[Kiya]

soooooooooo much pain in skin, can't even get dressed, have to go to work in 30 min. could hardly drive last night; holding seat belt away from me, crying when back hit seat.... have a 6.5 hour work day i gotta face when i can't even face clothes... HELP!!!!

[Starbuck1128]

I thought that was just me making up stuff. you get that, too?

[Kiya]

=( often. but it usually doesn't last longer than a day max. I am now at 2 days straight and tired of this!!! I've done everything I can think of @_@ i can't go through another day of this. I've had it most my life... you'd think one day it would give up and leave me alone.
How about you? Anything you do make it go away?

[Starbuck1128]

Well, sometimes Benadryl helps... a little... and the usual Tylenol
It is s dreadful feeling

[Kiya]

time to search the cabinates!!!

[deliquesce]

...this happens to other people?! i thought it was only me...

[Kiya]

Looks like we're not alone, Del. How are you doing? Not heard from you in a while.
Thankfully, I am mostly out of this round of skin pain. Still bugs me some in places, but the whole body deal was driving me (well i guess not out of my mind since I'm already there...) lol but maybe further, if that is poss.
Right now is my back against any sort of rest (seat, car, etc.), and the seatbelt everywhere it touches, so I am still driving around with one hand on the wheel and one keeping the belt away from me. *sigh*

[deliquesce]

(((((kiya))))))

my net connection went down for a while this week, so i havent been replying anywhere properly. i feel so out of touch with everyone!!

my skin pain only started last night... i totally didnt realise other ppl get this too... i've had many medical tests done to see if it was something physical, but nothing's ever shown up.

my dr has given me some pain killers to help - so i'll need to try them today. normal paracetamol does nothing. baths are also a lot better, because sometimes the shower hurts too much.

sometimes it gets so bad that wearing jeans, or going to bed, ends up in me having big black bruises around any place where there was pressure.

do you know why this happens, kiya? i never knew it could be a ptsd thing.

[Starbuck1128]

Have you tried Oatmeal baths? You take plain oatmeal and tie it in a stocking (knee or wrecked pantyhose) and put it in the tub, then run water... If it's really bad, rub the Oatmeal ball over sore areas... However, do be aware, sore skin can signal a low grade fever/infection, also.
Be well

[Kiya]

OMG Del i never get bruising! @_@ I am not surprised that dr's have found nothing.

I do take sea salt baths sometimes - but I am going to have to try that oatmeal bath that Starbuck talked about (((thank you)))) I've not had pain from showering on my skin but i have had pain washing my hair because it hurts the scalp too badly.

Originally Posted by deliquesce

do you know why this happens, kiya? i never knew it could be a ptsd thing.

I know that I was already having painful/sensitive to clothing areas as early as 2/3 years old (would cry and refuse to wear anything with seams, ruffles, anything coarse), so I am guessing I was already sensitive. But ongoing trauma will worsen any condition. I try to wear the softest clothes possible - but even then sometimes it is unbearable. Like light is to migraines. I think i do better when I have cut out wheat, dairy, coffee, chocolate, sugar, and any white food starches.

[Starbuck1128]

Oh, you guys...
Ithought I was the only one who got it at such a young age...but then, that's when the abuse started. I, too, have had mysterious bruises, usually from itching too much. Used to always have it as a kid when the tension in the house was the worst. Actually , inthis case, Iam so sorry I am nothte only one...I know how horribky uncomfortable it is

[Kiya]

yes.... that is when it started for me too... i was just always told "Oh you're just too sensitive!! Buck up!! Grow a thicker skin!!!" The only person (out of 4 adults) in the family that didn't abuse me, died just after i turned 3. I still miss her so much.

[deliquesce]

(((((((((very gentle hugs for both of you)))))))))))

i think i only started noticing it when i was about 16... and started going to the drs about it when i was 17. they did a lot of blood tests, and couldnt find anything. but last year it got reallllllly bad, and there were some other problems too, so they sent me in for a day procedure to see if it was something wrong with me internally. they couldn't find anything, so apparently i'm just stuck with all these bizarre symptoms. they said if the other weird symptoms are happening when i'm 40 (i'm 24 now), that they'll need to do the day procedure every few years just to make sure it's not turning into cancer or something.

it does make me feel.... relieved that other ppl understand this, though. my pdoc is the only person who has given me painkillers for it, and that was after 8 years of asking drs to help me understand why it was going on. most other drs dont really believe you, unless they see the bruises, and then they think it's something else. my parents also told me to stop being a wuss etc. sometimes i think maybe pdoc isn't really convinced either... so it's just like - WOW - to find other people who just get it, without me having to explain, and then try to convince them it's real.

i do wish it didnt happen for either of you, though . but at the same time... thank you both so much for sharing... this is like... really big for me to find other ppl who understand.

an oatmeal bath sounds like a great idea, starbuck! i will try to get my hands on some this week. the painkillers pdoc has given me are good, but i'm only allowed to take them for a max of 2 days, because they interfere with the psych meds i'm on (allergic reaction if i take too many). so any 'natural' ideas are so welcome.

