Really new to this Schizoaffective thing and I'm having one new sensory phenomenon that may or may not be a hallucination. It's certainly a feeling that isn't caused by anything real.

I feel bugs crawling on me. Not more than one at a time, 10-15 minutes between each one and when I swipe at them I expect to see one of those small inch-long cockroaches. Because I had a long stretch of lost days I don't know how long I've been having this sensation. 3 weeks?

I'm trying to find out if this really is a hallucination or something else. It's a creepy feeling but if I don't swipe at the bug I feel it continue moving. Today I feel as if I've been bitten three times.

It's possible that I may feel them when sleeping. The only 'proof' of this is my scarred face and the dried blood on my face and pillowcases. My nails aren't long by any means, just barely long enough so that a portion of the free edges are visible. But because the bloodied scars are long and thin, fingernails seem to be the only logical weapon.

Has anyone had, or heard of others having, the sensation of bugs crawling on the body? Since there aren't any 'real' bugs, is the sensation a hallucination? I felt like I was doing a good job of accepting and living with my hallucinations; for 5 months or so I've been analyzing them in order to understand the cause, source, meaning, message, etc., and this bug thing doesn't fit (if that makes sense).

(((hugs)))

Originally Posted by ciderguy

Really new to this Schizoaffective thing and I'm having one new sensory phenomenon that may or may not be a hallucination. It's certainly a feeling that isn't caused by anything real.

I feel bugs crawling on me. Not more than one at a time, 10-15 minutes between each one and when I swipe at them I expect to see one of those small inch-long cockroaches. Because I had a long stretch of lost days I don't know how long I've been having this sensation. 3 weeks?

I'm trying to find out if this really is a hallucination or something else. It's a creepy feeling but if I don't swipe at the bug I feel it continue moving. Today I feel as if I've been bitten three times.

It's possible that I may feel them when sleeping. The only 'proof' of this is my scarred face and the dried blood on my face and pillowcases. My nails aren't long by any means, just barely long enough so that a portion of the free edges are visible. But because the bloodied scars are long and thin, fingernails seem to be the only logical weapon.

Has anyone had, or heard of others having, the sensation of bugs crawling on the body? Since there aren't any 'real' bugs, is the sensation a hallucination? I felt like I was doing a good job of accepting and living with my hallucinations; for 5 months or so I've been analyzing them in order to understand the cause, source, meaning, message, etc., and this bug thing doesn't fit (if that makes sense).

i've had this, for me, i think it's linked to a fear of them anyway (or rather fear of the stinging ones)

it is a horrible feeling, and sometimes i feel like i'm being bitten (like a sharp pain on my arm), but when you check, their's nothing their.. it's weird

i also have started to get this whenever i have clean clothes on (again, it's weird and unexplained)

i'm sorry you have to deal with it

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

i've had this, for me, i think it's linked to a fear of them anyway (or rather fear of the stinging ones)

it is a horrible feeling, and sometimes i feel like i'm being bitten (like a sharp pain on my arm), but when you check, their's nothing their.. it's weird

i also have started to get this whenever i have clean clothes on (again, it's weird and unexplained)

i'm sorry you have to deal with it

shattered,

That's it, exactly. I've only just now awakened and haven't felt anything yet – and maybe it's stopped for awhile – but the crawling across my skin is really creepy and the biting, while it's new to me, not only hurts but I have a fear that they could take over, cover my body and all begin biting at the same time.

Because they can be on areas that I can't reach, I'll get desperate when I'm unable to swipe them away and will rub portions of my body against the bed.

I haven't had the sensation when wearing freshly laundered clothes but I have had something similar – a kind of spotty skin irritation – on those very, very rare occasions (primarily when I was very young) when I was forced to wear new clothes that had never been laundered. Sheets are the worst – 1200 count Egyptian cotton or 300 count poly/cotton, it doesn't matter – I cannot sleep on sheets that have not been through the laundry cycle at least twice.

A horrible thing to say but I do get some comfort in knowing that Is'm not alone in this type of misery. I'm not afraid of those small cockroaches but I do think of them as dirty and of congregating around filth. I saw a couple in my kitchen about two years ago and the regular exterminator came out and put some peanut butter looking goo along the baseboards and I haven't seen any since.

I could get all Freudian and posit that the bugs are drawn to me because I think of myself as filth. That may be valid, even.

Thank you so much for your reply; I think that perhaps I come here for assurances like yours, rather than seeking out a lot of specific aid. Assurances that I'm not alone in my warped vision of reality, more than anything, I guess.

