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Can chronic itching be caused by Neuropathy?

Posted by Rosebud @rosebud123, Feb 6, 2024

I have had Peripheral Neuropathy for about 20 years.
The only symptoms I’ve ever really had is a lot of tingling, numbness and spasms in the legs and toes.
For the past 12 months I’ve developed this chronic itch that started in my scalp but is now my whole body.
I have absolutely no rash or dryness anywhere.
My neurologist has told me he hasn’t heard of neuropathy causing itching which surprises me.
I’ve been to a Dermatologist who says he can’t see anything that’s causing it.
My Dr says she thinks it’s from high Uric acid.
In totally confused as to what it could be as it’s driving me crazy.
All three of them can only suggest Amiltriptyline which I’m not willing to take as I’m super sensitive to medication.
Has anyone here had the same problem and what did you do for it please.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Profile picture for huskerboy45
huskerboy45 | @huskerboy45 | Feb 27, 2024

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

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9 replies
Profile picture for madison24
madison24 | @madison24 | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

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The best I can offer is to encourage you to consult a doctor, and to push for answers until you get them, if you haven't already tried to do so. Best of luck to you.

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1 reply
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moylandavis | @moylandavis | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

Jump to this post

It may be worth a shot…I take Beta Alanine for itch…I have Aquagenic Pruritus and neuropathy itch, Both stop when I take BA…it is an otc supplement that is typically used as a preworkout supplement. On the Aquagenic Pruritus fb group, someone discovered that when they took their preworkout supplement, they didn’t itch and isolated it to Beta Alanine. I’ve been taking for 6 + years….I buy the NOW BRAND on Amazon and take 750 mg every 4 hours as needed…cost is under $20.

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1 reply
Profile picture for huskerboy45
huskerboy45 | @huskerboy45 | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @moylandavis "It may be worth a shot…I take Beta Alanine for itch…I have Aquagenic Pruritus and neuropathy..." + (show)
Profile picture for moylandavis @moylandavis

It may be worth a shot…I take Beta Alanine for itch…I have Aquagenic Pruritus and neuropathy itch, Both stop when I take BA…it is an otc supplement that is typically used as a preworkout supplement. On the Aquagenic Pruritus fb group, someone discovered that when they took their preworkout supplement, they didn’t itch and isolated it to Beta Alanine. I’ve been taking for 6 + years….I buy the NOW BRAND on Amazon and take 750 mg every 4 hours as needed…cost is under $20.

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Thanks ! I will definitely look into that

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huskerboy45 | @huskerboy45 | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @madison24 "The best I can offer is to encourage you to consult a doctor, and to push..." + (show)
Profile picture for madison24 @madison24

The best I can offer is to encourage you to consult a doctor, and to push for answers until you get them, if you haven't already tried to do so. Best of luck to you.

Jump to this post

Thanks. Yes I went to my personal doc and he was no help at all. I had to suggest Gabapentin..I did! Because I read that

Will go a Neurologist hopefully soon although I feel like I’m stuck w this

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Profile picture for empresskristine
empresskristine | @empresskristine | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

Jump to this post

The “unreachable itch,” is a sign of stenosis.
I itched my left shoulder blade for 18 months then my neck started killing me and it went down my right arm.
I lost both arms until I got a prednisone pack. I ended up getting a posterior decompression and fusion from C6-T2, February 1, 2023.
I’m better now but I needed the surgery sooner than I got in for optimal outcome.
Mt primary care doctor blew off the itching, the headache in the back of my head and an mri saying cervical myelomalacia.
I went over his head to UCONN/John Dempsey hospital to Dr. Oniyuke.
“You needed surgery really bad,” were his exact words.
Don’t ignore the itch.
UCONN listened and they looked it up. They listen unlike my sub standard primary flunky.
Good luck and be wary of your neck.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for madison24
madison24 | @madison24 | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

Jump to this post

I'm not a medical person, but I believe any doc would agree that your symptoms could be a result of a number of different conditions, and that good follow-up may be very beneficial.

