Itching/pins And Needles When About To Sweat

[gofl1]

Hi everyone, I have had a bizarre problem for the past couple months. Whenever I walk around outside and get to the point that I would usually sweat, I get a pin prick sensation on my arms and torso. When I scratch my arms during these episodes, it leaves red lines. If I were to scratch my arms right now, sitting inside, there are no red marks. The sensations go away if I either go inside and cool down, or continue to heat up further and fully begin to sweat. Claritin has had no effect, and it seems like I do eventually sweat in the areas where the pins and need pain is coming from. Does this sound histamine based, or autonomic function based? I am considering spraying some benadryl cream on my arms and seeing if that helps to determine whether this allergy based. I don't get the sensations at all after taking a hot shower, or getting hot indoors. I also did not notice this over the fall or winter.

Thanks

[Alaska]

This happens to me when my skin is dry, which happens all the time... because I have dry skin. So, when I start working out my scalp will itch and skin, but then it gets better in a few minutes. It helps to not itch.

[sue1234]

I've had that now for a few years. It is so intense that I literally cannot be in temps over 80F for more than about 5-10 minutes. I quit sweating to heat for some reason, and now that's what happens. When I get warm, my body has a hot flush and that just makes it all so much worse. The itching begins on my back and then travels upward. I have had bad poison ivy a few times in my life, and this is so much worse! It is like there are ants all over me, biting, but not hurting, just itching.

[gofl1]

What's strange though, is this only happens when I get hot outside, which is making me lean towards histamine problems. I could get in a sauna and get super hot and not have this terrible pins and needs sensation, but if I walk briskly outside for several minutes, I feel like I am being attacked by fire ants.

[LindaJoy]

Hi, gofl1.

I'm so sorry you're experiencing this, as I know how very miserable it is, and limiting! but I'm glad you posted this here. I started this last year, and I do the exact same thing! I used to be able to sit outside, in the heat, all day long, with no problem. Now, I can't be out for more than a few minutes during a hot day, or it drives me up a wall with all the itching and tingling I start to do, then the weird kind of sweating that comes--it feels funny when I do then start to sweat. And, yes, when I scratch, I'll get scratch marks right away. But, I, too, can take a hot shower and not experience this. I take three antihistamines every day and am on corticosteroids, and I still do this, so I don't know about histamine being the culprit or not, either.

I started Singulair the winter prior to this starting, so I wondered if it, or even the Pepcid or Allegra, was the cause. I also wondered about my elemental formula, as it's filled with artificial sweetener, if that could be causing it.

Last spring was the first time in my life I ever got sun poisoning, too. I got it on my lower legs. I didn't know what it was and was scared. My husband called my doctor's office and described it, and they explained what it was. I had to put ice on my legs several times a day to soothe and heal it.

If you hear what this is, please keep us posted. I'd love to know why I'm doing this now, after 46 years of being a sun flower!

Lindajoy

[LindaJoy]

Well, it was 80 degrees today, humid, and within minutes, I had the uncomfortable feeling, itchy sweating, etc. I am so disappointed. I had to come inside while my husband worked our gardens. I am not looking forward to another summer this way. If anyone knows what this is, please let us know.

Thank you.

Linda

[Troy Z]

I have this issue too! I haven't been diagnosed with anything - my doctor says its just stress, but I know it's definitely linked to heat.  Does anyone who also suffer from the itchies have any tips on how to get through it in the moment if you can't go somewhere cool? Also, does anyone else notice involuntary leg twitches or shudders when it's really bad?

[AudreyJean]

This could be dehydratiom from Secondary Polycythemia. It happens when your bones put out too many blood cells and your blood thickens. Polycythemia Vera is NOT what I'm suggesting, which is blood disease. I'm suggesting the secondary kind. Before you go outside, try drinking a lot of water. A tall glass. Then test the theory and see if it still happens. It can also possibly be from not getting enough oxygen. I'm a chronic heavy smoker and the pin pricks came on last summer in my legs in August and then stopped after like a week. It's now June the following year and its started again. I've wondered if its hormonal. Ladies... consider this if you have other symptoms going on as well. I'm going to the neurologist tomorrow. I'm terrified that he will say I need to get further testing because I HATE anything medical related, and get severe panic in any doctors offices or if I have to get any testing other than bloodwork. I naturally have nasty panic so it could also be anxiety. Doctors are creeps in my experience. They always hear that I smoke and have anxiety, and want to pin every single ailment on smoking or anxiety, so they don't take me seriously. I end up suffering and never getting a proper diagnosis. Again, try a lot of water because if you're dehydrated, you won't always know it and they'll have you going in for all kinds of tests before finally telling you to drink more. I know this because at one point, I tricked a blood test. They made me think I had one thing because my levels were off and wanted to retest my blood. I downed a bottle of water on the way to the doctor, and results then came back perfect. Instead of warning me of dehydration initially, they immediately blamed smoking and anxiety. You have up so your own research and be your own doctor these days or they'll have you paranoid.

