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?