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Itching

Does anyone experience sporadic but very intense itching? Mine can last for a few hours or a few days. Most of it is on my face but it is all over my body. There is no rash, bites or marks where the itching occurs. It is very disruptive to my quality of life when it occurs.

  1. Yes I have had itching. In the summer I blame it on a bug bite outside, in the winter I thought it was dry skin so I put dry skin
    cream on for dry skin but it didn't work now I know where it's probably coming from.First time I have heard someone else have it too.Nice not to be alone I never told anyone about it.

    1. I was wondering the same thing I was just diagnosed in January 2013 so am still new and learning how to deal with all the symptoms of this monster. I noticed when it started getting cold that I started having problems with itching it seems to last for minutes at a time but all day everyday it is very annoying. I also am finding that some of my symptoms are intensified with the cold just as with the heat, my numbness and tingling I have in my hands and arms as soon as the cold hits them they are in unbearable pain of pins and needles and hurt. I was beginning to think that maybe I was going to be the oddity since no 2 MS'ers are the same.

      1. Hi Chris,

        Itching is indeed a semi-common MS symptom, I have it myself from time to time. It is a result of damaged nerves that misfire and which can cause a large variety of odd sensations. Exposure to extreme heat or cold can temporarily increase our symptoms.

        If you've noticed a pattern, that your pain and itching intensify during cold weather, you can discuss this with your neuro. There are medications that treat neuropathic pain such as gabapentin and Lyrica, among others.

        Hope this helps.

        --Kim

        1. I am new to this forum as of today and I see that most all these posts are old, I guess this site isn't as popular as a few others I am on, but it looks like a nice one 😀 Anyway, I have intense itching on a pretty regular basis and am in fact going through an episode of it right now. Kim is right, it is from damage to the myelin sheaths surrounding the nerves inside our brain. As many of you may know, this can wreak all kinds of havoc with odd sensations throughout your body-lucky me, I have them all 🙁 Sensations as though tiny bugs are crawling all over me and stinging/biting me at times-this is what generally creates my intense itching from my head to my feet! I also get the burning, severe pain and pins and needles of neuropathy on a regular basis. Numbness/tingling in feet and hands, cheeks and lips (tongue at times) during an exacerbation. I wont go on about all my other symptoms, just mainly wanted to talk about the skin type sensations that are brought about by the nerve damage. Im with Chrissy, it most def affects my quality of life (as does all my MS symptoms that never go away) and I have not found anything to help. I am a big avoider of drugs though, I am only on 3- 1 to save my life and the other 2 so am able to get out of bed and walk. If anyone else has the itching in this way, I'd love to hear from them, especially if you have found something that gives you relief 😀

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