Itchy wrists?

[Amy-Tenacious1]

Ok, I think I have a new symptom, which I don’t exactly understand. Both of my wrists have started itching on the back hand side. It’s been coming on for some months, but now it’s present every day. Cortisone cream helps a bit, but it comes back. Anyone have this freaky symptom?

[cpops]

Could be low oestrogen making your skin dry and itchy?

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to cpops]

Always a possibility, but why symmetrically on both sides and nowhere else? It’s just such an odd place. Although, a little over a year ago I suffered frozen shoulder on both sides, symmetrically again. And during the day while I was trying to nap, so very suddenly.

At first I thought to just use more hand lotion for my hands. But my hands aren’t dry and after having sudden frozen shoulder I’m starting to wonder whether this is an autoimmune issue. I know my chest itches where I have an inflamed trachea.

[Andriach]

Been there it's part of it. I used to scratch my elbows until they bleed . Then I tried a cream moisturizer and for itching. It did the trick slowly not straight away but it worked . Haven't had an itchy dry elbow for over a year.

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to Andriach]

Thanks. I’ll keep at it then and see if I can get it to go away.

[gillianTS]

Hi, I had itches too and the GP gave me deracool it stopped the itching but did not cure it. Sometimes get it on the underside my feet but not often,my family tease me I'm going to travel somewhere new 😊

I also had a huge rash first develop on my arms and gradually spread all over from a toxic reaction to colchicine, I know people who live with ever so little rashes from colchicine because it is so beneficial to their ulcers.

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to gillianTS]

That’s interesting. I’ll have to keep that in mind.

[gillianTS in reply to Amy-Tenacious1]

My GP refused to do blood tests when I was taking colchicine and yet when given for gout then regular blood tests are carried out. It was onky when I got ill did they do blood tests and my liver enzymes GGT levels were well over 200 supposed to be 6-35 my consultant was not impressed and me more so it took weeks to get my GGT levels back in range.

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to gillianTS]

I can tolerate colchicine for a few days and then my tummy tells me it disagrees with the idea. So haven’t gotten that far with it and looks I never will. Rheumy tomorrow evening. I’ll have to ask her about itches, if I get the time: I have a whole load of questions...

[gillianTS]

You should get your blood checked, full blood and liver and kidney function tests. People think I'm mad but I started out as itchy, upset stomach, strange head, I had to have a review each week with GP and all they were interested in was had my ulcers gone... it was ultimately me getting in touch with my rheumatologist who advised me to stop the colchicine immediately, get my bloods checked out and take a copy of the email to my GP. The GP was a little shocked and still wanted me to remain on the colchicine until the blood tests came back, my husband was with me and told the GP I was stopping them until blood tests were back and the only person putting me back on them again and the rheumatologist.

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to gillianTS]

I’ll take the blood test into conversation. It’s funny (ok, read sad) how some doctors get hooked up on one thing and then block out all the others. Like not having the HLA-B27 gene seems to mean to many docs that you can’t have anything rheumy based. Or that if your blood work comes out fine then it has to be in your head. With the whodunnit myriad of symptoms with autoimmunes the doc’s gotta give you a second thought or miss out completely. And they usually do. Or in my case, have.

[gillianTS in reply to Amy-Tenacious1]

They all do this I believe it is because many have just think about their own expertise, just like my rheumatologist recently saying after my appointment with a Neurologist who diagnosed my strange head as migraines, the rheumatologist said that I could not have migraines and when I questioned her about headaches and migraines being associated with Behcet's she said she did not think so... I left it at that appointment but decided to raise it at my last appointment because I had read lots more and I am that is the kind of person now, I will not just there and believe everything they tell me, I said if she cared to read the Behcet's website I had provided her with and many other medical sites she would clearly see that headaches and migraines are associated with Behcet's, she said but your head MRI showed no signs of Neuro Behcet's... I read so much research and the likes on Behcet's and I am pleased that I do because I now question every single medical professional who doubts or dismisses my symptoms, I like answers and to be able to categorise which symptoms belong to which condition. For the people who have access to the CofE in London, Birmingham and Liverpool the majority of us do not have the luxury of seeing these types of specialist who are all working together for Behcet's, the majority of us see individuals who don't work together with each of the departments, never come together to discussour cases, they are hard work, none committal and at times very vague, I put a lot of this down to inexperience with Behcet's, my GP says it is highly likely I know more about the condition than the people who are treating my individual symptoms and I think he is right.

