Extreme Sunburn....i Cant Walk
Posted over a year ago
so i think i fell asleep in the sun yesterday at the beach i didnt notice i was burnt till i got home. My leg s were burning so much i didnt have aloe so i immediatly put moisturizer on my legs. it hurt so bad to put it on then a few hrs later i went to ... more »
so i think i fell asleep in the sun yesterday at the beach i didnt notice i was burnt till i got home. My leg s were burning so much i didnt have aloe so i immediatly put moisturizer on my legs. it hurt so bad to put it on then a few hrs later i went to have a cold shower and it hurt getting used to the cold but i was in even more pain when the cold wasnt on me. yesterday being canada day i went to see the fireworks my skin on my legs were swollen and my joints felt swollen. It was uncomfortable to stand but it was ok. I put more aloe on that night and it hurt so bad just the touch of something but i did it anyway because i knew it would be good for it. so this morning wking up the burning in my legs had gone, there still swollen but i was excited they werent burning. so usual morning duty was to go to the bathroom, i got up and as soon as weight was put on my legs i felt like screaming, i had extreme pain on my shin and on the inside of my knees. i dont understand how a burn can do that? what should i do? Is it just something that will go away with time? Thanks
Flindy - been there done that lol,what works is sitting in a swimming pool ,just sit for days.it does eventually go away after you shed your skin like a snake.i could not stand on my legs,i had to keep walking,if i walked it wouldnt hurt but if i stood still,a thousand needles in my legs.good luck
Just_me - That's terrible you're doing that to yourself...ouch! Try going to Wal-Mart and look at the sunblock products...there you should find a product by Hawaiin Tropics for sunburn that has lidocaine in it for the pain. I just bought some myself today. Good luck, and for heaven sakes...USE sunblock!
Arizonajulie - Tubbs, saw a couple of your post regarding your GF. How did it work out? Did all here pain go away? I suffered the same thing years ago. It lasted for days and the pain was so severe I could not walk at all. I know of others this has happened to, but no good explanations. And, in one case it cause permanant leg pain.
Kathiess - Tubbs, Did your GF get better? This happened to me 18 months ago and I am still having problems. I am trying to find other patients this has happened to in order to determine what happened to me and how I might fix it. I have been to many doctors. They tend to think is is neurological in nature, but are not sure.
Kathie
Maryannudy - The reason you get extreme pain when you stand still is because the blood is pooling in your lower legs causing the swelling to increase. It is so painful cause the tissues are ripping apart to create room for the 'blood pooling' or tissue swelling. The most sensitive areas are the shins cause the tissue is tightly attached to the bone. That is why when you sit down or lay down it subsides or goes away. The body is not "upright" causing gravity to pool the blood in your lower legs. Ya know when you stand up all day you get that "sock ring" on your ankle area? That is from the swelling. When you are burned and already have pushed your max with tissue swelling, the sudden rush is more than the tissues can handle. Extremely painful.
Elainac - I have been searching for an answer to this question all day. I went to the river yesterday and applied sunblock 3 times (mind you it was my 6 mo. old sons sunblock because I had forgotten to pick some up for myself), and today I am severely sun burnt, but even worse when I get up to walk I have most excrutiating pain. Only for me, it doesn't get better the more I try to walk - it stays the same or worsens. How long will this pain be present. I can deal with the sunburn, but not the excrutiating knee and chin pains when I attempt to stand or walk.
Kathiess - Elaineac - This is Kathiess. Got an email that you had posted. I am sorry to hear this has happened to you, especially with a baby to care for. Arizonajulie and I have corresponded. Her pain only lasted about a week. Mine improved, but still bothers me to some extent, now, nearly 2 years later. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU! I am in my early 50's. You are probably much younger and I'll bet you will get better. I would try to rest your legs as much as possible. That's what Julie did. I always tried to walk thru the pain, and that is probably not good. She also drank tons of water to hydrate. I would try to see your doc or a dermatologist or neurologist if you do not get better in a few days.
This problem seems to involve skin, circulation, and nerves. I am fair-skinned, have no known circulation problems, but I do suffer from migraine headaches which is a nervous system problem. Are you diabetic? I am not, but several of the docs I saw did ask me that. Are you taking any meds? They asked me that, too. As far as physiology, I am very petite, but my legs have always been strong, as I was a dancer for many years. Skin and tissue on shins always very tight, but not painful until I accidentally burned my legs there.
I would be interested in corresponding with you directly by email, even if you do get better, as my case is still lingering and prevents me from doing a lot of standing/walking.
Kathiess
Elainac - Kathiess - Thanks for responding. You're right I'm rather young; 23, to be exact and I'm also very fair skinned. The pain has become tolerable at times, but there are still times I get up and am in so much pain I want to scream. Luckily for me my fiance' was off of work this weekend and has been a big help with our son. The sun burn, however, feels worse today than it did yesterday or the day before. So far I have been taking tylenol every few hours, I have taken a bath with a cup of vinegar in it and another bath with oatmeal. I have put tons of aloe vera on, rags soaked in tea, aveeno eczema baby lotion (with oatmeal in it)... nothing is helping for very long. I guess it's something only time can heal. I'm sorry that your pain has not completely gone. It certainly is miserable and intolerable. I am not diabetic nor do I take any medications other than a tylenol here and there for a headache.
Kathiess - Elaineac - Yes I don't think it comes from blood sugar levels or medications. I don't even think it depends on the severity of the burn. I think it is something else about the inflammation inside the legs that causes this in just a few rare people. (Lucky us, huh?) A couple of the docs I have seen don't believe the sunburn CAUSED the pain, but rather TRIGGERED the pain because I have some unusual property in my skin, blood, blood vessels, or nerves. I was wearing anklets and sneakers and sitting on the beach with my legs outstretched in front of me when I got burnt. One doc now thinks maybe this caused a pinched nerve in my back that started the pain. They just ca't seem to make the burn fit with the internal pain.
I hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted on your progress!
Kathiess
Golden Greek - Hello I was hurting soo badly from this same thing that I had to look it up to see if anyone else has experienced this strange excruciating pain right when standing even only after sitting for 30 seconds I'm talking Pain soo horrendous its ten times worse than when your leg goes to sleep or something like that but after trying to walk and finally doing so the pain subsides it feels due to blood flow settling and i suppose when u walk it pumps it through the legs faster not pooling as someone said above causing the pain but I have been burnt worse than this many times over I was a bit younger like 21 or so and now im 29 and have lived in Florida my whole life one time it was bad to where it felt like I was sick like feverish and i thought that was bad but like you all said this time i still feel kinda feverish but not nearly as bad and the burn inst soo bad its just that pain when trying to walk.. its like as if the skin been shrunk from the burn and its like pulling from the knee down i dunno Ive tried every treatment.. i am worried :) and stupid for not wearing sunblock truth is i went fishing and brought it with me but i didn't apply it on worrying the scent would come off on the bait and would hinder my fishing at least I caught a bunch of trout :) but i am just trying to look at the bright side .. if u ever have this predicament bring some kind of gloves if your worried about tainting your bait or possibly some soap or hand sanitizer i don't know if u can even taint bait :)
Kathiess - Golden Greek - What were you wearing on your feet/ankles when you burned your legs? Kathiess
Golden Greek - Kathiess - I was wearing nothing .. i was foolish .. so i guess my legs were purple and i didn't realize it, you see I'm slightly color blind so my legs just just looked a tint of red i could not figure out why people were saying wow look at your legs um ya they were purple ouch ... so my face and nose peeled yesterday and a little bit today I feel a 1000 times better now but my legs still tingle and are sensitive to touch but that excruciating pain is gone and I am able to walk and stand !!I went to downtown Disney and was walking all over all day it did hurt a lot at the end of the day from my jeans rubbing against my legs and that happened today as well just walking through wal mart shorts are highly recommended unless your in the sun some very very light and soft pant wear. Some of the products i used after being burnt I highly recommend a relieving Aloe Vera Gel with active ingredients lidocaine and menthol or something very similar for numbing the burnt areas which almost instantly soothes the pain and helps the skin as well since it has some aloe in it too, also I got a moisturizing aloe lotion called Ocean Potion Skincare its made with tree tree oil has vitamins A , C, & E also Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with vitamin E 1 bottle of regular Aloe Vera gel in the fridge and 1 bottle at room temperature depending on how bad the pain was already when applying it ha ha .. also I have a real Aloe Vera Plant so basically what my girlfriend did was took a branch or section of the plant peeled the skin off and the remain are liquid and very jelly like so she put them in a mortar and pestle along with all the other lotions and gels , especially the Lidocaine, Menthol, & Aloe Gel and made a real potion then applied it like that before bed apply it thick let it cool a little bit then put a large long soft pillowcase right over your legs and then your sheets Also Kathiess I hope your doing better now your pain has hopefully gone away and thank you for asking me and hopefully some of you can learn from my mistake :) thanks all and ill check up on ya
Vehicros - P.S. During my search for answers I found numerous sites stating to NOT use products which contain Benzocaine or Lidocaine, which is one of the ingredients in Solarcaine and a few other sunburn relief products.
