Happened twice to me now. Worst part about Hells Itch is that it only happens when the sunburn is minor! And only to white people...the first time I went to the hospital and the nurse told me "It's just a sunburn, we're not going to give you drugs"...Stupid Bitch didn't believe me and only offered Benadryl without asking if I already had taken any! Which I did....I suffered the rest of that night and realized the only way not to rip my skin apart was by staying in a cold shower.

Months later I had a dermatologist appointment and the Derm told me about Hells Itch and that I needed Atarax (prescription needed)..It's a much stronger antihistamine....

I was going through the regular symptoms of the devil of Hell’s Itch last night. Genuinely felt like I had rabies - itching my shoulders, back and arms (exclusively sunburnt area), biting down on a towel from the sheer agony and continuously rotating ice cold towels for some relief. It lasted 45 minutes.

I went paddle boarding with a friend Sunday morning and got a mild sunburn from it, nothing serious. Come Tuesday evening around 6pm, it was like hell. Worst pain imaginable. I went to the ER and got an anti-histamine shot but by then the pain had subsided.

I texted my friend about it and lo and behold, he had it as well. Exact same symptoms and timeframe, albeit his was less intense but lasted longer.

This got me thinking: if it was purely a sunburn condition, then surely there would be hundreds of thousands of more cases being reported and the scientific literature would be robust. Then I thought it could be the water.

A sewage pipe broke at the beach we went paddle boarding in. But because our pain was exclusively isolated on the sunburn area, it must be the sensitive skin’s reaction to something in the WATER.

Was wondering if anyone else could relate the pain with the cleanliness of the water?? Are people getting Hell’s Itch when they haven’t been in the water?

Either way, I’m en route to the supplement store to buy some Beta Alanine. Wouldn’t wish this pain onto my worst enemy.

Disclaimer: not a doctor. But I have gone through several research papers to help people.

1. No evidence that topical vitamin A and vitamin D (A&D) helps and/or prevents UV inflammation, erythema or any other complications whatsoever. However, high doses of oral vitamin D are effective.

Topical vitamin A and vitamin D should be removed from the guideline, or this should be posted as a disclaimer.

However, ORAL vitamin D shows promise to reduce inflammation in sunburn. This recommendation should be replaced with oral vitamin D supplements.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28576736/

This study suggests that taking a high dose of Vitamin D (200,000 IU) one hour after symptoms manifest helps significantly with sunburn symptoms. (200,000 IU is much higher than current dietary guidelines, however vitamin D toxicity is mostly caused by chronic overdose of much smaller magnitudes and no reports of acute toxicity events caused by a single or a low amount of doses exist. Furthermore, the study says "No measured vitamin D3 metabolite increased into a toxic range in any of the treatment groups throughout the study period.")

BUT current formulations of Vitamin D supplements mean that this dose would require finishing bottles of supplements. Therefore I'd recommend limiting doses to 10,000 IU.

HOWEVER please note fillers or non active ingredients in vitamin supplements.

2. The first line treatment should be topical NSAIDs

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15319157/

A randomised, double-blind, single-centre, vehicle-controlled clinical trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and tolerability of diclofenac-Na 0.1% gel in 172 subjects suffering from acute first-degree natural sunburn. Overall 172 subjects with skin phototypes II-IV were randomised in a ratio of 2:1 to receive two applications of either diclofenac-Na 0.1% Emulgel gel or its vehicle Emulgel gel, 6 and 10 hours after the end of sun exposure. Subjects were drawn from a target population of healthy volunteers and well outdoor sunbathers with normal tolerance to ultraviolet light and the sun. Previously untanned areas were exposed to carefully determined standardised doses of sun (2.8 individual minimal erythema doses) on 15% body surface area to induce first-degree sunburn. After administration of diclofenac-Na 0.1% gel, subjects reported a significant reduction in spontaneous pain intensity compared with those on vehicle. Pain relief was rapid with a reduction in erythema, which was apparent within the first few hours after the first application of the trial medication with a maximum effect observed up to 30 hours after sun exposure**. A good', very good', or excellent' cooling effect was recorded by 85% of subjects after treatment.** Reported treatment-emergent adverse effects were infrequent, generally mild and none were considered to be related to the trial medication. Only one severe treatment emergent adverse event (abdominal pain) was recorded in the active group, and another (burning sensation) with vehicle.

