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itchy legs

This discussion is related to Itchy legs, no sign of rash or irritation.


I have had this problem for just over 2 years,
i went to my GP and they have given me antibiotics as they think i have folliculitis. I searched this and i have no symptons for folliculitis, as this occurs when you have red spots full of pus. my legs are dry and flaky as a result of my 2 years of itching and i have no rashes, just scars from scratching
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963889 tn?1359677334
you may all laugh, but to all you itchy, no rash etc legs people, have you had a renal function test???????   I have chronic kidney disease, stage 4.(CKD).. I have had intensly ithy legs for about 3 years, never a rash but I will scratch till they bleed. Sends me mad especially of a night.  After 3 years I found out it is due to my ckd - weird I know but its a common symptom of it!!!!!  quick blood test is all it takes!
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I have four children under 7 and have had these crazy itchy legs 3 or 4 years... My question is would they have caught these during the hundreds of urine samples I did during those pregnancies or do I need a blood test done
Avatar universal
It has to do with seasons allergy. I have the same, I'm not taking any medicines, Ritrlin and all of those so not to worry.  Best thing to use is Alovera cream,  twice a day and right after a shower, avoid wearing socks for awhile and it will go away... until the next time. Pick a good cream remember that green is added color so go for the clear natural ones.
  
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Avatar universal
Hi. Sorry for continuing this, but it's important.

I'm 11 this year, and 11 years ago I had meningitis, for the best of a year. Then I got rid of it, and when I was 4, I started constantly getting itchy legs, and it got so embarrassing. Also, now when I sweat it gets worse. And a lately, there's this awful, spoilt girl in my class who makes fun of me in pe change. I am in the UK. So now I have this when I sweat, also not good for phys ed.. So I have to take Vaseline to pe class in my bag. Imagine what she's going to say to me then. I also got rid of eczema, 4 years ago. And I have chicken skin at the top of my arms. My mum says its rubbish when they say its a syndrome or disease. I get itchy legs for standing 3+ minutes. Any help is good. Thanks.
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Avatar universal
My case is exactly the same as yours - no outward signs of irritation - but extreme itching from the knees kown. I have some intermittent itching on portions of the arm and back/neckline area. It is 3:30 am and I was awakened by the itch.
Circulation could be an issue - I have had Tpe II diabetes for over a decade but never any condition such as this. I also have a "circulation issue" for some time - but never experienced the intense itching.
Hope there is an answer for us somewhere there in the medical community
Good luck
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Avatar universal
I have this. I have been living with this for around 1 year now. And I've have been reading forums lately. One lady with similair side effects to mine. Said go gluten free! So today I have started a gluten free diet. Tonight i'm incredibly itchy and I'm hoping in the next two weeks, my condition improves slightly and I see a change in my legs and they finally stop itching.

It drives me crazy. My boyfriend sometimes has to hold me down, or hold my hands to stop me. And still then I try so hard to get free to just itch. It's terrible. My legs sometimes get that bad from scratching away at my skin that I refuse to wear shorts or skirts that show my legs because I'm embarrased.

I have tried everything. My doctor says it's from shaving. But one leg is worse then the other which makes no sense. If it was shaving it would be both. I itch so much that, I leave scabs on my legs, which puss up. And look like infected pimples all over my legs. It's disgusting.