Mrspectro - Hello All, looks like I've fallen into this crazy category as well. On Father's day I went to the beach with my family and ended up with a bad sunburn. I know I've been burnt worse than this before, I didn't even have much swelling, but the pain when I stand still, for any length of time was murder. Now three weeks after I'm still having a lot of discomfort.
I've never been a believer of putting gels or creams over sunburns. I just worry about blocking the poors of the skin. I think cool baths and to drink plenty of water are the best things to do.
I haven't seen my doctor yet, but I will soon, if there is no improvement. I also have Migraines and am taking meds for it. These meds don't have any sun exposure warnings attached to them. I'll talk with my Neurologist in a couple of weeks. I have some varicose veins and the problem does run in the family. I'm 48 years old. I never had discomfort before going to the beach on Father's day though.
I was going to the gym at least 4 day a week and have stopped. I'm going to try to return to the gym and see if there's any change. I do feel better when I'm up and moving. It's when I'm "still" that I feel the pain.
I worked with a guy who came into work after falling asleep on the beach. He had swelling so bad his skin draped over his shoes. He left work that night, saw a doctor and was out of work for over a week with sun poisoning. This is not what I have, I'm sure of it.
If you have bad swelling like this guy did, please see your doctor right away.
Kathiess - Mrspectro - How are you doing? Have you gotten any better? Did your doctor have any ideas? I take Amerge when I get a migraine, but I do not take preventative migraine meds. This week I am going to see a doc who specializes in Erythromelalgia. It is a rare neurovascular disorder. My primary doc thinks if I have EM, that may be what caused the sunburn to trigger such internal leg pain. Will report if he is able to give me any clues.
Sunburnt24 - Hi guys, ive had the same problem with a sunburn i got a month and a half ago i went to three different dermatologists, and the problem is that the heat caused the tiny blood vessels under the skin to rupture. This is why my legs are purpulish red and hurt when i stand up. The blood rushes down the body to the legs when standing up causing the pain. Since the vessels are ruptured the blood ca not be well contained therefore causing redness pressure and pain. All three doctors advised me to stay out of the sun, keep myself cool, as heat aggrevates the problem, and keep legs elevated above head level as long as possible. The healing time however depends on the person's body.. Might take from three months to a year sonetimes and there are no medications for it.. The more one rests the faster the healing process.. May god help us and Goodluck for us all!
PS: my wedding is in two months! So i really hope im better by then!
Vehicros - Follow up - During the first week I also had these huge yellow blisters on my legs, The pain was really bad for the first week, the second week was better, the skin was and is still peeling a little. It hurts to wear sock and shoes, but is bearable. Its been about two weeks and they hurt a little, and feel really bad sometimes. but they are better. The new skin has formed but they are still red in the bad parts.Just took some time.
Mrspectro - Hi Kathiess, sorry your still having problems. I feel much better, but not healed 100 %. I haven't seen my doctor because I am getting better. It just seems to be a long process. I will see my neurologist on Aug 5. For about 6 months now I've taken a daily medication for migraines called Divalproex (Depakote) and another for migraines as they start, called Relpax. These meds have helped, but I'm still not where I would like to be. It seems a migraine developed just before an anticipated event, and some are triggered by foods of course. Back to the leg thing...I feel that Sunburn24 has the right answer for me, with a blood vessel problem. I keep my feet elevated as often as possible and all through the night when I sleep. I will continue to do this for now. Good luck with your EM. I hope you feel better soon.
Butterflyfish - Hello all. I found this forum a little while ago, and I've been watching it since. I went out to the beach and got a really bad sun burn. I was aching from the pain, but went to bed feeling okay. I woke up the next morning, stood up and about collapsed from so much pain in my legs. Until I had gotten out of bed I didn't even realize it hurt that bad. I wound up calling out of work that morning due to not even being able to walk. The next few days were complete torture at work. (I work in retail, so I'm on my feet all day). Even standing up for about 30 seconds would cause me so much pain. Like most of you stated if I walked around the pain would subside for a little bit, but as soon as I would stop walking the pain would return. It's been 10 days and the pain has subsided quite a bit. I can now stand without having to be moving at all times, but the redness in my legs still is there from standing for long periods of time. And it does hurt just a little bit still but it's no where near as excruciating as it was.
Kathiess - Butterfylfish - Hi all. Kathiess here. Saw the EM doc yesterday (Erythromelalgia). He didn't seem to know that much about EM. He gave me the history of it. He wants me to start on Topomax that they use to treat migraines and put lidocaine patches on my feet and have a skin puncture biopsy to test for small fiber neuropathy. I might do the last one. We are certainly seeing a lot of these sunburn/legpain reports right now. I guess this is due to the heat wave?
Vehicros - Maybe due to the lack of rain. Which finally last week in Colorado Springs, CO had some wonderful rain, and again this week in Albuquerque, NM
Sunburnt24 - Yes the heat wave is making sunburn quite bad, unlike any sunburns i had before! I went to my dermatologist today for a check up on my healing progress.. Told me there's nothing left to do but moisturize the sunburn with a fragrance free moisturizer if possible since recent studies have shown that perfume can further irritate sensitive sunburnt skin.. And legs should be elevated above head level as much as possible to decrease healing time.. Its only a matter of time hopefully and everything should go back to normal! Best of luck for all of you guys!
Butterflyfish - I honestly do believe that the heat wave or something to that extent is partly to blame. One time when I was about 13, I went to the beach with my mom. When I got there, there were a bunch of kids there (some sort of field trip) me being 13 I was embarrassed beyond belief so I refused to do anything.I didn't even put on sunscreen. I was out there for about 4 hours. When we finally left, of course I was burnt to the point my legs were so dry it literally looked like I had crocodile skin. It hurt, but it hurt more like a sunburn is supposed to, not what this excruciating pain was.
Kathiess - Yes I had a bad burn when I was about 19, but it also followed a normal course...nothing like this strange internal leg pain. This time, my shin pain fell to about half within a week and continued that way for 6 months. At that point, the pain spread to my ankles, which was strange because I had not been burned there. About 6 months after that, it spread to my calves when I was kind of hiking up a hill at the zoo with my kids. Now, 2 years after the intial burn, I still cannot wear socks and sneakers or boots or anything that comes up around my ankles (a problem here in Chicago). I also still have calf pain if I'm on my feet more than about 30 minutes. Please keep in touch if anything like this happens to you. Several of the docs I have seen seem to think I may have small fiber neuropathy from this that may be permanent. But many of them refuse to think it started with the sunburn. I know it did. Sunburnt24, are you in a major metropolitan area? It sounds like your 3 dermatologists at least agreed on blood vessels rupturing. Did they do a skin biopsy to find this out? Had they ever seen a case like yours before? None of my docs have seen this.