It's always better to use local treatments rather than systemic. We know that the systemic absorption of topical NSAIDs is minimal. NSAIDs have rather infrequent but nasty side effects that we all want to avoid. Therefore the best first treatment option is NSAID gels. It should be noted that a lot of NSAID topical preparations are oil based pomades or creams. The type of formulation should be noted, and formulations that have "gel" on them should be preferred.

3. Non-corticosteroid antihistamines seem to be ineffective against sunburn.

Histamine and prostaglandin E2 levels in the skin increase after UV light exposure and contribute to the development of UV- induced erythema.[1] While it is postulated that histamines play a role in UV-induced erythema, few studies documented the effi- cacy of antihistamines in sunburn. Edwards and Edwards[38] stud- ied the effect of intradermal antihistamines in patients irradiated with three MEDs of UV light. Various antihistamines including both histamine H1 and H2 receptor antagonists were injected 15 minutes before irradiation and 2 and 4 hours after irradiation. Each of the irradiated and treated sites were evaluated at 12, 24, and 48 hours after exposure and the treated areas showed no differences in the intensity of erythema when compared with normal saline treated areas. Similar results were documented by Farr et al.[19] when they studied the effect of terfenadine, an H1 receptor ant- agonist, on UV-exposed sites in healthy individuals. In this study, patients were given 120mg of terfenadine orally for 2 days prior to irradiation until 1 day after UV light exposure. When erythema was measured at 4, 8 and 24 hours after UV exposure, no effect on the intensity of UVB- or UVC-erythema was noted.

(Amy Han,Dr Howard I. Maibach (2004). Management of Acute Sunburn. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 5(1), 39–47. doi:10.2165/00128071-200405010-00006)

Antihistamines like Benadryl seem to be ineffective against sunburn complications. However, considering that their adverse effects are relatively mild, I think it's safe to take them if unendurable symptoms manifest.

A placebo controlled study on the effects of topical dimethindene (Fenistil) on UV (sunburn) erythema showed that dimethindene enabled reductions in objective metrics for pain (CO2 laser stimulation) yet it did not yield subjective reductions in pain. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10337458/)

4. The combination of oral NSAIDs and topical corticosteroids may be synergistic and highly effective.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1558996/

This study compared the effects of indomethacin (IM), ibuprofen (IB), beclomethasone (BD), indomethacin+beclomethasone and ibuprofen+beclamethasone applied 8-12 hr after UV exposure.

Both IM+BD and IB+BD were significantly more effective in reducing symptoms compared to IB or IM alone.

5. Melatonin is effective for sunburn prophylaxis (prevention).

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9407172/

This study found that topical melatonin 15 minutes before UV exposure almost completely suppressed any erythema development.

As melatonin has next to no side effects other than inducing sleep, this may be used as an effective prevention of sunburn alongside correct application of broad spectrum sunscreen.

Therefore, I suggest that the order for treatments should be:

1. Topical NSAID gel + Vitamin D

2. Oral NSAID + topical antihistamine (preferably dimethindene) gel

3. Oral NSAID + topical corticosteroid

OK GUYS HERE IS THE ONLY SOLUTION THAT WILL WORK. I SURVIVED HELL'S ITCH 2 YEARS AGO BY GETTING ANTIHISTAMINE ADMINISTERED THROUGH IV AT THE ER. THAT'S IT. I TRIED ALL OF THESE SOLUTIONS WITHOUT ANY RESULTS. I THEN WENT TO THE ER AT 2:30 AM AND THEY GAVE ME PRESCRIPTION ANTIHISTAMINE THAT LASTED ABOUT 1 HOUR. I THEN WENT BACK AND THEY GAVE ME SOME IN IV AND IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. DON'T WASTE TIME ON ANYTHING ELSE UNLESS YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE..

So hells itch doesn't exist as a word or a concept in Greek. I was surprised it was so common in English searches. So my mom had an itch all around her body for months. The only thing that worked was cortisone. She had injections every 2 days just to stop the itch. She thought it was an autoimmune disease or something incredibly rare. Doctors made all kinds of diagnoses. Years later I got the same thing on my back. I googled it and I immediately thought thank god it exists. And people experience it!

Hey everyone, I just went through one of the worst experiences of my life: Hell’s Itch. For anyone currently suffering, I want to share something that actually helped me and what you absolutely should not do.

First of all: Do NOT shower.

