What Is Skin Crawling (Formication)? (2024)

Formication, or a sensation that your skin is "crawling," is a physical symptom that occurs without a physical cause. This symptom is also called a tactile hallucination. Formication can occur with mental health conditions, neurological diseases, or menopause. It can also be a side effect of medication or recreational drugs.

This article discusses formication, including the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and complications that can occur.

What Is Skin Crawling (Formication)? (1)

Where Did "Formication" Come From?

The term "formication" is from the word "formica"—the Latin word for "ant." Formication is often described as feeling like ants are crawling on a person's skin.

Formication Causes

Formication has a variety of causes, from mental health conditions to side effects of medications or recreational drugs.

Formication can occur as a symptom of mental health disorders. These can include:

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Depression
  • Delusional parasitosis
  • Schizophrenia

Formication can be a side effect of methamphetamine use. This condition is often called "meth mites" because it commonly affects people who use large amounts of this drug on a daily basis.

Formication can also occur with the use of cocaine, crystal meth (a condition known as "coke bugs"), and heroin. These sensations can also occur during drug or alcohol withdrawal.

Formication is often caused by medications used to treat mental health conditions. Most commonly, it occurs with the use of antipsychotics, such as Abilify (aripiprazole), Haldol (haloperidol), Zyprexa (olanzapine), fluphenazine, and Risperdal (risperidone).

This side effect can also occur with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are often used to treat depression. Examples include Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline).

Medications to Treat Schizophrenia

Formication can also occur with other conditions, such as:

  • Menopause
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Diabetic peripheral neuropathy
  • Herpes zoster (shingles)
  • Lupus
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Lewy body dementia

Symptoms

The main symptom of formication is feeling like bugs are crawling on your skin. This condition can also cause other sensations such as:

  • Itching
  • Pricking
  • Tingling
  • Pins and needles

When to See Your Healthcare Provider

If you have recently developed symptoms of formication, or your symptoms are worsening, see your healthcare provider. Your symptoms may be treatable, and it is important to address the cause as soon as possible.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Formication

There is no specific test for formication. Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and current medications and ask questions about your symptoms. It's important to be honest with your provider, even if you are consuming a lot of alcohol or using illegal substances.

Treatment of formication depends on the underlying cause. If it's a side effect of medication, other medications might be tried instead. Formication that occurs from drug use or withdrawal will often resolve on its own, once the drug use has stopped and the body has detoxed.

Mental health conditions can be treated with medication and counseling. Menopause symptoms are often treated with supplements or hormone replacement therapy, while shingles is treated with antiviral medications.

However, formication caused by progressive conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, lupus, or peripheral neuropathy from uncontrolled diabetes, might be permanent.

Complications of Formication

Formication often causes an itching sensation, which leads to scratching. Too much scratching can cause skin irritation and open wounds, which are then vulnerable to infection.

Other complications can include:

  • Irritability
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Poor quality of life
  • Fatigue
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Body aches

Summary

Formication is a sensation of "skin crawling." It is a type of tactile hallucination. Formication can be caused by the use of illegal substances, alcohol or substance withdrawal, medical or mental health conditions, menopause, or as a side effect of drugs. It can lead to difficulty sleeping, skin wounds, irritability, and poor quality of life. To treat formication, the underlying cause must be addressed. In some cases, this symptom may be permanent.

A Word From Verywell

If you feel like your skin is "crawling," you could have formication. Keep track of your symptoms and notice if they occur after a medication change or after consuming alcohol. These can be clues about the cause of your discomfort. Talk to your healthcare provider about your concerns to determine the best treatment options.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do you get rid of formication naturally?

    There's no one-size-fits-all approach to treating formication. First, the underlying cause must be identified, which will likely require a visit to your healthcare provider. Natural remedies may or may not be appropriate to treat your condition.

  • Why does my skin crawl at night?

    Skin crawling sensations are often worse at night for a couple of reasons. First, there are fewer things to distract you when your body isn't in motion, making these sensations more obvious. In addition, blood flow to the skin increases at night, which can make itching from formication worse.

  • Can anxiety cause skin crawling?

    Skin crawling, or formication, can be a symptom of anxiety disorders. It can also be a side effect of medications used to treat anxiety.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Psychology Today. Formication.

  2. Merriam-Webster. Formication.

  3. Mumcuoglu KY, Leibovici MD, Reuveni I, Bonne O. Diagnosis and management of delusional parasitosis.Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2019;80(5):1428-1434.

  4. Rusyniak DE. Neurologic manifestations of chronic methamphetamine abuse.Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2013;36(2):261-275. doi:10.1016%2Fj.psc.2013.02.005

  5. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Medication frequently asked questions.

