Why is my skin crawling with itch after a shower? Desperate for solutions. Ignore last post as I missed information.

[Maggie333]

Every part of my skin crawls for 30-60mins after a shower. Particularly arm and leg folds. I have raised red spots with white heads on these folds. Scratch my legs with a hairbrush it’s that bad.

I havnt changed any products such as shower gel, moisturiser, washing powder etc.

I have a b12 deficiency, awaiting PA tests and have 3 monthly injections. I take vensir 275mg for anxiety and depression. I am intolerant to lactose (diagnosed by kinesiology) as it didn’t show up in my blood tests.

Please help me beat this itch 😫😫

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi Maggie333 have you thought to have a word with your pharmacist about this?

Do these "episodes" coincide with your B12 injections?

Have a look at the link below:

sciencealert.com/common-vit...

I am not a medically trained person but I've had Pernicious Anaemia (one of many causes of B12 deficiency) for more than 46 years.

I wish you well.

[Maggie333 in reply to clivealive]

Thankyou so much for replying to me. I will make enquiries ☺️

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

A few thoughts about this.

1) I get a prickly feeling all over after a shower that I put down to my body's response to temperature changes. I like showers quite hot so room temperature is often cooler. At times it feels like someone is sticking pins into me.

2) I used to get unusual skin sensations all over when my B12 deficiency symptoms were at their worst (before treatment). One of these felt like insects crawling over my skin...scientific name for this is "formication".

3) I wondered if you were showing sensitivity to any of your current medication. Have you looked up potential side effects? I suggest you speak to your GP if you suspect sensitivity to medication as they are best placed to advise you. Pharmacists may also be helpful.

Some people on B12 treatment develop a form of acne. See link below about hydroxycobalamin.

BNF

bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/hydrox...

It is possible to develop sensitivity to products that people have used for a long time...I speculate that B12 deficiency affects the immune system's response in some way. Sometimes manufacturers change what is in their products. Have you contacted the manufacturers to see if there have been any changes in the products you use regularly?

4) I used to have a lot of fungal skin infections which went after starting B12 treatment.

I am not medically trained.

[Maggie333 in reply to Sleepybunny]

Thankyou so much for responding. I will look into all these things xxx

[natcap1 in reply to Sleepybunny]

Hi Sleepybunny, can I ask how long it took your crawling / pins sensation to go. Prior to identifying PA I had it on and off. But about the time the PA was diagnosed it was occurring all of the time. Since starting B12 injections it has come and gone but it started up again 3 weeks after my 2 monthly injection much worse. It starts off as a crawling sensation and at its worst is like pins being stuck in all over. It is driving me to distraction as it is all of the time. I had another injection last week as I thought it was associated with the B12 dropping. But it has not abated. My GP has no idea what it is and I don’t know whether I should be seeing an immunologist or a neurologist, or someone else.

Did your crawling sensations get worse before they got better once you were being treated for PA? I’m hoping this is what is happening to me. I’m not on any medication apart from the B12, vit D, iron and a multivitamin.

Thanks

[Wagonwheel in reply to natcap1]

This is really interesting. I started having excruciating itching like insects crawling under my skin a few years ago I noticed it was after I'd been for a run and so thought it was something to do with the material in sports wear, I found that a hot shower and an antihistamine was the only thing that made it go.

The instances of having an itching attack post run have got significantly less since B12 biadaily shots however last week I started trying to lengthen the time between shots from bidaily to every 3rd day and amongst other symptoms returning I had an itching attack after my run this morning.

It usually starts on my thighs then spreads up my stomach to my neck and I hop about ripping clothes off until I can get into a nice hot shower at which point it stops. I get the small raised red bumps which go as quickly as they come.

[Sleepybunny in reply to natcap1]

Hi again,

"My GP has no idea what it is"

Have you looked up "formication"?

Quite a few with B12 deficiency have restless legs syndrome (RLS) as part of their symptoms. My RLS improved greatly after starting B12 treatment but took weeks to get to best point and I still have mild symptoms sometimes. There is a RLS forum on HU. RLS can affect other parts of body besides legs.

Links about RLS. Links mention that RLS can cause a crawling sensation.

rls-uk.org/

nhs.uk/conditions/restless-...