I have had this weird symptom for years now, and was wondering if it was at all related to Lyme...
When I walk or exercise in the cold weather or sometimes air conditioning, my legs, butt, back can get so itchy that I feel like I'm going to throw up! It's more of an internal itch, rather than topical. I only itch if I'm moving around for about 10-15 minutes. I'm not really bothered by this symptom right now during summer, but during if the temp. is below 60 degrees I pretty much can't exercise, even if I cover up with layers!
Anyone else have this symptom? Does anyone know what causes this?
Posted by erikjh1972 (Member # 20964) on :
no, that happens to alot of people, namely myself. it is annoying. not really sure what causes it but esp. happens with my legs and yes only when exercising in the cold.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- This has also affected me - going way back. Thinking back, it was a huge clue that something was wrong with the way my body reacted to exercise in cold weather and even cool summer mornings. But, when I mentioned to doctors it I was told to just toughen up.
Be sure to talk to your LLMD about this as circulation AND some dysfunction of the nervous system may be involved. This histamine reaction is very involved, more so for lyme patients.
Cold adds more stress to all body systems. Lyme changes everything. But, with treatment, if your LLMD is aware of this, you may see good improvement over time. Non LLMDs could push the wrong buttons with this, though.
The first type mentioned below can be just itching:
Exercise urticaria, sometimes mistaken as exercise allergy, itchy legs, itchy legs syndrome or itchy pants syndrome, is a form of urticaria that happens during exercise.
It is characterized by itching, swelling - or hives on the legs, arms, torso or neck during or after exercise.
Cholinergic urticaria is brought on by a physical stimulus.
* Although the physical stimulus might be considered to be sweat, the actual precipitating cause is increased body temperature. *
Lesions usually appear within a few minutes of sweating, and may last for 30 minutes to over an hour.
In extreme cases, the condition can progress to an anaphylactic reaction, causing the person to pass out or suffocate due to blocked airways. People suffering from cholinergic urticaria may carry an epinephrine autoinjector (such as an EpiPen) in case of anaphylaxis. . . .
Topic: To everyone with cardiac symptoms please read ! -
Posted by julier212 (Member # 26408) on :
In the past I've researched this symptom, and I thought that it was just an allergic reaction like the uticaria, but I exercise all the time, and the only time I itch is when it's cold. I tried taking claritin or zyrtec an hour or two before exercise, and it still didn't work. I'm hoping I'll see some improvement with treatment of Lyme. We'll see...
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Cold puts extra stress on the nervous systems - perhaps causing some spasms of the arteries & veins -- and our "control panel in the brain" is often just off kilter with lyme. The cold is just the last straw. It's actually very complex with a very intricate chain reaction.
I think it's somewhat similar to the way Raynauld's works. When cold, nerves in the finger tips and toes seize up and create a chain reaction. But exercise-induced itching also has a huge histamine reaction to it.
Feeling nauseated - as you said you feel like you are going to vomit when this happens -is also a key piece of information that involves the autonomic nervous system. Nausea is mediated through the autonomic nervous system.
All nervous systems are overwhelmed with lyme. One more thing to regulate - like cold - is sometimes just too much.