# capsaicin - for itches!?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capsaicin-for-itches/73646>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 24, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capsaicin-for-itches/73646 "2001-07-24T17:55:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2001, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capsaicin-for-itches/73646/1 "2001-07-24T17:55:31Z")

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Capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers has been used for horse linament. I found it usefull for itches, even though it is advertised for arthritic pain.

Has anyone else found it useful for itches? and what kind?

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2001, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capsaicin-for-itches/73646/2 "2001-07-25T23:04:05Z")

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[http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/sites/adultpain/Topicals/CAPSAIte.htm](http://www.nursing.uiowa.edu/sites/adultpain/Topicals/CAPSAIte.htm)

> [@](#):
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> In addition to relieving pain it also apparently relieves itch - which sometimes can be as nasty as the pain itself.

[http://www.halcyon.com/iasp/TC96SeptOct.html](http://www.halcyon.com/iasp/TC96SeptOct.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Itch is readily abolished in skin areas treated with the nociceptor excitotoxin capsaicin (Tóth-Kása et al. 1986; Handwerker et al. 1987).

[http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/3378/capsaicin9.htm](http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/3378/capsaicin9.htm)

> [@](#):
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> Capsaicin is believed to deplete the chemical in the body that’s responsible for transmitting the “itch” signal to the brain. When capsaicin hits the skin, nerves release a flood of that transmitting chemical, called substance P. You feel relief after the initial deluge, researchers speculate, because the body is slow to replenish substance P.