Golden Greek - Alright everyone I am feeling 100% better now also have healed all the way and I have been back out in the sun at least 6 to 7 times already. I use sunscreen waterproof 50 now for some of you who did not know the number 50 is every 50 minutes you have to reapply if your using 5 then you are basically having to apply it on constantly every 5 minutes to protect you from burning and cooking in the HOT sun and if you want instant results u cant get them if you want a nice well rounded deep tan that lasts youll apply sunscreen regularly based on the number and it will have to be done over a 3 - 5 day period at least so it is done safely and without pain and regrets :) I wish you all the best of luck and read one of my previous posts on how to treat your burns plus many others were helpful GET WELL SOON AND WEAR SUNSCREEN :)
Mrspectro - Golden Greek, Congratulations! I'm glad you're feeling better. I too am feeling much better, but I am not 100% yet. I still sleep with my feet elevated. Also the skin on my lower legs feels thicker than the rest of my legs...like over done chicken. Haha. What you wrote about the SPF #s is a good idea but it's not fact. This is what I've found from many sites :
*SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. The number you see associated with SPF represents the length of time you can stay out in the sun without burning, multiplied by the corresponding number. So a person who would normally start to burn in 10 minutes, could theoretically have 150 minutes of sun protection with a sunscreen that has an SPF of 15.
*Regardless of SPF number, testing of sunscreen does not really correspond to the amount of time you can stay out in the sun without burning because sweating, clothing rubbing against the skin, and water sports will all wear the sunscreen off. Tests also use much more sunscreen than do most people, so SPF number results can be inaccurate. Usually, an SPF 15 rated sunscreen will give you about an hour of protection before you should reapply sunscreen. This, of course, varies from person to person. It also helps to wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.
*The SPF number only relates to ultraviolet B (UVB) protection. Ultraviolet A (UVA) protection is not measured through SPF numbers, and until recently, frequently was not available in sunscreens. UVB rays are more potent, quicker to produce sunburn, and have been linked to skin cancer. UVA is associated with aging of the skin, and along with UVB exposure, may increase risk or facilitate skin cancer. UVA though milder, is still not safe. ...END...
Kathiess, I feel terrible for you. It sounds like your getting the runaround due to the lack of medical personnel know how. I was on Topamax for a while. It was prescribed to me for depression. It didn't work for me. I also looked up EM, and to me it doesn't sound like you have this problem. To me this sounds like it would affect the whole body. But what do I know?? Seeing a Neurologist is the best thing for Migraines. Don't let your doctor feed you all kinds of meds. You're no lab rat. Also ask a lot of questions and be firm with the doctors about your leg problem starting under the sun. I've been seeing this thing all over the Internet now. Everywhere I look people are saying the same things we're reading here. Good luck to you all. Don't take any SH#*.
Dunetraveller - Dunetraveller - I once went swimming in a pool in sunny South Carolina for HOURS at the height of the day as a kid. I was a pale kid from northern Illinois. BIG MISTAKE! 95% of my body was lobster red when I got out of the pool. I was in sad shape for the next week. Had I known then what I know today, I would have kept as much of me as cold as I could possibly stand.
The red of a sunburn is not a burn per se, but rather capillaries opening up to allow more blood flow to the tissues in an effort to heal actual/potential damage to the skin. The body does have a tendency to overdo things... like an excessive fever from trying to kill an infection... the fever could kill you if the infection doesn't. In extreme cases this flushing of the skin will cause blistering which can lead to infection if they break open, or broken vessels leading to bruising.
R.I.C.E. is an acronym for how to treat swelling from injury: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Sunburn, I believe, can be similarly treated. It won't stop the reaction, or even shorten the time the body will respond this way, but it may curtail some of the damage that can happen when the body does too much of a good thing.
Swelling can cause what is known as compartment syndrome. Another one of the body's attempts to heal gone awry. All that pressure has nowhere to go and starts causing more damage to tissues and nerves. In some cases of compartment syndrome from muscle tears, surgery is done to allow expansion and relief... not a pretty sight. I'm a bit surprised that no docs came up with the possibility that nerve damage from a bad sunburn was possibly undiagnosed compartment syndrome. Then again, how often do they see a bad sunburn to know? The sunburn healed, but the damage left behind from the swelling may be a bit more lasting.
Kathiess - To mrspectro - yes my skin also felt thicker where it was burned and still feels too tight there sometimes.
To dunetraveller - actually I had only a first-degree burn - no blisters. And really not that much swelling. Just solid redness that was so red it was almost purple. Since there was so little swelling, they do not think I had compartment syndrome. By the way, there are 2 kinds, acute and chronic. The orthopedists say I have neither. I think it was a capillary problem that led to a nerve problem. It is possible that the capillaries healed, but the nerve damage they caused did not. My mother had something called Fragile Capillary Syndrome where she bruised easily. I have never had that, but I do have Roscea, so my capillaries tend to expand and break more easily than normal.
Terrinichols - So sorry everybody has experienced this awful pain that I am going through. I literally had not been in the sun for 10 years and decided to go to the pool 4 days ago, used bullfrog sunblock, but for some reason from the top of my thighs to my ankles is so red and purplish. The stinging is just about unbearable and on top of that when I go to stand up, I almost collapse from the pain. It is the weirdest thing I have ever experienced. I know that I have been burnt worse than this before but have never in my life experienced what I am with my legs right now. Now four days later blisters all over my shins and I feel pulsing in the top of my feet. My ankles are so swollen they are not even visible. THIS IS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!
Orion_authority - Orion - Well it seems I have fallen victim...
Mine is only on the back of my leg's as I laid out doing office work at the beach with the family... I bitterly have not worn shorts for about 15 years, so my skin has never seen this much sun... I was out there at Pismo beach from about 12:00 to around 4:00...
The next morning I got up and experienced what I read above... I too though that the pressure was rising, but the constant moment was contracting and relaxing the calves allowing the blood to not build causing the outer diameter of my calf to expand and therefore cause the skin which was damaged to stretch, this caused the pain... if I were to describe it, I would say it feels about 1/8th of an inch deep covering the entire back half of my legs. From just below the crease in the back of my legs to the middle of my Achilles tendon...
I have always experienced some sort of swelling in my legs as I am always standing and moving around as a robotics technician... honestly this swelling looks no different, but the skins damage causes the pain...
The only concern I have is melanoma as I see two black spots about 5mm in dia. One on my right calf, and one on my lower back of center to my spine, that I had not noticed before... Granted they may have been there before, but I had not noticed them as I don't inspect every inch of my body with a microscope...
The weird thing is my back was worse, and it holed about 50% after the first night... my legs look the same, but the added presume is causing the redness to stay...
Was thinking of going for a run to get the circulation really flowing, as I don't want to develop clots, or blocked pathways from just sitting there...
Any thoughts?
Kathiess - Orion - I honestly don't know what to tell you. I don't know whether to move or sit still. Rest has always given me improvement, but last week I was in a class, sitting most of the day, and my butt started to hurt just like my legs, and my legs have not felt great either. It's like there has to be a balance between rest and circulation. It's like the blood overstimulates the nerves which overstimulate the muscles. The muscles are then left feeling sort of bruised, the way your scalp feels after a migarine has subsided (if you have ever had one.) Go to a dermatologist if you see suspicious spots.
