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Itchy itchy, very itchy!

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D

Donna71

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all,
Has anyone encountered intense all over itching which drives you insane? I have just had some blood results back and have been told my diabetes is poorly controlled. Am very disappointed as I've been eating healthier and even lost weight over the last couple of months. My blood sugars seem to be pretty good for a while then suddenly go totally haywire.
I still haven't asked for the test to see if I'm LADA, something I keep meaning to do, but just wondered if anyone else has had this crazy skin itching issue? Am unsure to whether this is due to my diabetes, as all other tests came back fine.
 
Hi Donna sorry about your itch sounds dreadful.
Do you know how high your blood sugars are and also has the itch started since being put on any medication?
 
There is a large number of causes of itching and it really needs diagnosing by a n expert (e.g. your GP?) I get itching in the legs and round the waist, last time I saw my P with it he said Eczema and gave me hydrocortizone cream, which seems to do the trick temporarily. With mine it seems sensitive to temperature and can be bad after/during showering. Almost any mosituriser seems to alleviate the itch for a while, so it would appear, in my case, to be related to dry skin.
 
Hi Donna, others with longer T2 experience may know more, but my understanding of diabetes-caused neuropathy is that it affects extremities.

Here's the NHS page, which you've probably seen.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Itching/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Variety of possibilities mentioned. NHS advice for over-all itching is to see the doctor. :(

Edit: Just noticed this on the NHS page about what the doctor might do: "a blood test to see if the cause is an underlying disease, such as diabetess ..."

...so maybe D does cause over all itching?
 
Last edited:
Hi guys n gals and thank you for the replies,

I've been on the same medication for a long time, nothing's changed there. I will see the doc in the morning to find out what my Hba1c results are and to see what happens next. Although I don't hold out much hope as I've had no support for over a year, and keep having my hospital appointment cancelled. My last Hba1c back in July last year was 8.2.
I did see the doc last week due to this crazy itching and had some bloods taken to check for liver/thyroid problems but they came back clear thankfully. As I don't have any dry skin or rashes, eczema wasn't mentioned. If it is down to my diabetes then I guess it's a case of getting my sugars under control, which I must say seems to be a constant battle and I can't see what else I can do. :(
 
Hi Donna I have chronic complications and for years now the dr has put me on an anti-hystamine Fexofenadine (it is one of the best and strongest), it was bcause of cronic irching. Also you have to take it at night not the morning as somebody with hay fever would take it. This has worked very well for me up until now as very end stage renal failure also causes terrible itchinh. Dont panic I am not suggesting it is renal failure your bloods would have shown this up. But I do think it is a neuropathy problem, or could be.
 
Hi there,

Prior to diagnosis in October 2009, I definitely had an itching issue. Mostly it was concentrated in my torso area, but I think it also extended all over on occasion.

It was particularly pronounced for me during/after any light exercise (which was all I was able to do at the time!). This would seem to be similar to Vicsetter in that it was temperature related.

Since diagnosis I have not had the same problem. However, I would say that my BG control is now pretty good.

Andy 🙂
 
Donna71 said:
Hi guys n gals and thank you for the replies,

I've been on the same medication for a long time, nothing's changed there. I will see the doc in the morning to find out what my Hba1c results are and to see what happens next. Although I don't hold out much hope as I've had no support for over a year, and keep having my hospital appointment cancelled. My last Hba1c back in July last year was 8.2.
I did see the doc last week due to this crazy itching and had some bloods taken to check for liver/thyroid problems but they came back clear thankfully. As I don't have any dry skin or rashes, eczema wasn't mentioned. If it is down to my diabetes then I guess it's a case of getting my sugars under control, which I must say seems to be a constant battle and I can't see what else I can do. :(
Click to expand...

Hi Donna, I remember you said that you had been experimenting with your food/carbs etc. but experienced a lot of hypos when you reduced the carbs. Did you also reduce your lantus when you reduced your carbs? It's quite possible that, to some extent, the lantus was 'supporting' your consumption of carbs and when you cut down then the dose was too high, hence the hypos. Also, since lantus is a low-acting insulin, then it would be unable to help you get good readings after eating carbs, just maybe reduce them eventually.

