feeling like bugs crawling all over me

This doesn't happen 24/7, but it still happens very very often. I'm just wondering what the cause of this sensation is and if anyone else has the same.

Hi

Yes , I have a similar sensation. Mostly on my legs. The "crawling" feeling starts on my calf and moves up to my thigh.

I hope it is pinched nerve.

I am not on any meds you are on...?

When I've been real ill I had bugs crawling on me. Now, It has lessened to a electrical, buzzing type of feeling that follows the seams of my pants. It can get really annoying. It's often considered to be a tactile hallucination (fancy term tactile). Meds have really helped me...........D.

I get that most of the time. The two causes are nerve damage or tactile hallucinations. The treatment for the nerve damage is nurotin which is also a BP drug.

Oh, have you considered adjusting your Abilify or maybe even trying another anti-psychotic?

oh, I've had it since before being on abilify. Or any meds, really.

Me too, that's why they lean towards those two answers. Have you tried nurotin?

No, never heard of it. I just looked it up, though.

Now, if I'm stressed or otherwise on edge, I will seriously flip the f out trying to swat away imaginary bugs. Normally I try to swat them away when the sensation starts, but if I'm already stressed it just gets worse all around and I'll continue to try to swat the sensation away even though I rationally know nothing's there.

For example, my friend and I were hiding in a bush playing hide an seek with 20 other people the other night. a bug DID crawl on me, I calmly flicked it away, and then the creepy crawly sensation started as bad as it's ever been. There were no other bugs on me but I flipped out and my friend had to try to keep me quiet so we wouldn't be found by our other friends.

How long does that feeling have to last to be considered a tactile hallucination??

I sometimes get the feeling of something crawling on me... but it'll only be on one part of my body and it might not last for very long at all.

If it's anywhere within the read of my hair I attribute it to that. But sometimes it isn't. haha.

Yes, I get this. And can flip out really badly sometimes trying to deal with it. It can go for hours, the sensations are in various locations, and I haven't figured out any pattern for when it happens. We haven't totally pinpointed what is happening. Is it a tactile hallucination or possibly OCD thoughts gone out of control? I lean towards the former just because there are times I'm not thinking about bugs at all and it will start. Whatever it is, I wish I could stick to swatting(!) I try oh-so-hard not to scratch, because of course that will exacerbate itching, but have to admit on the very worst episode to gouging my arm quite badly. It JUST.WOULDN'T.STOP!

As to rationally knowing there's nothing there. I do too. IN THEORY. But my brain is battling so hard. I tell myself the rational thing, but then the other side says, "oh yeah, well what about that? That can't be your imagination. It's too real. Just look harder. There's GOT to be something there! There just HAS to be or this wouldn't be happening!!!" And back and forth it goes. Whatever is the cause, my heart goes out to you, because it can suck so sooooo badly!

MM, I'm curious about the nerve damage theory... Because I have a nerve damage problem (totally not mentally related, nor accounting location-wise for the bugs thing), and the pain/numb/zinginess of it is constant, though it does increase pain-wise sometimes. Another area is affected by a pinched nerve, but is problematic according to position. If I change it, there is relief. The type of nerve damage you're referring to -- does that tend to happen in one area and/or on a consistent basis?

I have this type of sensation all the time. Sometimes it feels like bugs, but most of the time it is more like a coarsing energy. I've done alot of meditaton and energy therapies through the years and wondered if that had anything do with it. I''ve done alot of Reiki work as well. One thing I have noticed is that since stopping Lamictal and Trileptal about 4 months agol the sensations have gotten more intense and noticeable. Sometimes it feels like my body is vibrating like I've stuck my finger in a electrical socket. It does right now.

This sounds very uncomfortable, if not maddening!

I think the best way to figure it out is how you're feeling and/or what situation you're in at the time that seems to be triggering it. You mention stress and anxiety --maybe it's an atypical reaction to such things, I can see boatloads of anxiety causing this feeling. Also -if at the time- you're super agitated (in a kind of hypo/manic way), it makes sense to. I tend to feel like "I'm crawling out of skin" though don't have that more literal sensation.

As far as nerve damage/it having physical causes, that depends on different factors. If it's generalized, I would doubt it. If, though, for example, you're experiencing it going down one arm it could be a cervical spine issue or carpal tunnel, or down one leg, a lumbar spine issue (or other things, I'm not an MD, just have a lot of personal experience w/this + my work in healthcare). But if you don't have spine issues, and it's not so localized, I wouldn't worry about it, though you may want to consult your PCP. Neurontin is a medication used for nerve-related pain (tingling can be painful for some people) --again, the type that comes from the spine, and also the kind of peripheral neuropathy that some diabetics get, as well as other pain disorders.

So I would look at the source (what triggers it) and from there, I suppose i.e. lowering stress/anxiety in a given situation might help. I'd definitely tell your pdoc about it, though.

yep...i get that. somebody told me it may be anxiety. I had GAD and now classified as anxiety disorder NOS (i think due to panic attacks and generalized anxiety together). but i have not noticed a pattern other than it almost always is around my legs or stomach. it feels like a hair or a spider. it is only intermittent and goes away just to return another day/time...literally no predictability. it is only an annoyance to me, so i have never brought it up but i imagine if it bothers you to a moderate/high degree...then it is time to mention it to your T or pdoc.