I get the same feeling but only where my arms bend... I've had eczema there and other places on my body since I was very young. I agree that it's very pleasurable only on the spot but in the end my arms end up badly burned and don't heal for about a week. Have you found a way to soothe the affected area without damaging it? And I also wanted to ask you if you've had any luck improving your eczema?

Oh wonderful! I thought I was the only one! I've never found anyone else with this particular combination and every search on the internet until now has been fruitless.

While I am not normally an eczema sufferer, I have found the past few years that usually during the summer when I am still required to wear long hot pants in the office, that my lower legs (calf and shin really) on my left leg in particular and sometimes my right leg will get sweaty and irritated, then flare up and turn red, itchy and also weeping whenever abraded.

The strangest part was when I first found that stepping into a hot shower and blasting the area with the hottest high pressure spray turned my leg into one huge erogenous zone, and an orgasmic level of pleasure would set my brain on fire. If it started to fade, well just turn the heat up! fades again, well, move it around some, hit the other leg! It quite honestly feels like a 60 second or more orgasm without any muscle clenching/pulseing.

I knew this couldn't possibly be right, to have the pain/pleasure sensors in the skin of your leg be so crosswired has to be a bad sign, and sure enough like others I found that the main effect would be to make it flare up even stronger, weep easier, and of course, be even MORE pleasurable in the shower the next day!

Of course if I wanted a kick in the evenings and the wife wasn't in the mood, i would fill up an empty 2l pop bottle with the hottest tap water possible (or nuke it hotter) and roll that around the effected area. Beats masturbation any day!

It eventually subsides when the weather turns cold again, but now my lower legs, which used to be quite hairy, are bare with what looks like permanent goosebumps and are discoloured.

I have yet to find any reason for why the effected skin turns into a giant extension of my penis, but I am just glad to know that I am not alone and not a complete freak.

Has anyone ever had their doctor give them an explanation or found anything through research to explain this very strange phenomenon?

I cannot believe this. I thought it was just me. I have been burning my eczema with hot water for a while and get the euphoric sense when doing it. I agree that it feels better at first but ultimately makes the condition worse.

I was trying to justify to my girlfriend why it was I would turn the shower up beyond barable, and then put it behind my knees, the answer is that it feels amazing, ive never had eczema or anything, infact I dont even know what the rash is, its only been there few weeks. What iI do know is whilei have it im going to abuse this awesome burn trick!

OMG...yes, and I never talk about it because it seems just wrong. I have extremely hot water in my shower (just under the boiling point...it is the only relief i can get. My itch can not be stopped by normal scratching. It almost feels like something is boring into me. but in an itchy way, if that makes sense!
I burn the areas daily. the feeling is amazing, just like you describe and it is the only relief i get. Many times i have to soothe the area that i burnt..but it is worth it.

Hi all,

I've been following this thread for several years now. I am glad to know that there are people out there who have discovered this quick way of relief.
As many of you have mentioned, applying hot water over the itchy part of the skin feels VERY good. However, I do notice that afterwords, my skin does get worse. After applying hot water, my skin tends to be quite red, sore, and cracked - even after applying ointment or cream. Nonetheless, this hot water treatment seems to be the only shortcut to relieving the intense itch.

I strongly recommend using the product aquaphor with a combination of Aveeno's cooling lotion. Put these two products together and I promise that you will see your skin (and irritating itch) clear up in several days!

