ITCHY LEGS AND FRUSTRATED!!!!

Okay, this is kind of frustrating! Over the past several weeks, as I've increased my distance and time running, I have had severe itchy legs. From the top of my running shoes to my knees. After I cool down, my shins and calves itch. Bad. To the point that I will draw blood.
Here is what I have done:
   Shower before run and put on Aquaphor to moisturize and protect from road grime, irritants.
   Shower after run, and moisturize with Aquaphor or Lubriderm.
   Don't shave legs day of long run.
   Ruled out detergent, food allergies, etc.
   Does not occur when on bike, eliptical, swim, sauna, jacuzzi.
DID LOTS OF RESEARCH ON LINE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, and learned that it could be excercise induced hives and/or heat rash from the large muscles expanding and pumping tons of blood during long hard runs. Thus, the capilaries fill and expand, causing an itchy sensation on skin, which also, according to some articles, releases histamine into the system.

WENT TO MY PCP, who told me to shave my legs the opposite direction and use lotion. I HAVE BEEN SHAVING MY LEGS THE SAME DIRECTION FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS!!! I SERIOUSLY ABOUT SLAPPED HIM!!!! 

I AM ASKING FOR REFERRAL TO SPORTS MED DOCTOR and using Benadryl gel before and after run to hopefully cut down on the itchiness...it helps.

ANYBODY else experience this problem/phenomena???

*no, I do not have fleas
*no, I'm not nuts (well a bit, but that comes with the territory)
*no, I will  not stop shaving my legs...I don't need the extra drag when running or swimming.


Thanks!
Kathy

 Kathy, didn't you say you were running 10.4 miles tomorrow?  Are you sure you are not nuts?  :)  

This is a common side effect of B12... are you taking B12 before you run?

Andrew - Yup! I did my 10.46 run today - so I am nuts. LOL

Dan - I didn't know that. And yes, I have been popping my sublinqual B-12 before my run. But today I didn't, so I will see if that makes a difference. I also hydrated, used 3 gels during my run, and that after I stretched sat in an ice bath for a few minutes, just covering my legs, to see if that helps out.

Thanks for the information, I would have never thought of the B-12 - I take a pretty high sublinqual formula.

Kathy,

I moved to B-12 shots when I had the same problem last year. I'd go for a bike ride and get off totally ticked because 1/2 the ride I'd be thinking about my stupid legs. Once I got a few other things regulated in my diet, I switched back to the sub's and stopped the shots and had no problems. I second Dan's comment and that would be my first guess.

Give it a couple of days and see how it goes. Cut your doses down a bit. I take 1/2 the amount I used to. FYI.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff!
  I will try cutting my B-12 in half and see how that goes. My labs have always been good on B's, so I'm not too worried about not having enough.