Scratch marks on his back

My husband and I were on vacation in Texas about a year ago when he woke up one morning with what looked like scratch marks on his back.  We laughed about it because we hadn't done anything before we went to sleep (and I don't ever scratch his skin during sex anyhow).  They didn't itch or burn or hurt at all and they looked just like I had scratched his back while we were facing each other.  They didn't look like marks he could have caused because they were in an area of his back that he couldn't have reached that way.   When we checked his back that night, they were gone.  Every so often these scratch marks appear and I'm starting to wonder what's causing them.  They can happen at any time, in any weather.  I know they aren't on his back when he goes to sleep, but we will see them in the morning when we are getting ready.  Any idea what might be causing these?

[dmbrdsxfan]

i have had the same thing happen...i am 38 yrs old and i would have to say about 25 times in my life i have had this mysterious scratch on my back...just 1 horizontal scratch on my back about 1 - 2 inches below my neck just above my shoulder blades...and approx 12 inches long...there are times i have woken up like this..there were times it would appear when i was outside with my shirt off...no clue what the cause of this is...any ideas?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
These can be due to hives. Hives (medically known as urticaria) are red, itchy, raised areas of skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They have a tendency to change size rapidly and to move around, disappearing in one place and reappearing in other places, often in a matter of hours.

Many cases of hives are "idiopathic," meaning no cause is known. Others may be triggered by viral infections or medications.
I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[howard654]

I have scratch marks on my shoulder and they are not hives and I nor anyone else made them.  I have had them on my legs also.  They appear mostly when I wake up.  They look like razor marks, but not deep.

[bella2bad]

mice

[Ritzy108]

My brother has been getting this long scratch marks, mostly on his upper torso: arms, chest, shoulders and mid back...once he had them all over his buttocks. I had been treating him with permethrin 5% crm for scabies.
We think the scabies hare now gone after months of treatment...but still have concerns @ that.
Am wondering if this may be a result of over treatment....
They show up rather spontaneously, often in areas he couldn't possibly reach to scratch. Could this be eczema?

[jones388]

My wife too has scratch marks which appear and disappear on their own and am sure they are not hives and neither of us put them there. They are in areas where she wouldn't reach on her own. I am still researching on the probable cause. i know of a friend whose wife has also has these marks from time to time and he began to suspect that may be his wife was seeing someone else who was putting those marks there