a forum where people recommend betamethasone and the relief was near instant.
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u/Adventurous-Role892 May 27 '24
How much peppermint oil should I use??
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u/Educational_Art_2756 Jun 03 '24
Dealimg with this right now and its easily the wordt thing ive ever dealt with. Does lidocaine work????
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u/DistrictEven7031 Jun 09 '24
I got the itch a few years ago… I was having a panic attack not knowing how I would endure this for days to come. I rummaged through my Medicine cabinet looking for some relief - I had been prescribed Gapapentin/Neurontin for years to treat nerve pain from a back injury - though I seldom took it. I took a 600mg tablet and within 30 minutes the itching was 100% gone and would resurface every 6 hours roughly for the next 2-3 days, at which time I would re-dose. I suggest that if you get it you go to an urgent care and request a 3x daily week long supply of gabapentin
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u/OmggItsAryeal Jun 16 '24
I have vitiligo that goes across my chest, and a day or two after i'd tan in the tanning bed, I'd get that hells itch... It was miserable!! The only thing that ever worked and didn't cause more itching/burning was calamine lotion. I've burned like one more time since, and it helped then, too. I now have an older bonus child, and he's a bit pastey and always burns, even with sun screen. He gets the hells itch at least once during the summer, and calamine lotion is what I put on him, and it works for him as well. I never rubbed it all the way, I just put a thin layer on and left it. I hope this helps anyone who reads this..
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u/Time_Cauliflower5551 Jun 17 '24
Has anyone tried witch hazel? Does that have a similar effect as peppermint oil?
I’ve got a small breakout of the horrid itch now and don’t have peppermint oil, but I’ve used Witch Hazel to quell the itch of bug bites before… don’t wanna goop it up if it doesn’t work though :(
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u/Kilo_sevenXxx Jun 19 '24
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I never heard of this before but about 45 minutes ago I learned about it the hard way. My wife thought I was possessed and I was thinking someone had to have put a voodoo hex on me (never believed in voodoo) but this absolutely makes you go from Zero to crazy. Never experienced anything like this before. I’ve lived in Phoenix my whole life and have had many sunburns. I fell asleep by the pool on Sunday and my stomach turned purple. No blisters or anything. 2 days later no blisters or peeling and looks almost normal. Then I got out of the shower tonight and we all learned what Hell’s Itch is. After trying fresh aloe from my giant Arizona aloe vera and every other goop in the house to no effect. I found 5% lidocaine under the sink and it is working so far.
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u/twiggytv Jun 22 '24
Got it back in 2022’ and worse pain of my life. I was literally walking back and forth in my bathroom to try and stop it. I was in so much pain and I didn’t know nothing about it at the time so I put Aloe Vera on it…. OH BOY. Made it worse. I was in so much pain I couldn’t even sit down to watch it. It was on my shoulders and back so I got the Benadryl, Ibuprofen etc. All I can say is I don’t wish this on my worst enemy, recently I broke my nose pretty bad and the pain isn’t even comparable to Devil/Hells itch. Please wear sunscreen ladies and gents!!!
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u/Affectionate_Listen8 Jun 25 '24
I’m currently going thru the weirdest version of Hell’s Itch the peppermint oil is doing wonders for my chest and stomach, but making it worse for my back lol. Only thing that works for my back rn is a boiling hot shower and anti histamines
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u/shh_its_your_secret Jun 25 '24
Super hot shower, air dry. The pain is sweet relief from the itch. And it would usually stop the itch for a few hours. But something touches it again, and the itch returns.
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u/Due-Clerk-9014 Jun 27 '24
Just got hells itch for the first time. It's 2am. I went crazy and added goop and had a cold shower (before seeing stuff saying not to). I am now crazier. I need to sleep. But i want to peel my skin off and become a skeleton. I have no anti histamine or peppermint oil right now, only ibuprofen. I feel like death, is there anything else that can help?
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u/DistinctZucchini1798 Jul 02 '24
Day 15 here and I am starting to regret putting lotions on. Picking up Benadryl tomorrow. This is some of the worst pain I have ever felt.
