Strange itching all of the time; anyone else?
 

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I'm 45. A little background info about my problems:

About 3-4 years ago I had some MRI's done which indicated that I have an arachnoidal cyst in my thoracic region causing severe spinal cord compression.

I have ruptured L4--L5 and L5 - S1 and they leaked out. It took me years to recover from than pain, and then 3 months ago, I bent over and really hurt myself, more MRI's showed I've got more annular tears, same discs, and this time, I've herniated every lumbar disc I have.....

I also have 3 herniated discs in my neck, causing also major cord compression and I am facing a multi level fusion there after a discectomy after the New Year.

But really has bothered me for the past three years or so is that my nipple itches. Constantly. Yes, I said my nipple. the left one. I have never had children and all of my mammograms come out just perfect. The itching drives me crazy. It itched every day constantly. No amount of scratching would provide relief, and then I'd be sore. Still itching. Like an itch you quite couldn't get to.

NOW, all of a sudden, my nipple has stopped itching as much, but now, on my left arm (same side as the nipple) I am itching on my arm, upper arm, underside, as if it is making up for the less itching in my nipple. At first I thought a bug bit me, but there was no bug bite. But it itches and itches and I'm a scratching fool!

What I'm wondering is, can this really weird constant itching be caused by the cord compression/damage in my neck?? I asked my neurosurgeon about my nipple, but he said he's never heard of anything like that. He's not had many patients with an arachnoid cyst as large as mine though.

What do you guys think??

Hi blackberrybunny, welcome to NT.

At what level (which vertabrae) is the arachnoid cyst?

At first, the itching nipple made me think of the possibility of a skin fungus, but movement to the arm kind of shot that idea in the foot.

On a dermatome chart, the nipple could be T4* (or T5* for women) but there doesn't seem to be a corresponding connection with the parts of the arm you mentioned (unless I missed something, which is entirely possible).

So all else I can think of at the moment is to try goggle for things like:
pruritus nipple

pruritus causes

pruritus arachnoid cyst

I haven't heard of anything like this either (which doesn't mean a whole lot—I'm not a medical doctor), but just looking it up and writing about it is starting to make me itch! :eek:

Doc

* These designations do not correspond precisely to thoracic vertebrae designations—see dermatome and http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...s_(female).png

Thanks for your reply. Dr. Smith!! I was so excited to see I'd received a reply on my question.

I know it IS a strange question indeed and an embarrassing one for me to have to put out there for the whole world to see. But then I thought, well, what does it matter---MEN AND WOMEN HAVE NIPPLES---- so it's not such a big deal, right? But still..........

My arachnoid cyst is from T3-T8 now. It has grown a couple of centimeters since last years MRI. I have severe spinal cord compression there. I have very hyper reflexes. And I've had my doctor look at my nipple--it looks perfectly fine and normal. I try NOT to scratch it so much, or I'd have a scabby mess, so sometimes I pinch it. But it happens so often that I don't realize I am doing it in public places, like at wal-mart or the store............

Today my arm and nipple are itching. It is SO hard to ignore this nipple though.

I will look up those words you gave me--I have never in my life heard of "pruritis" before. So thank you for that new word.


I am hoping someone else might come along and say they have an itchy part too. I was thinking maybe it had something to do with the spinal compression in my neck-- doesn't part of the spinal cord there govern your arms and your lungs? So why not a nipple too? But I haven't found a good site that shows which nerves at different levels control different things.

Thanks for your help! I'm gong to look up prurits right now!

Oh goodness, I just wrote a lengthy reply, but I don't see it. Anyhow, so 'pruritis' is just a fancy word for itching!

I meant to come back and edit my answer and say that I have tried all kind of antibiotics, internal and topical, including Bactroban, which is used to kill MRSA in the nostrils. It didn't any good on my nipple either. Very odd. I've been so desperate I even tried yeast infection cream, alcohol, witch hazel, that pink liquid stuff for itching, forgot the name of it.... I've tried just about everything I could think of, but no relief. Very odd, right? My arachnoid cyst is from T3-T8, but my suspicion is that the itching is from my cervical compression of my spine--- does that sound like a possibility?

