Bugs running through your hair!

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I was wondering if anyone out there gets severe itching of the scalp during sleep? Every now and then, usually at bedtime I get such a severe itching of the scalp that I cannot even begin to fall asleep. I'm not sure if it has to do with the meds (Dilantin) or what? I do not have high blood pressure so I am not sure what it is.
This itching is so bad that it feels like hundreds of bugs running through my hair. The itching is so bad that I rake at my head and scratch my scalp with my finger nails leaving scratches on my scalp.
Please let me know if anyone out there might know what this is or have these episodes themselves.
Thanks!
 
Hi, thoughtiwascured,

Yikes! I hate itching!

The insects crawling thing... I get that on my skin sometimes. It could be a simple partial seizure. Temporal lobe epilepsy can create this feeling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination

Itching could also be a reaction to your meds. Do you have any kind of rash? It might be hard to tell now that you've been scratching it. See if someone can part your hair and take a look. And stop scratching it! No matter what is causing it you'll hurt your skin by scratching.

When I had a drug reaction rash the doc gave me steroid cream (I think not cortisone) and it helped a ton - I was rash-free within 2 weeks. Aveeno itch cream helped to relieve itching in the short term. Of course if it's a seizure this wouldn't help.

Once I felt like I had a giant moth beating it's wings on my leg. It was on and off for days. I kept looking down my pants to see if there really was one in there. Seizures are WEIRD. lol...

In case it is a drug reaction, you may want to have a doc look at it.
 
Oooohh, I had that in the hospital, they gave me dilantin. My whole body was creeping and crawling. They reduced the drip, but it kept on. I was about to rip the IV out myself when they finally changed it. Not a pleasant feeling.
 
It sounds like lice. That is what happened to me and they do get more active at night. It curtin parts, it was bloody from itching and at it's worst, I was sweating from scratching so bad. Found out later that I had it for two to three weeks and normally people find out within a few days. Mom thought I wasn't washing my hair well. She found out while washing my hair that adult lice were falling out into the sink. The eggs are white and stick to the roots of your hair.
I would have someone check for eggs or lice. If you start seeing black under your nails it might be lice too.
If not lice, maybe a nerve prob but it doesn't sound like anything I've heard of. You might call nuero if you r worried about a reaction or strange sensations etc.

Hope u feel better soon.
 
Could you maybe have cradle cap? Cradle cap is a fungus that dries up on your scalp and itches like crazy. White flakes some off when you scratch your scalp almost like dandruff but way worse.
 
Thanks for the replies, but it is not lice or cradle cap. I have very little flaking on my scalp as I am getting older(45), and my hair isn't as thick as it used to be. If ya know what I mean? My wife has checked my head several times during these itching episodes and never finding any abnormalities on my scalp.
Since the Dilantin that I take is time-released, and these episodes usually occur at bedtime when I take my meds, I just thought it was my body telling me that it is running low on the Dilantin and it may be an early warning of seizure activity?
Every time after having a seizure that have predominantly occur at night, my Dilantin levels are below suggested ranges. So could this be a sign or am I just reading into it too much?
 
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