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Avatar universal

Skin feels raw, but no rash

For years I've been having occasional episodes where small areas of my skin feel sore and tender. It tends to be on my torso somewhere, but I think I've experienced it on my upper legs and rear end as well.  Right now it's an area starting at my spine below my ribcage, and wrapping around my side to the front a bit. It's a sensation that my skin is raw, as if it's been scraped or carpet-burned.  Any contact with the area feels exactly as if I'm touching raw tender skin (probably less painful) and the discomfort seems to be just skin-deep.  There is never a rash or injury of any kind, and I can't trace it to any kind of lifestyle thing, activity, detergent, etc.  It's been going on for years, never lasts more than a few days, and is never more than mildly annoying.  It hasn't killed me yet, so I'm really not concerned that something's terribly wrong, but I'd like to know what it is and if anyone else has ever experienced it.  
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Avatar universal
I think I get something similar but a year or so ago maybe it was a heat rash as it was in the peak of summer and covered my back , it lasted for a couple of days then disappeared. More recently I have had it on to tops at the back of my arm once and then on my legs several time but they only last a few hours as far as I’m aware however they are usually in the evening so I go to sleep with them and they’re gone when I wake up any doctors recommend anything to anyone which could help ??? Many thanks
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
So strange!  About a week ago, I remember getting into bed and fidgeting.  I could not get comfortable!  My husband asked me what was wrong and I said, "My skin hurts!"  It has now been 10 days and there is no change in the feeling.  If anything, it seems to have spread a bit.  Very interesting to read the posts on this thread.  The area is on the left side of my lower back and upper buttocks, and also on the outside of my left thigh.  No rash, just that raw feeling and it is uncomfortable to sit all day at work.  My husband had shingles a long time ago (before I met him) and I asked him how it came on.  He only remembered a blister (around waist) and it spread from there.  He didn't recall the soreness before the blister.  I've begun a regimen of B-Complex and l-Lysine.  If I see an improvement, I will post here.
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1 Comments
That's the same spot my pain is. Started yesterday with a slight pain in the morning then progressed to worse pain as the day went on. Now I have a burning like sensation on theft butt cheek, lower left back and some hip. My mom had shingles a while back so now I'm concerned it might be that. Apparently it can take weeks for any other sign to show up but if I still have an issue on day 5 will seek out a doctor.
Avatar universal
oh this does make sense, since I do have fibromyalgia...so, these times when this occurs I will no longer think I am "crazy" - for these problem areas that come and go and only last temporarily. It is annoying but not fatal I guess.  It is just a weird sensation, similar to a sunburn without the redness and it is limited to a small area and comes to different parts of the body at different times.
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16353665 tn?1447225008
I'm a 46 year old woman and I have been suffering from this condition for many years now.  Doctors I have seen have no clue about this ailment so I know exactly what you all are speaking of, most of the time mine lasts for a week or so during the colder weather conditions.  I've searched hi-&-lo and I've read that it has to do with our nerve endings becoming aggravated.  Recently met a lady that mentioned to try using Glycerin liquid with equal parts of water and pour over the aggravated area(s).  I've tried it and it has been helpful, so think about giving it a try.
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1 Comments
I have a skin issue on the outside of my leg below the Knee. I find it flairs up in the winter months. No rash just very itchy and quite painful too. I have found (and I have tried many things) that  Tea Tree oil straight from the bottle helps so much. Give it a try. just dab a piece of cotton wool with the oil on to where ever it is itchy. Good luck.
Avatar universal
I've had this sensation on my right thigh, mostly on the outside, but comes across the front of my thigh towards the inside of the thigh. Same description as everything I am reading here. After a week or 2 of feeling this mild annoyance, I decided to Google it and this is the first site that popped up. At least it's good to see I'm not alone. Be nice if someone knew what the hell it was. I'm 56 years old, never felt this before. It feels slightly raw, but I don't see anything there.
