Weird pinprick sensation?

Hi all.

News flash: this isn't fibromyalgia. In fact if you look over the internet you will find that people of any and every condition have complained of the same problem. I have seem identical accounts across multiple sclerosis pages, diabetes pages, STD pages, hepatitis, peripheral neuropathy, and finally, getting closer to the real cause, lymes disease pages and scabies pages.

Stinging and itching like this though is not actually recognised as a textbook symptom really of any of these illnesses, and the cause is something else (i'm not saying you dont have fm too). I have had this mystery skin condition since 2002 when I moved in to a flat in Edinburgh, and have since been unable to shift it.

Its funny (not) because doctors won't or can't help you. I have encountered a few people who have had it (including 2 doctors) who have had it to here in London. Generally it is disimissed as (in your head) but unfortunately it is debiliatating, because of the mental anguish it causes over the years, not knowing how to cure it or the cause.

I'll tell you this, if you haven't heard of it - those complaining of so called "morgellons disease" have the same symptoms. The only difference is many claim to see "fibres" in their skin and have wounds. I cant say if thats true or not, but it's widesly dismissed. But the link has been made between tick borne disease such a lyme and bebesia and morgellons. I don't see any evidence of so called fibres but given they are microscopic you probably would miss them, and its not really much help to go down that path. I can't say if it (morgellons) is real, but the symptoms are similar.

I personally get single red "bite" marks, that have been misdiagnosed as folliculitis at random intermittent intervals when it is bad, however not at the site of the stinging sensations.

Personally I suspect some sort of parasitic condition that is gradually spreading through the population, but medicine is slow slow to pick up these things, and given most doctors dismiss it, it wont be recognised for decades if indeed ever. One big symptom I and others have is that it is always worse in the later afternoon and evening, and this is commonly noted by sufferers across the net. You know what else is very well known to be worse at night? Scabies. If you search for a typical scabies symptoms you might find things of interest. Some people have had identical symptoms, including a very light, crawling/cobwebs dragged over skin feeling, and have succesfully found and treated as scabies. It might alteranively be some sort of worm type parasite I don't know, or even a virus affecting nerves that maybe has some sort of mite or tick as an initial vector.

You will get random itches, stings of varying severity, worse in the day. Sometimes I also get "waves of itchiness" over my whole body.

I said I couldn't cure it, but actually I have managed to become symptom free for a 4 year patch. How? Taking ivermectin - which kills a wide range of parasties including mites and worms, adn treating for scabies. But it recently came back, and I find that dosing for a few days freduces symtoms but it comes back after a few days, hence I am now doing a more sustained treatment. You need to be a littel resourceful to find these type of medicines, but actually it is very safe in medical trials. I also used topcial scabies treatment and it helped. Changing diet by liimting sugar, and in my case gluten, helped also, but the signs and sympoms do not match typical allergic response or somethlike, say dermatitis herpetaformis (the coeliac disease related blistering skin condition).

Some people seem totally unaffected by it (lucky them), and actually that is also a known to common with scabies.

Well there you go folks. You won't get any help from your doctors, and you might well want to dismiss this as post crackpot and go on believing this is "fibromylagia" but you would be wrong, and trust me I have had time (15 yrs and counting of symptoms) to look into this very thoroughly. I even looked over google analytic trends to note that keyword searching for "random invisible itching" and similar have gradually been increasing after the past 10 years, so at least you know you aren't alone (take a look using the google search analysis if you dont belive me).

You may be well advised not to mention parasites to your doctor however because this gives them an easy route to explain it away as "delusions of parasitosis" which is simply parroting back what they have been taught at med school. I also advise you not to go onto a steroids long term if this is suggested as this will weaken your immune system and make everything worse.

One day someone will diagnose it properly, as more doctors get affected I imagine. It is very slow to be recognised, because it is (i guess) still relatively rare and also there is a social taboo or stigma to do with scratching and discussing parasites in the west. So until some bright young spark solves it , check my advice, it is technically possible to cure or suppress the symptoms if you search for the right protocols, but these always involve actual antiparasitical medicines plus antibiotics usually, dont be taken in my the herbal remedies and nonsense magical cures. Good luck.

Post Edited (goodluckwiththat) : 6/12/2017 1:03:22 PM (GMT-6)

@Sherrine
I find it quite patronising of you to suggest bed bugs - clearly after 15 years of suffering I had considered that, however I have since moved multiple times and also had my flat reviewed by pest specialist. In addition the symptoms of bed bugs are entirely different to what I and what everyone else in this thread describes, which is ongoing stings without rash, some itchiness, and intermittent crawling senstations. Bed bugs tend to cause large bite marks that remain over time and are actively itchy. Still thanks for the tip, I suppose some reading this might have that problem.

Your link shows 3.3% of fm sufferers have itchiness, and 1.7% unusual skin sensations. Hardly a key symptom, its probably the same if not actually higher across the general population. In fact, lifetime prevalence of chronic pruritus is actually estimated at 22% by in this study: /www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21879245 - meaning your link suggests you are LESS likely to be itchy if you have fm.

Certainly I agree if you have this myserious stinging/itching, worse at night, or afternoon, no obvious rash - you should see a doc. Maybe one day it will be recognised as a new condition as I suggest. Upon reflection, I don't actively recommend self medication, but if you suffer long enough and the established medical community can't/won't help, you may be tempted to try and help yourself with various ways. Still, I recognise your suggestion to seek medical assistance (I have, but to so far to no avail, I will keep you posted).

I concede can't say what or what will not help, but my primary point stands that I have seen hundreds of people across a wide range of conditions complain of identical symptoms online, so far unrecognised or diagnosed. They can't all be mad internet nutters. Each patient silo convinces themselves it is X, Y or Z - but if you look at the bigger picture there is clear pattern emerging. My point about google search trends also stands.

Post Edited (goodluckwiththat) : 6/15/2017 9:03:37 AM (GMT-6)

I have these pin pricks scattered over my body for a few hours at a time on occasion, too, over the past several years. In spite of being diagnosed with both fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis, both that causes numbness, and weird skin sensations; I have come to believe that it is quite definitely an allergic reaction. Reason being: Two benadryl will stop the sensation. I am now recording everything consumed, including meds, at the times of these attacks. I think I have narrowed it down to Benzonatate or a spice used in my cooking since it is more apt to happen after eating spaghetti sauce. I suggest you start keeping a careful record and see if your attacks could be allergy-based.