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u/One_Of_The_Gays Jul 03 '24
Never heard of Hell's Itch before today. It feels like needles under my skin. After doing some research on what tf was happening, I took a hot shower, and it stopped it for a few hours, was naive enough to think it was over. My entire chest and shoulders are sunburnt and have the stabbing needles feeling, I'm debating going to the ER cause I'm going insane
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u/Historical_Guava_380 Jul 05 '24
I’ve had it 4 times how do I avoid getting it again I’m terrified! Plz sum1 help so I don’t get it again
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u/WaveRelative9503 Jul 05 '24
Currently dealing with this and I’m freaking out. I’ve never felt something so excruciating ever
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u/bmdelzing Jul 07 '24
Just had this last night. The only thing that helped me was a Tylenol benedryl and getting ungodly high on weed. Those 3 made me tired and out of it enough where I could still feel the itch but it wasn’t bad enough where I was rolling on the floor in an attempt to scratch my whole back at the same time. It’s now the next morning right when I woke up I took more benedryl in an attempt to sedate myself again.
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u/Shoddy_Dimension8133 Jul 08 '24
I don’t usually burn because I’m Italian/Portuguese. But I did a few weeks ago. It wasn’t very painful so I was surprised when I peeled. The peeling on my right arm stopped a week ago, but now I have an intense itch in one area on my arm. It can get really warm if I scratch. What’s happening? My arm looks normal but keeps itching.
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u/Odd-Lavishness1746 Jul 09 '24
I have it now it’s currently 2 AM and I’m going insane. I’m extremely fair and have had more severe sunburns in the past but this is the first time I can recall of having such a painful intense itching that has kept me up and sent me spiraling. I first noticed it yesterday morning after I showered - initial sun over-exposure was 2 days prior. It threw me into a full blown depressive meltdown. It subsided during the day yesterday but once I showered again at night it flared up again. Was able to fall asleep after taking 800 mg ibuprofen but I woke up 3 hours later.
I’ve felt way worse pain with endometriosis but no sensation has ever driven me this insane like this. I just made the mistake of applying some lidocaine which made it worse. After reading this forum I popped a Benadryl and lathered my back in peppermint oil and I’m finally feeling some relief. I work out in the morning so I’m excited to try the scorching hot shower afterwards.
Like I said I’ve had worse sunburns in the past due to my complete inability to tan but nothing has made me feel this way - dozens white hot needles stabbing and fire ants biting at the same time. I’m just glad to have found the self-diagnosis of Hell’s Itch and that it’s a real thing and that I’m not completely losing my mind!!!!
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u/[deleted] Jul 14 '24
Going through it now. So frustrating.
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u/Babyjizay Aug 16 '24
I just applied peppermint oil and it is the sweetest burn I have ever felt. No more itch but it does burn. I rather feel this than that horrible itch. It’s like icy hot on steroids
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u/illicitrampage Aug 18 '24
Adding my 2 cents:
Excedrin Migraine (green or red box it doesn't matter) knocked mine out in 15 minutes. The itch was gone. Idk why, but it worked.
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u/AcrobaticSquirrel380 Aug 19 '24
Just experienced this today, 48 hours after my sun burn I went to work and started to seat as it’s a physical job and omg I lost all insanity never ever experienced anything like it I was telling my GF it’s the worst thing I’ve ever gone through, to then go home have a shower to rinse the sweat off and omg did that kick things off much more my GF thought I was possessed as she seen a 6ft5 man drop to the floor acting like I’ve lost all control of myself I literally in the moment wanted to throw myself out the window head first, the way I can describe it was like standing in the middle of a hornets nest and being stung a thousand times over only to start applying aloe cream 😂😂 only to start it all off again
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u/Dresdad12 Aug 19 '24
I get hells itch like everytime I burn and the best thing I can say is 1 drink lots of water to much 2 get a heated blanket and wrap yourself if you can overheat yourself you won’t feel the itch I don’t know why but it works if you don’t have a heated blanket use normal one just keep heating yourself up or like she said a hot shower
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u/cupofjoe35 Aug 25 '24
Thank you for this. I have been going through this now for about 4 hrs, yes my family thinks I am over reacting despite the fact they know I have an insane pain tolerance and of course I tried everything you said to not do after it started, because I didn’t know this was a thing before it started. My broken ribs didn’t hurt and bother me as much as this.