  6. Tao MF, Sun DM, Shao HF, Li CB, Teng YC. Poor sleep in middle-aged women is not associated with menopause per se. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2015;49(1):e4718. doi:10.1590%2F1414-431X20154718

  7. Mumtaz S, Liggins S. Formication.Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2018;56(8):775-776. doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2018.08.004

What Is Skin Crawling (Formication)? (2)

By Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHT
Dr, Bailey is a Virginia-based physical therapist and professor of anatomy and physiology with over a decade of experience.

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What Is Skin Crawling (Formication)? (2024)

FAQs

What is the cause of formication? ›

Prescription and recreational drugs are among the most common causes of formication. Withdrawal from drug misuse or alcohol use can also cause formication. The most common drugs that can cause this include: Stimulants: Cocaine, methylphenidate and amphetamines, as well as other stimulant drugs, can cause formication.

What does it mean when your skin is crawling? ›

Formication is a type of delusional disorder that manifests with sensations of skin crawling. The causes are classified as primary formication (occurring for no reason), secondary formication (related to a psychiatric disorder), or organic formication (related to a disease or medical condition).

What does formication look like? ›

Formication is the sensation resembling that of small insects crawling on (or under) the skin, in the absence of actual insects. It is one specific form of a set of sensations known as paresthesias, which also include the more common prickling, tingling sensation known as pins and needles.

How do you get rid of formication? ›

Medications for certain conditions and stopping the use of recreational drugs usually help you get rid of this crawling sensation entirely. See your doctor if you experience frequent episodes of formication. They can make a diagnosis and treatment plan that may be able to stop the sensation altogether.

Why do I feel bugs crawling on me when there's nothing there? ›

But some people have the sensation of bugs crawling on or under their skin constantly. This is a tactile hallucination known as formication. People with this condition are convinced the bugs are real, even with reassurance from others they are a hallucination.

How to stop the feeling of bugs crawling on you? ›

A topical cream, such as hydrocortisone, might lessen the itching for some people. Moisturizers or barrier creams may also help by keeping the skin healthy and hydrated. It could also be worth placing an ice pack on the affected areas, which can provide a soothing effect for immediate relief.

What mental illness causes formication? ›

Primary psychiatric disorders are among the most common causes of formication. Schizophrenia can cause tactile hallucinations, where an individual may believe bugs are crawling on them without a physical cause.

How long does formication last? ›

Formication, paresthesias (skin prickling), and other withdrawal symptoms typically resolve within days or weeks. Treatment options for formication caused by psychiatric disorders include antipsychotics, other prescription drugs, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Is crawling skin caused by anxiety? ›

People describe this sensation differently, but basically anxiety for many people can feel like their skin is crawling or tingling. One might feel this in specific body parts like their back or shoulders, or throughout their entire body like it's running through their blood. Sometimes the feeling is constant.

What cancers cause formication? ›

1 It has been extensively reported in relation to cutane- ous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). 1-4 The sensation of bugs crawling, or formication, may be indicative of perineural involvement in the sensory distribution of the tumor.

Is formication a nerve problem? ›

To be very, very clear, tactile hallucinations and formication are symptoms of neurological disorders and they are symptoms of possible psychiatric disorders. They are also symptoms and conditions of cervical spine and neck instability.

Does neuropathy feel like bugs crawling on me? ›

You might feel pins and needles, burning or crawling sensations, numbness or tightness. These unusual sensations are a type of nerve (neuropathic) pain.

Does Benadryl help with formication? ›

In some cases, an antihistamine, such as cetirizine or diphenhydramine may help reduce the crawling sensations. These are normally taken right after the sensation starts to prevent acute itching episodes. Rehabilitation treatment can help to address addiction to drugs like cocaine or meth.

How to get rid of bugs under skin? ›

How to get rid of bugs under your skin
  1. cleanliness.
  2. bug repellants.
  3. protective clothing.
  4. prophylactic medications like antiparasitics and antibiotics.
Apr 1, 2021

Why do I feel like I am being bitten by invisible bugs? ›

Occasionally a person will feel itching or pin prick sensations and become overly worried that some invisible insect or mite is biting them, when none can be found. This could be the condition known as Ekbom syndrome, delusory parasitosis, or DP for short.

When should I be worried about formication? ›

Typically, formication does not require immediate medical attention unless there are severe psychiatric symptoms or a severe skin infection from scratching.

Is formication a symptom of anxiety? ›

Formication originates from the Latin word, "formicare": crawl like an ant. It is an unusual skin sensation, to say the least, and anxiety is amongst its potential causes.

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