The MS Phantom Itch Sure Feels Real to Me Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Multiple Sclerosis
The MS Phantom Itch Sure Feels Real to Me
By Trevis GleasonFor Life With Multiple SclerosisReviewed: July 12, 2017Everyday Health BlogsFact-CheckedMaria Fuchs/AlamyThere are multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms that people can see and that we can explain. There are also invisible symptoms that can be harder to explain — except, of course, when those invisible symptoms become painfully visible. Then there are phantom symptoms, where we “feel” the sensation of such things as bugs crawling or water dripping on our skin, when in fact there’s nothing there. I’ve recently had a go with a phantom sensation that had a real effect. Pruritis Otherwise Known as Itching
Some members of our Life with MS blog community have mentioned pruritis — also known as the MS Itch — as a symptom of their MS. This isn’t an itch caused by anything external; rather it’s caused by yet another short circuit of our central nervous system wiring. I’d never experienced MS-related pruritis before, and I didn’t like it when I did. Neither did my skin. I was watching our county football team in the provincial championship match when Caryn noted that I was occasionally rubbing and then scratching my right forearm. She pointed it out to me, asking if I’d been bitten or something, but I hadn’t. Like pain from no injury or many of the other MS sensory symptoms, there was no obvious cause for this itch. But scratching didn’t stop it, nor did topical over-the-counter treatments. I tried to rub more than scratch, because I didn’t want to scrape myself raw. And then I just tried to let it go … until the next morning. One Itch Begets Another
As I woke, I found that my arm was itching again, but in a different way than the previous day. When I looked at it I realized why. My phantom MS itch — or rather my response to it — had left a patch of my arm covered with a pattern of tiny dots of scab that, taken together, looked like a child’s drawing of a map of the British Isles (though the Hebrides were a bit misplaced and quite out of proportion). This patch of scabs was itching “for real” now, while the surrounding area still offered the MS itch. The interesting thing for me as I did my morning MS inventory was that I could tell the difference. The North Atlantic area of abraded skin itched in a tightened-skin, trying-to-heal, “something caused this” itch. But the area around it felt more like a muscular sensation. It was as if the fascia beneath my skin was what I wanted to rub. It was something I might even put onto the MS pain spectrum now that I think about it. Hoping Awareness Will Help Me Stop Scratching
And think about it I will. Now that I know what this phantom symptom feels like relative to a real itch, I hope to be more aware of how I respond to it. Fingers crossed that this awareness keeps me from spotting the bedsheets with drops of blood. Caryn would appreciate that. If you have stories to share of pruritis, the MS phantom itch, leave them on our Facebook page. Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis My book, Chef Interrupted, is available on Amazon. Follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter, and subscribe to Life With Multiple Sclerosis. Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.See More NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Multiple Sclerosis Newsletter
SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Multiple Sclerosis
How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement
By Trevis GleasonOctober 21, 2022 Dysarthria When MS Makes It Hard to Speak
By Mona SenOctober 20, 2022 Is That Really How I Walk
By Trevis GleasonOctober 18, 2022 How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel
By Trevis GleasonOctober 14, 2022 Living With MS What to Know About Neuropathic Pain and How to Manage It
Neuropathic pain is not your average pain. Here’s what to know about this unique type of MS pain and how to find relief.By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022 UTIs and MS The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have multiple sclerosis, you may be prone to frequent urinary tract infections. Besides being painful, UTIs can make MS worse, so it’s important...By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022 Why Is Orange the Color of MS
By Trevis GleasonOctober 11, 2022 13 Celebrities Who Have Multiple Sclerosis
Look among the millions of people with multiple sclerosis and you'll find famous faces, too. Learn how some of these celebrities are dealing with MS and...By Regina Boyle WheelerOctober 11, 2022 We All Have Something to Teach Our MS Doctors
By Trevis GleasonOctober 7, 2022 EBV An MS Box I Can Finally Tick
By Trevis GleasonOctober 4, 2022 More In Life With Multiple Sclerosis How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement
Is That Really How I Walk
How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel