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Sensory disturbances, including an itching sensation, can occur with multiple sclerosis. Sometimes these feelings can be early signs of MS.
Have you ever felt an itch that wouldn’t go away? The more you scratch, the more it itches. Although itching for no apparent reason may sound like a psychological phenomenon, it’s a reality for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
It’s common for people with MS to experience strange sensations, also known as dysesthesias. These sensations can feel like pins and needles, burning, stabbing, or tearing. Itching (pruritus) is another potential symptom of MS.
These physical feelings are often early signs of MS.
Itching is just one potential sensory disturbance of MS. As with other symptoms of MS, itching may come on suddenly and occur in waves. It may last a few minutes or much longer.
Itching is one family of these disturbances. It’s different from allergic itching because MS-related itching does not occur with a rash or skin irritation.
There may be other causes of MS-related itching.
Some disease-modifying medications are administered by injection. These may cause temporary skin irritation and itching at the injection site.
An allergic reaction to medications like interferon beta-1a (Avonex) may also result in itching. An allergic skin reaction to certain drugs that are given intravenously (by IV) may cause the skin to itch.
In clinical trials, one of the common side effects of the oral medication dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) was the sensation of itching.
If the itching is mild, no treatment is necessary. Over-the-counter topical treatments are not useful for this type of itching.
If the itching is severe, prolonged, or begins to interfere with daily living, talk with a doctor.
Medications used to treat dysesthetic itching may include: