A-Z of Corticosteroid Withdrawal: Jabbing Pains

J is for Jabbing Pains:

I clearly remember the first time I experienced this symptom. I was a few weeks into withdrawals, lying in bed and suddenly, I felt a sharp sensation, like a pinprick, in my leg. As I have a pet cat, I presumed that it was a flea bite, but couldn't see any sign of any fleas around! Over the next few days, I experiences more of these sharp sensations, a little bit like small electric shocks in my legs. The pains always happened when |I was relaxing on a chair or in bed and they always occurred in the areas of my body where the skin was very badly damaged, causing me to believe that there is some connection between this pain and the nerves in the body.

The pain wasn't agonising, it just took me by surprise and made me jump occasionally. For me, it is one of the least problematic symptoms of TSW. 5 months into withdrawals and I still get the jabbing pains. I just view it as another part of healing.

Of course, experiences vary with this symptom and some people get it worse than others. Here are some comments from the Google forum from people suffering from jabbing pains caused by Red Skin Syndrome:

"...last night I pretty much got no sleep as it was giving me these
tingles, maybe pins and needles type feedback that went on all night, even
after a few rounds of ice.  I understand the nerve damage that results from
lots of steroid use, but wondering if when we manipulate the skin so much
through scratching it irritates the nerve endings and they fire off
indiscriminately.
I also have a place on my side that itches a lot more than the surrounding
areas and if I scratch it a lot I get these little needle-electric shocks
right there.  They make me jump. "


"I feel the same way.It's hard to know what comes first and I sure get the
sharp pins in some of the worst damaged spots on my legs. Can really make me jump and
yelp! "


"...serious pins and needles and at times like
   knifes sticking in me, but I don't see any red area with fever or infection. Did
   you have any signs besides the pins and needles? I am so sick of this
   pain ..."



Jabbing pains vary from person to person and have something to do with the nerves and skin damage.