Apologise for the rant... 😊🙄

[Frogge]

I have problems with itching on the bottoms of my feet and the palms of my hands even when I know they are not dry. I am glad you asked this question because I never even thought about that being behcets related, but it sounds like it must be. I don't know anyone else with this problem except people on this forum! Let us know what you find out from rheumy!

[gillianTS in reply to Frogge]

I was told by my GP my itchy hands and feet was likely Psoriasi. The Rheumatologist just assumed that I knew...

Reading about Psoriasis from places like WebMD etc it says Psoriasis happens when skin cells grow too fast and then pile up on the skin’s surface. It’s a long-lasting condition that usually runs in families. There are a few different types, and itchiness of the palms and soles is a common symptom, also says:

Patches of red skin, bumps filled with puss, or silver scales

Painful, swollen, or stiff joints

Soreness of the affected area

Itchiness in other places like your elbows, knees, lower back, and face

Now I get the patches, luckily not huge ones, and started only this last year with itchy elbows with another episode going to several patches and another time teeny little bumps.

The Dermacool, with menthol, that the GP prescribes me definitely helps stop the itching, he told me it will help with the itching but will not make the Psoriasisgo away. You can buy the one I get prescribed over the counter. The itching also comes and goes, not yet thought about whether this happens during a particular kind of flare up, will have to be more mindful, it is not something that I have had for years only say over the last 5. Dermacool manufacture several different ones, the one I am prescribed is this one: dermacool.co.uk/product/der...

Don't you find it amazing the amount of conditions associated with many Behcet's sufferers you read, like Psoriasis, include joint pain. And then when you get the medication and you read the side effects and it says can cause joint pain or ulcers etc...

[Stm252]

This may sound bizarre but I recently saw a chiropractor. The last time I saw one was during my pregnancy 3 plus years ago. I decided to give one a whirl again to manage my hip and lower back pain. He came in and was itching his wrist area. He said that he recently had his own adjustment and when this happens it's because of a number of things: 1. Toxins; 2. Neuropathy (the other chiro pushed on some nerves and they are firing); 3. Major fluctuations in blood sugar. I have no idea how this could be extrapolated to you, if at all. But thought I would throw the info out there in case it may help.

[Amy-Tenacious1]

Ok, the case of the itchy wrists: yes, it can be an autoimmune issue. No, it doesn’t have to be visible. What else can it be? Nerve pinch in the neck. Often itches on outer side of the arm and/or over the ulna with a nerve pinch. Autoimmunes often manifest on the inside of the wrist (when wrist is concerned), such as lupus or lichen.

[duke22]

I am not sure but something my 27 yr old behcets son and myself had to realise (which was a good thing) was that not everything was behects. For ex a rash for him might have been a drug allergy or something. Or his terrible headache was seasonal allergy. This is just a post for hope that it is a "regular person thing not behcets. Hope u feel better soon

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to duke22]

Yes, I have high hopes that my itch will go away with a neck massage 😄

[duke22 in reply to Amy-Tenacious1]

Heck yeah lol or narcotics lol

[lesleyg in reply to Amy-Tenacious1]

Hi Amy, have you tried a tar based ointment often used for psoriasis? Someone recommended it on on a previous post and I find it excellent on itchy spots, in my case particularly the elbows. L

[Amy-Tenacious1 in reply to lesleyg]

No, I haven’t but I think I’ll try it. I’ve been on Medrol for the past two weeks and I think the itching has been better. But now they’re tapering it down and the itch seems to be returning so new ideas are welcome! Thanks!

[Niki318]

I get severe itching all over the front of my throat! It’s the worst! It also comes and goes. This past month I had it every single day, and then it will just randomly stop.

[Amy-Tenacious1]

My wrist itch is still a mystery: it also comes and goes with no apparent reason. It does seem to wane with Medrol so at this point I’m inclined to believe it is autoimmune to some extent. It’s one of the new symptoms.