prickling warm sensation on skin

[midwestmom57]

Hi - I'm writing to ask if I need to follow up with my PCP or ask for a neurology referral for a sensation of prickling on my skin.

I have been to my PCP, Dermatologist, ENT and Rheumatologist for a variety of symptoms that started around spring of this year. I have periods of fatigue, globus sensation sometimes with chest discomfort, shortness of breath that seems unrelated to previously diagnosed asthma (normal PFT). Occasional swelling and redness around the eyes which the Dermatologist initially thought may be related to an autoimmune condition, but later decided was rosacea. I've had Raynaud's for 2 years. I'm 47 in menopause and have been in good health beside asthma and thyroid disease until spring.

I also have periods of prickling sunburnt feeling skin. Often they go on for days moving around my body. They started in July of this year as an itching sensation on my forearms, shoulders, chest, neck, scalp and stomach. They stopped about 1 week in July, then I had them pretty consistently through to Sept. My Rheumatologist prescribed a trial of Plaquenil in Sept. The skin sensation faded away in the end of September and beginning of November (along with fatigue and eye symptoms) but then returned end of November and have been with me since.

I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease with good level TSH, Test positive for thyroid antibodies. My only unusual tests have been a high ANA titer :1280 (which the Rheum thinks could be due to the Hashimoto's), very slight low C3 and C4 complements.

The dermatologist and Rheum don't seem concerned with my skin sensations. Everyone has assured me that I am not in any danger. But they seem linked to my fatigue and can be very distracting and uncomfortable.

I wondered if a neurologist might help with this or if I should just continue trying to ignore the sensations.

[margollrich]

Hi, I'm Marg,
                 When you have unexplained, strange, difficult to explain sensations, and may have lost your sense of smell, often, not always. Or you have sore aching shoulders?

I thought I had MS, worked a carer for disabled people, and have good medical knowledge, I arranged  to see a neurologist. He recognised Parkinson's straight away.

The non-motor symptoms are often the most telling, but many doctors don't know about them, and  my neurologist said nothing much about them, nor warned me about,  possible mental problems with both the disease and/or the medication.

Unexplained depression, stress or panic attacks, shaking, vibration in  the head, and head, those can go to the mind and feel like panic or stress,
and can become so.

Strange tingling feelings in feet and many parts of the body.Sometimes can be a pleasant feeling.

It can save a lot of messing around, if you suggest this to your health professional's, There is medication, it works very well. no cure as yet,but their're working on it.
                                                  Cheers, Marg.

[midwestmom57]

Gosh, I completely missed this post over a year ago. Sorry.

Thanks for your response, though! My rheumatologist checked nail-fold and I've negative scleroderma antibody tests, so they don't think it's scleroderma. At this point my doctor's seem to be working with a undifferentiated connective tissue disease diagnoses.

The prickling skin sensation dissipated over the winter of 2012 and, luckily has not come back. My symptoms now seem to be confined to mostly shoulder, elbow and hand pain (rotator cuff issues, bursitis, elbow tendonitis, carpal tunnel) which I'm working through with the rheumatologist and orthopedic surgeon. Doctors aren't really sure if the skin sensations were related to the auto-immune diagnoses, hormone fluctuations of peri-menopause or unknown, but I'm glad they're gone. Strangely enough they were more uncomfortable than my present issues.

Thanks again!

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Your symptoms could be due to scleroderma, which is an autoimmune disorder and can affect the skin. Raynaud's phenomenon is the initial symptom that presents for 70% of patients with scleroderma, a skin and joint disease. Check with your doctor to rule out this condition.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.