Introverted_And_Proud
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 63
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Warm weather, insects
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.
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.