REPLY
Profile picture for huskerboy45
huskerboy45 | @huskerboy45 | Feb 28, 2024
In reply to @empresskristine "The “unreachable itch,” is a sign of stenosis. I itched my left shoulder blade for 18..." + (show)
Profile picture for empresskristine @empresskristine

The “unreachable itch,” is a sign of stenosis.
I itched my left shoulder blade for 18 months then my neck started killing me and it went down my right arm.
I lost both arms until I got a prednisone pack. I ended up getting a posterior decompression and fusion from C6-T2, February 1, 2023.
I’m better now but I needed the surgery sooner than I got in for optimal outcome.
Mt primary care doctor blew off the itching, the headache in the back of my head and an mri saying cervical myelomalacia.
I went over his head to UCONN/John Dempsey hospital to Dr. Oniyuke.
“You needed surgery really bad,” were his exact words.
Don’t ignore the itch.
UCONN listened and they looked it up. They listen unlike my sub standard primary flunky.
Good luck and be wary of your neck.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for this comment. Yes my primary care doctor is an absolute worthless excuse for a physician. I do feel like I need to go to someone who actually will do something…

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for Chris, Alumni Mentor
Chris, Alumni Mentor | @artscaping | Feb 29, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Hello- I noticed a strange itching, prickling sensation on my right arm a year ago. It lasted for a few months ranging from severe itching, to prickling sensation. Believe it or not, it literally moved to my left arm, same thing for months, worst is the itching that would not go away. Then it moved back to my right arm. Same thing. Prickling feeling, with bad itch in forearm, under bicep and elbow. Now I notice a strange crawling/prickling in my neck and upper shoulder blade with intermittent itching in middle of shoulder blades. My arms have been the constant ...but now I feel occasional pricks all over body. (Parathesia?) My arms are the worst, but the back is becoming more common. There is no rash. I had Shingles I think in 2006? At the time I didn't know what it was. It cleared up w no lingering symptoms. Can you get nerve damage from shingles 17 years later? No itch creams work. I know its a Neuropathic Itch but wondering if anyone has had something similar or what you did to help? Appreciate any comments.

Jump to this post

Good evening @huskerboy45, @madison24, @empresskristine, and others who have expressed concern about the Neuropathic Itch. As I read your comments, concerns, and even complaints about neuropathic itch, I was taken back to August 2022. After three years of suffering, sobbing, and almost giving up, I had my first injection of Dupixent. Within an hour, the neuropathic itch completely left my body and has not returned at any time or in any way.

And why did it take so long? Why did my medicine cabinet have multiple tubes of ointments that didn't work? Perhaps it was because Dupixent (dupilumab) a relatively new injectable solution for neuropathic itch was finally becoming recognized. Perhaps my impatience was the result of all of the supportive documents, declarations, and images that my dermatologist had to prepare for the developer so that I would be approved for the product. Even my daughter spent many hours talking with the medical staff to nudge the company to fulfill the request.

And then I began to see the commercials on the evening news for Dupixent but it was being recommended for help for patients with asthma and atopic dermatitis as well as neuropathic itch. Since I am not a medical practitioner I had to learn how this medication was able to completely remove that horrible itch that can make you sick and bring you to tears. So hats off to Dr. Anderson who made it happen after learning about Dupixent's capabilities for neuropathic itch at an annual conference.

You do have to secure Dupixent from a specialty pharmacy named Theracom. And you can learn more at dupixent.com. Let me know if you need some help.....I am here for you.

May you be safe, protected, and free from inner and outer harm.
Chris

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2 replies
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julbpat | @julbpat | Feb 29, 2024
In reply to @huskerboy45 "Thank you so much for this comment. Yes my primary care doctor is an absolute worthless..." + (show)
Profile picture for huskerboy45 @huskerboy45

Thank you so much for this comment. Yes my primary care doctor is an absolute worthless excuse for a physician. I do feel like I need to go to someone who actually will do something…

Jump to this post

Change doctors! You need a good care team on this journey. Remember they work for you, and you get to choose! I say this as a retired nurse and specialist who worked closely with my patients. Sometimes they needed to find someone else to work with. Don’t feel bad about leaving.

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