Anyone else's legs itch when you run/walk?

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  • KendraLoveless
    KendraLoveless Posts: 51
    YES! What a relief it is! I am so tired of when I tell people this they think that I am making it up! My son's old school is next to a park with a track that goes around the lake there. I tried to walk the track there once and about halfway around my legs were on FIRE! I wanted to scratch them so bad but it was right next to a busy street! Ugh I hate this. I can do it on the treadmill without and problems but outside is a big NO NO!
    The first time it happened it was cold but I've had it happen in every weather since then.
    I asked the doctor about it once and he told me it had something to do with lactic acid but he kinda just dismissed me too.

    According to some links people have posted, it looks like it could be like an "exercise allergy" especially if outdoors... maybe more blood flow make the legs sensitive to allergens in the air? Several folks have recommended trying an antihistamine before working out outside... I'm going to give it a try... but as with anything, check with your doc! (even if he is dismissive, better safe than sorry!)
  • KendraLoveless
    KendraLoveless Posts: 51
    It was explained to me that when you are exercising, or say you come in from a snowy day... your legs may itch because your blood is pumping hard and rising to the surface. And apparently, that process makes a lot of people itch.

    Good Point... I never made that connection, but it's a LOT like when you come inside from having a snowball fight. but a little more itchy. Interesting! thanks for sharing!
  • weeblex
    weeblex Posts: 412 Member
    I sort of tangent, but

    I had poison ivy and my poison ivy goes nuts when I exercise. I talked to the doctor and the doc stays that the sweat from working out irritates the allergic reaction from the poison ivy. Sounds like maybe a mild allergy that the raised heart rate and cause some irritation?
  • KendraLoveless
    KendraLoveless Posts: 51
    This may be more for the girls...but I used to ich like crazy when I ran and I found that it helps if I don't have any lotion or body spray on...it seem to make it worse mixed in with the sweat! Not sure if that's the initial cause but it helped me not to itch as much.

    Good point! Always a good idea to workout with less stuff on the skin...
  • KendraLoveless
    KendraLoveless Posts: 51
    I've heard that it's because the small capillaries in your legs contract due to inactivity. Then when you exercise (which is most likely less frequent when it's cold) your blood rushes through the capillaries causing them to be forced open which causes the pain and itching. I find once I'm back in a routine of walking/running on a consistent basis, it does not happen anymore.

    This sounds like a pretty likely explanation. AS with anything, exercise gets better/easier/less painful the more you do it. So logical...
  • KendraLoveless
    KendraLoveless Posts: 51
    Well I don't know if this is the case with anyone else, but my legs will do that if my skin is dry while I run so I try to moisturize once a day (it doesn't have to be before you work out, just at some point before you work out) and I haven't had it happen to me since. And try to use something for sensitive skin even if your skin isn't sensitive; stay away from perfumed lotions for this.

    Interesting idea! I'll try it if taking an antihistamine before hand doesn't work! thanks for your input!!!
  • misterkd69
    misterkd69 Posts: 2
    Hi. I suffered from this problem and it irritates me when it happens! I'll start walking and about 10 minutes into it, my legs are itching so bad that I want to claw them raw! But that's not all, now I have to walk back home and you can't scratch because who knows who may see you! So by the time I get home I'm raging mad and scratching to there's blood. My solution was just to not take walks and/or run. Since then I decided to keep walking and slowly increase the distance every week and you know what, every week I was able to walk further than the week before my legs would start to itch! Now I can walk or run great distances with my legs itching!

    Symptoms: When you start running, you feel an itchy sensation that is sometimes so bad, you have to stop running. It most often occurs if you run after a long period of inactivity.
    If the itching is accompanied by a rash, it might be a different condition, such as exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

    Causes: The most common cause of itchy legs is actually because of what's happening inside the skin, not on it. When we exercise, the millions of tiny capillaries and arteries inside our muscles expand rapidly because of the demand for more blood. If we're fit, these capillaries remain open allowing maximum blood passage, but, when unfit and inactive, they tend to collapse, allowing only minimal blood passage (which, by the way, is fine for a sedentary person). The expansion of the capillaries causes adjacent nerves to send impulses to the brain, which then reads the sensation as an itch.

