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Severely itchy legs (at night) driving me crazy
My legs have been itching so badly, but there is no persistent rash in any spot! Over the last two-three weeks I have had the strangest most excruciating itching at night time It usually gets worse once I fall asleep. If I don't self control, I would probably draw blood accidentally scratching too hard. Every now and then during the day, there is a slight burning on the legs in various areas but it's so subtle and doesn't itch so badly that I want to scratch at all. It just lingers. At night is when its like a switch is flipped.
I don't think it's dust mites because my boyfriend sleeps right next to me and hasn't been itchy at all. However, I did sanitize wash my sheets just in case. I plan to buy new pillows, too.
It's so weird because just looking at the skin there are no marks whatsoever, but it just itches atrociously. I start to scratch and it gets worse. It's like my legs are on fire! Then they get red and with slight little tiny red dots and few tiny bumps. Once I stop itching (and sometimes cool with water) within ten minutes the redness/bumps goes away and you'd never be able to tell there was a problem! The other day I did leave a little bruise though. Now I just try to NOT let myself scratch no matter what, but it's very difficult. I end up touching or rubbing the areas slightly.
The itchy areas change from night to night. One night the itch was symmetrical on both of my thighs right above my knees and on the sides of my knees. Another night it was my lower left calf and last night it was the back of my right thigh. There is so much radiating pain there when it itches!! It's really perplexing to me. I'm such a healthy person, no sugars, processed foods; I eat fruits and veggies, take whole food vitamins, omegas, fruit/veg juicing everyday, etc.
Does this itching sound like an allergic reaction of sorts???
I've tried to think of WHAT has changed in my routine that could be the cause. Well, I came up with only two things that have changed in my routine. Either could be the culprit.
1. About a month ago I bought this organic shea hibiscus coconut shower gel. I've shaved with it about 5 times, I think. I think I might be allergic to something in it and it's gotten into my hair follicles. ?? I have discontinued the product. My last shave with it was 3 days ago.
2. Also about a month ago, I started an herbal supplement called Bacopa Monnerei. It's for increasing mental clarity/sharpness and memory. (It works, amazingly so I hope it's not the problem!). After a few days on it, I noticed an odd itching on the side of my left breast and into my underarm. The itching was very subtle, not intense, and lasted a couple days. - But you know what I just realized, this was around the time I started using that shower gel, too (I used it to shave my underarms).
I've discontinued both the herbal supplement and the shower gel. I really hope this crazy itching clears up. It's driving me crazy at night, it hurts so bad.
Thoughts anyone?? I'm going nuts!
I don't think it's dust mites because my boyfriend sleeps right next to me and hasn't been itchy at all. However, I did sanitize wash my sheets just in case. I plan to buy new pillows, too.
It's so weird because just looking at the skin there are no marks whatsoever, but it just itches atrociously. I start to scratch and it gets worse. It's like my legs are on fire! Then they get red and with slight little tiny red dots and few tiny bumps. Once I stop itching (and sometimes cool with water) within ten minutes the redness/bumps goes away and you'd never be able to tell there was a problem! The other day I did leave a little bruise though. Now I just try to NOT let myself scratch no matter what, but it's very difficult. I end up touching or rubbing the areas slightly.
The itchy areas change from night to night. One night the itch was symmetrical on both of my thighs right above my knees and on the sides of my knees. Another night it was my lower left calf and last night it was the back of my right thigh. There is so much radiating pain there when it itches!! It's really perplexing to me. I'm such a healthy person, no sugars, processed foods; I eat fruits and veggies, take whole food vitamins, omegas, fruit/veg juicing everyday, etc.
Does this itching sound like an allergic reaction of sorts???
I've tried to think of WHAT has changed in my routine that could be the cause. Well, I came up with only two things that have changed in my routine. Either could be the culprit.
1. About a month ago I bought this organic shea hibiscus coconut shower gel. I've shaved with it about 5 times, I think. I think I might be allergic to something in it and it's gotten into my hair follicles. ?? I have discontinued the product. My last shave with it was 3 days ago.
