have you ever noticed....??
 

have you evernoticed that your skin gets itchy when you workout??..

Lately my skin is so itchy when im working out i can hardly stand it .. it on my upper arms and legs.. they get all red and itch like mad.. the skin itself is pretty clear so it does make any sense.. why would it get like that when i exercise?? am i allergic to my own sweat or something..? lol

anyone got any idea on how to stop this? or ever had it themselves? or am i just a freak.. lol.

any tips would be greatly appreciated

I feel like my skin starts to itch a little bit when I first begin to sweat, but it usually goes away when I sweat more heavily. I don't know how you would stop it, though.

My arms always itch. Sometimes I get a red rash on my arms and chest that goes away pretty quickly. Here's what I found out from medicinenet.com:


During exercise, histamines are released. Histamines are proteins involved in autoimmune responses like an allergic reaction to pollen or dust. People who are sensitive to histamines can experience rashes, itching, and other allergic symptoms during exercise just like you are describing. Most of the time, the rashes appear on the chest and thighs, but they can appear on the neck or arms, too. Sometimes exercise also reacts with food allergies or medications (for example, antibiotics, pain medications, sedatives, tranquilizers, and diuretics) to cause the problem. The problem typically occurs more in cold weather than warm.

If the problem bothers you so much that you can't stand it, or it's not resolving on its own, then you should ask your doctor about using a topical ointment to stop the itching, or taking an over-the-counter antihistamine like Benadryl 30-60 minutes before exercising. If over-the-counter antihistamines make you sleepy, your doctor can prescribe a non-sedating antihistamine. You should not take over-the-counter or prescription medications for this problem without speaking with your doctor.

thanks anne that explains alot i am someone who sufferes from allergies.. and this has only been bothering me this last week.. and guess what its winter here .. lol and the last week has been really cold.. at least it makes sense now :)

Zyrtec seems to help me. I have mild seasonal allergies too.

Interesting! My arms sometimes get a little itchy too, and I've seen red patchy areas a few times that go away after a few hours.

I don't generally have allergies, but my arms, esp my inner arms itch during exercise sometimes. Interesting information posted. Maybe a benadryl would help before working out!

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My skin feels all tingly after I exercise. I figure it is from increased blood flow, but what do I know? I guess one might describe it as itchy, also.

honestly, i think it night be from the salt content of your sweat, which collects in skin folds, and where clothes are tightest

I always thought it was the increased blood flow too, but sometimes I get little petechiae on my arms too. They're little red spots on the skin that look little tiny broken broken blood vessels. They do fade away eventually.

It's not in body creases and it happens with sleeveless shirts too. I think it's due to the histamine effect. Some people have exercise-induced asthma, which has similar origins.

Wow. That is good to know because I thought I was the only one that itched, especially my scalp after a sweat drenched workout :)

yeah i get tingles too but this is scratch your skin till it bleeeds insane itch like a mossie bite you scratched.. all down my arm and on my legs.. im gonna try the zrytec i have some in the cupboard.

i wear a sleevless shirt to workout and its on the outer part of my arms so its not the clothes or chafin or anything

Huh. I was always told it was blood flow and capillaries. Who knew about this histamine thingy? A Benedryl would knock me out for hours.

It was terrible when I first started exercising. Crazy mad itchies. Now that I exercise regularly it hasn't happened in awhile... or I don't notice it anymore.

I've used Benadryl for bedtime. It would make me too drowsy for exercise. Claritin or Zyrtec don't make me drowsy though & would probably be effective for this. I only have a problem when I'm running & exerting a lot, not walking, cycling or weight lifting though. Weird.

I think I might be the only person in the world who doesn't get sleepy from benadryl. I'm not always sure that's a good thing! :D

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benedryl doesnt make me sleepy either .. but i think its becuase i have taken antihistamines most of my life so they dont have the same affect they once did

This would happen to me all the time. Especially when I would start working out.


Here could be another reason for the cause, in case Benydril doesnt work.

"Itchy skin usually occurs during exercise performed after a long period of inactivity. The itching is not on the skin, it's inside the actual limbs. There are millions of tiny capillaries and arteries inside our muscles which expand rapidly due to the demand for more blood that is brought on by exercise. When fit, these capillaries remain open allowing maximum blood passage, but when unfit and inactive they tend to collapse, allowing only minimal blood passage (which is sufficient for a sedentary person however). The rapid expansion of these vessels causes adjacent nerves to send impulses back to the brain which are interpreted as an itch. That's why after a few sessions the sensation tends to go away. Just another indication of increasing fitness levels."

Source: Maximus from the John Stone Fitness Forum on 02/09/04 (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/a...php/t-830.html)

nah its got to be histamine for me i have been working out almost everyday for 6 months.. its only been the last week.. and its been cold here so.. im sure that is it..

I too experienced this when I first started working out. I always thought it was due to increased blood flow... Not allergies or histamines... It doesn't happen any more now... except if it's really cold.

Keep up the good work!

I'm with you. Mine had to be a vascular thing. (Either that or the constant jiggling!) Never happens anymore though. (oh yeah, the jigging does!)

Amy - it is wintertime there in Australia right? Is it dry?

I'm never itchy on my arms or legs, it's always on my belly and my sides....esp. when I'm trying to run. Then once I start itching, it seems to last forever

Hmmm, I thought it was my lotion and deoderant reacting with the extra body heat and sweat because it was really unbearable at "creases" like my underarms and backs of my knees. Now I shower before I work out and don't put anything on my skin (out of consideration for others, I work out at home :lol: ) and haven't any more problems with being itchy (but DH is getting testy about the water bill).