Bunny,

I have MS and I have spinal lesions. Because of these lesions I get itching on my upper arm and on my back in between my shoulders.

It can be maddening because no matter how much I scratch the itch it doesn't go away.

I can always tell when it's a "lesion itch" or just a regular itch because the lesion itch is not helped.....no matter how much I scratch the area.

Be careful that you don't break the skin or otherwise irritate the area.

Sometimes lotion helps but usually I just have to wait for the lesion to calm down. I still can't figure out what aggravates it.

Hope you feel better soon.

As far as the skin goes, see the dermatome link at the bottom of my previous reply—that's why I mentioned/posted it. Read the accompanying article to understand the chart & how it works. ;)

Doc

Thank you, Dr. Smith, i just looked at the dermatones image, and im thinking that my arachnoid cyst in my thoracic region is the culprit.

I will ask my neuro about this tomorrow.

I DID ask my Neurologist and pain mgmt specialist about this. He too was stumped. Said it sounds like it has to be coming from the arachnoid cyst on my thoracic spinal cord area, but he's never heard of this either. I told him the itching migrated from 100% of the time on my left nipple, to now about 60% of the time on my nipple, and the other 40% of the time on my upper arm, underside......

He said he'd ask around, see if he can find any info on it. I'm still itching, it's maddening! Scratch, scratch, scritch, scratch!

I know you said your mammograms have been clear, but that connection between breast & upper arm sounds familiar... You might run this by your gyno or whoever... (?)

Doc

I certainly will. I'm due for a new mammo in 2 months. I'd better check sooner. I've seen friends die from cancer in less than 2 months!

I'm with ya
 

I have MS and severe itching. I'm going back to dermatologist tomorrow and hope to get some answers and relief. It's been going on for a couple of months now.

Hello again. Just a short update on what is going on with me. I have been to see a new Neurologist, who is totally perplexed about my itching! LOL ! Well, not the story gets even more perplexing, but the situation is better. Here is what has happened:

For the past 5.5 months, I've been doing that Atkins diet, and by default, that means I have not had a single grain of sugar OR grain product. I can tell you that after 5 months of eating this way I have had 3 things that were bad go away:

1. I used to clear my throat constantly. I felt like I wanted to jam a bottle brush down my throat to remove that thick mucous that never seemed to go away. Now I hardly ever have to clear my throat!

2. The MRSA infections I've been dealing with for 14 years have stopped! I used to break out at least once or twice every month, PAINFUL blister carbuncles that would get so large and tender and nearly black, and when they'd finally rupture, OMG it was such a relief! I've not had any infections now for five months!

AND 3: the weird itching on my nipple has not gone away, but the itching has gone down from feeling like 100% now down to 25%. I still itch on my nipple and arm, but only 1/4 as much as before!!

SO: I don't know if it has anything to do with my diet--but I'm sure it has. The thing is, I don't know if I'm feeling much better due to a lack of sugar, OR if it's from no wheat/gluten products? I've been reading the book called "Wheat Belly" and it talks about how wheat can wreak havoc on one's body, causing all kinds of problems. It has made me a firm believer in never eating anything made out of wheat ever again.

My Neuro could only say that perhaps it had to do with a nerve being pressed on my by arachnoid cyst, but he could not say for sure. He said he'd ask his colleagues about it, watch for hints in medical journals...

Until then, I'm happy to report that a change in diet has made a HUGE difference in many ways, AND I've lost 33 lbs so far! W/O exercising!

Neuropathic Itch
 

Blackberrybunny, you might be interested in research done by Dr. Ann Louise Oaklander regarding neuropathic itch. *admin edit* I have several perineural cysts extending from from T12 Through my lumbar spine and sacrum, and I have itching with no known cause (and no rash). Wishing you well, Kath