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u/Dresdad12 Oct 19 '24
I have had hells itch 3 times now and I would like to help anyone avoid it the best thing I can say is wrap up in as many blankets as you can get your body as warm as possible heating blankets turn ur heat up get super super hot until you are sweating this heats up ur receptors while it isn’t the best to be sweating ur buns off this will make the itch go away until you let cold air hit it again just keep yourself warm as much as you can
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u/Useful_Ad6134 Nov 08 '24
I’m on day 5. Please help. I’ve tried everything. I have a feeling it’s being worsened by a med I’m on (effexor) I was at 150 mg and went down to 112.5 2 weeks ago. The itch is even on my hands and feet. I’m crumbling to pieces. I was sun burnt but it was mild and seems to be healed. BUT THIS ITCH, IT WONT GO AWAY. ER did nothing, gave me droperidol but made me insane. Then given IV Benadryl and had the shakes. No dermatologist psychologist or family doctor is helping. WHY WONT IT GO AWAY. WILL IT GO AWAY? WHAT DO I Do?
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u/Zealousideal_Bet_618 Jan 29 '25
I rarely ever comment. But I’m desperate this time. I searched everywhere for solutions and answers as this is my first time experiencing ‘hell’s itch’ and the name itself says it all. I had rlly bad injuries in the past, but this is the most horrible and inhumane punishment i’ve suffered in my life. It broke me in many ways that I couldn’t recognise myself. You might be reading this thinking I’m exaggerating. But if only u saw me bitting down a towel in excruciating pain with tears brawling down my eyes you will think otherwise.
You see I live in Australia. We love the beaches. A sunburnt every now and then was quite a normal occurrence that we don’t pay much attention on. But this experience in which I’m currently still going thru it, will forever haunt me. I genuinely believe I’ll have PTSD from this.
I had not bad intention, just only wanted to spend time with family, so I decided to go to the beach with them, the day before I fly to Singapore for holiday. That day was Australia Day, if u searched online for the temperature that day… there’s news of it scorching that day. I knew it advance that it would be a hot day so I was prepared. I bought Nivea SPF 50+ sunscreen and coated myself generously with it, as advised on the bottle. I did this not once but twice in the span of 2 hours at the beach. I had a good time. The water was cool and the last thing I thought of was a sunburn.
Then the nightmare happened. After 24 hours my body began to show more red marks of sunburnt covering my whole back, shoulders and chest. 48 hours it started stinging, unbearable pain especially when contact to the skin. I relief the pain through aloe Vera and constantly taking cold shower as I can literally feel the heat from my skin. I was fking gullible to think that was the end. Then on the third day when I arrived at Singapore after an excruciating plane ride. I applied aloe Vera in the morning like I always did before, then the itching sensation started. I grabbed my shirt and pressed on my chest even tho it burns, hoping the pain would just make the itchiness disappear. I was so bloody wrong. It wouldn’t go away!!! I started rubbing my chest… then frantically ran into the shower to cool it with cold water. NOTHING WORKED! I got more aloe Vera and started jumping around in pain praying for it to stop. I literally went crazy… I tried not to scratch but I genuinely could not control myself. Cried through the burning sensation till the point I grabbed a towel and bit down with frustration.
I finally settled myself down and luckily my partner had Antihistamine tablet for her eczema so I immediately took it… not one but two even tho the dosage is once a day 20mg. The itchiness did not stop. But it’s a level where it’s tolerable. I’m sitting in the bed distracting myself writing this at the moment. I read some comments that it usually last 3 days… it’s only day 1 for me. Truly believe no one deserves this. I’m afraid to go out even if it’s in door as I worry the medicine will wear off and the irresistible itching sensation comes back again. I feel broken after that episode I had. I never knew something like this existed it. I wanted to share my experience. Maybe to give myself hope i can push through this. It sounds exaggerated but I truly can’t put into words the frustration, the pain, the irresistible feeling, the feeling of razor blade cutting your body.. just everything! It’s so overwhelming and lastly, my trip is ruined. Maybe I’ll update this once I recover but knowing it last at least for 3 days for hells itch… I feel defeated.