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Avatar universal
Hi all, five days ago a patch of skin on my back next to my scapula starting hurting but I didn't have a rash. It wasn't my muscle either. It hurt to have clothes brush against it and I couldn't lay on it. At times a flash of pain would radiate towards the front of by body underneath my left breast. I had no idea what this was and did not want to go to the medical center because they would think I'm nuts. But, today I went to my chiropractor and told her what was going on and she had an answer that made perfect sense! Immediately after I told her what was going on she said "rib out of place." She then explained that when nerves are pinched or otherwise out of whack it can cause symptoms like hurting skin etc.. She then checked the rib that is at the "skin hurting" site and said it was "out." And, my scapula was "out" as well. She made several adjustments and guess what? A few hours later it is 50% better! She said I should see huge improvement tomorrow. She explained everything at great length and it would take forever to write it on this site, but this may be a reason why some of you are having these issues. Somewhere in your body you may have a compromised neurological situation and I highly suggest you find a very reputable chiropractor to help you. Don't bother asking your medical doctor because they think chiropractors are snake oil salesmen. This helped me and it is worth it for you to try it too. I can't believe how painful it was and now it is almost gone. Good luck to all of you.
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1 Comments
This makes a lot of sense. I too suffer from this pain started 5 days ago
I have had a history of ribs going out. The pain follows a nerve path from back to front on right side.  Sometimes a rib goes out and it’s like having a tooth ache in all my teeth at once, followed by intense pain in my chest!  I usually get someone to “push” the rib back in and pain goes away. Haven’t been to a chiropractor in almost a year, guess I’ll make an appointment and let you all know the result. I have been using vitamin d supplements so don’t think that’s the issue for me.
Avatar universal
Its nice to know im not the only one! Its hard to describe but sunburn/rug burn is very close....after reading this thread, im gonna check into b12...funny because I asked my doctor about getting b12 shots because I don't really eat meat, she pretty much shot me down...like it was an insane possibility. This pain sucks! Its not the worst but damn...uncomfortable for sure!
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2 Comments
So sorry your doctor didn't listen about the B12!  I can only imagine how hard this is to deal with for you.  Are you able to get another opinion from another doctor about the B12 shots?  Let us know how you are doing!  
I get b12 shots once a week and I’m having this issue right now.
Avatar universal
I have this rug-burning symptom on my two middle toes on left foot. I have Morton's toe too, where middle toe is longer than the big and third toe. As a result of Morton's toe, I have metatarsalgia, ball of foot pain. I figured this burning sensation was related to it. It's very irritating at night. Find it hard to sleep because of it. Glad to see I'm not alone, but sorry we're all suffering with the mystery pain. Will look into the Vitamin D deficiency, fibromyalgia and allodynia.
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Avatar universal
I have this irritation on my lower arm between elbow and wrist I don't have any visible marks but it's irritating when anything touches it clothes me anything I think I might call my doctor Monday and see if see can squeeze me in
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2 Comments
I started this exact irritation in the exact same spot, about 3 days ago! Whenever my clothes rub against it, or I touch it, it hurts!! It feels like a sunburn or raw skin! What the heck is this?!
Did you change anything like your laundry detergent that might cause an irritation?  It's possible that it's just dry skin too- it's been an abnormally dry winter for most of the US- I'm unsure about other parts of the world, but I know that in the US, it can cause some issues with dry skin and such that you don't normally see.  
Avatar universal
I started having the 'sunburn' feeling just over a month ago.  I initially tried various creams to see if it was dry skin, but things didn't improve so startd searching the internet.

