pattypan

I had itchy forearms off and on for years...my doctor was puzzled, but usually I forgot to mention it because it was mostly at night and by the time I would see the doc it would be about something else. Two years ago I googled 'itchy forearms' and could'nt believe all the folks that had same. I zeroed in on the one whose skin doc said it was insulin resistance...like diabetics get. I got a one month supply of metformin (a diabetic med for insulin resistance) and presto! prob solved! Think of sugar crysals as being like razor blades that slice the nerve endings deep in the muscle. you know that itch is actually pain. Scratching the skin raw does'nt touch the itch. Its deep in the muscle where nerves are! Now I'm aware that when I eat sugar, within an hour, I'm casually scratching my arms, hand, leg, even my husband has noticed the link and warns me. We have a lot of diabetes history in my family and I had gestational diabetes 34 years ago. I've worked at not getting diabetes and come too lose for comfort several times. Sad that docs and pharmacists don't connect the terribly itchy skin with insulin resistance...they have a ton of skin lotions for diabetes...they dont touch the cause of the itchy skin!1