    Prevention: The problem should go away once you have increased your fitness level. Start off walking a short distance then gradually increase as your able to tolerate.

    Another problem may be dry skin is also a common cause of itchiness, so if you think that's your issue, try using a moisturizing oil or lotion, especially after your bath or shower. You may also want to change your laundry detergent to one that contains no perfumes or dyes.
  • misterkd69
    misterkd69 Posts: 2
    Correction. I'm able to run now greater distances without my legs itching!
  • liebemuse
    liebemuse Posts: 1
    I get this. Just happened to me today when I tried running on the treadmill again. I do elliptical and I don't itch at all. i can go forever on the elliptical. Treadmill i can run for about two minutes and the itching is so bad I get dizzy and can't focus and have to stop. I think it has something to do with the pounding action when running. Your skin and muscles shake more which can irritate whatever causes this. The elliptical is nice and smooth so there is no irritation. I would love to train to actually run a 5k but it's just impossible with the itching. So I made it to 5k on the elliptical and i guess I'll just have to keep going to 10k on that. Frustrating but at least there is some way around it. Anyone else find they are fine on the elliptical? I wonder if I took loratidine daily it would help. I read a lot that it could be a histamine thing. Maybe i'll try doing that and then try running again in a month or so. But I can say this is NOT due to inactivity. I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week with no less than 30 minutes of cardio, usually more. I never itch unless I'm on the treadmill. So frustrating!!!
  • andrea0979
    andrea0979 Posts: 2
    I experienced this in my feet as a child then it transferred to my thighs, butt, etc. I found drinking water helped, but like everyone here I thought it was just me.
  • andrea0979
    andrea0979 Posts: 2
    I agree it has a lot to do with the high impact motion of running because I would experience that when I would do anything like jumping or running. I would happen when I am walking and the colder it is the worse it is
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    LOL my doctor told me, when I asked her, that I might actually be allergic to working out. LULZ- best excuse ever for avoiding training- but yeah- no such luck.
    yep don't know why but its really uncomfortable

    dear god is it ever... SUPER painful and uncomfortable.

    I have found it seems to be a circulation issue- it bothers me when I'm swimming too sometimes. I'ts very annoying- and definitely worse when it's cold. :( it does get better- but it's probably one of the reasons I don't really enjoy running any more- it hurts. A lot.
  • EliMP220
    EliMP220 Posts: 1
    Hi, don't see whether our not anyone has answered this but I'VE DEALT WITH THE SAME THING FOR YEARS! So glad to know there's a club out there! *WOO*

    Well, I have found the answer! It's called "Cold Urticaria" and basically it is an allergy to cold temperatures. Here's a link that gives some info on it - and of course you could just google it ;-)


    http://www.livestrong.com/article/211298-why-do-my-legs-itch-when-i-run/#page=4

    Hope you're as excited as I was to have that mystery solved! :-D
  • littlemissslim36
    littlemissslim36 Posts: 2
    Hi, I don't get itchy legs just feet! Not sure if it is pressure on them when exercising but my goodness sometimes so intense and burning it's all my might not too just sit in the ice bucket! I assume its the reaction of body/blood heating up sweating to cool down combination. Have no idea - its good to know others have funny things happen I thought I was alone with little problems. x Jo
  • mollyscriven
    mollyscriven Posts: 1 Member
    Me too!
  • Statistafunk
    Statistafunk Posts: 8
    I you are barely starting, I guess its just a matter of getting used to it. If you have been run/walking for a while and still have the same problem, it can be a variety of things. Along with the ones you mentioned, one thing that fixed it for me when I had that problem, was going to a running store and getting my strike/stride foot tested. They do this in order to find a perfect workout shoe that will help you with all these different things that might become a problem for you.

    Im still overweight, but my body has gradually accustomed to this running/walking workout. Getting tested to find the best shoe for my weight and height, was probably the best decision I have made. So i would recommend that..

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