I seem to have developed a bit of a middle aged itch.
No, it’s not like the 7 year itch or a midlife crisis – I’m perfectly happy with the hubster, and won’t be buying a sports car any time soon …
But the other night, just as I had gone to bed, my left arm began to itch.
And itch.
AND ITCH!!!!!
It was driving me crazy!
A closer inspection revealed: absolutely nothing. No bites, no bumps, no rash, no reason at all for the itch that was robbing me of my precious beauty sleep 
.
Remedies for a Middle Aged Itch
- I scratched.
- I squeezed.
- I broke the skin (I thought pain would be better than itching … it didn’t work), which is a no-no, because that way it could get infected.
- I put eucalytus oil on it – yeeee-OUCH! But after the initial sting, it was back to itching again.
- Eventually, I sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen with an ice cube sitting on the itchy spot, carefully trying to read a book with my other hand so it wouldn’t get wet! But as soon as the ice cube was gone, the itch was back.
- I checked the internet for remedies. Vicks Vapour Rub you say? Sure, why not.
- Eventually I took an antihistamine; and
- The hubster kindly bandaged my arm which also strangely seemed to soothe the itch.
It took about 3 hours in total for the itch to subside enough so that I could sleep!
I’ve never had an itch like it and I hope I never do again. Who knew that just a little itch could be so annoying?!
Further research today revealed that an unbearable itch in one place (a “hotspot”) is a common symptom of menopause / peri-menopause – now that’s one I hadn’t heard of before!
However, just to be on the safe side, I have also booked in for a mole scan as yes, an itchy spot like this is sometimes associated with skin cancer. As the hubster just had a BCC cut out of his shoulder, it doesn’t pay to be complacent!
Have you ever been plagued by an itch that just wouldn’t quit?! Got any good home remedies I can try if it happens again?
When I started reading your post menopause was the word that sprang to mind – basically because that is one of the symptoms that I really battled with. It went away but it has been back during the heat – no bite, no marks, nothing – just this itch that drives me up the wall. The only thing that helps is Phenergan (which knocks me out so I can only take at night) and ice packs. I land up bandaging them to my arms or legs.
I wish I could suggest something else but I can’t – I have nothing, I’m sorry !
Have the best day !
Me
Well in that case it sounds like I (eventually!) did the right thing but by that stage it was about 2am! Boy was I tired next day!
I hope that NEVER happens to me! That sounds awful you poor thing. Maybe it was an internal hive? My husband used to get them.
I was reading up on the web and it seems I have very sensitive histamine levels anyway – eg I can’t shave my legs with a razor because I get the worst rash, so I use hubby’s electric shaver. It could be related to that – I’m just a sensitive little petal!!!
O’dear something go look forward to!! Never heard of this, do thanks for the warning.
I had Dengue Fever when I was in my twenties and very fit. It really knocked me around, so that I could hardly get out of bed for a 10 days and couldn’t get back to any exercise for over a month. But the worst thing was this unbearable itch – all over – basically my body became one big join the red dots itch. The virus made me incredibly tired but I was so itching. I will never forget crying in the shower at 2am because I couldn’t stop itching and was just exhausted.
Kathy, that’s it exactly. I had no idea how debilitating a silly itch could be!