2. Also about a month ago, I started an herbal supplement called Bacopa Monnerei. It's for increasing mental clarity/sharpness and memory. (It works, amazingly so I hope it's not the problem!). After a few days on it, I noticed an odd itching on the side of my left breast and into my underarm. The itching was very subtle, not intense, and lasted a couple days. - But you know what I just realized, this was around the time I started using that shower gel, too (I used it to shave my underarms).
I've discontinued both the herbal supplement and the shower gel. I really hope this crazy itching clears up. It's driving me crazy at night, it hurts so bad.
Thoughts anyone?? I'm going nuts!
I think you may have eczema. I personally have it and I have the same bumps and red marks (sometimes that lead to bleeding) too. Eczema is a condition were your skin is unbearable itchy do to dryness. You should ask your dermatologist about it when it's convenient. Try applying lotions such as eucerin vanicream or Cerave after getting out of the shower to avoid drying up or when it starts to itch. It is also important to try to take more cold showers if you can; it really helps in the long run.
I have the same problem but all over my legs and it has gotten so bad that I lose sleep. One night I put some pink calamine lotion all over my legs and put a fan on me in my room and I don't think I had any itches that night. I've had this problem for almost a year now and I didn't have it until I stayed at a hotel. I'm only 14 and school starts soon, so I need answers so I can sleep at night.
Hay i have same problem since 1 month now, my leg dont have any mark and its not any insect bite i am 100%sure of it, i have very bad itching on my right leg, i need to keep my leg out of bed and in night if my leg gets little sweat then it starts itching and i cannot stop myself itching on my leg with both hands or things like comb. I cannot sleep because of this problem and i am having this problem from 6 years now and it comes for 30 to 40 days in a year. It stars from abdomen and then walks down to leg and end at feets. I am really tired of this.
I dont smoke dont drink and dont eat junk oul foods but still i am facing this issue.
I tried so many creams by nothing is helpful. Please suggest and help....
I dont smoke dont drink and dont eat junk oul foods but still i am facing this issue.
I tried so many creams by nothing is helpful. Please suggest and help....
I had exactly that same problem a couple of years ago. It would come and go about twice a year. Then, a year ago I applied Voltarol cream. After using it twice over two nights the itching stopped. It not only stopped after a couple of nights - it stopped for about a year. It was great - I was able to get a good nights sleep without having to get up and spray my legs with freezing cold water to calm the itching.
Just recently it came back for a couple of nights in small areas of my left leg. After a couple of applications it has gone again.
I spoke with a pharmacist who told me the cream would increase my blood pressure - so if you are going to try it I suggest you consult your doctor first.
It is called Voltarol in th UK. I'm sure it is called something else in other countries. One of its active ingredients is ibuprofen.
That's all I can tell you. It works for me - like magic - bearing in mind I only use it once a year (it seems) and for a very short period.
Remember - consult your doctor before trying it.
Just recently it came back for a couple of nights in small areas of my left leg. After a couple of applications it has gone again.
I spoke with a pharmacist who told me the cream would increase my blood pressure - so if you are going to try it I suggest you consult your doctor first.
It is called Voltarol in th UK. I'm sure it is called something else in other countries. One of its active ingredients is ibuprofen.
That's all I can tell you. It works for me - like magic - bearing in mind I only use it once a year (it seems) and for a very short period.
Remember - consult your doctor before trying it.
The solution to my itchy legs was Vitamin D, but this might not help everyone.
After a few years of itchy legs I realised they were worse in winter than summer and this led me to vitamin D. I took one 25ug tablet per day, and after a week the itching was less frequent and after 2 weeks almost totally stopped.
A pack of 180 tablets costs about GBP £6 in the UK. Be careful about how much you take because too much vitamin D can cause health problems.
After a few years of itchy legs I realised they were worse in winter than summer and this led me to vitamin D. I took one 25ug tablet per day, and after a week the itching was less frequent and after 2 weeks almost totally stopped.
A pack of 180 tablets costs about GBP £6 in the UK. Be careful about how much you take because too much vitamin D can cause health problems.