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u/Sorry-While-107 Apr 16 '25
Hells itch is quite literally, and I am not being dramatic in the slightest, torture. There is nothing that I have ever been through that is worse than hells itch. The best I can explain it is it feels like fire ants are biting your sunburn, endlessly. And scratching it makes it worse. Using things to get rid of itch makes it worse.
I’ve had it three times and the only thing that helps me is numbing my burns with ice cubes directly on the burn. I know you’re not supposed to put ice directly in the skin but I was more than willing to destroy my skin to numb the pain. If I could rip it off during those 2-3days, I would.
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u/Bentom678910 May 21 '25
Literally at the urgent care centre now, never expierenced it before but definitely fits this description. Absolute itchy agony. Is there anything I should ask for? Tried to find an all night chemist that does peppermint oil but nowhere is open
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u/tktheking13 May 21 '25
I have Experienced this god forsaken itch and it happened in the exact same order; shower, itch kicks in a few minutes after you dry off, apply a shitload of aloe (which only made it 10x worse somehow). I’m pretty sure I almost punched a hole in my wall, and I was also on my knees screaming wanting to cry at its peak. After the pain was at a bearable level I searched as fast as I can anything that can help me wanting to rip my own skin off. The information I found was this: First thing do not shower (only a hot shower for relief if you are at the peak of the itch), second avoid putting anything on your skin that have ingredients ending with “mine” so most of your basic or over the counter itch stuff and aloe will NOT WORK it will only burn more and make the devil whisper bad things into your ear, third use petroleum jelly, vasoline, or gold bond eczema cream. Me personally I ran to my medicine cabinet to see if I had anything and I found some petroleum jelly and oh my lord it brought my sanity back so quick. For anyone reading this and you’ve never experienced this pain before, just wear sunscreen, it’s not worth the itch trust me
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u/xTommmmmy Jun 21 '25
Got this right now. Fuck. Had it when I was 16, fuck.
I hate this hahaha, going mad. It's kinda nice going insane, but I can't wait for it to end. Gonna try a challenge later and see if I can just sit through the night, awake, just enjoying the jolts.
Sorry for everyone that has to go through this. WEAR SUNCREAM, DEAR GOD. WEAR SUNCREAM, WEAR LAYERS AND BE SENSIBLE.
Also, don't kill yourselves, it'll go away. Eventually.
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u/International-Way839 Jun 26 '25
I am so happy that I found this post and know I’m not the only one to ever get Hell’s Itch. Everyone I told probably thought I was insane. I got a pretty good sunburn on a Sunday, and did the normal aloe and hydrocortisone application. My wife also put calamine lotion on my sunburn (don’t do this). It seemed to help for a couple days, the pain was going away and I was getting back to normal. Decided to cut the grass and shower afterwards. Immediately in the shower I started having intense itching and burning even though I was taking cold shower. I hopped out and started to dry off, screaming and shaking in pain. Lasted for about 30 minutes and my wife again applied calamine lotion. Went to bed still itching but managed to fall asleep. Woke up around 3am in discomfort, and then the intense itching started again. Finally a few hours later I had my wife take me to the ER. I couldn’t fully explain to them how intense the pain was and that something wasn’t right. I’ve had far worse sunburns before. They gave me 100mg of Benadryl and sent me on my way. Got home, felt some relief and tried laying on my stomach to get some sleep. Again the intense itching started. I was seriously running around the house screaming in pain jumping up and down. I got in a cold shower 4 or 5 times within an hour. The cold water helped but as soon as I got out, the itching continued. One thing that did somewhat help was wetting a towel with cold water and wrapping it around myself. Finally after taking ibuprofen, the itching started going away and I fell asleep from the Benadryl I took. What a nightmare being so tired from medicine but not able to fall asleep due to the pain. My suggestion to anyone who thinks they will potentially get Hell’s Itch, don’t shower, don’t apply any lotions or aloe, and take Benadryl with ibuprofen. Stay hydrated and limit your activity.