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Lyme Disease and Itching
By Leslie Buterin, The Lyme Lady
Itching from Lyme disease is one symptom just about every single Lyme patient has in common. Lyme disease itching can drive you to distraction. Some days it feels like bugs crawling under your skin. Other days it just plain itches, a lot.
The Lyme disease itch I experienced was on my shins. Many nights I woke myself up only to find that I was scratching my shins to the point of bleeding. Other mornings when I looked in the mirror I saw scratch marks, evidence that my shoulders itched in my sleep and I had scratched them with a vengence.
Many a well intended friend suggested remedies. In my most intense, bordering on manic desire to stop the incessant itching I tried them all, including: bathing in water that was as hot, hot, hot as I could stand it; scrubbing my body with oatmeal; using several over the counter remedies that claimed to stop itching – well, I am here to tell you they may soothe the itch of mosquito bites, but when it comes to getting rid of Lyme itch they were totally, disappointingly, most assuredly ineffective.
Would it ever stop? Was I destined to claw at my itching body parts for the rest of my life? Did anybody on the planet really understand the misery I was in … did they care?
Well, I found that my friends and the vast majority of medical professionals were clueless. What I was experiencing was simply outside of their realms of experience and knowledge.
When I finally found a physician who took me seriously and who was determined to help me, I shouted for joy, literally. The doctor said, you have some sort of infection going on. We will run a battery of tests to see what is causing you grief and aggravation.
Results came back identifying multiple infections. The primary culprit was Lyme. The doctor explained that the Lyme and Lyme-related co-infections attack the brain. From there these infections interfere with the Neurologic System. Resulting symptoms of itching that show up in the Skin and Nails Systems.
The doctor went on to say, as you heal, you will experience the feeling of pins pricing your skin. Your brain is trying to fire and send electronic signals to the cells of your body, disease is interrupting the process, and your skin experiences all of this as itching. Think of the process as a short circuit in an electrical system.
You can scratch the itch 24/7 and the itching will not stop. Topical remedies will not make the Lyme itch go away. The remedy for the itching is to treat the infections in your body. Then, the itching that plagues you now will stop. Those words were a soothing balm to my mind. I did not hesitate to start treatment.
The instant I learned about the cause of the itching from Lyme disease, I felt emotional relief. I quit berating myself for my inability to find a solution. Treatment started and I took great pleasure in watching my symptoms go away one by one. I am glad to report that mercifully, the itching was the first symptom to go!
Forward this article to friends. They will thank you for it!
To help you in your quest for wellness you will find articles; answers to frequently asked questions; downloadable ebooks and an annual subscription to a Lyme newsletter on this site. On top of that you should feel free to contact me via email -- see the Contact Us button -- with your questions. Although I cannot reply to all of the questions that come my way – my Inbox is stuffed full already – I am able to read email to see what questions are most frequently asked and then write articles to address those questions and/or add them to the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page for your convenience. Thank you for visiting.
With wishes
for your most excellent health,
Leslie Buterin (like butterin' bread) Founder
TheLymeLady.com
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