[Kiya]

You know, I also drink "Easy Now" tea, brand; Traditional Medicinals. It helps ease the mind which in turn eases the body. It also helps "train" the mind to calm, so that now I can just smell the tea bag (used to keep one with me) in stressful situations. So few dr's recognize the mind, body, spirit connection. Can't heal one part without healing the whole. The skin pain is a voice (that is hard to "hear" when one is suffering) that is screaming that is has needs... just like all pain, mental and physical. I think we are so good (aka trained) at shutting everything about ourselves and our needs out that our bodies have had to find "sharp" ways of getting our attention. now i just have to start listening and translating what the **** it wants!
All my other drs just simply thought I was crazy with all my aches and pains. They said "Maybe you should see a psych." Thaaaaaaaaanks. But in a way, i guess they were right - i am just really really lucky to be in an "integrated clinic" where treatment is on the whole person (mind body spirit) and not just on systems or symptoms. Can't just cure symptoms with band-aids.... gotta heal the being from within.
((((((((Del)))))))))
((((((Starbuck)))))))

[HealingNSuffering]

Originally Posted by Kiya

soooooooooo much pain in skin, can't even get dressed, have to go to work in 30 min. could hardly drive last night; holding seat belt away from me, crying when back hit seat.... have a 6.5 hour work day i gotta face when i can't even face clothes... HELP!!!!

I can completely relate to these pains, ouch. They are extremely discouraging and made me think I was dying for like 2 months in a row the doctors did a bunch of tests and found some abnormalities but nothing life threatening. I have come accept this pain as part of life now. I still have certain areas where it hurts more than others, such as my knees and the same area that makes you hold the seat belt away from you. That one is the worst. Wearing pants is painful and fall is fast approaching, the knees were so bad when my stress was at its highest that I couldn't even walk.

The best solution for making this pain go away is to focus your attention elsewhere. The more we think about the pain the worse it gets, the thought of being in pain is more painful than pain itself. I also cut out a bunch of foods, additives and drugs from my diet and the pain is getting less with time. It could be a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia, or it could be purely anxiety related. Muscle relaxing drugs seem to ease my symptoms. But are not a permanent solution to this problem. I had a doctor prescribe exercises, which make the side "sting" that makes your seat belt hurt go away by turning it into an ache. Personally I think the dull ache is preferable to feeling like someone has a voodoo doll of me sensations I get.

The exercises I found most helpful for the seatbelt issue was side bridges and stretching afterwards with a torso twist. Hope this helps.

Just saw this was old, but I'm sure many new sufferers are also struggling with chronic pains associated with their PTSD and anxieties.

[Open Eyes]

I have heard that some people get pain like this because they are allergic to wheat products.

Have any of you had allergy tests?

I don't get bruises but my body can feel like it is bruised if my husband rubs my back, I can't have a message at all, it hurts too much like all my muscles are badly bruised.

OE

[wordydirds]

Originally Posted by Kiya

soooooooooo much pain in skin, can't even get dressed, have to go to work in 30 min. could hardly drive last night; holding seat belt away from me, crying when back hit seat.... have a 6.5 hour work day i gotta face when i can't even face clothes... HELP!!!!

OMG. I am shocked to see how many other people report this condition. I thought I was just imagining it.

Does anyone feel like it's... sweating shards of glass?

[HealingNSuffering]

OE, no I haven't had an allergy test done since I was little, they said I was allergic to dust. I haven't tried the whole gluten free thing yet, but I definitely agree allergy tests would be nice if I get insurance. I went to the doctors/hospitals/psychiatrist/therapist so much this year already I'm poor and 1000's of dollars in debt. I don't get bruises either and the pain went away when I started taking an MAOI for awhile. I believe it was helping via norepinephrine based on the research that's out there.

wordy, no it isn't all in your head. Yes I would compare it to having shards of glass wedged into certain pressure points. At my worst I couldn't even wear a shirt because it felt like I was getting stabbed. The best answer I got from all the doctors I saw said it was muscle spasms and cramps from all the stress and anxiety. She said the muscle is cramped and squeezing our nerves, that's what causes the extreme sensitivity. The exercises seemed to help but it took some time and didn't get rid of the pressure points in my knees as they feel like they are coming from behind the knee cap. Welcome to PC.