Antipruritic

Topical antipruritics in the form of creams and sprays are often available over the counter. The active ingredients usually belong to these classes:

• Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and Hydroxyzine
• Corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone topical cream, see topical steroid
• Counterirritants, such as mint oil, menthol, or camphor[1]
• Local anesthetics such as lidocaine, pramoxine, or benzocaine in topical creams or lotions

Oral antipruritics also exist and are usually prescription drugs. These can be antihistamines as above[2] or:

• Nalfurafine, a centrally-acting κ-opioid receptor agonist approved for uremic pruritus and effective in animal models of other prurituses[3]
• Oclacitinib, a janus kinase inhibitor used to control pruritus in dogs.

• Burow's solution, an astringent aqueous solution of aluminium acetate, is shown to soothe and to relieve itching.
• Olive oil
• Jewelweed has been shown to be devoid of any anti-itch activity in several controlled studies.[4][5][6][7]
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a class of medicines commonly used for depression, and are also said to be effective in controlling pruritus in a small number of refractory cases.[8] Mirtazapine, a different type of antidepressant, also has antipruritic effects due to its strong antagonism of the H₁ receptor.
• Calamine lotion, containing zinc oxide and iron(III) oxide, is a traditional remedy for mild itching, such as that typically associated with chicken pox – although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asserted that it has little if any scientific evidence.[9][10] Nevertheless, they subsequently recommended applying topical OTC skin protectants, such as calamine, to relieve the itch caused by poisonous plants such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.[11]
• Paste of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water, applied topically[12]
• Ammonium hydroxide (household ammonia), applied topically[12]
• Papain-based topical creams.

• Cooling with ice or cold water (usually stops the itch for as long as the ice or cold water is applied)
• Slightly painful stimulation such as rubbing, slapping, scratching, or heating based on a spinal antagonism between pain- and itch-processing neurons
• Pine tree gum applied to the affected areas for short periods of time can help in drawing out the oils and drying the skin.
• Frequent washing of the affected areas in hot water with a drying soap removes oils that come to the surface as the blisters form and provides temporary relief from itching.
• Applying emollients to the skin such as baby oil or petroleum jelly after showering

• Paus, R. (2006). "Frontiers in pruritus research: scratching the brain for more effective itch therapy". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 116 (5): 1174–1185. doi:10.1172/JCI28553. PMC 1451220. PMID 16670758.