I'm sorry that you've had to deal with this, too. When I feel 3 or 4 at the same time, I know that I look like I'm having uncontrollable body spasms (luckily, no one to see me but the cameras) but the feelings that I have during those times are feelings of having completely lost control. Other's may have different overriding feelings.

I've not had much sleep so I'm rambling again. So once more – thank you. If you know, is this "bugs" thing indicative of any specific disorder or can it be part of any disorder with "psychotic features"?

When I'm unmedicated or my medications aren't working I get the feeling of bugs crawling on me. little ones. I know they aren't real but the only thing that stops them is scratching at them or moving my hand over them. Hallucinations cover all your senses. Taste, Sight, touch, hearing, and smell. I've actually felt like I had a huge bug crawling on my arm once. It was creepy. The only reason why I know it's not real most of the time is because I've felt real bugs crawling on me and it's got a different texture to it. (shudders)

It's called formication and is a type of paresthesia. Some meds can cause it as a side effect. Or there's a condition called Morgellon's disease, but it's quite rare. If you Google the name of your med and then + SPC (summary of product characteristics) it should take you to a document that lists all the side effects and how statistically likely they are.

Hope you feel better soon. I like reading your posts.

Originally Posted by Little Cat

It's called formication and is a type of paresthesia. Some meds can cause it as a side effect. Or there's a condition called Morgellon's disease, but it's quite rare. If you Google the name of your med and then + SPC (summary of product characteristics) it should take you to a document that lists all the side effects and how statistically likely they are.

Hope you feel better soon. I like reading your posts.

Thanks. I'll use good old Google.

It's a relief to know that it's somewhat common.

[neodoering]

Originally Posted by ciderguy

Really new to this Schizoaffective thing and I'm having one new sensory phenomenon that may or may not be a hallucination. It's certainly a feeling that isn't caused by anything real.

I feel bugs crawling on me. Not more than one at a time, 10-15 minutes between each one and when I swipe at them I expect to see one of those small inch-long cockroaches. Because I had a long stretch of lost days I don't know how long I've been having this sensation. 3 weeks?

I'm trying to find out if this really is a hallucination or something else. It's a creepy feeling but if I don't swipe at the bug I feel it continue moving. Today I feel as if I've been bitten three times.

It's possible that I may feel them when sleeping. The only 'proof' of this is my scarred face and the dried blood on my face and pillowcases. My nails aren't long by any means, just barely long enough so that a portion of the free edges are visible. But because the bloodied scars are long and thin, fingernails seem to be the only logical weapon.

Has anyone had, or heard of others having, the sensation of bugs crawling on the body? Since there aren't any 'real' bugs, is the sensation a hallucination? I felt like I was doing a good job of accepting and living with my hallucinations; for 5 months or so I've been analyzing them in order to understand the cause, source, meaning, message, etc., and this bug thing doesn't fit (if that makes sense).

I went through a period of a few weeks where I felt bugs crawling on me. At first I thought it was cockroaches, because my apartment used to have them, but as time went on, they were always in the same places on my body and always moved at the same rate of speed, and when I slapped them there was nothing there. I realized it was my illness. I was only feeling them, not seeing them. Later I would see cockroaches that weren't there, and I once saw a pile of writhing maggots on my desk that really freaked me out for a while.

Those are my experiences with bug sensations and schizoaffective disorder.

[Victoria'smom]

I get the feeling of bugs crawling on me. It's just less on my AP.

[Biteplate]

I get this when I'm not on an AP. Its very irritating trying to pick off bugs that are not really there.

[ensko]

I get this often when anxious. It can be tactical or visual. There was this time when I sensed bugs crawling behind my eyes... really creepy, uncomfortable and I couldn't do anything, just wait for it to stop.

[avlady]

Could it be your laundry detergent?

[ensko]

Originally Posted by avlady

Could it be your laundry detergent?

It could be that sort of thing if I wasn't feeling them crawling on my arms and legs simultaneously. It happened in a moment of extreme anxiety.

Lately the hallucinations phase is getting milder for me, I guess. I noticed that there is a peak and then it is attenuated for a while.

[cybermember]

I've had the experience of seeing and feeling bugs on me when I'm not down well. I've also noticed that the sicker I would get the bigger the bugs would get. The only thing I've found to remedy the problem would be increasing my AP and trying to eliminate as much stress from my life as much as possible.

[Moose72]

Wellbutrin gave me this when I first started it. Annoying but I felt tint bugs- like bed bug size.

[neodoering]

Wow, reading these posts can be triggering. I just had the sensation of bugs crawling up my arms, but when I looked, nothing there. Thanks, guys, for putting bugs in my brain!