feelbad

i too would find it almost impossible that you would be reacting to the salt in your own body.since this is actually just in your arms only,there could be a few possiblities.one thing that caught my attention was that you appear to have carpal tunnel?is this in both?you also metioned the muscles?this could very well be a 'neuropathic' itch?If you are having any sort of actual nerve affectation it is possible to have a host of really freaky things happen,trust me on this one.the neuropathic crap all stem from the nerve affectaion.this just creates or causes certain neuro symptoms called parasthesias to develop in some people.it all depends on the nerves and how they are being affected and how your body responds.i have an absolutely hidious neuropathic itch up kind of under both shoulder blades due to spinal cord damage.of course this just HAS to be in like the hardest to scratch areas in the human body.unfortunetly i also have a very painful condition in these same shoulderblades called central pain syndrome which feels kind of like having a severe econd degree burn that just never heals,which makes that area of skin horribly painful to touch and of course to actually try and scratch.i finally started using lidocaine patches on these two areas at the blades just so i wouldn't feel the itch anymore,this also helps tons with the pain too.

have you tried taking benedryl or just using hyrocort cream on your arms?you can also get the lidocaine in a gel form which helps kind of numb down the surface of the skin some.its not as effective for pain as the lido patches but for your particular needs,it would work much more effectively.

just the fact that the itch is to the point where you are breaking open the skin,along with having this just in your arms where you do have some confirmed nerve issues going on, really sounds like this could possibly be a neuro itch.you really should speak with your doc about the itching.there are other Rx types of creams that would offer you much more comfort and relief from this,regardless of the actual cause.but like i mentioned before,i really seriously doubt that your itch has anything at all to do with salt.but you DO need to find out the source of this agony so you can get it properly treated.i wish you lots of luck with this,i know how horrid a non stop itch can be.please let us know just how things are going.FB

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3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.