Problems with skin itching
 

ok, I have this little problem, have had it for as long as I can remember, my mom tells me I used to do it in my sleep when I was a baby.

Tonight I was sitting at the computer and I realized I was scratching my leg. So much so that I was begining to bleed. This isn't the first time I've made myself bleed like this, I do it in my sleep. In fact I've done it for so long that I am ashamed to wear shorts, skirts or even a dress of any kind, for I have many scares from where I've "scratched myself raw." My mother has caught me many times uncoscously scratching(mostly the lower part of) my leg, typically my calf or shin.

I have no health insurance and it's not a lotion or soap or detergent I'm allergic to, they thought that when I was little, and ruled it out. It rarely occurs anywhere else on my body(occasionally my lower back). It's not a rash or a bite, I don't believe it's an allergic reaction to anything. Most of the time I don't even realize I'm doing it. In my sleep I use my feet to scratch(and my toenails are good for tearing up my skin really bad).

What are some possibilities? What would/could cause this kinda thing. Is it possibly something mental like OCD instead of something like physical? This is kinda bothering me, I'm not that old and I really don't want to have these huge gashes in my legs from scratching myself so much.

Please if you have any help or advice that would be great.

This is just a thought. I remember when I was a kid I used to chew my upper lip. A LOT. I made it raw half way up the skin above my lip to my nose. It was concluded that it was only nerves. The only thing that helped was reducing stress in my life and chewing on sugar free gum to keep my mouth busy.

I also remember my mom scratching/itching herself in two places. One was the inside of her elbow and arm. The other was between her fingers, esp between her thumb and forefinger. She would make them raw and bleed. Her Dr concluded it was nerves that had actually cause a rash that she scratched. He prescribed a cortizone cream and suggested that she find something else to do with her hands. She kept a pen and notebook in her hands as much as possible to draw/scribble in since she is an artist and finds it relaxing. That way she kept her finger busy from scratching.

One thing I do to keep my hands busy when I fidget is play with those chinese stress balls. Ya know those metal ones that jingle. Giving your hands something to do might help occupy them and help release the stress whether you feel it or not.

Sounds similar to my situation. I'd start scraching and large welts would appear. My Dr. said they were histamine bumps (or something like that) and suggested over-the-counter antihistamines which seem to do the trick.

My wife gets this all the time. If it's for certain not an allergy, then it's nerves. Stress will cause a reaction similar to what you are describing. Antihistimines (try Benedryl spray) should do the trick.

I have a similar thing with my back and neck area. Never knew what it was til reading these posts. It makes sense that its antihistimines since my itching is most frequent at night after a long day.

-Robert

It could be eczema. Do any of the areas have dry skin? I know when I get real hot or something, I get itchy. It usually has to do with dry skin. Just a suggestion as to what it is.

Well, I thought it was dry skin for the longest time, but I found that lotion wasn't helping, in fact, after putting lotion on my legs would seem more torn up, and there seemed more places in which I'd scratched raw.

Eczema could be a possibilty, but I don't have this problem all over, just my legs and lower back.

Wearing socks to bed might reduce the damage at the least?

Legs and lower back. Especially at night. If you try and ignore it you can feel your skin crawl. I swear it's the same with me.

micah: sounds a bit like "restless legs syndrome" to me; my dad has it bad. There are drugs that help.

Yup. I think I've got that, too. I'm a regular basket case.

I scratch like that too sometimes. When I notice it, i take a shower (to remove anything that would make me itch), use cortizone cream on the spot(s), put on long, close fitting pants (can't scratch myself raw if i can't get to the skin) and take a benadryl. My legs were really itchy lately so I switched from lotion to baby oil. It seemed to help.

You could try cutting your toenails short and wearing socks. But DO NOT cut your fingernails short. You just end up scratching harder and making things worse.

Good luck.

Might be atopic dermatitis. It tends to present as chronically itchy areas. It is not actually an allergy in the strict sense, but tends to occur more in people with allergies. May want to give Lac-Hydrin a try (otc) or your doc can rx a mild steroid cream