I know this is old but I was Googling about hot water stopping itching and I had to sign up. I thought I was alone. I discovered this a long time ago but with hot cups of drink. I'd place them on the area that was itching and it would stop the itching and feel really good. The pain didn't seem to bother me even though I did this as a child too. When I was quite a bit younger a friend of my dad's got a little device that was designed for eczema sufferers. It had a plastic handle with a circle piece of metal that you could change heat settings on and you place the metal area on the desired heat setting on the eczema. It worked just as well as the hot cups of drink but I could make it much hotter and it would stay hot longer. I do not know what happened to it but I wish I had it now. Don't know what it's called or if they're still being made/sold? It was when I was probably around 8 years old that I had it and I'm now 24 so I'm not sure but may look in to finding another one. I've had eczema since I was 6 months old and it was terrible right through my childhood (tried everything, diet, creams, skin specialists, hospital stays, bandages etc etc but nothing ever worked) but it did ease off during my late teens. It was still there in small patches from time to time but nothing that bad. Recently it flared up randomly and it was really bad. Had forgotten how awful it is. It has cleared up except for my hands. During this bad flare up recently, I discovered the amazing feeling of the hot water on my itchy eczema during a slightly too hot shower. It gave me an amazing feeling right through my body, very short but it then stopped the itching for a long time. So I have become 'hooked' with this with my hands although it makes them dry and red. I sometimes wonder if it's a form of self harm? I have began to let cold water run on my hands afterwards to try prevent the redness the hot water causes and I then apply cream to try stop it drying up. It is such an amazing feeling, as all eczema sufferers will know the itch of eczema is 100x worse than a 'regular' itch. I also get the relief from scratching but I find it more difficult to scratch my fingers than it is to scratch your leg or arm so the hot water is perfect for relieving that awful itchiness on my hands. I try to resist it but when it's the only thing that works and you're trying to sleep, it's tempting to take a minute to stop it. I think I'm slightly addicted to the amazing feeling you get as well. It's so crazy to think hot water can create that, I don’t think I’d ever believe it if I hadn’t actually experienced it. I have tried it when I don't have an itch or when my eczema was clear on my hands and it doesn't have the same effect - the hot water just begins to hurt. I don't feel the pain when I have an itch, I get this sort of tingle all over – mostly on the area but also right through my body and the itch just vanishes. I do want to do it again then though and my hands do end up sore once I stop. It's quite bad and my hands currently have cracks on them. Whilst it is a great feeling and it does relieve you for a while, I do sometimes wish I hadn't found it out. I feel like it's a dirty secret as well and I shouldn’t be doing it and people sometimes notice my hands are bright red when I come from the bathroom. My dad knows and he thinks it's crazy and that cold water should be better but I find that when it's itchy cold water irritates it more. When it's hot, cold water is soothing and it's nice after using the hot water method. So I feel a bit stupid to tell any one and I think if I told my doctor I'd be told to just stop because it's not good for me. I do know that but it's really hard to stop because it feels so good and it actually works. People say just stop scratching but they seriously don’t know how it feels. It’s incredibly hard to leave a regular itch alone let alone an eczema itch. Sorry for rambling, it's just kind of nice to get this out and know you guys understand. It would be really interesting to know more about why this causes such a nice feeling. I first believed it stopped the itch because you focused on the pain instead but that feeling is something else - like orgasm as mentioned a couple of times. It would also be interesting and helpful to know what causes itching because maybe we could stop it happening in the first place. I’ve wondered if it’s to do with the blood because when you scratch you move the blood around under the skin? And for me if I scratch, the itch is only relieved once I bleed. Does any one else notice that? I would love a cure but sometimes having a scratch I find relaxes me after? I just feel all good yet sort of bad for wrecking my skin. I do really enjoy scratching is what I’m saying even though that’s probably odd because obviously I hate the itching. Later I often regret it when it's sore or worse or infected. I also since a child have pinched, bitten the area that itches or pull hairs out on the area that itches and hold the area against the hot radiator and it all stops the itch, I think this might happen because your brain focuses on the pain over the itch. I have to say the most effective way for me to stop an itch has been with hot water though. I wouldn't recommend it though because I don't think it's very good for you in the long run :/ Any way, if any one wants to chat about this I'd really appreciate it. If I find out anything about the 'heat device' I mentioned above then I'll post it here, I remember it being brilliant and it does no damage to your skin so it's probably a lot safer.

Hey mate, I too discovered this by chance and the feeling I get is like no other I have experienced, is just simply amazing, my eczema is on my hands so easy for under a hot tap, the problem I find is the next day these "bubbles"or pustules form under the skin and slowly surface and they are itchy as hell so for ten seconds of euphoria I suffer three days of really crappy skin and intense itching, pretty much self harm, do you get these? Makes me try to avoid it but sometimes I have to just burn away, I find it best while the water gets hotter so starts off warm and I can pull my hands out just before they actually burn.
I too wonder about the mechanism, I guess that it's an cllmax, simply a feeling that reaches unbearable levels and then a release, in this case the heat makes the itch worse until it can't itch any more, not one hundred percent on that one though! Would like to hear others thoughts

Oh yes...been dealing with this since I was a kid...and putting very hot water has been the only thing that has helped me.
Recently I found just putting the affected area near the ceramic heater for a few minutes gives similar relief
..just without the instant gratification you get with hot water. But I do have a overwhelming feeling of peace after the treatment..so it's interesting you associate it with endorphins. Makes sense to me.

Hey I dunno why I looked it up but it seems like I'm not the only one who has this crazy good feeling when applying hot water to a rash . I was born with a rash covering most of my body . When I was 5 or 6 it had subsided to only my arms , stomach , and upper thighs. With medicine , I was able to get most of it wiped out ... Now let's fast forward 18 years . I began getting the rash on my stomach again (From sweat , my waistband on my pants, ect) and I would scratch it cause it felt good. It wasn't until one day I had stepped into the shower , had the water cranked up good and hot, and as soon as the water had hit my lower stomach , it was almost ogasmic . But only lasted a maybe ten seconds and then it was over . I admit this now, but I would refuse putting medicated lotion on it cause I wanted to feel that feeling of putting hot water on the rash. I honestly thought I was the only one who experienced this and it has been hard to describe the feeling to my mother and girlfriend .