I don't have the itchiness you mention but do have RLS- restless leg syndrome. It drove me crazy for years and I couldn't find anything to help. Then I discovered Tonic Water, and whenever it starts up I have a glass and it goes away and lets me get to sleep. It might not be the answer to your problem, but it would't hurt to try it. It has quinine in it which is good for muscle cramps.
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Thank you for sharing your experience with this!
Having same problem I use all kinds of body wash I think this is the problem I'm going to switch to bar soaps which I grew up on and never had this problem I hope this works at first I thought it was mosquitoes because there are a lot and it's summertime but not every night something has to be wrong
After itching for years on my legs and scalp I accidentally figured out what was causing the horrid itching! For me it was the "itchy m's". Check your shampoos, conditioners, shower gel, dish and hand soap for Methylchlorisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone. They frequently appear side by side on ingredient lists. I was shaving my legs with shower gel containing these two ingredients and miserable for years not having any idea my shower gel could be causing it! Also discovered all the shampoos and conditioners I've used for the past several years also contained them. I was miserable. No more! I hope this helps someone!
Not sure, but I had this problem for days when I took an aleve, I couldn’t go to sleep, it bothered me only at night, I think I put a hole in my foot from scratching and digging. No more aleve for me
Maybe you are reacting to sugar. Sugar intake starts itching at my ankles. Then at times of lots of sugar intake, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the itching turns severe and goes up my legs to above my knees. I once thought it was do to the onset of cold weather, but now am convinced it is associated with high sugar intake during the holiday season. Your legs probably itch more in bed at night because the warmer your legs get the more they will itch. I sleep a lot wit my legs outside the blankets.
I am now experiencing itching year round, mostly my ankles. Sometimes my knees, or my waist or scalp. I suspect I have become sensitive to sugars in fruit, bread, milk and many other products associated with milk. Also it all may all tie in with gluten intolerance, which I am beginning to experiment with. I experienced a severe bout of Vertigo about a month ago and was told "you will have to live wit it". Well, I associated the Vertigo with the substantial amount of French Bread and other breads I was consuming and the vertigo has all but subsided. Doctors seem to know very little about all of this, and when they say "you have to live with it", well, it is simply not true. I am now experimenting with "gluten free" and sugar free foods and hopefully eventually the sensitivity to sugar and gluten will go away. I have heard that a period of avoidance causes the body to accept those foods again.
I am now experiencing itching year round, mostly my ankles. Sometimes my knees, or my waist or scalp. I suspect I have become sensitive to sugars in fruit, bread, milk and many other products associated with milk. Also it all may all tie in with gluten intolerance, which I am beginning to experiment with. I experienced a severe bout of Vertigo about a month ago and was told "you will have to live wit it". Well, I associated the Vertigo with the substantial amount of French Bread and other breads I was consuming and the vertigo has all but subsided. Doctors seem to know very little about all of this, and when they say "you have to live with it", well, it is simply not true. I am now experimenting with "gluten free" and sugar free foods and hopefully eventually the sensitivity to sugar and gluten will go away. I have heard that a period of avoidance causes the body to accept those foods again.
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Research histamine intolerance. Monitoring and controlling my intake of high histamine foods has helped psoriasis.
This also happened to me a couple yrs ago. It ended up bein vericose veins..or Venus Insufficiency is the medical term. Even if you don't have the sigature bulging blue veins, this is still what causes the itchy feeling. Definitely try & get to a vein specialist & at least let them evaluate. I ended up having to get a bunch of my legs veins ablated (disolved) they don't rip veins out like they used. Now it's just taken care of with sone painless injections. Good luck!
I apply coconut oil mixed with camphor. itching subsides immediately and doesnt reoccur for several hours
I know I am late to the party on this thread, but would like to comment.
