I am so sorry you are experiencing this but at least you know what it is now. I also want to thank you for posting this because I am experiencing something similar and my doctor said I had bed bugs. I told him I did not think so because if so they were really picky bed bugs because they only bit my arms. He then said it was dermatitis and gave me cortisone cream which did nothing. I never bothered to go back and have been searching for relief and trying to figure it out for months. Reading about this was like, wow, that is it! At least now I can print the info of and go ask about it. I read it can also be part of thyroid issues which I am being followed for.

thanks you so much for sharing this. Also I hope you get some relief from this.

Wow that is a lot. First and foremost I am so sorry you had to deal with a doctor with a poor bedside manner. I go to doctors a lot with all my issues & when I run into those doctors oooh sometimes that makes Puerto Rican blood boil !!! lol sorry that probably sounds aggressive. I try to accept that not all humans have that ability but man sometimes I wish it was a must to have excellent bedside manner when you are dealing with people coming in about their health, our health is a sensitive subject for us. It it can make it that much worse inside when going into an environment like that. Sorry that little rants over :)

When I have insomnia personally (going through a bit of the insomnia myself right now) I usually realize that a lot of times has to do with stress. Sorry you felt embarrassed, no need to, I don't judge ya one bit. You got a lot going on in your mind it's not surprising at all the insomnia affect.

I can relate a lot with what your saying when you say "can't I have something easy that's easy to treat" People like us for sure feel that way. When I'm dealing with the PTSD, fibro flares, migraines, arthritis etc. & many old severe injuries that have not healed right & doctors look perplexed how to treat them when everything we've tried to treat it doesn't work I also have those moments. I sometimes think in my head I'm not being like whoa is me but sometimes think "well damn, this is a little much, a little intense" I also wish there were some pill that can just cure & boom all these issues be gone.

You are very very strong about the kidney stuff. I'm in awe of your strengths a lot actually. I also pray for you a lot about your kidney stuff, so if any way that helps or find comfort knowing there's someone out there praying for that issue a lot for you. ( Lots of good energy coming from this way for ya :) )

Did they give you any medicine that can help a little with your skin? If so maybe between that & now knowing now what it is can help you not wonder what if so much. Hope that made sense. But yea I for sure think all of that plus you deciding life choices like where are you gonnna retire & also the start of a new semester all combined probably have a lot to do with your insomnia.

I send you support and the utmost respect at this time & really hope things get a little easier & you eventually moving forward start to get a little more sleep each night. It'll come, I do believe that for you.

Like I said before, you are most definitely in my prayers rite now. I'm keeping the hope for ya. Sending you many peaceful vibes :)

(((((((Hugs)))))))))

When I get itchy cold packs help. Actually what I do is freeze a ziplock of rice. Gets cold, but not too cold, and it forms to match the body part. Sometimes I'll take a cold shower or bath. If I'm really itchy, I'll get gauze and scratch with that.

Best of luck....Patti

That's a lot to go through. I hope you can get some sleep.

I have long accepted my crawling skin sensations as psychosomatic. It has been decades since I have even talked to a med pro about it. I have gone through stages of showering/bathing and changing my bed clothes continually throughout the day and night, while believing there are not enough showers and clean sheets in the world to wash the filth of child sex trafficking off my skin. The associated heebeegeebees are horrific and *I* like bugs.

Meditative aromatic herb and mineral oil baths with soft light and music have been my best relief.

Hope you find what works for you. I would be interested to know if the docs have a different remedy for yours. It sure is a yucky feeling.

Blessings. Given my trauma past, I doubt I'd survive that sensation. My neuro showed me places to put ice to help with pain, maybe the neuro can advise you on something similar? Random thought.

Thanks, everybody. I had no idea that others were dealing with itching problems, too. I was embarrassed into silence about it over the last month, and now I realize from what you share here that there was no need to keep quiet.

