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Feels Like Itching Inside Body

Posted , 14 users are following.

jen86183
jen86183

Hi,

This post is on behalf of my sister, she developed shingles in march and is still suffering from it. She said the only way she can describe the feeling she has is like ants running around inside her body, it is like an internal itch. Anyone one else have strange feelings from shingles and will it get better soon.

2 likes, 27 replies

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  • babs99203
    babs99203 jen86183

    Posted

    That is called formication, it's nerve damage from the shingles and now she has PHN. That feeling of ants on the body is a very common description. There's another sensation called allodynia, which is an overly sensitive reaction to any stimulus at all. A light touch or breeze or even change in temperature causes pain and a burning feeling. PHN is treated with Lidocaine creams or patches, and various drugs like gabapentin. The drugs offer minimal relief, but can come with some very serious side effects, including problems as you taper, or decrease the dose. Some people have PHN for only a few months, others for many years. There is usually some type of improvement, but everyone is different.

    • jen86183
      jen86183 babs99203

      Posted

      Thank you babs for your comments. We did not realise how horrible shingles is until she went down with it, she seems to have had a really bad case.
    • babs99203
      babs99203 jen86183

      Posted

      I don’t think any of us did. I THOUGHT I did, I was wrong. 
  • MarthaSD
    MarthaSD jen86183

    Posted

    Hi, it is sometimes hard to describe.  It's definitely from the inside. Mine didn't feel like ants running around inside. More like the buring sensation with individual needles sometimes.  I did have one weird experience, that felt like a warm something was going up to my left ear inside my neck/head! Nothing came out of the ear...ha!

       I've been using cold packs on my shoulders, neck,lower head seems to help the most. My after the shingles things are starting getting less, so I would think your sister's should get better too...slowly.

    • jen86183
      jen86183 MarthaSD

      Posted

      Thank you martha, we are really hoping it is not going to continue for long.
    • babs99203
      babs99203 MarthaSD

      Posted

      Martha, this is a totally different feeling. I didn’t know what it was unt I got it a few months ago. This condition has a never ending list of symptoms..
    • sheila24138
      sheila24138 babs99203

      Posted

      It seems that with this nasty virus the symptoms vary from person to person. Also the durations of time vary vastly. This is why this forum is so helpful as the medical profession doesn’t have enough knowledge on the symptoms but you will usually find help here from someone with similar to yours and can tell you what helped them. It is a trial and error with each case. 
  • denise84298
    denise84298 jen86183

    Posted

    I got shingles the 23 of july my blisters dried up but the dark red rash still onside of rib.this is the most pain I have ever felt in my life its hard to explain to people how it feel,the ant the itching the grabbing pain it feel like 100s of neeedles poking you im so sorry she is going through this its horrible

     

    • jen86183
      jen86183 denise84298

      Posted

      Denise, I really hope you are one of the lucky ones and do not suffer this horrible condition for a long time like my sister and other people on this site. Good luck.
    • babs99203
      babs99203 denise84298

      Posted

      Denise, you're very early in the healing process from shingles. Unfortunately it can be weeks before you see major improvement. But I hope the worst is over in the next week. That sounds brutal, but it's true. They may give you meds which may help such as gabapentin, but they worked to a limited degree and don't help everyone. My shingles were in the same area. Try to rest a LOT, avoid doing anything like lifting, turning and bending which irritate the nerves even more. You can try Tylenol or creams like Aspercreme with Lidocaine, cold compresses or other things you've read here. Right now rest, and time are the two best things.

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