Mrspectro - Orion, My legs stayed very red for about 3 weeks. It took a while for them to look somewhat normal again. I got this thing on father's day and still feel some discomfort. I can sit here and type into this blog without having to re-adjust my position, as I had to do in the past weeks. I still have some tingling, but not much at all now. I'm definitely getting better. It's just a long long process. In an earlier blog I wrote that I'm not a believer in creams and gels, but I have been putting baby oil on my legs when at home, and my skin feels so much better...not so much like dried chicken any more. I have been back to the gym, doing a lot of walking and bike riding, and my legs feel fine afterwards. I have also been back to the beach a couple of times now, using plenty of sunscreen. My only advice is to keep your legs elevated as much as possible, keep moving if you have to be on them, drink plenty of water, and try some baby oil for the stiffness. As far as melanoma, keep a close eye on the areas of concern. If the spots get larger, change shape or develop reddish rings around them, seek medical attention. Good luck.
Jaynee11 - The same thing happened to me, so like most people I've been endlessly searching for some sort of answer to it. My burns came from around five days ago, I was on holiday and laying on the beach as you do, had spf30 sun screen on, but the next opening from my ankles up to my mid thigh I was so so burnt. I could barely move, could only stand for around five seconds until the pain got that bad that I had to sit again. Five days on, and I can move a lot better, the pain has subsided a great amount, however I've been left with a severely swollen left foot and the redness with mild pain still in my legs. They also seem to go through small phases of turning a purple shade, and where the redness is retreating my skin is a very light purple. When this happened, my legs were swollen beyond recognition, it was horrendous. I couldn't use any aloe though to help sooth, because I'm allergic, so being on holiday we didn't know what to do, so I just kept topped up on painkillers and grinned and tried to bear it. Even now, if I knock my leg on something, its a Sharp stabbing pain, which feels nothing like the sunburn, and indentations are still left so that must mean swelling is still there. What is this?! I feel for everybody going through this.
Jaynee11 - The same thing happened to me, so like most people I've been endlessly searching for some sort of answer to it. My burns came from around five days ago, I was on holiday and laying on the beach as you do, had spf30 sun screen on, but the next opening from my ankles up to my mid thigh I was so so burnt. I could barely move, could only stand for around five seconds until the pain got that bad that I had to sit again. Five days on, and I can move a lot better, the pain has subsided a great amount, however I've been left with a severely swollen left foot and the redness with mild pain still in my legs. They also seem to go through small phases of turning a purple shade, and where the redness is retreating my skin is a very light purple. When this happened, my legs were swollen beyond recognition, it was horrendous. I couldn't use any aloe though to help sooth, because I'm allergic, so being on holiday we didn't know what to do, so I just kept topped up on painkillers and grinned and tried to bear it. Even now, if I knock my leg on something, its a Sharp stabbing pain, which feels nothing like the sunburn, and indentations are still left so that must mean swelling is still there. What is this?! I feel for everybody going through this.
Emmawimbo84 - i have just got back from a holiday in spain and 2 days before i was due to come home,, i spent the day at the beach (around 4 hours). I felt sore from sunburn all on the back of my legs that night. the next morning when i got up i still felt sore but when I went to stand up I couldnt stand or walk. it felt like the muscles were really stiff and my legs feltlike they were all bruised at the back of my calves.i dont know how i made it on the plane i had to limp and have help from my bf all the way home.i just hope it goes away as i have work in a week, think i will go to the doctors in the next 2 days if it doesnt go away soon. 1 min i think they are getting better and the next they feel like they did from that first morning.
Natem - after a week of pure h*ll, and god only knows how many bananas and cantaloupes (both very rich in potassium) the leg pain is gone although my burn is bruised (app. an inch out from the edge of the burn.) my advice is to walk and take it east, eat alot of potassium and drink even more water! good luck guys and hang in there....you're not alone
Sunburnt24 - I feel for all of you people out there! It's been two months and a half for me and still redness is still there especially on my legs.. The pain is gone and whenever i have my legs elevated everything is fine but as soon as i stand on my feet for two minutes my legs turn red again.. Sometimes im fine all day and at night I suddenly have red patches all over where the burn was and the areas where the burn was get all hot! Its very weird! And also if I got angry, frustrated or even shy i get red patches in the areas where the burn was!
I dont know how long this will take to go away, or even if it's ever gonna be gone! Im getting hopeless and depressed especially with the doctors saying that only time would heal it! Please share if you have similar symptoms.. Thanks
Lousypictures - I want to thank all of you for your responses and sharing. My legs are extremely swollen and I'm in terrible pain after being out in the sun yesterday for just a few hours. I can hardly walk or stand for very long. Every time my legs brush up against anything I wince from the pain. Unfortunately I have to go to work and move around a day long and taking ibuprofen does help. I also iced down my legs before bed. I've never had a sun burn this bad. I thought I was loosing my mind when I woke up thus morning and couldn't stand up right away. Reading all your comments had put me at ease a bit. Thanks.
Kathiess - Kathiess here - don't know if my comment went thru. Have not posted in a while. Went to Mayo Clinic with this since mine has lasted 2 1/2 years.. They think a neurological problem has occurred and diagnosed "Hypersensitivity Symdrome" or overactive nerves. They put me in the same group with fibromylalgia, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, and interstitial cystitis which is like overactive bladder. They say all of these things are caused by neurons overfiring and continuing to fire when they should not. They don't know why. They recommended Lyrica or Cymbalta and PT.
Jenniferalice - I'm so glad that you guys shared your experiences. I am a Florida native and I have been burned very badly in the past. I feel that this pales in comparison. Everywhere else that I was burned is like a typical sunburn except for my legs. I had my pant legs rolled up at a ball game for only a few innings. I rolled my jeans down when I realized I was burning. I got home and was not surprised to see that I was red but I didn't expect to feel like my legs were burning as I tried to sleep. I got up in the morning and could barely stand. I had to be on my feet cleaning at my PT job for five hours. I was able to overcome the pain. But after driving for half an hour home, I could barely stand again upon exiting my car. Everything you guys have said is what I'm experiencing. The best explanation seems to be about the blood vessels/blood pooling. Anyway, thanks again for all the comments on here because at least I know I'm not alone.
Vehicros - Hello Jenn,, Im glad these sharing these experiences helped you understand the pain you were/are feeling. I am also glad I found these posts, just to clarify the pain caused by the sunburn which was unbearable, and that I was not the only one to have this happen. --V--
Kevincallaway - Hey everyone I am currently in myrtle beach sc and have been outside looking for sharks teeth. Both my feet got sunburned but my left foot hurts worse than the right one. My wife thinks I got sun poinising but I have exactly what u describe. I decided to goto the Walgreens pharmacy and my wife told her what I had and she told my wife to use hydrocortisone cream to put on my foot. The hydrocortisone does work I am gonna continue and see how fast I recover
Thanks
Painful left foot
Jenniferalice - I just wanted to post an update. As I stated previously, I had to get up to go to a very active PT job the day after I was burned and then I did a 5k the following day. The pain seemed to mostly come after a period of sitting/not moving so it sounds crazy that I continued to be so active but it really wasn't bad once I got through the initial pain. I went to see my dermatologist six days after my burn and she said I should have come in sooner. A prescription medication I recently started taking had made me more sensitive to the sun. She prescribed a steroid that acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It's a cream like what Kevin stated but it's called Triamcinolone Acetonide Cream. It has now been about 18 days and I am still a little itchy and I'm peeling but there's no more pain when I go to stand/move after a period of inactivity so I'm happy.
Laurenrose - Laurenn-3 days ago I went to Venice beach and I mustve forgotten to put suncream on the back of my legs, when I got up to leave my mom pointed out that my lags were bright red but because it didn't Hurt at that point I just left it. But when I woke up the next day I got out of bed and the pain in my legs made me want to scream, it hurt to just stand on my legs and trying to walk was even worse, I tried a cold bath but the pain was even more unbearable in there then it was when I wasn't in the bath. Since them I've been getting my mom to put after sun and cooling spray on my lags every few hour, but even though the redness has nearly faded now the pain is just getting worse and worse each day. I have 5 more days left in LA and I really don't want to let the burn get in the way of my holiday especially as I'm going to disney today which will invoice a lot of walking.
