IamA life long sufferer of Aquagenic Pruritus (allergy to water) AMA!

Are you aware of the irony that beta alanine (at the doses bodybuilders take before a workout) can cause a prickly, itchy feeling under the skin?

haha yeah I just mentioned that in another answer. Its slightly similar but very mild compared to an AP outbreak. I actually feel like that reaction from BA might be what stops the AP symptoms.

Before taking beta alanine, did you feel the prickly itching in your mouth or around your lips when you would drink water?

Glad to hear that you’ve been doing better and that beta alanine helps!

Yeah I remember as a kid my upper lip would get the prickling when I drank water so I guess that's why at some point I kind of adapted to drinking water so that it didn't touch my lips. When I drink out of a glass I kinda do that chugging thing where I just pour it in to my throat rather than sipping, if that makes sense. The inside of my mouth doesn't react.

How bad did your hygiene get?

Quite bad at its peak. As a teenager I just forced myself to deal with it and showered every few days. But before my diagnosis late last year it had actually gone away for over a year, but mid last year it came back and as always was the worst it had ever been by far.

Between mid last year when it came back and early this year when I found BA I might have showered once a month on average, if that. I tried taking short quick showers, sponge bathing, misting, etc. But there isn't any difference between a long shower or a short one or any of that, exposure to water is exposure to water and whatever I tried lead to hours of agony.

So yeah once a month I'd take a really long shower and really thoroughly clean myself and just deal with the several hours of post shower agonizing gravelly prickles all over my body. But once a month was all I could handle of that.

I know showering once a month sounds pretty bad but try and imagine what it's like to be truly terrified of taking a shower.

Hey! Good to know that you found something that helps your condition.

I've got a really stupid question, I've read that the human body is 70% water, didn't that 'water' caused an allergic reaction in you?

Thanks, take care!

I think its just water reacting with my external skin and I'd guess the water in my skin cells aren't able to react internally, but I am no biologist so can only guess. I do know that blood and sweat make my skin react though. Whenever I get a bloody nose I can feel the prickly gravel feeling around my upper lip and anywhere else the blood touches, and sweating sure as hell sets it off.

How old were you once you started to take the beta alanine and have your life changed? Did you feel like a new person, become more optimistic?

I was 26 and that was only at the start of this year.

You bet I did, it was the first time I'd felt normal. First time I'd ever enjoyed a shower and found it relaxing like everyone else instead of dreading it and being terrified of it. Not having to feel ashamed and avoiding my SO because of my hygiene. Being able to go swimming with friends and have a water pistol fight with my young brothers like a normal ass person. It just feels so great to feel normal.