Vitamin supplements may help relieve chronic itch in people with conditions like systemic mastocytosis (SM), according to a new meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
While standard treatments such as antihistamines and corticosteroids are often prescribed for chronic itch, they do not work for everyone and may cause side effects with long-term use.
Recent research suggests that some vitamins — specifically B12, B3 (niacinamide), D and E — could be helpful in reducing itch because they reduce inflammation, regulate immune responses and support the skin barrier.
To evaluate how effective these vitamin supplements are in managing chronic itch, researchers analyzed 21 clinical trials including a total of 1,723 patients. They found that people who took vitamin supplements had less severe itching, smaller areas of skin lesions and lower levels of inflammation compared to people who took a placebo.
Topical vitamin formulations, which are applied directly to the skin, appeared to be better at reducing itch compared to oral vitamin supplements. Topical vitamin B12 and D3 showed the best results, particularly in patients with eczema or chronic kidney disease-related itch. Oral supplements of vitamin B3, B12 and E also provided considerable benefits.
Short treatments (lasting for 8 to 12 weeks) reduced itching more effectively than longer ones. The study authors believe this might be because the body gets used to the treatment over time, the treatment becomes less effective, or people have a harder time sticking with it for longer periods.
Despite the promising results, the researchers pointed out several limitations. Among them were the small size of many studies and possible “publication bias” — meaning studies with negative or less impressive results may not have been published.
Still, vitamins B, D and E “may serve as effective adjunct therapies for managing chronic pruritus,” the authors said. “However, the variability among the included studies highlights the necessity for well-structured, long-term RCTs [randomized clinical trials] to determine the ideal dosage, treatment duration, and target patient populations that would derive the greatest benefit from vitamin-based interventions,” they added.
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