I saw the comments regarding vitamin B12 deficiency, and looking into this I noted that a symptom can be a low iron count.  Having being diagnosed with a low iron count in the past (following year of giving blood) I decided to test this idea and bought some multivitamin pills (making sure that they included B12 and iron).  I noticed an improvement after about 4-5 days, and now after 2 weeks the 'sunburn' is nearly gone.

If you haven't already done so, then I'd suggest it's certainly worth trying for the sake of a couple of quid.
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3 Comments
Blimey!  I have exactly this too.  Started a few weeks ago across my buttocks, lasted about a week.  Felt like bruising and was quite painful, not agony, but painful and annoying.  It disappeared and then a week or so later I got the same sensation on my right thigh, again it lasted about a week and the gradually cleared itself up.  No visible marks, rash or anything.  Then about a week ago the exact same sensation but this time in my under-arm and around my shoulder and into my chest area.  It’s really annoying.  Will try some vitamin D supplement and see if that does the trick.
Blimey!  I have exactly this too.  Started a few weeks ago across my buttocks, lasted about a week.  Felt like bruising and was quite painful, not agony, but painful and annoying.  It disappeared and then a week or so later I got the same sensation on my right thigh, again it lasted about a week and the gradually cleared itself up.  No visible marks, rash or anything.  Then about a week ago the exact same sensation but this time in my under-arm and around my shoulder and into my chest area.  It’s really annoying.  Will try some vitamin D supplement and see if that does the trick.
Sorry for the double post!
Avatar universal
2Dbunk, 9-23-17

8-days ago I posted the following, what I thought is a solution to the many people suffering this fiery irritation.  Today I'm completely recovered from the malady, so I'm repeating what I posted then:

2Dbunk,9-16-17

I've read most of the 136 answers and have come across a treatment for my tender, left inner thigh.  I'm 78 and never experienced this before. I don't know what caused it -- I'm a sun worshipper, have 1 to 2 alchohol drinks a day, and  havevery few allergies.

It started about 2 weeks ago and had been very annoying and painfull. I tried several hand creams and skin soothers to no success.

My wife (highly allergic to bee and wasp stings) suggested using some of her Hydrocortisone cream (OTC) in combination with one of her Hydroxyzine HCL 25mg tablets (Rx) that recently expired.  I did this for 3 or 4 days and noticed relief within the second day -- at first the fiery skin evolved to an itchy skin but the next day the itch went away 'til I'm almost normal.  I still apply the cream if I feel it's coming back.

IT WORKS so far.  I think both the cream and tablets are anti-histamines.  Good luck!
                                          2Dbunk
9/16/2017
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes I have had it for about a week now and it's just on the lower part of my shoulder. It's really annoying and almost really hurting.
Helpful - 0
3 Comments
K now I am in pain and I want to know how to get rid of this!!! Now please!!!
See my response below -- 2Dbunk, 9-23-17
See my response below -- 2Dbunk, 9-23-17
Avatar universal
I think I have read each comment on this thread and it's amazing how many of us have almost identical descriptions of the pain.

Just a quick descritpion of my episodes: usually can sense a deeper, vague pain on day one, maybe two, then it progresses to the surface of the skin, only on one side of my body, typically an extremity (usually lower half). My pain, for sure, is described well by saying "bad sunburn or rugburn". Almost 100% of the time it's my buttock on one side, then down the back of the thigh and sometimes the front of the thigh. This episode it has  done the usual, but went down the front of my knee, just under it and then down the left side of my calf and left side of my foot. Those sensations are gone now at day 3, but I have it in the higher parts of that thigh in the front.

From all the links and searching on my own, the very best explanation I can come up with is zoster sine herpete. Basically "shingles without the rash". Has everyone who has this had chickenpox at some point in their lives? I have, when I was a child. Very interesting condition. And, an elusive one to be identified, it seems!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Ugh, been a couple weeks for me. :( THIS.IS.AWFUL. Few people take me seriously. I also sweat a lot so that makes it truly unbearable.
Avatar universal
Hey guys, has anyone been checked for sciatica?
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Avatar universal
I started having similar symptoms 1.5 years ago had a burning pain on my left buttock that felt like a minor sunburn with some occasional prickling, it went away after 2 months. Now it's back again. I've had an emg, X-rays of my hip, and three herpes tests. All were negative.

