If you google itching and diabetes you will find it is a common symptom, not necessarily related to any particular medication but to high blood glucose. If my BGs are just slightly higher than usual I sometimes experience itching, usually around my torso. Reducing BGs may be enough to eliminate it, unless it is thrush when you may need more help.
So, so, so much sympathy. It's awful. I always say I was asymptomatic before I was diagnosed but, actually, I have had really dry skin/ eczema for years which got so much worse over the last few years (including intimate itching that is definitely not thrush). As with many, many things at this phase in my life, I don't know if it's been worsened by menopause or diabetes or both!
Hi when the itching began 3 weeks into first taking metformin I spoke to a doctor he said I might be allergic so told me to stop taking them. It took over a month to speak to someone at surgery to try to get a replacement. I even went there but literally no one could see me. I eventually spoke to diabetes nurse and agreed to try again. The plan was always to get to 2 a day. Which I am now doing along with diet swaps. She said it was my body secreting sugar as I also had a rash on torso. I am convinced now it must be my diet but I have swapped out so much I am at a loss at what else to do.
Medication can be an issue, 1 penicillin based antibiotic instantly gives me thrush.Sorry to hear you are experiencing uncomfortable itching @Knittingpattern
Hope you get some relief soon - it can be such a wearying symptom to have
Do you monitor your own levels at home? That might give you some helpful clues as to how your body is coping with your current menu, and whether there are particular meals or snacks it might be struggling with?
You can get a home glucose meter fairly affordably, and by checking levels immediately before and 2hrs after the first bite of a meal, and comparing the two readings to see what the 'meal rise' is, you can get some handy pointers on possible portion reduction, or swaps/tweaks. Ideally you'd want a rise of 2-3mmol/L or less at the 2hr mark.
The most affordable and reliable meters members here have found are the SD Gluco Navii, the Spirit Tee2, or the Contour Blue - which all have test strips at around £10 for 50. Some other brands can be 3x that much!
It might also help you identify whether raised glucose levels are part of the cause of your itchiness. The 'renal threshold', where kidneys flush out excess glucose in urine is generally above 10.0mmol/L, so if your levels are consistently below that it may be less likely that your itches are due to a sugary urinary environment (unless you are taking certain meds)
Hope you are able to get some relief from your itching soon.
