I'm not joking I feel bugs on my skin..

[Bojangles69]

This has slowly been going on and I don't ever remember experiencing it before.
Its not chills or hotflashes, I'm consistently smacking my arms and legs due to these uber annoying sensations I get, where it feels like a bug is under my skin and trying to crawl out.

Parts of my skin will feel like it is spasming in very specific points, in other points I get a sharp stingy kind of feel just like if a green fly bit you... except EVERYTIME I look I NEVER see a fly, insect or anything on my skin. I've prob smacked myself hard as shit about a 20-30 times today and NEVER ever do I ever see blood or a dead insect.

Its not every second of the day its mostly when I'm not moving. But the worst part is I'll smack my arm, or scratch, and it doesn't go away at all. Is this part of opiates wds? I've been noticing it for like 3 or 4 weeks now and was afraid I'd look psycho posting a thread about it.
I use to have sensations like that on speed years and years ago, but it almost feels the same way now coming off opiates. My brother sees me smacking myself and I keep telling him bugs are getting in the house from a hole in the screen, but hes says he hasn't felt one and we checked the screens and theres no holes.

This is driving me crazy is this natural?

 

[QuasiStoned]

I can't say that I experienced that kind of sensation while sick. Everyone responds differently though so I wouldn't really be surprised at all if it was just a benign (albeit uncommon) withdrawal symptom.

 

[Help me please]

Isn't that like what used to be known as the "DT's"? Seems like it was alcohol related back then but who knows. Maybe a dose of benedryl might help with the itching. They say it will help with sleep during WD's as well.

Are you having other WD symptoms as you taper? Have you lowered again? Maybe too soon?

 

[Mariposa]

It is a part of opioid withdrawal. It will go away. It is not necessary to harm yourself.

I presume you or a friend or family member can make it to a store where you can get OTC antihistamine (Benadryl etc.). Loperamide will also act in your favor, and is cheap and legal. Please be sure to stay hydrated and don't panic. I'd advise informally that you eat healthy food (apples will help you keep it down) and read a book. Lukewarm showers or baths will comfort you greatly and you won't have to pick at your skin.

Please seek medical attention if you are in medical trouble. No one here can assess that. Know that many people here can offer you friendship and affinity. I wish you the best - stay strong and brave and hydrated.

 

[Bojangles69]

Thanks guys I'm not going through bad wds so I'm ok in that respect.

But this specific symptom seems to be the most obvious one I've been getting. It definitely started when I started this taper, but it also wasn't close to as frequent or noticeable as it is now. Its not painful or anything, it just makes me feel like I'm losing my mind at points because I can keep scratching the same spot over and over and when I stop, it still feels like somethings biting my skin.

Maybe my histamine system was thrown off by the pod usage and this its way of stablizing, I don't know. I have benadryl so I'll try that and I also noticed I'm drinking almost all coffee and no water throughout the day so I will try downing a couple liters and see if that helps.

The craziest part is how real it feels when it happens like "this is DEFINITELY a mosquito" and then you look and theres nothing there, haha wow good ol opiates will drive a person crazy.

 

[Heroin Girl]

For me, that's the first sign that I'm going into withdrawal. Drives me absolutely insane. -_-

Hydroxyzine or cyclizine work better than benadryl ime. And being dehydrated/hungry/tired seems to make it a lot worse, so you should start to feel better once you have some water. Avoiding caffeine or switching to tea should help too. Hang in there, man.

 

[sid3]

I'd get the bug bite feeling too. A very sharp pain, just like you described it, like a deer fly or a tick bite. What's weird is it was always in the same spot. The creepy crawlys should easily be treated with the benadryl, even better with some hydroxyine as Heriogirl mentioned. Hydroxyine is an awesome detox drug that doesn't get enough attention just like the lope.
I noticed that only drinking coffee during wds made me ridiculously tired because it seriously dehydrates you. Especially with the heat we've been having. Those subs were crazy strong huh? Imagine trying to get stable back on pods after jumping off a large dose of the bup. Sub wds are a serious mindfuck IMO. Hey good luck with the job opportunity.

 

[QuasiStoned]

I didn't know this was such a common withdrawal symptom. Oddly enough, benadryl seems to cause this in me. Low doses it's not so noticable, but when I take 100mg to sleep (or in the past when I took a lot more to try and "trip") I would always get sudden pinching/itching sensations. They felt a lot like bug bites actually, I kind of thought I had an allergy to benadryl or something but it's only noticable in largeish doses.

 

[Bojangles69]

Yeh I had no idea it was that common either.

I actually had no idea opiates even did this untill it started becoming more consistent lately. It was super subtle towards the begining and I think I really thought it was mosquitos at the time.
A long time ago when I was 19 I was coming off speed and having hallucinations of bugs eating and crawling all over my skin. It lasted for a good while after I stopped and had similar but more intense sensations along with visual hallucinations.
With opiates obviously theres no hallucinations but the sensation still reminds me of when I use to scratch my skin on speed. There has to be a specific region of the brain that causes this, that possibly both speed and opiates effect in different ways. Or maybe its just part of histamine getting back to normal because I think that causes a lot of sensations on the skin.

The most annoying part is no matter how many times it happens you always gotta bend over and look at where ever its happening just to make sure theres nothing really on your skin. Like I feel it happening and will try hard as shit not to look but you can't not look which is the annoying part. I'm checking my body so many times throughout the day just to make sure nothings really on it, and everytime I find nothing.. but I still have to look when it happens again no matter how sure I think I am. Very aggravating.

 

[QuasiStoned]

OMG man that makes me cringe thinking about having full out hallucinations of bugs eating and crawling over my skin. I've had dreams like that where I thought I had bugs crawling on me. Do you think the speed hallucinations were associated with lack of sleep?

 

[Bojangles69]

Yeh definitely a lack of sleep aggravates it but I think its from dopamine literally dissolving your brain cells lol. Its been shown dopamine is as corrosive as ammonia and the large amounts that speed triggers will throw you into a full blown psychosis.
The psychosis is living hell if you go read about it, it lasted for about 8 months after I stopped.

WHICH IS WHY I will NEVER TOUCH THAT SHIT AGAIN. Speeds puts you so far out in la la land you're realistically not the same person anymore. It changes your brain a lot, but you can bounce back if you stop soon enough like I did. And now it over most of the residual anxiety and paranoia which lasted for many years.
Opiates really are a complete joke no matter how bad the pain and paws compared to what meth can do to your mind. Thats why it particularly breaks my heart to see people on this forum with speed addictions. I mean opiates are very much their own withdrawal, and drive you crazy a little bit, but speed is just all out there fuckd out of your mind paranoia and hell. Its really a lot worse than I think most people can describe on this forum.