sun burn with itching please help

My sypathy to your son and you. 

 I was a chronic sunbather ( golden brown from june to sept) until my mid 20's when i overdosed on sunshine and baby oil.  That first night i had no pain or burn or fever, only a freezing chill i could not clear ( in mid july).  A couple days later while sweating at work my body began to itch an itch that you cannot scratch.  i ran to a shower but as the water would sooth, the drying would only increase the "itch".  2 benadrils to knock me out for 6 hrs.

The condition repeated for a couple days but, eventually eased.

10 years later i still have the condition reaccour when i make the mistake of not wearing sun block.

My recomendation.  I am still able to spend the day on the boat with no shirt but sunscreen is a must. much like im sure your son will, i still choose to attempt a no shirt no screen day once in a while and i always pay the price. if you do get too much unprotected sun try and stay dry and sweat free. i have tried all sotrs of lotions and creams and nothing helps when you get that far.

looks like its been a while since this happened but if you have found any medical advise i would loove to hear it

Pat Maher

pat.maher@azek.com

I am 17 years old. Every year since I was 14 i had to take a tip to the emergency room atleast once, sometimes twice. I tried many things for releif, including showers hydrocartizone, and even benidril. Nothing stoped me from goin to the hospital. I was misrealble. Every wheres on my body itched and i wasn't able to sleep for days. I have been diagnosed with photodermititus. Your sons story sounds just like what i go through. Unfortunitly i was told there is no cure. The only thing you can do it to avoid getting sunburn. I am still hoping and searching for somekind of a cure. Its very misreable. it feels like a horrible itching sinsation, as if needles were poking me everywhere at the same time. I was also freezing. I thought hot showers would help but when i got out of the shower it became worst. All i can say is go to the emergency room. That was the only way i can get releif. Its was so misreable i swore i was cracking up. The emergency room gives me a shot everytime.

In my late teens, I got a really bad sunburn and later experienced the unbearable itching you described. Ten years have passed, and whenever I get another a the terrible itching returns after taking a shower. It's 15-30 minutes of torture. Take whatever precautions you can to avoid getting more sunburns.

I'm suffering from this horrible itching thing as I type this right now. My back was the affected area and when it first started to itch I tried lotion because it felt like tiny pieces of dry skin irritating my burn. That was a mistake as the lotion made it worse. To the point where I couldn't do anything. It dropped me to my knees and I was screaming in agony from this horrible itch. After the lotion i tried some "after burn" cream that i got from the store. Again it only helped to make the sensation worse. I had to run for the bath tub and I laid down in hot water. (as hot as you can stand it) it will hurt a lot at first because of the burn but the longer you soak in the water the less the dry skin makes you itch. Until you get out that is. I got some benedryl and that combined with soaking in a hot tub very often has brought the itching back to a somewhat tolerable level. These are the steps that I have been and will continue to use. Its not a 100% fix but with a sunburn that bad nothing will be except time.

1. Soak in warm/hot water for a long time

2. Use some benedryl but be careful because it will make you very drowsy

3. Never forget the sunblock again

I hope this helps and I'm so sorry that your son is feeling this right now. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.... well maybe my very worst enemy lol. Good luck.