Does any one know any ways to make the pain go a way as quickly as possible? I am determined not to let this burn ruin my holiday.
Cmnbarbie - Barbie- soooo glad I found this! Got the worst burn of my life an experienced all of the above issues. I thought I seriously did something wrong for this to happen as I am 26 and been burnt many times. I was in tears thinking it was some rare skin condition. It has been 4 days but elevating feet and lots of liquids really seems to help. Will update in a week, thank you all for keeping me sane when experiencing this horrid pain!
Hollisky - Seems that this is happening to a lot of us & I wouldn't wish this upon my worst enemy.Im 19 and going to Dominican in 2 days, I have a light completion to begin with but tan very good, so I figured id get in a couple good tans before I went. Well yesterday I went tanning in a super bed for 15m and I've got a great base tan just after one tan, but my legs are red as tomatoes and from my knees down.I'm experiencing a beyond tolerable pain. Everything feels fine when I'm sitting/laying down but the moment I try and stand it feels like my muscles are ripping apart ! I was very happy to read that I'm not the only one going through this, and as pp have said the pain is horrible when I first stand but once I start walking it subsides .. until theoment I stand still then I could scream from the pain. I'm supposed to be standing in a wedding on Monday and at this point I don't know what to do. I've been using aloe with lidocaine for the pain but it doesn't seem to be helping at all, has anyone come across something that helped with the pain ?
Cmnbarbie - hollisky- elevate your feet whenever possible, including when you sleep. Take up to 800mg of ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) every 6 hours and make sure to use aloe thats first few ingredients are not water or alcohol! Vaseline is a good moisturizer and found it works better than aloe. Within 5 days I was able to walk and stand without cringing. Best of luck and lots of sunscreen! Oh and heat makes it hurt more so try to stay cool as often as possible!
Cmnbarbie - A few more things I just remembered: a cool shower or bath cools off the skin and calms burning feeling (bonus is that ur hair will look amazing without the stripping effects of a hot shower). Avoid shaving for first few days or as long as possible, removing that top layer of skin increases pain (I avoided my boyfriend like the plague for a week, poor man love you!). Sleep without covers on your legs to avoid trapping the heat and allow oxygen to the skin to decrease heal time. Dont panic if your legs appear purple incolor or you have new found cankles, they go away after elevation and healing. And finally, play off the "dancing" from pain as excitement ( my coworkers thought I was nuts but we all had a good laugh!)
Tay77 - tay_I am so glad I found this. I wenr to tanning bed for first time this yearon saturday..it is now tuesday. Tge girl at the counter sold me some lotion but
Didnt tell me it had tingle in it. The label doesnt even say anything about it
I usually burn a couple of times then tan real well. Anyway.. I have been burning and awollen ever since. My legs have felt swollen and hurt to move or touch. But its all of my skin..today my breasts and stomach burns more than my legs. After reading this forum..i think what has happened is tge tiny blood vessels have rumptured.because nothing I apply helps the pain..pain killers only subside it a little..my legs have been so tight and painful..but I had to go do my grocery shopping yesterday and walking seemed to loosen the tightness..even tho not completely. Its just a tingling firey feeling on my back chest lega and stomach. Ive had plenty of sunburns before...even ones w blisters..this is different. It hurts to even lay in the bed..or to be touched. And nothing is helping. Ive tried vinegar..and oatmeal bath..aloe..peppermint lotion..noxema.. That is why after I read the person who wrote they had ruptured the tiny vlood vessels..it made sense. I guess only time could heal that..but I wish tgere were something! This hurts!
Lindsey0001 - Wow....so glad I found this but sorry you all are experiencing this! Last week my husband & toddler where vacationing in Destin FL. I laid out on the beach for about 3 1/2 hrs....didn't feel burned, but did use tanning oil. I used to be a regular in the sun but have not been exposed to that much sun in at least 3 years. I went to the hotel took a shower & went out for dinner with no problems. Before going to bed put Aloe all over next morning I got out of bed & literally fell right back down in the bed from the pain. The only way I could explain the pain to my husband was chin splints really bad! The sunburn wasn't even the worst I've had but I have NEVER had the pain in the bones with the burn! My feet looked like I was stung by 100 bees & had an allergic reaction! Then noticed that the front of lower legs turned purple. That really freaked me out. It's been 6 days since the initial burn & swelling better but still there & pain still there when getting out of bed in the morning. After getting up & getting through about 1 min of pure hell...the pain subsides while being active. Just got out of a really warm shower.....looked at ankles & feet cause shower made them burn...& still very purple & when I push on it; the white ring appears & lasts for about 45 seconds. I put a lot of aloe on & currently have my feet elevated in bed. Also when getting out of the shower there red blotches of skin in the purple? Looks like spots of razor burn? I may end up going to doc tomorrow....this is too scary. I thank you all for sharing & please let us know how you are doing! God bless
Charlieflynn97 - Hi, been reading all the comments, basically same thing happened to me. Was out in the sun for a couple of ours but lying on my baxk the whole time. It was windy so I couldnt feel the heat, and there was no redness. Im natrually fair skinned and usually burn before I tan so I have been much worse burnt before, went to bed that night and had mouisturised and all was fine but when I got out of bed the next morning just collapsed from the pain! Only one leg mostly effected but it is the most burnt aswell. Feels so unbelievebly painful like nothing I have ever expierienced before! Cant walk at all its too painful, feels like others have said about the blood rushing to the bottom of my leg and my skin and tissue just being torn apart! Have an exam tomorow and dont know how I can physically make it! Guess im going to have to crawl my way in! Im only 15 and hope this wont effect the rest of my life! I already have low circulation and bad knees, could circulation issues maybe be a cause? Thanks, Charley.
Vehicros - Hello again - , With the ever increasing number of posts I must again say, This is all proof of the damage mankind has done to the ozone layer. Sunburns to this extent were extremely rare when I was young.
Now sun screen is practically a requirement when being outdoors, whereas it never was before.
-V-
Csnow1 - I was badly burnt two days ago and still feel the same pain , these comment have put me at ease as I have the same symptoms I thought only I had ! Purple bruised aching legs , bruised feeling skin that even the lightest of clothes feel too heavy for . Very dangerous and stupid of me to not wear sun screen . I'm paying the price now , hope my skin soon heels :(
Luvdragonflys07 - In Sunday I got a bad sunburn on the front of my legs. I was in the sun for about 3 1/2 hours. Got home noticed I was red took cool bath and put aloe on. Monday morning when trying to get out of bed I couldn't stand up without almost being in tears. I'm fair skinned and have had bad sunburns in the past but nothing that has caused this kind of pain. Today, Wednesday I can still feel lots of heat comin off my legs but the redness is much better. The pain has also gotten better. Getting up is still horribly painful but once I start walking the pain isn't so bad.
Chcom Dancer - I am so glad I am not the only one. Moderate burn on my legs, horrible pain when I stand, and edema even worse than when I was pregnant. I am on day 3. My doc is treating me with silvadene and monitoring the edema. This is scary.
Dalefan88 - i just got sunburn on my feet and lower legs for the second time. i will wear sunscreen from now on. the pain in your legs and feet will subside in about 5 days...make up a batch of tea. 10 tea bags to a gallon of water.and spray on sunburn will turn it tan and relieve pain. they used the te treatment during the world war for burn victims., and it does work. just takes 5 days to start to subside....
