Chronic itching - Could it be neuropathy?

[Introverted_And_Proud]

Nearly four months ago (around the beginning of December 2025), I developed a random and mild itching sensation on my scalp seemingly out of nowhere. It came and went randomly throughout the day and never seemed to be relieved when I would scratch it. Within a week, the itching spread to other parts of my body, most notably my face, ears, back, arms, legs, the backs of my hands and my torso, though I have experienced it all over my body too. The itching is usually mild and infrequent enough that it doesn't interfere with my daily activities, nor disturb my sleep, to the point where I can ignore it. I haven't experienced any other unusual or strange symptoms following its development. And the itching itself feels normal enough. No pain, burning, tingling, crawling, etc, from what I can tell. But it's persistent. I wake up with it every day. A lot of the places I'm itchy lack visible skin irritation, i.e. rash, dry skin, etc. Nothing in particular seems to trigger it or make it worse. And it's been unresponsive to over-the-counter treatments, such as moisturiser and antihistamines. It's the last thing that's gotten me concerned.

I am prone to eczema and dandruff, so dry skin on my scalp or other areas of my body isn't unusual. I did observe dry skin on my scalp, the backs of my hands and my right hip, which has also been infrequently itching. But its lack of response to the over-the-counter treatments, as well as no signs of skin irritation in the other places I was itching, had me worried, alongside the fact that my Type 1 diabetes has not been the best controlled over the past eight years since I've been diagnosed with it. As of March 2025, I'd managed to lower my HbA1c to 64mmol after experiencing frequent numbers above 71mmol. But I'd been experiencing terrible insulin resistance over the course of the autumn and winter months of the same year, to the point my levels were consistently going into double digits. So, you can imagine why my mind considered the possibility of neuropathy.

After four weeks of no improvement, I contacted my diabetes team and got an appointment scheduled with a consultant at the beginning of February 2026, getting the necessary blood tests (full blood count) and urine sample done in preparation. My HbA1c came back as 71mmol, but other than that, nothing concerning showed up in either test. Everything was normal. Despite expressing my concerns about neuropathy with the consultant, they stated I should speak to my GP and have them refer me to a dermatologist. Two weeks later, I went for my annual diabetes review and spoke to the diabetes nurse at my GP about my itching. They prescribed me emollient cream to try. I used it for two weeks over most of my body. It didn't work. A few days ago, I returned to my GP and spoke to a different doctor, answering their questions as thoroughly as possible. They listened to me and looked over my previous blood test results, but they concluded based off my responses, my test results and a physical examination of my scalp that there were no red flags they were concerned about. Thus, they didn't feel the need to escalate my case further. Instead, they gave me a list of other emollients and antihistamines to buy from a pharmacy, along with an anti-dandruff shampoo, suggesting it could be seborrheic dermatitis.

The doctor told me to follow this treatment plan for a month and a half and then come back if it doesn't go away or gets worse. The thing is, I don't know if I can wait that long. I'm concerned I'm wasting money on over-the-counter treatments that aren't going to help, not to mention time on a diagnosis that might not be true. I don't want to believe I have neuropathy, yet I can't shake the feeling that's what I have. It wouldn't surprise me, given how long I've had my diabetes diagnosis for and how much I'm struggling with my blood sugar control.

I'm supposed to be seeing the DSNs in under a week and a half's time about potentially switching to insulin pump therapy. I'm wondering if it's worth mentioning my problem to them if my itching doesn't improve and seeing if they can escalate it to a neurologist. I'm worried that if I try to go back to my GP about this before the end of the month, they'll dismiss me again. I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Pipp]

You have my sympathy, @Introverted_And_Proud . Itchy skin is torture. I have allergic reactions to lots of things and I could cheerfully scrape my skin off when I have a flare up.

Unfortunately, we are not able to diagnose. If the condition is unbearable, in the situation you describe, I would not wait for a month and a half, but go back to doctor and ask to be reassessed.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @Introverted_And_Proud
As @Pipp said, we can't diagnose. We can describe experiences though. I know my T1 mother ended up with severe eczema after decades of T1 (many in pre glucomter years so not well controlled). There was no suggestion it was specifically neuropathy related? T1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition though so it's not totally surprising if it combines with itching/eczema ???

If you can hold out till you see the DNs then they may be able to tell you if this is likely to be diabetes related? If it is diabetes related then improving your diabetic control should hopefully help. (I am a big fan of pump therapy myself, though it can take time to benefit from it properly.)

Really interesting article about diabetes and itching here

Diabetes and itching: Causes, symptoms, and relief

People with diabetes experience skin itching more often than those who do not. This can happen because nerve fibers become damaged by excess glucose in the blood. Diabetes itching can lead to excessive scratching, pain, and irritation. Find out more about symptoms, treatment, and when to see a...

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Neuropathy usually presents on hands and feet first?

Personal experience, only possibly relevant. I have had a persistent itch on one part of my back for decades (at least 15 years.) Enough to make me buy a back scratcher but not enough to make me use creams or emolients. I've noticed that it's recently improved. Is that because my pump has improved my diabetic control???

Anyway, itching is horrible and you have my heartfelt sympathy. Good luck with it all.

 

[Introverted_And_Proud]

Hello @Pipp and @EllieM . Thanks for the replies.

Sorry. I probably should have clarified—I’m not looking for a diagnosis here. I am aware of the site rules. Though, if anybody does have experiences with neuropathic itching and have experienced similar symptoms to me, I welcome you to share them if you’re comfortable.

I guess what I’m looking for is advice on who it’s best to speak with out of the GP and the DSN and how I can get either one to take me seriously. I don’t have anybody in my daily life whom I can talk to about my diabetes outside of medical professionals, so I’m mostly dealing with these situations by myself. So, forgive me if I’m rambling with my thoughts.

I think what’s getting me concerned about this itching is how strange it is. Because of how conflicting my symptoms feel, it doesn’t seem like it quite fits into either criteria to be classed as one thing or the other. I’ve had eczema itching before. I developed it long before I was diagnosed with diabetes due to it running in my family. But back then, it was restricted to certain areas of my body and showed visible skin irritation. Additionally, since this itching started four months ago, I sometimes think I might have been fleetingly feeling things like slight pain or tingling or crawling on my body. So, it’s making me question myself a lot. Especially because my itching does not improve with my blood sugar levels. It seems unaffected regardless of how high or low they are, which I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Logically, I feel I need to speak to the DSN about my symptoms. They are specialised in diabetes and I think they would take me more seriously than my GP. Then again, that’s exactly what I thought when I spoke with the diabetic consultant and they basically went ‘Sorry, we can’t help with this. Go to your GP.’ I’m worried the DSNs might say the same, even despite having my diabetes history on record.

On the other hand, my GP don’t have my full diabetes history (even though they should; I’ve chased this up with them and the hospital with little success in the past) and despite expressing my concerns about my diabetes control, they don’t seem worried about it. Furthermore, they keep citing my most recent blood test as the reason why they think I’m fine. Though, as far as I’m aware, a full blood count isn’t a reliable detector for nerve damage. I think there’s a specific test for it that I need to have, so I fear they might be making judgements based on the wrong test. I’m also worried that if I try to go back to them before finishing their treatment plan, they might not take me seriously because I haven’t followed it through. I’m trying to be as honest and as transparent about my symptoms as I can be so they have all the information, yet I feel this is backfiring on me.

Is it worth speaking to the DSN first and seeing what they have to say? Does anybody know if they could help me and potentially refer me to whoever I need to see to check for neuropathy? Or am I going to have to go through my GP instead?