I'm sick to death of hearing no explanation to why I am itchy, and having no creams, nothing work. So hopefully this gluten free diet is the answer to all my problems.
I think everyone with this problem should atleast try it. If your like me, you will try anything!
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Avatar universal
Hi..I have had this condition for years..actually i'm having a bout of it now. I was checked for everything, kidneys, hyperthyroidism, you name it, and everything came back fine. I saw a dermatologist, he said i had atopic dermatitis, but i have since come to my own conclusion after trying every available cream known to man..lol..that it isn't atopic dermatitis, it is fungal. I am now on a steroid cream and although i still itch like mad..the sores are clearing up. Unfortunately though, the cream has caused oil folliculitis, which apparently is quite common. They are little pimple like sores filled with white pus that pop up allover the fronts of my legs. You have to be careful not to break them open or you could get  a staph infection. The only thing that i have found to stop the itch were two things, a bath in epsom salt and/or a wet cold facecloth or towel that i store in a freezer bag in the freezer..feels so good, especially at night. To be honest..if you can stop scratching (I know, easier said than done), the spots will clear up on their own unless there's infection of some sort..but it's hard..especially if you're tired and the itching is driving you crazy. For me..I became absolutely obsessed with picking the scabs off. I hate to have anything on my skin, so i tend to pick pick pick and that only leads to infection, so if you can help it at all, leave it alone. The sun helps too..so if you can sit out in the sun for  abit, it will help...just be careful not to burn. Good luck...and remember, as soon as it clears up, keep your body moisturized all the time because the chances of it coming back again are high. Make sure you are getting enough rest too because it has been known to attack when your immune system is compromised or if you are stressed out. Take care!
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Avatar universal
I have had this problem for years and found that heat of any kind and almost all lotions cause this.Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Body Moisturizer does not cause itching for me.  I can only get it online now.  Once my legs start itching, it takes a couple weeks to get it under control.
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Avatar universal
i have had this problem for about a year and i can not live with it anymore. the scratching keeps me up at night and absolutely every time i scratch, i leave my legs bleeding like crazy. they are all scarred up and are constantly covered in new scabs.  I have tried everything. my doctor thought it was scabies, keratosis polaris, eczema, stress related, weather related, and countless other diagnosis. i have been on multiple different pills, steroid creams, moisturizers, have changed soaps, detergents, the whole nine yards. NOTHING helps. it has become unlivable. i am a college student and can not sit through class without scratching uncontrollably. i haven't worn shorts at all this past year due to the scars and scabs covering my legs. someone please help
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Avatar universal
Hi,
I'm from Ireland, almost a year an half ago I fell pregnant, From what I can remember I think this itch on my lower legs only started then.. anyway its a sever lower leg itch that mostly effects me at night time. I said it to the midwives in the hospital an they said it could be to do with my kidney or liver so they done some blood tests, but they came back perfect, so I just carried on scratching everynight, sometimes i'd scrach that hard i'd rip skin off my legs an bleed, this often happens. so about a month ago I went to see my doctor, as I was at the stage that I could'nt take it anymore, I showed her my legs and she was shocked, she sent me for bloods too as she said it could be something serious and also she gave me some steroid cream and said if the itch does not stop within 2 weeks go straight back, but its has'nt stopped and again the bloods came back perfect.. I wish I could find out what this is, as it often effects my sleep and is ever so irritating.. I have just found out that I am pregnant again only about 5-6 weeks pregnant so now I wont be able to use different types of creams and things as I'm always told to consult a doctor first.
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Avatar universal
I get this a lot too! Its hard, because im a teenager and high school, and having scars and scabs all over my legs does not help. Especially when people ask! Its not far seeing all the other girls with beautiful tanned legs, while im trying to cover mine up with stockings, which itch like crazy!

Advantan is great, though you cant put it on too often. only like 1 week per month. Cetaphil is horrible, what ever anyone tells you do not try it ! It just makes the itch work. Bio-oil is slowly helping the scars, but you must use it twice a day for 3 months, but seeing that i have been put cream on my legs twice daily for around 7 years, its not much of a hassle.

I really really hope I helped one of our poor suffering souls!
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Avatar universal
i am a 40 yr old man from england, i have had problems with itching my top left thigh, so much i itch through the blood. it feels good but i know its not doing me any good. i think the problem is spreading as now my other thigh is starting to show same symptoms and is itself itchy but not as bad as the left one. I think ive got a skin disease but darnt go to see the doctor. i had a similar issue on my left wrist although this has cleared up becuase i left it alone long enough. Im at my wits end, i itch in my sleep and it makes my wife unhappy with me moving around and fidgetting all the time. any advice please or any creams i can use that will clear it up once and for all.....andi
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Avatar universal
Hey guys...
I've had itchy legs for a long time now and its slowly getting worse.I'm a 21 year old female and I get it after having a shower, if my legs are exposed at all, or in bed or just sitting around relaxing and changes of temperature. Its mostly only my lower legs and its a horrible crawling/pins and needles feeling that is impossible to escape. I have found no cure only little rituals I do that help me cope with it. when showering I make sure the fan is not on and i like to have a really hot shower. I leave the shower door open so that the temperature doesnt change when i get out of the shower. as soon as i turn the water off i wrap a long towl around my legs and another around my arms. I dont pat dry at all I just stand there until im dry. Then i put long pants on as soon as i remove the towel.. I find heat a relief and wrapping up my legs. I can't wear shorts unless its really hot and shaving my legs is always an ordeal but something I just put up with. I don't get it after exercise because i find i hardly sweat.. instead i get a heat rash that is itchy but a different itch i can handle. Thanks to everyone who says its not stress related because i know it isn't.. its a horrible thing to have and i cant put any creams on my legs without itching and no medications work. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know..I dont think its a skin problem because its only the legs, it must be internal.. im considering hypnosis to see if it helps??

