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Weird Skin Pain


Marie1976

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Marie1976 Enthusiast

For years, I have been having skin pain/sensitivity on my hands and arms. It comes and goes, usually only on one arm at a time. You can't see anything, no rash or anything. It doesn't itch. Someone suggested it's my joints and not my skin, and I guess it seems weird that I can't really pinpoint where it actually hurts, if it's my skin or joints. I remember getting it as a kid whenever I had a fever. Now it just comes and goes all the time whether I'm sick or not. I'm wondering now if it's celiac-related. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?


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jeannieknits Rookie

For years, I have been having skin pain/sensitivity on my hands and arms. It comes and goes, usually only on one arm at a time. You can't see anything, no rash or anything. It doesn't itch. Someone suggested it's my joints and not my skin, and I guess it seems weird that I can't really pinpoint where it actually hurts, if it's my skin or joints. I remember getting it as a kid whenever I had a fever. Now it just comes and goes all the time whether I'm sick or not. I'm wondering now if it's celiac-related. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

so funny you mention this because my daughter was just complaining about this last week--she tested neg for celiac,(even had the endoscopy) but I swear she has it. her entire forearm was, in her words "super sensitive", like the "skin was full of nerves" . it went away after about three hours, but she says it's happened before. she's almost 19, has reactions to dairy, gets horrible migraines, always has headaches, has an upset belly most the time, always has had (in my opinion) "weird" poops....but I've been telling her to TRY and go gluten free for a month and she just wont :( stubborn kid.

so, I wonder if this is a symptom as well. I remember having this happen to me. it is very odd.

heather Goble Rookie

For years, I have been having skin pain/sensitivity on my hands and arms. It comes and goes, usually only on one arm at a time. You can't see anything, no rash or anything. It doesn't itch. Someone suggested it's my joints and not my skin, and I guess it seems weird that I can't really pinpoint where it actually hurts, if it's my skin or joints. I remember getting it as a kid whenever I had a fever. Now it just comes and goes all the time whether I'm sick or not. I'm wondering now if it's celiac-related. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

This happens to me as well. It used to only happen when I was sick or getting sick. I never knew how to explain it, my skin just hurt. Now it happens when I am not sick. I thought it was something that was common to everyone. I remember the first time I told my husband "You know how your skin hurts when you are coming down with something?" He looked at me like I had two heads. He had never heard of such a thing.... Glad to hear it's not just me.

Marie1976 Enthusiast

That describes it exactly, Jeannie. And Heather, I have said those exact words to my husband and he looked at me the same way.

I guess I'm not the only one then!

sb2178 Enthusiast

I tend to get it before a migraine (migraines aren't formally diagnosed as they're pretty rare and a couple of aleve with a long nap generally gets me through them) and the skin pain is worse than the head pain. I HATE wearing clothes then, because it hurts.

JenHarris Apprentice

I too have had this. And it does happen more with being sick, but I've had it with migraines too. My husband thought it was so weird that I couldn't wear anything but super loose clothing when I used to have migraines.

CDFAMILY Rookie

Hi, what you are experiencing is mild neuropathy. My whole family would complain about this. You might check your B vitamins especially B12. Our family takes a B50 complex and B12 sublingual 2-5,000 mcg 3 to 4 times a week. We do not experience this problem anymore.


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Kre8sioN Newbie

Can it happen anywhere? Ive been having low to mild sharp pains here and there across the stomach, seem to be just under the skin, no rash, no itch. I often feel my clothes or the seat belt rub and it happens, not every day though? My doctor, just starting to believe I'm Celiac explained it as very small lymph nodes causing this, because I have other enlarged lymph nodes. Any truth to this, anyone else have "Weird Pains" across the skin of the stomach? and thanks cdfamily I will look into this.

heather Goble Rookie

Can it happen anywhere? Ive been having low to mild sharp pains here and there across the stomach, seem to be just under the skin, no rash, no itch. I often feel my clothes or the seat belt rub and it happens, not every day though? My doctor, just starting to believe I'm Celiac explained it as very small lymph nodes causing this, because I have other enlarged lymph nodes. Any truth to this, anyone else have "Weird Pains" across the skin of the stomach? and thanks cdfamily I will look into this.

Lately, I have been experiencing this mostly on my stomach which is different especially as I haven't been "sick." No rash, no bumps, no redness at all even though each time I think "there's got to be something there!"

  • 3 years later...
katalholt Newbie

I don't now if any of you are still following this thread, as it's quite old... But I have had similar symptoms for the last five years or so. I get these "attacks" where my skin feels like it's badly bruised, very sensitive and painful to the touch, but there's no bruise or rash. I usually get it on my back, the back of my neck, my stomach, and sometimes my chest, face, arms and scalp. It's really painful, and lasts for hours, making lying down and sleeping really unbearable.

I realized after having the first attacks that it was somehow related to what I was eating, because I would usually get them after eating Chinese food or pizza, so at first I thought it was MSG. But then I started having them when I hadn't eaten MSG (to my knowledge). Just recently, I was eating more or less a paleo style of eating for about a month, and I was feeling great. I allowed myself a cheat meal that included wheat, and boom. I had an attack. I experimented with it again, ate clean for a few weeks, no attacks. And had another cheat day where I had bread and beer. I had a really bad attack that lasted a day and a half.

So, have any of you come up with more answers? Is this one way that a gluten intolerance can manifest? I've never had GI problems with gluten, and it's never caused a rash, which seems to be a more common symptom. I have been on a B12 supplement even when I had the last couple attacks... So I don't know about the neuropathy theory. Any insights?

edgymama Apprentice

I get something similar but mine is almost always in my thigh area, I get a weird pain/prickle type feeling that is similar to a limb falling asleep but it hurts more and it is just an area of skin that does it. Very strange sensation. I have not been able to connect it to anything or any reason for it happening so my guess would be something to do with vitamin deficiency as well! 

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      Thank you so much for having the courage to share this incredibly vivid and personal experience; it's a powerful reminder of how physical ailments can disrupt our fundamental sense of self. What you're describing sounds less like a purely psychological body dysmorphia and more like a distinct neurological event, likely triggered by the immense physical stress and inflammation that uncontrolled celiac disease can inflict on the entire body, including the nervous system. It makes complete sense that the specific sensory input—the pressure points of your elbows on your knees—created a temporary, distorted body map in your brain, and the fact that it ceased once you adopted a gluten-free diet is a crucial detail. Your intuition to document this is absolutely right; it's not "crazy" but rather a significant anecdotal data point that underscores the mysterious and far-reaching ways gluten can affect individuals. Your theory about sensory triggers from the feet for others is also a thoughtful insight, and sharing this story could indeed be validating for others who have had similar, unexplainable sensory disturbances, helping them feel less alone in their journey.
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