[chzrles]

Hey guys,

I just recently developed this exact issue as well. I'm a relatively healthy 22 year old so I never thought something like this could happen to me. I feel a horribly pins and needles sensation and itching sensation whenever I'm about to sweat / am in the sun for too long / or am anxious. I noticed that smoking weed makes all of the symptoms subside for the duration of the high however this isn't a very healthy coping mechanism. I'm not sure how to cure this or at least treat it other than that. 

[Guest KiminOrlando]

For me, it looks like an over reaction of my sympathic nervous system. I am on an H1 blocker in the morning, an H2 at night, and will be starting Singulair soon. They tried Elavil but it had side effects I couldn't tolerate. It would be interesting if you could get someone to help you test this theory. I think speaking with a neurologist and an Allergy Immunologist would benefit you. They ran a ton of allergy tests to rule stuff out for me, but it helped them realize what it wasn't. Hope you find answers. 

[chzrles]

@KiminOrlando Thank you for your response! How has the medication been for you? I do believe I'm also experiencing an over reaction from my sympathic nervous system.  

 

[Guest KiminOrlando]

The medication has helped, but I think we are only treating symptoms. I think it is more than just a histamine response with me. My blood vessels seem to overly enlarge or overly constrict with the slightest trigger. My hands are always numb and purple/black. They think it also causes spasms in my colon. The histamine blockers won't help any of that. I really think I need someone to prescribe low dose Valium, but nobody has. I don't know what else would work like that. They gave me an anti anxiety med that was also a histamine blocker, but it made my POTS so much worse. I have an appointment with a neurologist in April for migraines so hopefully they will work on it. Oh, it also effects my ability to see or focus my eyes. They think it is all tied together but isn't Pure Autonomic Failure because other things are still intact.

[endless_august]

That used to happen to me a couple years ago. It was one of my earliest symptoms. It seems to have faded away completely now though, as other symptoms have moved to the forefront. 

[Zilrog]

I’ve had this condition since adolescence. I’m in my 40’s now. When I was in high school, I saw some dermatologists about the condition but to no avail. No medications or topical creams I’ve used, have ever helped. I drink lots of water every day. That doesn’t help me. I have noticed that in my case, the condition is worse in the colder months of the year (autumn & winter). In Spring/Summer, when its warm out, I eventually begin to sweat normally, without the pinprick sensation. I have found that consistent exercise, that causes me to sweat, will keep the issue at bay. However, if I stop exercising for even 3 or more days (again during cold weather) the problem returns. I wish I knew of some way to stop this from happening. It is SO uncomfortable!

[Nic]

I'm 25, almost 26 and have been experiencing this for about 2 years now. I noticed this didn't start until I started taking weekly testosterone shots (for a testosterone deficiency). It gets so unbelievably painful from the waist up. I noticed this happens most whenever I'm experiencing high emotions (stress, anger, anxiety), things that would likely cause someone to start sweating. It happens sometimes when I'm too warm as well, but mostly during the high emotions. I dont have medical insurance, so seeing a doctor or the likes is out of the question. The only solution I've seen people suggest is working out daily, but they've warned that it gets worse the first few times until your body is used to it. There has to be a better way

[mashm888]

On 12/26/2019 at 2:41 PM, Troy Z said:

 

 

[mashm888]

Did anyone try B12 or a neurologist? 

[mashm888]

On 12/26/2019 at 2:41 PM, Troy Z said:

I have this issue too! I haven't been diagnosed with anything - my doctor says its just stress, but I know it's definitely linked to heat.  Does anyone who also suffer from the itchies have any tips on how to get through it in the moment if you can't go somewhere cool? Also, does anyone else notice involuntary leg twitches or shudders when it's really bad?

Hi

Did u see a Neurologist? 

