Itchy skin

Hi @MarkHaZ123 I think it can be easy to put everything down to diabetes, but it may not be diabetes-related at all. Do you have redness or a rash or does your skin just look normal? Could it be because your skin is dry?

Is your skin dry? I've had trouble with very itchy skin and I think it has alot to do with indoor heating right now...Lack of Vitamin D and A also cause dry skin iirc.

MarkHaZ123 said:

Iv lately really started to get itchy skin all over. It sometimes feels worsw than other times but when its bad I just can't stop itching.

I just wondered if anyone with type 1 had experienced anything like this and it was normal? I don't want to have to go to the docs when I don't have to.
Iv got 2 appointments at the clinic this week so can talk to them about it. One with the doc and the other with the nurse

I know when bloods are high it can lead to itchy skin. I normally get restless legs if I have high bloods on a night time but never experienced itching till lately

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I've not heard much about itching being related to diabetes. I had eczema as a child (along with many others) my stepmum struggled with psoriasis on her arms and legs. Could be anything.

One thing you could try would be changing your washing powder or whatever you use. I have heard of people developing sensitive skin or start feeling itchy if they use a different washing powder. Try something that's promoted for sensitive skin and see if that changes anything. If not, i'd book in at the doctors, or at a pharmacist (at Boots etc) who may be able to suggest something.

Have you tried any creams or anything to help relieve the itching? Letibalm isn't cheap, but i got some of the cream after i got a heat rash on my legs in Portugal last year. I now use it pretty much as a cure all!

I had this problem for months before I was diagnosed with DKA. It's the worst itch I've ever experienced and I would scratch my arms and legs until it bled. Then some more. I tried changing washing powders, creams, wearing loose fitting clothes but nothing worked. Once my blood sugars came down the itching disappeared over night. There's a release of inflammatory cytokines in response to high blood sugar, which can make the skin itch.

It might be the case for you, or it might be something non-diabetic related. Always best to have it looked at though, as horrible as doctor's visits can be. I hope it gets better for you.

I can relate to itching skin - my blood levels are very good so I like to think it’s not diabetes related. Different time of year and heating can have an effect but I’m yet to determine exact timings or trigger. I take an anti- histamine during hay fever season and this definitely also eases the itching - other than that I apply aqueous cream which is about the best I have found as an over the counter remedy

After being diagnosed T2 and subsequently changing diet I feel so much better. That said some things aren't right which I think might have been, in part, obscured by the diabetes. I discussed with my dr recently and she ran some tests and it turns out I'm seriously deficient in vit D (which is correlated to diabetes). I have weird itches on my face and legs and arms, numb lips, muscle pain, hair loss, all of which isn't necessarily diabetes but might be vit D or something else!

Im newly diagnosed and i started suffering from itchy skin well in to the 3rd day at the hospital, Its literally down to the diabetes, you will notice that hot showers are a no no, and the best way to combat that would be to use Aloe vera Body Cream, it seriously worked wonders, fixed up my rashes and they haven't come back, If they do then its the same treatment, I only used the cream for about a few days.

Note, i was itching for almost 2 weeks before using said body cream

I hope this type of remedy will work for you as it did for me.