My doctor listened to my story. Then she asked me a few questions:
Did the sensation happen when you were falling asleep or waking up?
Do you have a history of anxiety?
Are you under a lot of stress right now?
Have you changed any medications recently? No.
Do you have any other symptoms? I was tired—but that was mostly because I wasn’t sleeping well.
She nodded and said, “I don’t think you have bugs. You may be experiencing something called formication.”
I had never heard the word.
What Is Formication?
Formication (for-mih-KAY-shun) is the medical term for the sensation of insects crawling on or under your skin when there is no actual insect present. The word comes from the Latin formica, meaning “ant.”
It is a type of tactile hallucination, meaning the brain produces a sensation of touch even though there is no corresponding external stimulus.
What Can Cause It?
Formication can have many possible causes, including:
- Stress and anxiety
- Sleep deprivation
- Hormonal changes, including perimenopause and menopause
- Side effects from certain medications
- Alcohol or drug withdrawal
- Certain skin conditions
- Nerve-related conditions
- Nutritional deficiencies, such as low vitamin B12 or folate
- Neurological conditions
In my case, my doctor believed that stress and lack of sleep were likely contributing factors. I was going through a high-pressure period at work, sleeping poorly, and becoming increasingly focused on every unusual sensation.