D7D and many others seem to be describing something that sounds like restless leg syndrome. I have a severe case of it and one of the major symptoms is having an uncontrollable need to move your legs when trying to be still. It is often described as an itchy, or creepy-crawly feeling in your legs, mainly in the calves. Normally, when walking around or standing up there are no symptoms, but while seated in a long meeting, or at a movie theater, or even just sitting on the couch to watch TV I get that uncontrollable need to move my legs. It is sometimes accompanied by "periodic Limb Movement." Ask you bed partner if you twitch your legs in a repeatable pattern during the night. It might last for a half hour with your legs moving about once or twice a minute.
Luckily, there are meds for this. I take Mirapex late in the evening, but before the symptoms show up. I also avoid sugar and excess food in the evening. When It gets bad, I just get up an walk around and wait for the Mirapex to kick in. Another thing that helps me is getting out of bed and sleeping in a recliner with my heels kind of pushing on the crack between the seat cushion and the foot rest.
BTW, there is a restless leg community on this site.
I hope this helps someone, because I know how bad it can be.
Regards, Lloyd
D7D and many others seem to be describing something that sounds like restless leg syndrome. I have a severe case of it and one of the major symptoms is having an uncontrollable need to move your legs when trying to be still. It is often described as an itchy, or creepy-crawly feeling in your legs, mainly in the calves. Normally, when walking around or standing up there are no symptoms, but while seated in a long meeting, or at a movie theater, or even just sitting on the couch to watch TV I get that uncontrollable need to move my legs. It is sometimes accompanied by "periodic Limb Movement." Ask you bed partner if you twitch your legs in a repeatable pattern during the night. It might last for a half hour with your legs moving about once or twice a minute.
Luckily, there are meds for this. I take Mirapex late in the evening, but before the symptoms show up. I also avoid sugar and excess food in the evening. When It gets bad, I just get up an walk around and wait for the Mirapex to kick in. Another thing that helps me is getting out of bed and sleeping in a recliner with my heels kind of pushing on the crack between the seat cushion and the foot rest.
BTW, there is a restless leg community on this site.
I hope this helps someone, because I know how bad it can be.
Regards, Lloyd
Is it bad that I have the exact same problem if I'm 13 but don't get the bumps
I have this itching for years it just starts itching and scratching my upper and lower legs so badly that I can't stop scratching. I have blood test but they couldn't anything and they said it could be food allergic but I know it isn't. It starts and stops after few weeks of itching and scratching but this time it hurts me so bad. I tried everything you name it change my diet, using lotion, change detergent but nothing changes. Please does anyone have an idea what to do? Please share if you have any Thanks.
I have this EXACT issue and typed in google "itchy legs bumps at night" and trying to find some answers. It's so itchy I want to rip my skin off right now. It causes bumps from scratching. It's always at night. It's mainly my thighs but can also be my knees and calves. I have switched detergents and lotions and tried anti itch creams and more. It is driving me nuts and I can't seem to find out why?!? or how to fix it!
I've had this issue, it is awful. I'll start my story this way. My daughter had an ALCAT blood test done for food allergies and intolerance a year ago. (Her lymphnodes were swelling from the spraying in the fields) Then it got worse and worse. The ALCAT tests showed everything and how severe the intolerances are. It worked. We took out the severe and moderate intolerances and minimized the mild ones. I ended up doing the same ALCAT testing for this itching. My doctor suggested these tests over a standard food allergy test because it does show levels of intolerances and you can add other things besides food. It is kind of expensive (about $350 for 200 foods and environmental, food additives) completely worth it. You body changes within a few weeks, almost like a pep in your step. Your doctor has to draw the blood and send the kit in...but I would very much recommend it.
Did you ever find out what caused your itching? I'm so desperate to find and answer to this. I'm having the same problem and it's been almost a month now. I went to 3 doctors and all they could tell me is it could be an allergic reaction to something. That long??? Please share your story on how you got rid of it. Thanks.
I also suffer from this every single night, but my itchiness is not one area of my leg/legs it is every part of my leg from top to bottom, every time I scratch I bleed because the itch does not seem to go away, I also have a lot of eczema on various parts of my body including; my face, scalp, inside of my elbows, back of my knees, behind my ears, my neck and on other parts from time to time which makes it hard enough to sleep with this, I would really like to find a suggestion with you to help me also as I am 16 years old (female) and do not have any way to stop my itching and would highly appreciate help, Thankyou.