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Alicea123 - Hey guys. Just went through this. Went to the beach on Tuesday, stayed our for five hours. Being an idiot, I only put sunscreen on my face. Usually, I burn then get a really nice tan. Well, not this time. I didn't realize how burnt I was until Tuesday night. Luckily, I had off work the next day. I stayed in bed all day, took lots on ibuprofen, drank tons of water, and put aloe all over. And still, it was so painful to walk. I found it weird that it was easier to walk then stand in one position. The next day, I had to call out of work because I could not walk (I'm a waitress). The following day (Friday) I decided to try to go to work. My shift was 11-9. By 5pm my coworkers sent me to the hospital. My legs were so swollen and they were turning purple. The doctor at the hospital gave me percocets, 600mg ibuprofen, and Methylprednisolone. She advised me to stay out of work for another day. Today, I woke up feeling great. I worked 11-9 with no problem. My legs are still very red but the pain and swelling is gone. Don't wait-- go get some meds! You will not regret it.
Alicea123 - Hey guys. Just went through this. Went to the beach on Tuesday, stayed our for five hours. Being an idiot, I only put sunscreen on my face. Usually, I burn then get a really nice tan. Well, not this time. I didn't realize how burnt I was until Tuesday night. Luckily, I had off work the next day. I stayed in bed all day, took lots on ibuprofen, drank tons of water, and put aloe all over. And still, it was so painful to walk. I found it weird that it was easier to walk then stand in one position. The next day, I had to call out of work because I could not walk (I'm a waitress). The following day (Friday) I decided to try to go to work. My shift was 11-9. By 5pm my coworkers sent me to the hospital. My legs were so swollen and they were turning purple. The doctor at the hospital gave me percocets, 600mg ibuprofen, and Methylprednisolone. She advised me to stay out of work for another day. Today, I woke up feeling great. I worked 11-9 with no problem. My legs are still very red but the pain and swelling is gone. Don't wait-- go get some meds! You will not regret it.
Liz19(12) - Liz19- I went to a stand up tanning bed, but I think its strength was stronger than I expected. I almost never burn and I was only in for about 6 minutes. Afterwards I was so burnt I felt like someone had beaten me .It was hard to sit, walk, anything. I didn't want to be touched for nearly five entire days. The pain has gone away but now my breasts, I;ve noticed, are bruised looking as in purple. They had a lot of bruise-like pain in them as well. Did this burn actually bruise me??
Kittyxluv - So glad I found this site! I read through all the comments and I feel much relieved knowing that this is not just happening to me and I’m not alone. Same thing happened to me during my vacation! I am 30 and Asian am very faired skinned and do not tan or burn easily and to be honest, I do not spend much time outdoors to get too much sun on my skin. So my Husband and I went on a Vacation and spent all day Wednesday out in the sun and floating around in lazy river in a tube. Of course like everyone else, only put sun block on my face and nowhere else. I felt sun burned that night and didn't think much of it. I only had bad sunburn one other time in my life about 5 years ago and it was the same bad sunburn pain so I thought I must have gotten bad sunburn. But I took it easy that night and went to bed early. But when I woke up next morning on Thursday, as soon as I put my leg down from the bed I felt this excruciating pain! Like electric shock currents running through both my Shins! Like people have mentioned here, Shin Splinter, Muscle Tearing, Bone Crunching or whatever but just PAIN!! I literally was in tears for 2 minutes and when I tried to stand, I clasped back onto the bed! For about 5-10 minutes, I kept attempting to stand and walk so I could go to the restroom and by the time I made it to the restroom, I was breaking cold sweats and was shivering! I lay back down awhile and went through the same pain later when I tried to get up. That time I kept walking around and around in the room and was able to make the pain subside and it was bearable to walk. I did notice my whole body was really burned and especially on my legs were VERY red. But since Thursday was our last vacation day before we flew out Friday, I attempted to go out and walk around a bit (with LOTS of sun block on my legs). I was able to walk but found it hard to stand still and every time I sat still and got back up, I felt pain again. After eating and walking for a bit I couldn’t bear being outside since the heat made my legs feel like they were catching on fire so we went back in. I think this is when I first noticed my legs were swollen. We wasted a whole vacation day with me just lying in bed. Friday morning I woke up with the same Shin Splinter Pain which did not get any better but worse and noticed that my legs were even MORE Swollen! Especially my ankles! And my ankles didn’t even get burned! After flying home, I took it easy and Saturday went past just the same. On Sunday I felt a little better in the morning and took me less time being able to stand but I noticed I started to get blisters on both my Shins that night. Now I have a new worry because of the blisters so today (Monday), I took off from work. Pain is still here but I have to say it’s the least compared to all the other mornings and it’s somewhat bearable. Blisters are still here but I don’t think they got any worse so that’s a good thing and I think my swellings went down just a tad bit (I’ll take any improvements!). I don’t mind the skin color being purple, being swollen, bruised looking areas, blisters and all, which don’t get me wrong, I have them all! I only just want this pain in my shins to go away. And I know rest will heal in time. Sorry for such a long post but hopefully my detailed explanation is similar to someone else’s and they can get some relief from it like I did from everyone else’s posts!
P.S.- I found those cooling sprays made my legs feel burned even more so I’m just using moisturizing location with aloe & cucumber and drinking lots of water. No medicine either. I have sensitive skin and don’t take pills well so these are the only treatments that I’m taking. WATER! (Oh! My husband, who is also Asian and is naturally darker complexion, while I am going through this whole ordeal, he who was out in the sun as much as I was without sun block on only has a tab bit of a sun burn. I guess it’s only the faired skinned people suffering through this.
Kittyxluv - So glad I found this site! I read through all the comments and I feel much relieved knowing that this is not just happening to me and I’m not alone. Same thing happened to me during my vacation! I am 30 and Asian am very faired skinned and do not tan or burn easily and to be honest, I do not spend much time outdoors to get too much sun on my skin. So my Husband and I went on a Vacation and spent all day Wednesday out in the sun and floating around in lazy river in a tube. Of course like everyone else, only put sun block on my face and nowhere else. I felt sun burned that night and didn't think much of it. I only had bad sunburn one other time in my life about 5 years ago and it was the same bad sunburn pain so I thought I must have gotten bad sunburn. But I took it easy that night and went to bed early. But when I woke up next morning on Thursday, as soon as I put my leg down from the bed I felt this excruciating pain! Like electric shock currents running through both my Shins! Like people have mentioned here, Shin Splinter, Muscle Tearing, Bone Crunching or whatever but just PAIN!! I literally was in tears for 2 minutes and when I tried to stand, I clasped back onto the bed! For about 5-10 minutes, I kept attempting to stand and walk so I could go to the restroom and by the time I made it to the restroom, I was breaking cold sweats and was shivering! I lay back down awhile and went through the same pain later when I tried to get up. That time I kept walking around and around in the room and was able to make the pain subside and it was bearable to walk. I did notice my whole body was really burned and especially on my legs were VERY red. But since Thursday was our last vacation day before we flew out Friday, I attempted to go out and walk around a bit (with LOTS of sun block on my legs). I was able to walk but found it hard to stand still and every time I sat still and got back up, I felt pain again. After eating and walking for a bit I couldn’t bear being outside since the heat made my legs feel like they were catching on fire so we went back in. I think this is when I first noticed my legs were swollen. We wasted a whole vacation day with me just lying in bed. Friday morning I woke up with the same Shin Splinter Pain which did not get any better but worse and noticed that my legs were even MORE Swollen! Especially my ankles! And my ankles didn’t even get burned! After flying home, I took it easy and Saturday went past just the same. On Sunday I felt a little better in the morning and took me less time being able to stand but I noticed I started to get blisters on both my Shins that night. Now I have a new worry because of the blisters so today (Monday), I took off from work. Pain is still here but I have to say it’s the least compared to all the other mornings and it’s somewhat bearable. Blisters are still here but I don’t think they got any worse so that’s a good thing and I think my swellings went down just a tad bit (I’ll take any improvements!). I don’t mind the skin color being purple, being swollen, bruised looking areas, blisters and all, which don’t get me wrong, I have them all! I only just want this pain in my shins to go away. And I know rest will heal in time. Sorry for such a long post but hopefully my detailed explanation is similar to someone else’s and they can get some relief from it like I did from everyone else’s posts!