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1 Comments
That's interesting. I don't sweat much at all, & I never get sweaty hands, yet I still get screamingly itchy shins. Not all the time. But it seems to generally happen when I'm in bed, & when I wear heavy trousers, like jeans.
I wonder if it is sweat related. I know some people have quite acidic sweat. (My ex-fiance's sweat used to continually turn the silver, sizing solder-line on her claddah ring black, before it cracked open along the seam). That happened to me only once, when I used to wear a signet ring. However, I'm afraid I have no idea how to measure the acidity of sweat.
I hope this might be helpful. And, if not, that you find a cure for your anguish
Avatar universal
I have had this problem as long as I can remember. When I was little I would beg anyone and everyone to itch my legs for me. Now that I am 17 and in school, it's a little embarrasing. My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts and I get extremely weird looks in class. No lotion helps, and I always use a brush or comb to itch but the itching never subsides. It is usually when I lay down to go to sleep or when I'm not really focused on anything else. It's the worst thing ever to itch ALL the time. I have heard of restless leg syndrome and am going to suggest it to my doctor. I just can't help but think I sound a little crazy. Also, it itches really bad in the corners of my knees!
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Avatar universal
I went through this for years, but now I am itch FREE. I had tried everything and my doctor always said to take a cool shower because hot water makes you itch. Boy, was she ever wrong. Now, I make sure the bathroom is very warm, turn the water on as HOT as I can stand it, pat dry with a cotton towel, get dressed immediately in warm clothes and absolutely NO MORE ITCHING !!!!!!! I'm so happy. From the very 1st day I did this, there was no itching and before that , I would itch for an hour and think that I was losing my mind. I would curl up into a ball and scratch and cry and scream until I just couldn't stand it. But no more. I hope this helps someone else. I've never been so happy.
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Avatar universal
Hi girls, I'm a 55 year old bloke from London, UK, got the itchy lower legs this year, It gets very itchy in a hot bath, I can scratch like mad, but try to avoid doing so, I have asthma and take steroids (prednisolone), and thought this was causing it, but I see from the discussions all types of healthy people get it - it seems to be brought on or relieved by heat - which brings the blood to the surface - might be a dietary symptom, like too much sugar - I shall have to experiment and get back, doctors tend not to have a clue and just prescribe a load of stuff, they work by the 'try this, if that don't work try this' principle - anyway.. have rubbed olive oil over legs which helped. My other half reckons its candida, but she reckons everything is candida.
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Avatar universal
Judging from my own lifestyle plus all the comments on this website, I believe the main cause of itchy shins is RADIANT HEAT .   This causes damage to the skin which is then irritated by any contact with all forms of chemical;, by any coarse or pilled materials chafing against the skin including bed sheets, particularly flanellette sheets, trousers, skirts etc that are not rinsed sufficiently;  more radiant heat.     CAR RADIATORS HEATING LEGS have to be a major cause here, so I turn my heater onto the windscreen only.    The sun, floor-standing ovens, all floor level fires, radiators etc can contribute to cause and aggravation I guess.    So my answer is to sit as far away as possible from all heat sources; I do not use fabric conditioners of any sort because they are not rinsed out; I wash clothing with soap powder for sensitive skin from Boots the Chemist.   I wear knee length shorts in the summer so that nothing chafes against my skin.    I lift my legs when moving in bed to lessen the effect of chafing against bed linen.      I also keep the heating down as low as is comfortable, including in the bedroom at night.    I use the minimum of soap powder and rinse thoroughly.   I also use ordinary soap, not gels, and my own personal sponge when bathing, rinse it thoroughly and dry it against a radiator before storing.    All this helps.    Prevention is probably the only answer here.   If I am correct then I believe this info should be made well known because there must be many people causing themselves damage from car radiators in particular.     Shins are exposed to the elements and all the above factors more than any other part of our anatomy?    More heat and/or more chemicals are the aggravators.
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Avatar universal
i'm cindy and i am also experiencing for what you have experiencing which is scratching my thigh beacause it is really itchy,...
i cannot wear shorts anymore coz it really looks so bad by scratching it always...it is so embarassing to wear a short and the thigh of my legs is still worsen,,,,,,,,,,,plz?????????????
help me.................... 2 solve this kind of problem..............
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Avatar universal
i'm cindy and i am also experiencing for what you have experiencing which is scratching my thigh beacause it is really itchy,...
i cannot wear shorts anymore coz it really looks so bad by scratching it always...it is so embarassing to wear a short and the thigh of my legs is still worsen,,,,,,,,,,,plz?????????????
help me.................... 2 solve this kind of problem..............

is anyone who can help me?????
i really appreciate if somebody can help me...

