Question: Hi, my question is about skin irritation (itchy/tender) of my hands and feet (to a lessor extent). This just started two nights ago. I awoke about 3:30 am with very itchy hands. All over but more predominant on the palms. Very uncomfortable. No rash, lesions, blisters, or anything obvious. It was very consistent until about 0830 and then gradually passed about 1030. I applied hydrocortisone cream around 930 am. The overall feeling was very similar to recovering from being outside in winter and getting really cold hands - come back inside and your hands get flushed and itchy. Except it was much more pronounced, persistent and lasted for a number of hours. Impossible to sleep. It occurred again last night (so two nights in a row). I went to bed at midnight and put hydrocortisone cream on my hands just before I retired for the night. I again awoke around 3:30 am with very uncomfortable itchy hands - just the palms. Also, this time it was around my feet as well - the upper arches, the upper toes and outside ankle areas. Though the feet itchiness was not nearly as severe as the palms of my hands. When I rubbed my hands together they were tender immediately after. I applied hyrdocortisone to the palms but did not seem to have an impact. Impossible to sleep and I eventually got up and showered around 7am. The itchiness faded once I got up and got active, though it is still present, however, very mildly so.

I'm 52, non-smoker, eat well, drink moderately (5 - 8 drinks/week; wine, beer, spirits), am slightly over-weight, and have good blood pressure (122/82). I just recovered from a head cold (week prior to this incident). I have not been around any poison oak or other such plants. I have never experienced anything like this before.