0161tracy - happened to my 16 year old daughter 3 weeks ago,2nd day on the beach in salou, came back to the hotel with shins and feet red raw, and the size of elephants feet, she was in great pain, gave her plenty of paracetamol and aloe vera and natural yoghurt nothing worked, after 4 days i took her to the local pharmacist as she couldnt walk without nearly in tears, they gave me hydrocortisone ans ibuphren,swelling slowly came down, but been home 3 weeks now and feet still slightly itchy but still very purple, i am really worried and gonna take her to the doctors this week!
Congregate - What A Great Topic...i have the same symptoms...pain when standing still but not when moving,swollen ankles,etc...My sunburn happened on friday but the leg pain didn't start until sunday 2 days later and now its monday 3 days later and i notice swelling in my ankle. I am 32 years old and never experienced anything like this and have had multiple burns....severe as a child. I hope this is not like some of the cases i have read on here they sound pretty serious.....I have no insurance so i am using solarcaine and cold wash cloths...see how it goes and let you know ;-}}
Ms.pruneau - Wow! I've had many sunburns in my life, and have had some really bad ones. Usually I am the sunscreen queen. I had a basal cell carcinoma spot removed several years ago and am now nervous about skin cancer. On Tuesday I went to a water park, and was there for about 4 hours. I did decide to "get color on my legs", and that was a really stupid choice. The front of my legs are redder than they have ever been, and have a purple tint at times...I got my "color" alright, and I don't like it. Tuesday night I began to experience pain in my shin area as I stood or walked. The pain has continued today. Especially when I have been sitting or lying down for a while. If I walk for a bit it subsides some. I have been using aloe gel with Lidocaine, and spraying with distilled vinegar. I also am taking ibuprofen along with prayer. This is an awful pain, although it is comforting to know I am not alone.
Norcalgirl - I was so glad to find this site! I too am in the agonizingly slow recovery process from a wicked bad sunburn. I'm 29 years old and have an olive complexion so I'm not used to experiencing sunburn (other than the occassional reddish brown skin for an evening that is completely healed by morning). 11 days ago I went on a spur of the moment tubing trip down the local river with some friends and because I often don't use a sunscreen over SPF 8 (never needed to) I wasn't concerned when no one had brought any. I assumed that I would get a slight burn but that it would go away overnight like always. Boy was I wrong!! I woke up with the entire front of my body lobster red and, like all of you, experienced extreme pain in my shins when standing. My legs, which got the worst of the burn, turned purple and felt extremely dry and painful, and I had the chills really bad for 2 days. I spent the next few days drinking water and liberally applying aloe vera gel (I think I went through a whole bottle that first night alone). Ibprofen and benedryl (recommended by a friend) did seem to help the swelling and leg pain which was almost gone by day 5. It's now day 11 and while most of my body is peeling, the extremely bad burn areas do not seem to be healing. My chest is peeling but it is still red and has little white spots, not bumbs just spots. My shins are the worst however. They have not peeled at all and they hurt when anything touches them, even clothing.The skin isn't purple anymore but it's dark and dry looking and I have broken blood vessels up and down my shins. Does anyone have any ideas on how to treat it or how long it takes for my skin to go back to normal looking?
Jdn - I am 29 years old and experienced the worst burn of my life on saturday after being at the beach for 7 hours. I had on SPF 60 and honestly reapplied it about 10 times. I went through a whole can of spray sunscreen, I always burn, so I'm always prepared. My fiance who never wears sunscreen didn't put on any and he did get a slight burn on his shoulders but nothing compared to me. I reapplied the sunscreen all over my entire body each time and the only part of my body that got burnt is the fronts of my legs from my knees down to my toes. By looking at the rest of my body you wouldn't even know I was at the beach, it's weird. Anyways, I got home saturday night layered on the aloe and went to bed. On sunday, I couldn't even get out of bed, it took me about 20 minutes to push through the pain and get up, I experienced all that has been described here, the shooting pains up my legs, the only way I could describe it to my fiance was that it felt like a migraine in my legs and that someone was shooting nails up through the bottom of my feet into my legs, AWFUL. I spent all of sunday laying on the couch with my feet elevated and cold cloths draped over my legs. I slept on the couch sunday night to keep my feet as elevated as possible. I spent majority of monday with my feet in ice cold water, which helped for a short time, but then the pain came back. I kept my feet elevated while I slept on monday night and woke up on tuesday hoping i would be able to go to work, not a chance. My right foot is way more sore than my left and I commute an hour to work, so I don't think I can drive. I am hoping I am better by tomorrow but by the sounds of posts here its looking like atleast 5 days, my employer isnt going to be happy about that, and I can't afford to be off work for that long. :(
Ejsj - I am so glad to have found this conversation. It has been the most helpful and reassuring information I have been able to find! Thank you everyone! I too got a horrible sunburn just 7 days ago and am doing so much better. I did seek medical attention after 3 days. By then I was throwing up and my knees to the tops of my feet were swollen double. With the pain in my knees I couldn't stand. The Instacare people gave me an IV with 2 bags of liquid, opened my blisters, then swapped the whole area with triple antibiotic ointment, wrapped it with gauze, then wrapped it with ace bandage (to help with the swelling). They also gave me something for swelling, pain, nausea and infection. The infection concern was not for the blisters but for the swelling and pain in my knees. I understand when there is excess liquid in the joints there is also a hightened chance of infection. Wrapping my legs at night (following the same steps they did in the Instacare) has protected them from any weight or movement during the night. I do keep the bandages off during the day. I do hope this information can help someone else. May your healing be quick and God bless!
Xgsarnold - I'm glad I found this conversation. I'm nearly 24, male, and mostly fair skinned. I've been spending the past week in Palestine with my friend from university. I'm staying in Ramallah (thankfully he doesn't live in Jericho, because it's 10-20 degrees hotter there and desert). He took me swimming two days ago and I foolishly didn't apply sunscreen even after his mother admonished me to do so. After mostly sitting beside the pool for 3 hours or so with only a few quick jumps in the pool, we left.
I could tell I was sunburned on my chest, shoulders and legs. Even though I'm fairly certain I've been burned worse 8 years ago, my legs have never felt this much pain from a burn. The first day that I got it I felt like my legs were on fire, but I could walk. The next morning I first noticed that the fiery sensation was gone. However, the next moment when I attempted to stand up and walk, excruciating pain shot through my legs. My right leg hurts the most for two reasons: I think it might have the worse burn of the two legs (it starts 6 inches above my knee and continues the whole way down the shin and left side of calf to my ankle) and I happened to slip out of a tree for a 10-15 ft fall and landed on my right leg. Luckily, nothing broke, but the joints and tendons were strained so that it made it difficult to walk at first.
This is day three and my left leg has healed a little bit more. The skin is still stiff and can sting when I move around and it stretches. The right leg still kills. I couldn't walk on the right leg when I first woke up. It still feels as bad as it did yesterday. I've used this Biofine cream 3 times a day, Palestinian ibuprofen (forget the name), blended aloe plant, Palestinian yogurt, and black tea.
How long did it take for everyone to get better from the burn? I suspect that my right leg is going to take longer since it was recently injured otherwise, but I'm glad for my sake to see that others have had similar problems with walking. I was initially worried that I had damaged something very badly, but I didn't want the hassel of going to the doctor while in another country.
Xgsarnold - Looks like it's sun poisoning. There's red bumps a few blisters and my ankle was swollen today.