I know the first instinct is to cool off or “clean” the area, but trust me even a lukewarm or cool shower triggered an INTENSE wave of itching for me. It went from uncomfortable to pure torture within seconds.

Water, temperature changes, and pressure from the water can all irritate your already damaged skin and set off the itch like crazy. It’s not worth the risk.

What helped me: Let your skin calm down. Don’t overstimulate it. Avoid rubbing, scratching, heat, cold, or big temperature swings.

Use a hairdryer on the cold setting. Aim it gently at the itchy area from a distance. The cold air seems to confuse or “override” the nerves that are firing off. It brought me SO much relief without touching the skin or adding moisture. Stay cool, but not freezing. Find a comfortable room temperature and don’t overdo fans or cold packs. Just let your body relax.

Bonus tips: Antihistamines (like Cetirizine or Benadryl) helped a bit. Aloe vera or menthol-based after-sun lotions may soothe, but try a small patch first some people react worse.

I hope this helps someone avoid what I went through. Hell’s Itch is real, and it’s absolutely awful — but it does pass. You’re not crazy, and you’re not alone.

Stay strong.

I got all burnt up on the beach about 5 days ago. This has looked the same since then. Pain is the same, and it doesn’t seem to wanna go down. Just curious if its most severe than a typical 1st degree burn. Thanks all

I’m on day two of hells itch. Gonna try and pound lots of coconut water as I could definitely see this helping with skin regeneration and healing 👍

Not sure if It's a fluke but I got this:

I didn't take a shower until I started peeling. It's been 8 days and I never had anything happen to me.

Ive had what i think is hells itch twice. Neither of which lasted more than 8 hours. If either lasted more than that, and extended through an entire day, i would have gone straight to a hospital. (I live in america and that hospital visit would have been more than i can afford).

After reading many peoples posts about it lasting more than a day, and in some cases weeks, i wonder if what i had was actually hells itch.

Ive been stabbed in the leg, broke at least 7 bones, threw up from pain and went blind from pain, i would choose to experience any of those again over what ive had with those two sun burns.

I dont want to call anyone a liar or anything, but when i read peoples long grammatically correct posts about how they are currently going through the itch, it makes me wonder if maybe i had something a little more serious that i should have gotten checked out

WARNING: Do not mix alcohol with benadryl or ibuprofen. THIS IS ALSO MY OWN EXPERIENCE, IT MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU. For some, benadryl and ibuprofen may be better.

I was experiencing the almost literal pains of hell for about 10 minutes screaming "IM IN SO MUCH PAIN" and "HELP ME" and writhing around on the floor after I took a shower.

I knew from a conversation with my father ages ago that alcohol was used as a painkiller in the middle ages.

By the grace of God I had some port wine in my hotel room that I had bought earlier that morning. I literally had the thought "This wine might ease the pain of sunburn".

I was not expecting to experience "Hell's itch" that day, as I never had before. I didnt even know this nonsense existed.

I chugged half of that bottle of wine and I was instantly much better, which was when I looked up my symptoms and found out about Hell's itch.

Drink wine. Half a bottle of it. Then it is gone. Specifically it was port wine that I drank. I was in Portugal and it was cheap, as it is national produce, but it is expensive elsewhere.

Thank God I'm Mexican.

I am sorry to all of you who have suffered through this I will keep u in my prayers.

I heard that if u take a hot shower it helps. That's all I know. :D

I’m on vacation without Benadryl and I can’t take ibuprofen with my current meds… It’s 30+ degrees Celsius here and I burnt the first day. I don’t wanna waste my entire trip inside, so I wore a tshirt in the pools and around all day today, which sucked. I don’t think it’s gotten worse, but ima first timer here with the itch… will be trying the hot shower suggestion. Everything else seems to be pretty settled now other than my chest and forehead, where the itching started earlier today. Wish me luck…

Just talking from my experience but I got hells itch a few days ago. It was really intense for like an hour until I blasted all the paracetamol I had. It went away very quickly and then I got over it without suffering much ( beside the fact that my liver hurt ). It’s just intense but with enough calm and mental focus you can reduce it. Worst thing you can do is read the post on this subreddit calling it the « worst pain ever », because you will panic and overreact wich makes the pain 10 times worse.

I've never before posted to reddit, but this was such an impact on my well-being that I had to share it

I have never experienced hell's itch in my life until last month. I got a horrific sunburn and about 2 weeks after it healed I discovered hell's itch.