It's really been a problem, not just a discomfort, in how it brought on insomnia I do not need insomnia with my PTSD. I'm glad it's ok to talk about itching as an insomnia problem bringing on my PTSD symptoms and that you understand that the way you do. Insomnia undermines my recovery and ability to function with PTSD. Since an inability to rest was beginning to undermine my effectiveness at work once school was back in session, I had to ask for help from doctors and from you.

So thanks for your support, first of all. Then thanks for the mention of cortizone cream--I'm going to the store to fill a prescription strength order for that from my pharmacy today. Thanks for mentioning how cold works, too. When I was in Mexico with this itch two weeks ago I took cold showers. Now that I got back into winter weather where I live, even though temperatures are in the 30s and 40s, I ran my air conditioning in my car to get some relief. I turned my house thermostat down, too.

I'll try to get naps in today to prepare for tomorrow. I'm still itching and feeling the crawling on my skin, but it helps to know I can say so and that I'm not alone.

At your next staff meeting, or whatever, watch the other attendees a little closer. You might be surprised at how common the problem is.

Even with the uncommon problems, I let my freak flag fly. One soul-mate is easily worth the price of a million brow beatings.

Big hug for you muji.... Well that just sux!!!... I am so sorry you're going through this... I have big sleep problems as well but not itchy

I don't know if this could help you or not... I take Melatonin for sleep and it does help some... It states you can take it with kidney disease but of course you'd have to check with your doctor.... Another hug sweetie... I hope you can have some peace tonight......xo

http://www.kidney-symptom.com/ckd-stage-3-diet/971.html

Big hugs muji .... I thought I was the only one to get weird stuff. Don't be embarrassed by anything. One of my many many problems is kidney disease so I know what a joy those kidney of ours can be actually today is my dads birthday that passed away 2 years away from the same kidney disease I have. Tomorrow I get to have my blood inserted in a needle right straight in my kidney to try to flatten some cyst that are causing problems. (I don't recommend this.) Anyways take care of yourself.

SC, thanks for the tip about Melatonin. I've taken it before safely, and it's worked for me, so that's a good med to fall back on. My insomnia's due to the itching, though. I went to the pharmacy today and got the prescription cream yesterday's dermatologist prescribed. I just finished applying it, and so I'm hoping the usual bedtime itching is calmed by it so I won't have trouble getting to sleep. Then next will be the staying asleep part. One thing at a time.

Weeb, I'm so sorry you're have kidney disease too. Sorry for the loss of your dad to this thing as well. It's got to be hard not only to have lost him, but to have seen his loss as a sort of a preview of what might happen to you, too.

I have a student at my college who is ahead of me in the kidney disease process. She had a transplant last year. She's a great support, while at the same time she is able to give me previews of what a transplant is like. The reality checks I get from her encourage me to keep on doing what my kidney doc says. Rather than feel sorry for myself and wish for a transplant as a cure, I see what it's really like. That motivates me to do what I need to in the present forestall dialysis and transplant and be a better kidney patient in the here and now.

Thanks for your encouragement, too. I'll be sending you good thoughts tomorrow about that needle insertion to deal with that cyst. Isn't it weird how many of those pop up with kidney disease? I've had two cut out, and yesterday they found a third. But it's not in the way like yours, so I got lucky this time. I'll be rooting for you with yours, that's for sure. Much support to you.

That's awful!! I had sun poisoning last summer, and woke up with my face unrecognizably swollen. It's an ordeal when the body has a glitch.

Hey Mujica! Thanks for the warm welcome on my first post and a question, are you withdrawing from Seroquel or any other meds? One of the symptoms of Seroquel withdrawal and possibly with other meds is tactile hallucinations exactly like your describing of the feeling of bugs crawling on your skin. It took me three months to get over that last summer until the symptoms finally went away and I switched to a different med. I've had a couple unbearable cysts too. Are you taking antibiotics? Much love to all of you! What a supportive group!

Sorry I got confused by the thread. I hope you are all doing ok!

That's OK, jon, I last took Seroquel in 2012, and then no meds at all until 2016 due to CKD. CKD is the cause of my skin symptoms, as the link above in the original post of the thread explains. Here's that link again:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prurigo_nodularis