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Redrosie - my update is that it was cellular sunburn, i went to the hospital and got checked bc i hadnt been able to walk for 5 days at that point, 14days after i got burned is when it finally looked normal again, i had PURPLE legs and swelling, the backs of my legs were fine thank goodness. its now 16 days after i was burned and they are looking really well, i put face cream on my legs and it worked wonders on the itching, wayyyyy better than aloe! let mine be a cautionary tale to all the red headed fair skinned folks out there....THE SUN IS BAD MMMMKAY!
Shanlaaa - About 4 days ago we had started to get some sun and seen as I live in england we don't get the sun so much so I thought I'd make the most of it. I wore suntan lotion, but I was also stupid enough to put baby oil on my body. My chest and belly was badly burnt on the first day but it didn't cause me so much pain so I thought I would go out in the sun the next day and hopefully catch the sun on my back, my back and the back of my legs are really burnt, so now I'm here 3 days after not able to walk without being in so much pain I have to sit down, my brother had to pick me up to take me downstairs one day because I physically couldn't walk, on another day I was going downstairs but walking just from my bedroom to the stairs my legs was in so much pain they just crumbled under me and I feel down the stairs, I've not moved from my bed or the sofa I'm in that much pain, I can't even stand up long enough to make a glass of water, the back of my legs just tighten and my legs can not take my weight, I am supposed to be going Benidorm in a few weeks for 2 weeks in the sun and I am actually scared. the stuff I have been putting on my legs are sudocrem that only makes my skin softer as my skin has been really tight and hard, I have also used brylcreem it cools my legs down and makes my sun burn fade a little without me peeling, I have also used dove body silk, it cools my skin down and moisturisers my skin. I am still in so much pain to walk though, nothing is helping the pain, I actually do not know what to do any more. I'm only 16 and I can't even leave the house as I will just collapse, I should be enjoying my school holiday but I can't.
Vxss - Ah, something I forgot to add, which I started a little late in the process, was cooling. When time allows, dampen some wash rags and put them in a freezer for about 5 minutes, just enough to really give them a good chill. Then with your legs propped up/elevated, lay the rags over your shins. This relieves a lot of the swelling, sunburn heat, and helps with calming the ugly red/purple discoloration. I do this when relaxing on my couch in the evenings and then I add aloe/cucumber lotion when I go to bed. About 2 days of this and you will notice results yielding less standing shin pain and promotes skin healing. Once the stinging and hot feeling starts to turn to tingling and itching, you know your skin is on the high road to healing (and peeling). DON'T SCRATCH THE ITCH AND DON"T POP BLISTERS! I am 7 days in now and my purple shins are no longer purplish, starting to bead up in prep to peel, and I can stand still with very minimal shin discomfort. Slug through it and be mindful of your healing, after-all, we did it to ourselves. ;)
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Flogirl - Guess I get to join the unfortunate club here. Thursday I went kayaking and got burned really bad on my legs. Im also taking doxy so Im more sensitive to the sun. Went to bed and when I woke up friday I couldnt stand or walk. It felt like my legs were ripping apart. I tried to go to work but had to go home early and called out the rest of the weekend. It is now monday and the pain isnt any better. I dont work again till friday, but im scared this wont be any better by then. Any updates? Advice? Ill do anything
Slaaayyydie - Please help!! I haven’t been able to walk in 3 days!!!! The pain is in my calf muscles and my ankles have swollen up now. I don’t know what to do!!
Ginachio34 - So glad I have not been the only one going through this! I went to the lake 5 days ago and am still experiencing excruciating pain in my shins on both legs due to severe sun burn. Like everyone else, I can't stand, the pain is so bad but once I get passed that I am able to walk around if I absolutely have to in order to go to the bathroom or get food. I've been icing and keeping my legs elevated. I just need the pain to stop so I can go about my daily routine. Recovery time? Advice?
Tisenders - Hello everybody. Recently I was on Canary Islands and got the same sunburns as you all, together with swelling feet and ankles, excruciating pain in the shin which made me unable to stand up. I felt less pain while walking, but if I just stood for a few seconds it came back. The skin was so purple and hurt with a slightest touch. After 5 days it didn't get any better, and a doctor visit didn't really help. I went to pharmacy for gaze and elastic band, because every shoes and trousers irritated the skin. The ladies there gave me also a cream with hydrocortisone (it's a steroid). I applied it on the worst sunburnt parts of my legs, and after 2-3 hours I couldn't believe, but the pain was much better, it took me much less time to get to stand up. After a few days, the skin improved, it is still dry and hard and starts to peel off, but the pain is gone!
Hope some of you will find this helpful, I know how horrible and scary this pain is!
Lynbb21 - I got a sunburn after visiting my family in FL and going to the beach for my 30th birthday. It was a chilly, windy day and I was out for maybe two hours. It was the first time I’d been out since the previous summer and because it was so cold we layed out for the 2 hours we were there to catch any warmth we could. After 2 hours I started feeling weird and decided to my home. That evening was fine but the next morning was a different story. I had to go to the bathroom when I woke up and after standing up I nearly passed out. The back of my legs hurt like hell and were bright red. I managed to make it to the bathroom but as I walked back to my room I blacked out from the pain. I woke up to my dad saying my name and my mom on the phone with 911. I was shaking and sweating and my dad thought I was having a seizure. My whole family was gathered around me wearing my pajamas and no bra and my night retainer. Great start to a new era ha. For the next 7 days I could not walk and for the first 2-3 I had to have assistance walking at all. I rested entirely upon my stomach and slept on my stomach too. What’s weird is that all my family had redder, worse burns than mine, yet no one had the sun poisoning to the level I did. I had not worn sunscreen since the beach had been cold. Anyways, I applied a ton of aloe and it helped okay. I found this forum here and read people’s comments, which made me feel better. The ONLY thing that helped IMMEDIATELY WAS HYDROCORTISONE CREAM. Oh my gosh it was like a miracle. I used it on Day 5 and the next day i could walk perfectly. My skin eventually did peel off from the burns and after 6-7 days from our beach day I could walk normally. The crease behind my knee hurt terribly and never felt better until after 7 days. DO NOT take a hot/warm bath. Seriously I did it and it made me feel so much worse the next day, like my skin was shrinking painfully. Stick to the cold showers and rest and you’ll recover much quicker. I made it though and you will too, but just give it time. I think I had not gone out in the sun like that for about a year, from the previous summer, and my skin was just shocked. What threw me off was the cold wind. Lesson learned: ALWAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN. Good luck and God bless.
Lilian1999 - Wow guys, I’ve been panicking because the same has happened to me! Terrible pain in my legs like shin splints whenever I stand or walk. Even if I’m sitting but my feel are in the floor, that pressure is enough for the pain. I have to keep my legs elevated all the time. Help!!
Hieveryone97 - Hello guys, I hope you are all doing well.
After reading your experiences I somehow feel relieved that I am not alone in this. It all started two days ago, I went to the beach and I did not put any sunscreen although my skin is pale and I hadn’t gone to the beach for more than two years, I don’t know what I was thinking but I know for sure that I was so stupid. I was badly burned and my body was all red, when I got home that day everything was fine except for the burning and the extreme heat and redness. I took a cool shower and that day I was uncomfortable and could not sleep properly. The real problem was the next day when I tried to stand up I felt an unbelievable pain in my lower legs and I immediately sat down, I was so scared and looked it up but did not find so much relatable information until I read your posts. Today is the third day and my body is still red but not as much as the first day, and I have no blisters until now, the only thing concerning me is the pain of my legs. I can’t stand on them for more than two seconds but when I walk 80% of the pain goes away. After reading some treatments from the web I’ve been putting wet towels on the most burned parts of my body(shoulders and legs), drinking water as much as I can, putting moisturizing and repairing milk. And after reading your posts I now elevated my feet a little. I hope this nightmare ends soon, And I do not want anyone to experience this pain. Regards.
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Chefmom101 - Take a cool bath with milk in it. Milk sucks the heat right out of your skin. I am very experienced with this unfortunately haha. But it works great.
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