I had same type of itch in right lower calf initially a week back i and little climbed up and then came down on inner ankle bone. I used to scratch hard and some times I stop it when my skin becomes red hot but happens only in night when I am on bed. I used Scabizide lotion for few days but no improvement. I changed to Margo soap no use. I used plenty of moisturizer but helped only temporarily. After bath I used to apply coconut oil.Whenever I feel severe itch I used to apply Sarfaz-N cream. But result is same only temporary relief.It all started when I was on Terrace of a building doing some installation. May be dusty environment may be the cause. Last week I was teaching whole week 8 hrs and used to stand all the time.
Today whole day was cleaning day and I took my lunch only at 4:30pm. Even after that no rest for me and washing cloths. Evening I have cooked for night ate and went to bed. The itch started in half an hour. When I searched internet after severe itch found many causes for itch. One ,of them was Gravity Eczema. I thought this may be the problem since my right leg used to pain sometimes due to blood circulation issue. So I thought I will apply some Thrombophob*-B Gel to improve blood circulation. I found an almost empty tube. I squeezed and got just 3 drops and applied over severely itching areas. Within seconds everything has become normal. It is almost 3 hrs now. Only 3 drops I applied and it is amazing. I am going to keep this Gel with me all the time..:-)
Today whole day was cleaning day and I took my lunch only at 4:30pm. Even after that no rest for me and washing cloths. Evening I have cooked for night ate and went to bed. The itch started in half an hour. When I searched internet after severe itch found many causes for itch. One ,of them was Gravity Eczema. I thought this may be the problem since my right leg used to pain sometimes due to blood circulation issue. So I thought I will apply some Thrombophob*-B Gel to improve blood circulation. I found an almost empty tube. I squeezed and got just 3 drops and applied over severely itching areas. Within seconds everything has become normal. It is almost 3 hrs now. Only 3 drops I applied and it is amazing. I am going to keep this Gel with me all the time..:-)
Could it be restless leg syndrome? I've had the same problem with very itchy legs for years and I think this may be the cause. A friend suggested taking a magnesium supplement. Best to discuss with your GP though.
1 Comments
I've read all of the comments and have the same issue at night. No rash. Just sharp twinges of itching all over my lower legs that keep me up at night. I think I finally figured it out. I noticed that anyone who has had relief has improved their diet in some way. Improving your diet helps us take in less sodium and other toxins that result in fluid retention. For me it's this water retention in my lower legs that causes the nerves to "flare up". As soon as I take a non caffeinated water pill during the day and right before bed, the fluid isn't allowed to build up and start the itching. If the symptoms start during the day, i take my 50mg diuretic pill and within 20-30 min, the symptoms subside. The higher the sodium levels I eat, the greater the itching. I read where someone's symptoms subsided after they started sweating. Makes sense since they are removing excess water. Just a suggestion but it helps me.
I am a chronic insomniac anyway and so with this insane itch on my legs (& arms too sometimes) at night, life is hell. I am struggling to work (not given in yet to time off as feel it will be a slippery slope..). I suffer with anxiety too and think that it is possibly related. Does anyone else?
2 Comments
Wow. YES! I literally just typed the same symptoms into Google, which is how I came across this thread!
My symptoms are 1) itchy legs and thighs at night, 2) no visible rash, 3) anxiety - which I've suffered from for years, 4) inability to fall asleep. And then I also occasionally get a little white patch on the tip of my tongue - similar to an inflamed tastebud. But I only get them when I have bad anxiety or haven't slept. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?!
My symptoms are 1) itchy legs and thighs at night, 2) no visible rash, 3) anxiety - which I've suffered from for years, 4) inability to fall asleep. And then I also occasionally get a little white patch on the tip of my tongue - similar to an inflamed tastebud. But I only get them when I have bad anxiety or haven't slept. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US?!
Try avoiding sugar
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