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Skin that is painful to the touch

Posted by robinsmm @robinsmm, Jan 28 11:43am

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 4 years ago. Typically on a day to day basis I am symptom free. Yesterday I developed extreme pain only when I touch my skin. This is every inch of my body. This is the third time I've developed this symptom. The first two times It resolved on it's own after about 3-4 days. I discussed this with my rheumatologist and she said she didn't know what to make of it. She wanted to do labs when I was having the pain. I did the labs and they showed nothing abnormal.

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celia16 | @celia16 | 1 day ago
In reply to @shuffle8599 "i have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for about a year now. as i look back, i..." + (show)
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i have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia for about a year now. as i look back, i can think of times when it flared and i had no name for it. but i have lately been having skin pain -- it's painful to have a tshirt on. i am not sure what to do, other than remove my shirt. i live alone so it's not a big deal. but when i have to work and my skin hurts, it's challenging.

i also get really deep itches, in random places all over my body and when they flare, they move from place to place. and i scratch the hell out of them, sometimes leaving bruises, but scratching doesn't help. does anyone have this and how do you cope?

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@shuffle8599 , hey, yes. I can relate to the itching. The med I’m taking resolved my body wide pain and soreness, but I still get occasional itch. I’ve had about 15 years of episodes. No idea what triggers it. Always on limbs.

Sudden, intense stinging like a wasp. Then, no welp, but appears to be a small pin sized hole. There is nothing stinging me. There is nothing irritating the skin. It comes out of nowhere. If I lightly scratch it, it bleeds profusely from that hole. Then it itches immensely for days to weeks. Will turn to a sore. Ice helps a little and prescription strength cortisone. But not much.

Multiple dermatologists have observed it….none have any idea what it is. I showed pics to my rheumatologist too,

My mom has it too. Just took her to dermatologist this week. Showed her my pics. Look like my mom’s skin. No diagnosis.

I have photo journal of the flares for last several years. I guess I’ve just accepted it. I have few flares now. Normally, they’ll come 2-4 holes in same area. Arms, legs or ankles.

How do you treat yours?

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shuffle8599 | @shuffle8599 | 1 day ago

@celia16, thanks for sharing your story. i don't get the pin size hole. that is unusual. and your dermatologist has no explanation for it? frustrating.

mine is more like a small area, maybe an inch in diameter, that starts itching very intensely. like you have no control over scratching it. and it feels very deep so i dig at it further. i have scars all over my arms, underneath my knee, my ankles, my sides..... i had been treating it with a prescription steroid -- diamcolone cream. did nothing. i tried simple Sarna lotion. did nothing. regular lotion. nothing. it's not dry skin. dermatologist diagnosed hives. there are no red welts, just the itch. no rash. my PCP and i finally think it's neuropathic itch. my nerves firing and my central sensitization making it feel like an itch to my brain, but it really isn't.

i'm now on 900mg gabapentin 3x a day and it has died down. i will try the ice though. i think that might help it. thanks for your suggestion. i can go up to 2700mg gabapentin total in a day if it does not stop.

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celia16 | @celia16 | 7 hours ago
In reply to @shuffle8599 "@celia16, thanks for sharing your story. i don't get the pin size hole. that is unusual...." + (show)
Profile picture for shuffle8599 @shuffle8599

@celia16, thanks for sharing your story. i don't get the pin size hole. that is unusual. and your dermatologist has no explanation for it? frustrating.

mine is more like a small area, maybe an inch in diameter, that starts itching very intensely. like you have no control over scratching it. and it feels very deep so i dig at it further. i have scars all over my arms, underneath my knee, my ankles, my sides..... i had been treating it with a prescription steroid -- diamcolone cream. did nothing. i tried simple Sarna lotion. did nothing. regular lotion. nothing. it's not dry skin. dermatologist diagnosed hives. there are no red welts, just the itch. no rash. my PCP and i finally think it's neuropathic itch. my nerves firing and my central sensitization making it feel like an itch to my brain, but it really isn't.

i'm now on 900mg gabapentin 3x a day and it has died down. i will try the ice though. i think that might help it. thanks for your suggestion. i can go up to 2700mg gabapentin total in a day if it does not stop.

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@shuffle8599, yes, my itch spots are mysterious. Multiple dermatologists have examined them, looked at all the pics and don’t know. They just treat the itch.
My mom’s dermatologist said Gabapentin was good. My mom doesn’t think it helps. I can’t take it due to blurry vision,

My mom was prescribed Mirtazapine. It can make you sleepy. I guess thinking it might relax her nerves. And, prescription strength Cortisone cream.

My itching is at a much improved status right now, so am grateful. Maybe, it will stay this way.

Oh, I also use Cereve Psoriasis strength body cream daily. I do have plaque psoriasis, but no flare in a long time. Only had it occasionally on my elbow and lower scalp.

Please post what you discover,

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