It sounds to me like you need a review of your medication. I think there are a number of possibilities: you might be Type 1.5 and your pancreas has taken a bit of rapid nosedive recently, so the gliclizide wouldn't work as well (it promotes insulin production from your pancreas - not good if your pancreas can't respond); you might be Type 2 and your pancreas is failing - this can also happen. I am wondering if the simplest solution might be to remove the gliclizide (and possibly the metformin) and introduce a fast-acting insulin for your meals, such as novorapid. This would simplify things greatly because you would have greater control of all the elements needed for good BGs. You could establish what your basal needs are (how much lantus you actually need to control the glucose trickled out by your liver, and no more), and experiment with carb-counting and a strict testing regime to control your BGs before and after eating.

If your HbA1c is worse again, stick to your guns and get some proper answers from the GP about how you can improve things - if they can't provide them, then ask for a referral to someone who can, you should not have to struggle like this on a regime that clearly is not working for you despite your efforts.

Regarding the itching, I have had this from time to time, but couldn't really relate it to my BG levels. I did read up about urticaria, which can have non-specific or various causes - have a read of the following and see if anything fits:

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Nettle-rash/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Good luck with your appointment, let us know how things go 🙂
 
I was going to suggest liver function test but your GP has done that. I too am often itchy all over, usually at night, no rash or anything to see for it. I have problems with thyroid and get restless legs too, my lower legs are most itchy, (but I don't have diabetes) . I wonder if you are on any meds that could be contributing such as long term analgesics? I've never got to the bottom of mine but it's tolerable so far 🙂
 
Thank you everyone for your support and advice, really appreciate it. There are times when I feel like I'm trying to cope alone as I've been let down so many times by the so called professionals. So glad I found this forum, don't have to feel alone anymore 🙂
 
Saw the doc this morning and he said my Hba1c is 76, which I don't understand and have tried to convert it but it makes no sense to me. Anyway, he said he will push for an appointment at the hospital for me.
As for the itching, he said it could be down to my diabetes, but has prescribed antihistamine tablets to see if they help. If no joy in a month then I am to go back to see him.
So, nothing I can do till I get an appointment at the hospital, and we all know that may take some time. Guess I just keep plugging at it 🙄
 
I hope you can get that appointment soon. 76 converts to 9.1%, so an increase I think on your last one :( Did you discuss your medication, or do you have to wait for the hospital for that?
 
Ahh thanks for that Northerner, yes that's really not good. I have to wait for the hospital appointment to hopefully sort out my medication. Really had hoped that the doctor would've done something to help in the short term, but he said with all the meds I'm taking I should get it sorted at the hospital.
 
Itching is quiet common among diabetics mainly due to the fact that your skin becomes drier. I get really bad itching on my forearms from time to time and use E-45 cream which helps to re-hydrate it and ease the itching.
 
Liver was my initial thought so glad you've had that ruled out.

I get really itchy lower legs, have never really known why but get it quite often. I tend to cover it in my daughter's eczema cream when it starts up and it tends to help.

Hope you get relief from your itching very soon.
 
The itching started a few weeks back, just on my shins. I scratched them raw and was prescribed steroid/antibiotic cream which worked for a week. Then it cleared up and the itching all over started, sort of a prickly itching, but no rash or dry skin.
Thanks all for your suggestions, advice and kind words. 🙂
 
Hi Donna, my non-diabetic daughter gets episodes just like you describe. After years of trying antihistamines (don't work) and anything else the doc can think of, she resorted to food exclusion experiments. She tracked hers down to the food preservative potassium benzoate. Within 24 hours of the smallest mouthful she itches all over. Sodium benzoate isn't quite as bad for her (she can have more of it before the itching starts). She now checks every label for the offending E-numbers.
 
I had very bad itching skin for about a year. Got very bad back in November around the torso area which always starts there. Then spread to my neck, arms, legs and back. Went to doctor used 2 different creams that didn't work. So i mention to my doctor that Metformin can effect one person in 10,000 with itchy skin. So he told me to stop taking Metformin and used a different cream called Eurax which stopped most of the itching within an hour of using, but i still took the last two tablets of Metformin at the same time. So i don't think Metformin can have caused the itching as i have been taking it for nearly 3 years. Has anyone else had side effects from taking Metformin?
My doctors will be calling me by phone tomorrow with the results of my blood tests. I will tell him that i want to go back to taking Metformin as i don't feel i can control my diabetes by diet alone. It must be something else that is causing the itching. Heat seems to trigger the itching, especially if i wear thick clothes or take a shower or bath and the hot water makes the skin itch.
 
Now going back to the doctor today, again about my itchy skin. Eurax cream helps but doesn't stop the problem coming back. Now been going on for 18 months, plus i feel hot all the time, wearing short sleeve t-shirts during winter.
 
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