Aa
Itchy legs....help
About a month ago I started jogging/running. My problem is my legs start itching so bad that I have to stop. It starts at my ankles and then goes up my legs. My dh told me to start pushing through it and it will go away if I just keep going. So I did that today and it started going up my stomach, so I decided it was time to stop because it was just too much to handle, and I was afraid that my whole body would end up like that. I usually start out with a 5-10 min walk and then work my way up to running. After about 20 min of fast walking the itching starts. It doesn't matter if I'm outside or on my tredmill, wear shorts or loose pants. I have tried putting lotion w/ no purfume or anything in it before I exercise, but it's not working. I have also had my dh spray my legs with water to cool them off, but that isn't working either. I don't want to give this up, but I can't take this itching anymore. I walk and/or my tredmill everyday, sometimes several times a day, so I don't think just getting used to it is the problem. Does anybody have any idea how to make this stop? I will try anything!
Hey Benisa,
The exact same thing happens to me too! It makes it worse that, as with others, the cold weather and brisk or even regular-paced walking can bring it on. But when it comes, considering for me that it normally comes with colder weather when things are damp and quite icky looking anyway if you live in a crowded urban area, I too get very scornful. So much so I avoid looking at the street or on one occasion even walked in the road so that I could just focus on getting home quickly so I could itch my legs like crazy...
This is sooo not nice and so sporadic for me too, but I really am glad I'm not the only one. Because of the mental side of it too, I really was starting to think that I was crazy, lol! I just try to breathe deep and keep calm when it all comes on... I think the mental side probably comes from the fact that most times if you're itchy it's to do with something vulgar / dirt etc i.e. one associates an itch with something unclean, hence maybe our minds focus more on those things when the itch occurs, even though the itch has been induced by walking etc and not by anything which suggests a lack of hygiene, vermin or medical condition etc although this clearly IS some kind of medical condition with so many people around the globe experiencing it.
The exact same thing happens to me too! It makes it worse that, as with others, the cold weather and brisk or even regular-paced walking can bring it on. But when it comes, considering for me that it normally comes with colder weather when things are damp and quite icky looking anyway if you live in a crowded urban area, I too get very scornful. So much so I avoid looking at the street or on one occasion even walked in the road so that I could just focus on getting home quickly so I could itch my legs like crazy...
This is sooo not nice and so sporadic for me too, but I really am glad I'm not the only one. Because of the mental side of it too, I really was starting to think that I was crazy, lol! I just try to breathe deep and keep calm when it all comes on... I think the mental side probably comes from the fact that most times if you're itchy it's to do with something vulgar / dirt etc i.e. one associates an itch with something unclean, hence maybe our minds focus more on those things when the itch occurs, even though the itch has been induced by walking etc and not by anything which suggests a lack of hygiene, vermin or medical condition etc although this clearly IS some kind of medical condition with so many people around the globe experiencing it.
Hello Yatata,
I know that your post is old, but I just saw it tonight. I am relieved to know that someone has approximately the same symptom pattern as I do. I went walking on Sunday in the wet damp weather. After 10 mins of walking, I started itching. What made it worse, I started having an emotional response to the mud and dirt on the trail. I think that I was becoming anxious. The only thing that helped temporarily was looking at the clean water in the bottom of a creek on the trail. I aborted the walk and ran into my apartment where the emotional symptoms subsided. Today, I asked my neurologist about the cause of my symptoms but she did not know what it was. To her credit, she wondered if it was exercise-induced anaphylaxis.
I know that your post is old, but I just saw it tonight. I am relieved to know that someone has approximately the same symptom pattern as I do. I went walking on Sunday in the wet damp weather. After 10 mins of walking, I started itching. What made it worse, I started having an emotional response to the mud and dirt on the trail. I think that I was becoming anxious. The only thing that helped temporarily was looking at the clean water in the bottom of a creek on the trail. I aborted the walk and ran into my apartment where the emotional symptoms subsided. Today, I asked my neurologist about the cause of my symptoms but she did not know what it was. To her credit, she wondered if it was exercise-induced anaphylaxis.
This is exactly what I have experienced since I was about five years old... now i'm 53. I thought I was alone... One of the hardest things to deal with on top of the awfullness of the condition ( whatever it might be) is the exasperation of friends and family who may be around when it happens. Also the complete lack of interest from any GPs I've tried to discuss this with...On a good day I love walking... have to walk the dog daily... on a bad day ... well obviously you all understand... I often turn down the invitations to walk with friends in case it happens...
