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Chronic itching is a symptom of fibromyalgia that you don’t often hear about. But people who suffer from fibromyalgia itching know that it can be a maddening experience.
Many describe it as a feeling of bugs crawling under their skin that can last for hours and manifests itself almost daily. And as anyone who has had an itch they just can’t scratch knows, there is little else on Earth that is so irritating.
Some people with fibromyalgia itching have reported that Topamax helps relieve their itching. But is Topamax a good choice?
What Causes Fibromyalgia Itching?
Fibromyalgia itching is something that a lot of people with fibromyalgia deal with on a daily basis. It’s natural to assume that the itching is caused by irritation to the skin. But there is a lot of evidence that the itching from fibromyalgia is caused by nerve signals being over-active. Itching is produced when nerves in your skin send signals to your brain.
Your brain interprets these signals and makes you feel like your skin is itching. The same nerve endings that result in pain in diseases like fibromyalgia are the ones that make you feel itchy. So with itching caused by fibromyalgia, it is much more likely that the itching feeling is actually caused by nerves instead of actual irritation of the skin.
What Is Topamax?
Topamax is an anticonvulsant, which is a medication that is designed to prevent seizures in people who are prone to them. It works by stopping the brain cells from going into overdrive as they do when someone has a seizure. This prevents seizures from occurring.
Doctors also use it for a variety of off-label uses, like preventing migraines, weight loss, and painful nerve conditions. Usually, these are conditions like diabetic nerve pain which are created by damaged nerves sending pain signals to the brain. Topamax can help stop those signals from getting to the brain.
Does Topamax Treat Fibromyalgia Itching?
It’s tough to say if Topamax would be an effective treatment for itching associated with fibromyalgia since little is known about what causes the condition to begin with. But there are some doctors who believe that fibromyalgia itching is actually the result of over-active brain cells. Dr. Gil Yosopovitch, who heads the dermatology department at Temple University is one of the leaders in the scientific study of chronic itch. In an interview with NPR, he talked about how diseases like fibromyalgia cause chronic itching:
I would say, from my experience, there are a lot of overlaps of people who have some types of chronic pain and they’re in the same spectrum of chronic itch, and they could have chronic itch. This is not well mentioned, but for patients who have, for example, fibromyalgia, if it causes chronic pain, a lot of times they complain also of chronic itch. So it won’t surprise me, people who have irritable bowel syndrome, which is another form of – all these aspects of disease have something in common – they have a hypersensitization of the nerve fibers and it’s very similar to what I described before, with a patient with chronic itch is that the nerves are acting wacky; they’re just firing all over. And that’s why it’s so severe and why it’s so difficult to treat these patients.
It’s possible that if the itching is caused by over active brain or nerve cells, that Topamax can help deactivate some of those cells so they don’t create that sensation. So using Topamax for fibromyalgia itching
The best answer to the question of whether Topamax can actually prevent itching is, “According to some people it does, but there’s little evidence for it so far.”
Should I use Topamax For Fibromyalgia Itching?
If you are desperate enough to try anything that might cure your itching then Topamax could be an option. But the reality is that there just isn’t enough evidence to recommend it. There’s no reliable data that suggests it would be effective and the side effects of Topamax are significant enough that you should be careful before asking your doctor to let you try it.
Some of the side effects of Topamax include dizziness, loss of appetite, numbness in the hands and feet, changes in mood, and suicidal ideation. And perhaps most alarmingly, Topamax can also cause severe itching, especially after exposure to sunlight.
So if you want to try Topamax for fibromyalgia itching, you need to make an informed decision about whether the benefits outweigh the risks and most importantly consult your doctor.
What Else Can I Try?
Luckily, even if you decide anti-convulsants aren’t for you, there are several other ways to deal with fibromyalgia itching:
- Antihistamines like Benadryl are reportedly effective, especially when taken at night. Even if they don’t make the itching stop, the drowsiness they cause may help you sleep through it.
- Topical creams that help keep the skin moisturized. That may help when it comes to stopping the itching.
- Hypo-Allergenic soaps like Cetaphil can help avoid irritating the skin.
- And finally, avoid medications like aspirin that can lead to itching.
Ultimately you have to decide what will be the most effective way of managing your fibromyalgia symptoms. But unfortunately, when it comes to using Topamax fibromyalgia itching may or may not be the right condition.
And finally, there are drugs like Gabapentin, which are already being used to treat fibromyalgia itching. Gabapentin is another anticonvulsant and it works by targeting the over-active nerve endings that play into itching. Doctors in New Zealand and doctors like Yosopovitch already prescribe it to people who deal with chronic itching as a result of diseases that cause nerve damage.
These drugs are well-tested when it comes to treating itching caused by fibromyalgia. So they may be a better option than Topamax for fibromyalgia itching. They are better tested and understood than Topamax for this condition.
Let us know, though, does Topamax work for your itching? Do you still want to try it? What else works for you? Let us know in the comments.
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