Skin Tingling/Prickling

[Lazarus88]

Has anyone ever experienced sensations on your skin that feel like it’s tingling or a prickling feeling? It just started recently but I don’t know if it’s related to OCD or something else. I just came off Fluoxetine and read that abrupt withdrawal can cause parathesia (prickling/tingling) but my OCD goes worse case scenario which in turn raises my anxiety. Just wondering if anyone has experienced similar symptoms and what helped.

[SCC1]

I would go w/ the fact that stopping the medication abruptly, causes the tingling/prickly sensations; try not to question that part, since that is what you had read. Since your OCD becomes worse w/out that med., you could ask your doctor about trying another medication. Ask him/her about possible side effects, from either being on or going off of a medication (if you need to go off of it). Good luck!

[Lazarus88 in reply to SCC1]

Thank you! There is also a gene test they recommended that can tell you based off genetics which medicine would work best for you. I have never talked with anyone else who has OCD so this is refreshing. I noticed you said “try not to question that part”. Most people just say don’t worry or you’ll be fine. They don’t understand how hard that is.

[SCC1 in reply to Lazarus88]

You're welcome! This forum is the place to ask questions and discuss anything you would like. There are informed people here, who try to help anyone in need. I have found it very helpful to talk about my OCD, and feel comforted by others and their experiences.

[avoidingthebadthings]

Parathesia is very common as a withdrawal symptom and not fun to experience. I'm sorry you're having to go through that. Be very gentle with yourself and don't put yourself in excessively stressful situations in the coming weeks. Your mind is dealing with a major change.

Going off of fluoxetine can leave you with withdrawal symptoms for months, and you want to cut that duration by titrating up on something else for the OCD. Definitely make an appointment to see whomever prescribed you the fluoxetine or to see a therapist to go on a different SSRI/SNRI. I didn't do that, and I ended up in the hospital from suicidal ideation caused by going off of fluoxetine too fast. I didn't want to admit to my psych doc that I'd stopped the fluoxetine, but withdrawal symptoms are important to have a medical professional track, even if the medical professional does not agree with your decision to stop the drug. By involving a medical professional, you bring in someone else who can see you objectively and see changes that you yourself may be unaware of.

[Lazarus88 in reply to avoidingthebadthings]

Thank you! It’s definitely been a tough experience. You start thinking you’re losing your mind and suddenly every little pain or sensation makes you worry you have something majorly wrong. I did get switched back to Sertraline so I hope that helps soon.

[avoidingthebadthings in reply to Lazarus88]

I'm so glad to hear that. It's a long haul with these medications, and sometimes it is overwhelming to deal with titrating up and down, etc. I always wonder, "What do doctors think it's like to deal with these transitions every second of every day?" They only see us for a short period of time. Meanwhile we've got to keep on living with these bizarre sensations and just trust that things are headed in the right direction. It's quite hard to be a "patient" patient. Still, the net benefit of staying the course is usually better mental health, which is always worth the effort. You are worth it!

[aparente001]

I'm confused, did you stop it abruptly, and why? I thought it was dangerous to stop any SSRI abruptly, and it's better to ramp down slowly.

I'm not sure what parts of your body are getting the tingling, but one way of producing tingling is to hyperventilate. If that happens (it comes from shallow, rapid breathing, which can easily happen due to anxiety), you can use a thin paper bag (not grocery sized -- a "lunch bag" made of paper works pretty well). You would shape the neck of the bag and then breathe in and out of it a few times. Then take a very slow, deep breath without the bag, exhaling slowly also, and then do some more bag breathing if needed.