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Tactile hallucinations are neurological symptoms that cause sensations or movements on the body without a physical explanation. Causes include narcolepsy, drug abuse, phantom pain, and delirium tremens. These hallucinations can be debilitating and require medical attention.
When an individual perceives sensations or movements on the body without a physical explanation, they may be diagnosed with tactile hallucinations. Also known as somatic hallucinations, these sensations should not be confused with those related to an as yet undiagnosed physical condition: tactile hallucinations are thought to be neurological symptoms, which occur as a result of neurological or brain dysfunction. Seven major causes of tactile hallucinations are narcolepsy, cocaine abuse, amphetamine abuse, phencyclidine abuse, methamphetamine abuse, delirium tremens, and so-called phantom pain. Regardless of their cause, hallucinations can be a debilitating symptom. A doctor should be contacted if any of these hallucinations occur.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes people to fall asleep unexpectedly during the day. Narcoleptic sleep episodes are not usually triggered by fatigue and can occur during any normal activity. People normally fall asleep and first enter the early stages of sleep, progress to deeper stages, and then enter REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. Narcolepsy sufferers enter REM sleep soon after falling asleep, which can cause tactile hallucinations due to irregular sleep patterns.
Another common physical cause of these hallucinations can be found in amputees or individuals who have had a limb surgically removed. These patients may experience what is known as phantom pain, the feeling that the missing limb is still there. Often such pain is described as a burning or tingling sensation and is thought to be caused by the brain’s attempts to “find” the missing appendix by sending pain signals to injured nerves that once might have served the area.
Chemical abuse often causes hallucinations. Cocaine is a stimulant drug that is easily abused due to its addictive qualities. It can be taken in many ways including smoking, ingesting and sniffing. In the first, stimulant phase of cocaine abuse, when users are not chemically dependent on the drug, hallucinations can occur.
Amphetamine abuse, also known as speed, can cause these kinds of hallucinations. Unlike cocaine abuse, tactile hallucinations do not occur during the stimulation phase. Hallucinations are more likely to start when there has been overuse or dependence on the drug.
Another cause of tactile hallucinations is the abuse of phencyclidine (PCP). PCP is a dissociative drug that blocks brain signals. This drug has severe hallucinogenic effects and can be smoked, snorted or ingested. The effects of the drug are almost immediate. PCP often causes hallucinations which in turn can cause users to act in unpredictable or violent ways.
Methamphetamine, or methamphetamine, is highly habit-forming and can induce psychosis in users. Crystal meth is a stimulant drug that is taken orally, snorted, smoked, or ingested and has extremely high addictive qualities. Side effects of abuse can create the sensation of insects crawling on the skin.
Delirium tremens, also known as “DT,” can also cause unexplained sensations. DTs are a type of delirium caused by alcohol withdrawal. When a person drinks heavily over a period of 10 years or more, alcohol withdrawal can cause intense hallucinations.
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