thnx"
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Avatar universal
It is a relief to hear I am not the only one. Yes, i think it is stress related to a point. The mind is a very powerful thing, and as soon as I feel the first twinges, I freak myself out so bad because I know it's coming and sure enough, those are the worst fits. Mine is pretty much only after showering or sweating, and it doesn't even matter if I shave or not. I remember sitting on my bed crying with packs of frozen veggies on my legs praying for relief! Always after about a half hr or so, it ceases as if it never happened. I found a few tricks that help: moisturizing an hour before showering, Aveeno anti itch lotions, and mixing Cortizone cream in with my lotion helps. But sometimes I think that just my thought of these "brilliant ideas" might trick my body into not itching...  I am not sure... while I think mentality does play a part, there's no denying that the itching/pins and needles is REAL and physical and we are not crazy!!!! Thank you ladies for making me realize I am not alone!
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Avatar universal
I am so glad to hear you talk about your itchy legs being related to warm weather. For the past 20 years the back of my right knee has itched from July -September. I know this sounds really crazy but it is true. There are no rashes, no signs of any irritation and every year I forget about it until it starts. Today is July 3 and for the past 3 days I have done nothing except scratch the back of my leg. I've been to doctors and because there is nothing present, no one knows what it is. Some people ask if it somehow stress related or past trauma related and there is nothing. For me it is clearly weather related. The mystery is why only the back of my right knee?
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone,
I'm a 32 year old male, and had this problem on and off since I can remember.
During my teens, I had this itch almost always after taking a shower. Then, in recent years it seemed to have disappeared. Today I had a horribly intense itching episode after showering, and decided to check the internet for answers.
It's good to know that this isn't some unexplainable thing :)
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Avatar universal
Hi All,
I'm a mid-30s female in the Denver, CO area and I've had this lower leg itching problem for a few years now.  It has nothing to do with showering for me.  My legs just itch all the time and I scratch them until I bleed, even in my sleep.  My legs look disgusting and no amount of Neosporin makes the little scabs heal up.  Though I should buy stock in that company.  

Anyway, I have found two things that work to ease the itch.  I had to go to whole foods to get these things.  One is called LASTING TOUCH.  It sounds like an imtimacy product but it's not.  It's a topical, lotion-based anagelsic.  It keeps the skin mildly numb long enough to distract me from the itch and moisturizes at the same time.  It's especially great when the itch wakes me up so that I can go back to sleep.  The other product is called ARNICARE.  It is also topical and comes in lotion or ointment.  Of course, you should try the lotion as the ointment would only clog the pores.  This product is for muscle pain and bruising, but for me it has really reduced if not gotten rid of the itch, especially on my shins.

Also, I have started taking my showers not-so-hot.  And I always always moisturize after a shower while my skin is still damp.  Try to avoid lotions with mineral oil, dimethicone, or petrolatum as these clog the pores and can make matters worse.  

That's it for my remedies.  And they are a better alternative that scratching myself to the bone.  :)  Good luck and if anyone finds a cure, please post it!
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874467 tn?1240403881
Check this out. I think it explains almost all of the itching problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquagenic_pruritus

I have suffered from itching on my thighs and lower legs for about two years now. I don't think that it is related to the contact with water, as listed in the wiki document, but the reaction that the water is having with blood circulation to your appendages. The stimulus of water beating or pushing against the skin or active jogging/walking causes an increased blood flow to your legs and feet, which results in the itching sensation after the motion has stopped (unknown as to the WHY of the itching sensation though). Also the action of washing your body or swimming through water (moving your arms alot) can cause itching in the arms for some people. The condition has very limited treatment options, most of them involving antihisthamines and cream lotions, none of which treat the cause for the condition, so they obviously cannot cure it (so far). Very little research has been done on this condition, so I would advise everyone who has been experiencing this problem to go to a dermatologist and talk to them about Aquagenic Pruritis, explaining your concern that it may be an internal condition and not just an outward reaction (the itching) to water.
For me it feels like the itch is INSIDE my leg, not on the outside, and I keep scratching and scratching because I can't reach the itch, eventually causing very small red bumps on the surface afterwards (but no rash) because of the damage I'm causing to my skin. I don't want to damage my skin anymore, so the sooner a cure is found, or at least a decent description of what the condition is and why it happens, the sooner all of us can start recovering! We will no longer have to live our lives AROUND the itch. We can eliminate it if we push for more research involving the issue of aquagenic pruritis, so go see a dermatologist and help bring light to this unknown condition that so many others like us are suffering from.

Thanks for your time.

~ Meg
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Avatar universal
I actually wanted to comment on this thread http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/Itchy-legs--no-sign-of-rash-or-irritation/show/241193 but I couldn't figure out how so here I am...

For the past few months my legs have always been itching. There are no bumps or anything they just itch. They itch mostly on my thighs but sometimes on other parts of my legs too. I almost always have scratches too on my shins that I don't know how they got there, I figure it is from shaving. I don't think that my legs itching is from shaving though because I don't shave all the way up to my thighs. The only thing that seems to help the itching is lotion. This is how bad the itching is, last night I itched my leg so bad that now I have 5+ pretty deep scratches on my lower leg, and I don't even have sharp nails....
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