Oh God Yesss!! Finally someone that understands! When I get into the shower, I run the hottest water on my itchy areas and I get the best sensation ever! Several times I've thought I could achieve the big "O" from doing this; that's how good it feels. Also, the itching doesn't return until the next morning when I get up. I know the hot water isn't good for eczema, but this feeling feels really good and the itching stops allowing me to sleep peacefully through the night.

I get the same feeling when hot water hits my underarms and top of my feet in the shower. The feeling is almost indescribable.But comparable to the "Big O". I dont have Eczema as far as I know. It started about 6 years ago. I always wondered if this was happening to anyone else.

interesting read! I can relate to this all to well,
my eczema riddled hands go through a cycle of
cracking and healing over a period of about a week. I've noticed that when washing my hands in very warm almost scolding water, produces an extremely pleasant sensation. although its difficult to get the exact temperature right, to maintain the high. pretty sure it's not an effective treatment ha ha. i blame giving up smoking for my onset of eczema, at least i get some pleasure out of it.

I have never read or came across someone who I understands this skin issue I am having! I too have to unbearable itch that is only soothed by pouring scalding hot water on it and it feels AMAZING!!!! I have to ask... what is the rash and how do I get rid of it. I have been to numerous doctors and no one can tell me what it is or how to get rid of it.

I have dry winter itch it becomes unbearably itchy. It can be cleared up by using betnovate ointment
However I have discovered that showering the itchy area with Luke warm water and gradually raising the intensity of the heat takes the itch to a blissfully ogasmic sensation that is very addictive. The heat levels rise to almost scalding levels and you pass through several levels of pleasurable sensations before the crescendo which takes away all itching. I do this about ten times before I eventually apply the ointment. I always look forward to its return I know this is madness. Que Sera.

yes i have some eczema on my back. lately, my hand have become very dry, with"patches". when i wash my hands in hot hot water, the itching becomes quite intense. only wiping hand on towel stops the itch.

Ey, I have this exact problem, I've been suffering with severe exzema for two years now eveveryday without fail I'll wake up and have a hot shower, when I say hot I mean scalding I will grab the shower head and start rinsing my exzema at the time I feel my toes curl in pleasure it's as if your skin is washing away all itches, the way it works for me is I'll have it boiling hot and spray it on my eczema I can feel a sensation on my skin as if it's having sex and c1imaxing itself hahah it lasts a few seconds then gets unbearable so you stop it stings for a few seconds after then you get out the shower and your skin feels taught and tight I towel dry myself then use coconut oil and various creams it gets me going through the day but I can feel the itch start again baring in mind I try stay moisturised through out that time, I repeat the same at night. I've noticed it gives you short term relief but In The long run leaves your skin sore and bubbly on the surface I consider it a form of self harm too, surely applying boiling water can't be good for it right? But I ant stop it's an on going habit, I'd like some help If anyone can advice on what to do to manage it better without harming my body in the long run anymore!

P.s excuse my spelling I'm walking to work in the rain haha

Hi I basically have the same thing on my hand thought it was a rash and when I itched it intensity it would create little cracks or bumps that would bleed small little white stuff well. More like water ish instead of puss anyways I ran it under hot water and the feeling is amazing slowly making it hotter and hotter makes u grit the teeth as you can't stop but anyways this makes it so much worse and their is such an easy solution. Everytime you get the urge just run it under really coldwl water. The colder the better and after a few days it should be fine. Mine cleared up but I got bored of not having the feeling so I tried to start it up again by itching the area and running under hot water and it's back. Lol anyways if anyone wants to fix it just run it under cold water whenever you get an urge

So I literally made an account just to post on this thread even if its been so long since it was posted.

I started getting really dry fingertips when I was around 8/9 and I'm now 21 almost 22. So I've had this eczema for a while now.

One night I woke up to my fingers burning in a really bad uncontrollable itch and wrapped my cotton woven blanket around each finger and one at a time gave them a "rug burn" with the blanket by twisting the fabric really tight across my irritated skin. I'm not sure really how this idea came about but the burning sensation of the itch went away after the "burn" of the intense itch from the fabric.

About a week later I realized that the hot/cold water treatment helped so much. Especially since the itch would go numb. What a relief.

The water only made it worse but I found that using a latex glove over my fingers while I put them under the hot water kept my hands dry and the skin from going insane with the overstimulation to the nerves.

Imediatwly after I put on another glove that's coated with petroleum jelly inside of it.

I know there's some sick glove and petroleum jelly joke here but I assure you its been working for me. Hopefully I'll find a better easier solution in the near future. I'm just glad I'm not alone.