My mom introduced me to a book by Anthony Williams called Medical Medium where he discussed the Epstein Barr virus and shingles virus in depth. He's a medical medium but He describes a lot of your symptoms on this thread and gives foods and supplements that help boost your immune system to fight off the virus. It is very spiritual so it's not for everybody. I myself am a little bit of a skeptic but to those that are willing to try anything, it's worth looking into. I am gonna try the food and supplements and see how it goes. Will post to let you guys know!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There is an article on health line that has 29 possible causes of burning sensations. Some are not at all close to what has been described here in this post but others may be a bit closer (http://www.healthline.com/health/burning-sensation

It sounds like in general people the first few years of this post are hypothesizing:

1) something related to shingles/herpes like zoster sine herpete (shingles without the rash) which if you have had the chicken pox you have the shingles virus in you as I understand.
2) b12 issues: Another idea is nerve pain brought on related to B12 either  as being deficient or as a treatment.
People have also suggested stress/lack of sleep and a relation to B12.
Pernicious anemia (low red blood cells due to inability to absorb b12) or  Vitamin B 12 deficiency
3) Another idea: Lyme Disease
4) Fibromyalgia
5) Allodynia- (copied from a previous post) It comes from a malfunction of specialized nerves, called nociceptors, that sense information about things like temperature and painful stimuli right at the skin. For some reason, our nociceptors start telling our brains that just about any sensation is painful. Researchers believe is part of the central sensitization associated with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and a handful of other conditions. 

You can read all about it at http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2009/03/07/painful-to-touch-fibromyalgia-tactile-allodynia.htm 

Allodynia and there is are a few different types eg. tactile allodynia and mechanical allodynia.  I am almost certain this is it.  One of the posts I read said Neurofen or Naproxen really helps.


Other online searches bring up:
6) Radiculopathy (pinched nerve  in the spine),
7) Neuralgia (myelin damage),
8) Peripheral neuropathy ( affects nerves outside the brain and spine like carpel tunnel (thumb and inner fingers) and ulnar nerve (outer fingers), numb arms or legs, etc). Some note a burning feeling.
9) Peripheral vascular disease (blood vessels outside the heart and brain to narrow, block or spasm, pain and fatigue with exercise most often in legs, pain improves with rest),
10) Cervical spondylosis (neck arthiritus),
11) Multiple sclerosis (deteriorated myelin),
12) Megaloblastic anemia (large and few red blood cells), 13) Ulnar nerve palsey (outer finger numbness can go up to shoulder, pain, muscle weakness, fine motor movements, hand weakness increased with activity, burning in hand, loss of grip strength)

Not sure if any of this helps. I am trying to figure out my own symptoms and this is the info I have run across so far.  

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, I have the burning sensation, like some clothes have been rubbing against the skin or something similar. No rash or other visible symptoms. I'm wondering if it could be related to low vitamin B12 values? I think I'm low on B12 and have many symptoms, and then I suddenly realized, one symptom of low B12 is burning sensation on skin! Hope this can help some of you! Try some B12 and see if it goes away!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hi, I am 42 and I have had the same burning sensation just 2 inches right of my belly button. It is sensitive when I touch and no rash. As Siritorg suggests, I consulted my family doctor and said this could be due to two reasons, one is Hypertension or Low B12 which I have. Also said that this sensitivity cold move around and need not be confined only to waist. Suggested me to have methylcobalamin 1500 MCG daily. I have just ordered online. Let me see if this helps.
Avatar universal
Google

Zoster Sine Herpete

I just started having this in my inner thigh....feels just like everyone said.  Sunburn, carpet burn rash.
I am 47 - Female
I also had Bels Palsy as a teen and chicken pox as a child.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been battling with this exact burning - sunburn sensation for 14 days. it mostly occurs in the evening but there were days that it started earlier in the evening. Feels like razor burn on face, arms, buttocks mostly About the 3rd day, I noticed a cough which progressed to a sore throat, which got my attention
I went to my Psychiatrist because I thought my SSRI pooped out, but when I popped a klonopin it did nothing for the burning but I was calmer
I went to Patient First( Horrible place) and my BP was 160/90 and I never have issues. In the morning it was normal They said I had a low grade infection and perhaps the
burning skin was part of that. Gave me pregnisone and Zithromax and my anxiety was full tilt and developed a horrible cold/ cough. Stopped the antibiotics and I am at day 14 with burning skin, a cough/cold
This is all too weird!
Could I have a virus type thing that is causing this? not shingles had the shot-
Stopped the meds as they made me insane!




