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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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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!
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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.
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Hey guys, has anyone been checked for sciatica?
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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!
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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.  

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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!
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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.
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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.
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