Intense under the skin itch/burn... feels like my flesh and bones are under attack... want to rip off clothes to scratch but scratching doesn't help... the itch is below the skin and scratching hurts the skin... and cold skin going to hot as the itch subsides. Dizzyness, tightness acroos chest, wet nose, panic, muscles seem to become stiffened and painful... heightened sensitivity to smells... often notice the smell of leaves in autumn or exhaust but have ruled these out as a cause... got it when swimming a few times too... impossible to push through. Results in feeling of utter despair and total misery... Duration of attack increasing with age... experimenting with antihists and lotions thanks to this forum but sporadic nature of attacks makes it hard to tell if they are working yet... ruled out allergies to clothing or anything like cosmetics/soaps/shampoos/washing powders... have used very few and when I do I use unperfumed, dermatologically tested ones etc...
I have always been pretty fit and fairly active. I am not overweight. I have Raynauds. The itching stopped for a year or so after I had my daughter then came back with a vengeance.
Spent my life trying to make sense of it all... Yatata, reading your post in particular overwhelmed me... it was like reading something I have said to doctors, friends, family and been met with a range of reactions and responses, none of which have ever been helpful...
Thank you so much for sharing....
Intense under the skin itch/burn... feels like my flesh and bones are under attack... want to rip off clothes to scratch but scratching doesn't help... the itch is below the skin and scratching hurts the skin... and cold skin going to hot as the itch subsides. Dizzyness, tightness acroos chest, wet nose, panic, muscles seem to become stiffened and painful... heightened sensitivity to smells... often notice the smell of leaves in autumn or exhaust but have ruled these out as a cause... got it when swimming a few times too... impossible to push through. Results in feeling of utter despair and total misery... Duration of attack increasing with age... experimenting with antihists and lotions thanks to this forum but sporadic nature of attacks makes it hard to tell if they are working yet... ruled out allergies to clothing or anything like cosmetics/soaps/shampoos/washing powders... have used very few and when I do I use unperfumed, dermatologically tested ones etc...
I have always been pretty fit and fairly active. I am not overweight. I have Raynauds. The itching stopped for a year or so after I had my daughter then came back with a vengeance.
Spent my life trying to make sense of it all... Yatata, reading your post in particular overwhelmed me... it was like reading something I have said to doctors, friends, family and been met with a range of reactions and responses, none of which have ever been helpful...
Thank you so much for sharing....
1 Comments
I think the symptoms ARE alleviated using antihistamines. Still get it if I don't use them... still agonizing when it happens. Am active and been doing yoga 3 times a week for 2 years plus regular dog walking so I'm sure lack of exercise is not what this is about... vibrations seem most likely and dry skin maybe... but this probably not when I was a child... remember first being aware of it when I was about 5... Less likely to happen after starting out a walk with a car journey... most likely walking straight from house... on hard surfaces rather than on grass
Hi, Like the rest of yous i thought iwas the only one that suffered from this, I have had most of the symptoms as the rest of yous but also wanted to add I live in a hot country now and it still happens in the warm weather no matter how slow I walk, I am 27 now this has been going on for about 10years, the doctors have almost laughed at me too and anyone I have tried to talk to about it, ihavent tried the antihistamine yet which I will do, only I am pregnant so will have to wait, the histamine cure seems to be right but I also think it is related to circularity problems too, my sister has Reynauds syndrome, and my temperature is different all over my body and hands go really hot, my thighs, where the itch iis, is really cold, I mean ice cold, It definitely has something to do with the capillaries I think, and god does it make you angry, if anybody crosses me wrong when I have this I have as much temper to kill someone, I mean it literally makes my blood boil till I'm so angry I could explode, and if I am with anybody they always seem to laugh at me, believe me I have stopped myself from pushing them out into the road, I am not usually and angry or bad tempered person but this is agonising, my advice as soon as you feel it coming on, stop, just stop where you are and stand still till you body regulates and do not itch, also try and get to a shop/ house or somewhere you can just stand for a minute and warm up, I'd be interested to find a cure, if anybody can help......
This is so me when it comes to anything with vibrations/shock that causes me to itch.
Also I don't think it's a circulatory thing or weather issue. It happens to me with high impact cardio workouts(jumping/bouncing) sometimes when I'm biking on a bumpy trail my forearms will itch from the vibrations and hot tubs from the jets against my skin vibrating. So I'm convinced it has something to do with the vibrations on the skin.
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