[Kyree]

Hello 19 Y/o male relatively healthy. I believe that it is all heat related for me however it also happens whenever I have anxiety. Whenever I’m cooking at the stove or beginning to work out but right before I begin to sweat I get these little fire ant pricks all of my body and I can’t stop it unless I immediately cool myself down. Or I could also just heat myself up there happens to be just a 10 to 20° temperature range that if my body is in it it doesn’t like it and then the pricks begin. I’m currently not on any medications however after I stop taking my anti-anxiety medication this began to ramp up in severity. Now this might not be directly causing it however I feel like it’s due to certain amounts of stressors such as when your body can’t maintain a proper homeostasis for an extended period of time or in quick bursts. Back when I was working out regularly before the pandemic I didn’t have this problem because I was easily able to regulate my body temperature because I was consistently either outside or doing something. Now that I’m no longer as active my body has gained some fat and also doesn’t know where to displace a lot of the extra heat I guess? But I too have been to the doctor for this and they just said that it’s probably anxiety. But yea

[Keyan]

I have undiagnosed hyperhidrosis since I started puberty (I’m 23 in 2 weeks) and I’m honestly not sure if having the pin prick pain and itching was happening that early or not, but for YEARS I’ve been having it right before I sweat in my armpits and finally decided to look into it before I go to a doctor for it, and I haven’t found anything concrete and the symptoms only seem to halfway match up but from what I’ve seen so far, it could be as simple as your sweat glands being blocked to potentially being a neurological problem. It’s something I definitely plan to go to a doctor for after my move next month

[Chance]

Hey y’all, since someone in this thread already mentioned testosterone, I feel more confident in my current theory that (at least personally) it’s a hormonal issue. The pinpricks and itching happen for me worst during/after a hot shower, at the beginning of a workout, or when I first step outside into a hot + humid day. It started when I was prescribed a shot that blocks estrogen and then went away after the shot wore off and was fine for about 2 years. Started again (but not nearly as badly) when I began doing biweekly testosterone injections. Might be worth going to an endocrinologist to get your levels checked if the issue is burdensome enough, though aside from maybe prescribing you something that raises estrogen levels, I don’t know what the treatment would be, or if a doctor would even be willing to do something experimental like that. 

[james60709]

Try this!

So I had this issue like a month back and I scoured the internet to look for solutions and never found anything so, even though I've never posted in a medical forum before, I decided to answer this.

A month ago I got a horrible itch all over my legs and thighs, like ants were biting me and refusing to let go. And I couldn't sweat. Every time I was close to breaking out in a sweat the awful itch would return. It was so bad I couldn't sleep.

About two days after this started, I started lathering myself with moisturizing lotions (the specific one I used was Vaseline damage repair) at night, especially after baths. I did this for about five days. I also stopped lathering myself more than once with soap and avoided using air heaters.

It cured my issue. So far the problem hasn't returned. I don't know if it'll work for anyone else but give it a go I guess. Because that itch was absolute torture and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Rob]

Hi everyone I have all the exact same issues as you all on here I’m 22 had them since I was 16 it has affected a lot of my life even had to change my career as I used to work in a hot spray booth after 6 years I still haven’t found a fix or what it’s called I have been told many things heat rash, thermal urticaria etc but I was just shooed away for a while now I have thought it could be a problem called pruritis (itchy skin) I have been cod liver oil can help I’m about to try a few months taking it to see if it helps will let you know if it works 

[know it all]

This started to happen to me back in 2020 during covid lockdowns. I was drinking tea all day to pass the time. Then I developed the pins pricks that felt like the stings of fire ants. I spoke to my doctor and she knew exactly what it is. It is from tannins. Tannins are found in so many things, even weed, wine and beer! Juices, cider, chocolate, cocoa, legumes, fruits, nuts, grains, I can go on, but I am sure you are already using your favorite search engine to research this.

You very well could be ingesting foods or drinks with tannins and your body just is not tolerant of them anymore because of stressors. Stress breaks down your body. Maybe some day these pin prick sensations will be lumped in with food allergies or food sensitivities. My best advice is keep a food diary every day and find the culprit that way! Then you'll learn slowly how much of that food or drink you can tolerate before it starts to affect you.

What are tannins? "tannin, also called tannic acid, any of a group of phenolic compounds in woody flowering plants that are important deterrents to herbivores and have a number of industrial applications".  More info here: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "tannin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 16 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/tannin. Accessed 16 May 2023.