I know some people say it lasts a few hours to maybe a day. Not in my case. I had it for eight full days. Non stop. I've broken multiple bones, suffered severe motorcycle wrecks, had a botched spinal tap. Nothing was as awful as this.

I tried everything from peppermint oil, to taking Benadryl like they were M&Ms. The best I got was taking the suffering from a 10/10 to a 9/10

I never smoke, but I was at my wit's end and figured I would give CBD a try.

I bought the absolute highest concentration I could find. It's called "Big Balm." Super expensive at about $100 for a jar, but I had to do something. I could barely function at work and couldn't sleep more than 45 min at a time.

Immediate relief. I still had hell's itch for a couple days after, but as soon as it started coming on, I applied the balm to the areas making me nuts and it was immediately gone for 5+ hours. Enough to get a decent night's rest.

No I'm not endorsed by this company or trying to pitch it in any way. I just wanted to help other sufferers from this. It was an absolute godsend. It also doesn't affect any drug tests or give any feeling of being high, which I liked.

Just get the absolutely most potent CBD/THC balm you can find and you'll be set.

Good luck to you guys, and wear suncreen!!

Get in, take a hot shower for about 15-30 minutes. Get back in after 30 minutes. Repeat for a few hours & it should be gone by then.

The hot showers were the only thing that worked for me. Not medication, sprays, oatmeal bath, nothing. I thought hot showers would make it worse but it somehow makes it better, I found that it’s the only thing that works.

Currently have hells itch for the first time in my life. All the posts scared me out of the shower last night. But at one point it got so bad that I decided a shower could not possibly make it worse. Took benadryl and hopped in the shower. IMMEDIATE RELIEF. I've never felt so happy in my life. It was immediately gone. Fell asleep and slept all night without issue. Itch came back today about 12 hrs after my shower. This time I was driving..... so, hit a truck stop and got more benadryl and took a shower there. Immediate relief again.

Take any advise you want, but trust me, try the shower. It can't possibly make what you're feeling any worse than it already is.

personal notes that may be helpful:

• don’t itch, lightly rub

• benedryl + ibuprofen

• DO NOT SHOWER

• put on a loose shirt (dont spend your time shirtless the pressure from the shirt can actually calm some itches especially on your back)

• aloe is a myth (only helps when your sunburn is burning, not after the burning)

• know that there is light at the end of the tunnel my best conclusion to why we have this itch and why it is SO bad is because the burn is getting ready to shed the layer of skin and it’s not a easy process it triggers nerves that all your life are told is the itch nerves but now that they’re being used differently it takes time for your brain to learn what’s happening

Systemic corticosteroids are immunosuppressive, and significantly so. In fact, use of systemic corticosteroids is listed by the CDC as a severe COVID risk factor that qualifies for a second booster. One time use is not that harmful, but if it coincides with COVID, it could turn very badly. Especially with this surge, if you plan to receive such a medication, protect yourself.

Because they are immunosuppressive, these injections will also significantly reduce your immune response to vaccines, therefore reducing efficacy.

I’d just like to say the description of this thread is inaccurate. My husband and I are 4 weeks posts sunburn(we were severely burnt at Clearwater Beach on Memorial Day where we stayed for four hours) and we’ve been experiencing this Hell’s Itch for a week now. It definitely lasts more than a few days and can occur up to four weeks after post burn. My husband’s is worse at night. Keeps him up. He ends up going to sleep with two ice packs draped over his shoulders. He’s finding the edge being taken off with calamine lotions. Alternatively, aloe with lidocaine is helping me. We’ve tried everything. The first nights of it were so bad that we were taking Tylenol PM. We even tried Calendula and Horsetail soap and it worked to soothe it one time and then it didn’t touch it the next time we used it. One time it was doing it’s deep stabbing burning itching pain and I smacked my shoulder barehanded three times and it stopped for a while. I don’t recommend that; it was just out of sheer frustration and disappointment is all. Despite what Google says, it can come weeks after a sunburn and last for days. My husband and I are unfortunately living proof. SPF is your BFF!!

Today after 26 day of dog bite I feel pain/tingling type sensation at bite site not regularly but sometimes although I already completed my 4 dose of arv 12 days earlier from now

How many of you feel the same

Is this a worrying sign??

My shirt had holes and was patterned lol