Itching upper to mid back

Hi @doloresmacneil, I have to admit I do sometimes have some intense itching in the middle of my upper back. I think it's always there because it's the one area I can't scratch without my long wooden back scratcher. 🙂 You mention seeing a few blisters in the area but the worse symptom is the itching. All of the symptoms you described sound similar to the condition Notalgia Paresthetica -- https://www.healthline.com/health/notalgia-paresthetica. There is a related discussion you may want to join here:

-- Notalgia Paresthetica help: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/notalgia-paresthetica-help/

Have you discussed the symptoms with your doctor?

I had the intense itching exactly as you described but not the other two symptoms. Once I finished tapering off Prednisone it disappeared. Good luck!

That plagues me for years, but has lessened as I have come down on my Prednisone dose. It is't that as I had the itch long before I started taking that medication. Nothing I used eased the itching. Now it just itches last thing at night.

I had intense itching on my shoulder blade about a month after starting pred. It turned out to be the world's mildest case of shingles, a few tiny blisters that turned into scabs. I'd had the early shot years ago but haven't done the Shingrix one. Never doing any more vax now if I can help it.

So weird. I never thought I would hear someone saying something similar to what I am going through. I am in the middle of a severe flare-up of PMR, and I have had an area on my back left shoulder-blade (yes, you're right, around the bra strap) where it is constantly itchy. It almost feels like something moving underneath the skin, I know that sounds strange. I have had this since I got this flare-up. I thought I must have gotten bit by something. My husband says there is a small scab there but nothing else. I can't give you any answers, just that mine coincided with getting the PMR and never subsides. I find this too strange....

Me too. I have allergic contact dermatitis, but it is neutralized by the prednisone, so I thought it strange to have an itch or rash on my back. Clobetasol did nothing for it. It can be annoying at night, although I can banish it temporarily with capsaicin. It's good to know it may go away as the pred comes down...but of course then I get my ACD back!

I have had a persistent itch in exactly the same place for decades, but as I am convinced that I have had low level PMR for all that time it might explain it. The itch is getting less as I come out of this flare up, and I am working my best to make sure there isn't another. Best of luck sweetie.

Same here, right in the middle of my back where I can’t reach it, mostly when I get in bed for the night. Found me of those wooden back scratchers with the claw on the end, keep it by the bed, extremely healpful.

I have mild eczema that seems to flare when I’m stressed. The primary location for me is my back around the shoulder blade. The doctor prescribed a cream that helped but it can be extremely difficult to apply given the location. When my PMR is flaring I can’t reach that spot at all.