I have had some autonomic neuropathy things going on the past couple days. Flushing with nasal congestion, a migraine headache and the associated angina pain, rapid HR, nerve pain in my arm and tingling in my hands and feet. These are things that usually happen.

Bad thing is my feet have been itching (on the soles) and scratching does not seem to help. I think it is yet another SFN symptom.

Does anyone have this occurrence? What can you do to relieve it? It is driving me crazy...

Are you asking if anyone has the autonomic symptoms, or the itching? Or both?

I have POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). A lot of doctors/websites say that it is a form of limited autonomic neuropathy. Some don't agree with that. I am on a medication to ease most of those symptoms--heart rate, blood pressure, etc. The thing that the medicine doesn't work for is the blood pooling in my legs and feet.

Is the itching directly on the soles of your feet? I ask because I have had some itching in my feet, but it is not really the soles. It's just a little bit deeper into my foot.. like it's just on the other side of my skin.. (If I could peel back the layer of skin that is my soles, that is directly where it feels like the itch is coming from--right beneath the surface of my soles).

So far I haven't found anything that makes that stop--but it also isn't a total constant thing.. so it's not too hard to just life with.

I know, it is probably just one of the many things I need to learn to live with. My condition may actually include POTS. I also get the blood pooling in my feet and legs - sometimes worse than others. I have been diagnosed with SFN and do have some sensory problems. Bit, most of my problems are autonomic - just don't know specifically what it is (e.g., POTS). My neurologist was set to run autonomic tests but I could not go off of my meds because of my arthritis. He feels that the meds I take can hinder the results. He thought we can do the tests when I have a "really bad flare". Well, I hope I never get a "really bad flare" again, although I am sure it will happen again as some point. I do have autonomic problems - pretty much daily; gastroparesis and such. The itching is probably just part of it as it occurs when I have the tingling, etc.

Thanks for your help.

I haven't been confirmed of neuropathy yet. But have the classic symptoms and itching oh my!!! Te palms of my hand and soles of my feet and my back.

I have bruses on back from the itching and it comes with pricks.
And the palms burn and sting and itch so bad I use to use edge of the computer table to rub against.
Later realized it was my nerves.

Hi Mere,

Just a thought, but are you getting too much B-6 or niacin?

I don't have SFN, but I've had some minor PN related itching. Gold Bond makes a medicated anti-itch cream (other brands/generics are probably also available) that has helped me. If it didn't, I think I would try an OTC topical capsaicin or steroidal (hydrocortisone) product intended for this purpose, and as a last resort, some kind of OTC antihistamine.

If none of those work, or are inappropriate for any reason, I'd be on the phone to my pharmacist or doctor.

Doc

I would try Biofreeze. It has 3.5% menthol in it, which will block itching feelings. Some itching may be from dry skin, or a mild fungal infection which you may not notice. But itching can also be a form of pain, a very low index before the pain escalates.

Dermatologists have recipes for topical creams for chronic itching that contain menthol, for this reason (along with other things like steroids).

If you soak your feet in epsom salts you will find that the skin becomes more hydrated, and softer, and less dry. The magnesium in the epsom salts also relaxes the muscles and improves the blood flow to the feet. Use only lukewarm water, and soak at least 1/2 hr or so.

Well I had and sometimes still do have itching but it was full body head to toe not just the pn/rsd areas. I did go to the dermatologist amd have seborehic dermatitis. I got rx shampoo and some cream. You may want to make an apt with a dermatologist too. For me it helped a lot cause before it was much worse where my skin would shed off.

I occasionally get strange itching in weird places, and use
anti-itch hydrocortisone 10 (1%) cream. That seems to help.

Aso have been plagued by itching but basically in two places - scalp, back from waist to shoulders. Rubbing lightly makes it go away for a while, and Eucerin Calming Creme that I use as a moisturizer does help, but will try the Gold Bond.

Odd that only now I'm remembering certain things before the burning neuropathy began. Itching and feeling warm when I used to feel the cold a lot were the very first things I noticed before the burning startetd a few months later, but thought it was just winter dry skin and that I was finally not feeling cold when others weren't.

First Dx was NLD SFN and a month later with Sjogren's. It can cause one to itch like mad because of the dried out skin.