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Avatar universal
I've had the same sensation/symptoms that were brought up originally since childhood at seemingly random times on random patches of skin (never hands, feet, or face, though). The sensation usually goes away in a day, but the current bout is in its third day. I've never asked a doctor because it always goes away well before any appointment and it certainly does not constitute a medical emergency. Some understanding would be nice, however.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have this too for a year or so now. I currently have one near my Inner leg and one on the thigh/buttock almost. It varies though usually its my arm. I have recently been diagnosed with Gilberts Syndrome and there are so so many symptoms with this that I am wondering if this is one.
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Avatar universal
I am experiencing this exact same thing. I have been describing the symptoms almost word for word. I'm having a very painful episode on my hip right now, and I was wondering if you ever found an answer?
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Avatar universal
The first time I came out, burning pain woke me between the collarbone and neck. I rushed to the emergency room and told me it was stress because tenderness of my stomach, I said it was gastrocolitis. And that the collarbone was tension.
I returned a week and I was told I could be a contracture.
I came back one week later and took me radiography, which had nothing in bone or see anything in the chest or neck. I got ibuprofen.
I went to another doctor and he told me I could be a neuritis, I prescribe diclofenac and B complex
Then I went to do an ultrasound and the radiologist found nothing, until suddenly told me that a ganglion looked to one side of the subclavian vein 7 3 mm.
Back to my hospital, and Dr. told me that was bringing a big stress and prescribed fluoxetine and alprazolam. ME command to do an ultrasound auqnue told him that I already had, but I agendaron until Oct. 1 (I was the August 1).
My acquaintances general practitioners have told me that it may be arthritis, a sentinel node, lymphoma, lupus, bone, thyroid (Because ultrasound said that my thyroid was asymmetrical, with a smaller lobe, and two cysts in each, but the thyroid profile is fine).
I went with an internist friend who sent me to the analytical tests, biometrics is fine, blood chemistry is good, only creatinine is 200. The VSG is 20 and PCR 8.5
The EGO left me with esterase positive laucocitaria, so I explained that it could be due to the ESR and CRP.
Albumin, Globulin even within parameters.
Profile hepatic good.

The case is that the ball grows and it's not ... It hurts with the touch of clothing and heat sometimes. It seems among which is part of the bone and slightly swollen tmb. On the right side ..
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The first time I came out, burning pain woke me between the collarbone and neck. I rushed to the emergency room and told me it was stress because tenderness of my stomach, I said it was gastrocolitis. And that the collarbone was tension.
I returned a week and I was told I could be a contracture.
I came back one week later and took me radiography, which had nothing in bone or see anything in the chest or neck. I got ibuprofen.
I went to another doctor and he told me I could be a neuritis, I prescribe diclofenac and B complex
Then I went to do an ultrasound and the radiologist found nothing, until suddenly told me that a ganglion looked to one side of the subclavian vein 7 3 mm.
Back to my hospital, and Dr. told me that was bringing a big stress and prescribed fluoxetine and alprazolam. ME command to do an ultrasound auqnue told him that I already had, but I agendaron until Oct. 1 (I was the August 1).
My acquaintances general practitioners have told me that it may be arthritis, a sentinel node, lymphoma, lupus, bone, thyroid (Because ultrasound said that my thyroid was asymmetrical, with a smaller lobe, and two cysts in each, but the thyroid profile is fine).
I went with an internist friend who sent me to the analytical tests, biometrics is fine, blood chemistry is good, only creatinine is 200. The VSG is 20 and PCR 8.5
The EGO left me with esterase positive laucocitaria, so I explained that it could be due to the ESR and CRP.
Albumin, Globulin even within parameters.
Profile hepatic good.

The case is that the ball grows and it's not ... It hurts with the touch of clothing and heat sometimes. It seems among which is part of the bone and slightly swollen tmb. On the right side ..
Helpful - 0
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