What Causes Feelings Like A Spider Crawling Up On Back?

Posted on Mon, 13 Apr 2015

Question: I've recently experienced the feeling like a spider crawling up my back... like a big daddy long legs... the first time I felt it I actually swatted at the back of my back thinking something was crawling on me. I've also experienced a slight numbness or tingling sensation on my lower back on the left side where the kidney would be. I've also experience this a few times on the right side but mostly on the left side. Lastly, I've just noticed a high pitched tone in one or both ears... alternating... it's right at 10k Hz. Doesn't bother me if I tune it out... but it's there. I don't know if anything of these things could be related but they all pretty much showed up at the same time. I'm a 54 YO male in good XXXXXXX .. I walk nearly every day, 10-15 miles a week and work out at the gym once or twice a week.

Answered by Dr. Seikhoo Bishnoi (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Such symptoms can occur due to chronic Vitamin B12 deficiency or anxiety

Detailed Answer:
Hello thanks for asking from HCM for your health related queries

I can understand your concern. The symptoms like feelings as if spider crawling up on back, numbness and tingling sensation on back. You have also symptoms like high pitched tone in ear which could occur due to some ear problem especially Chronic otitis media. If you have any history of blocked ear, chronic throat infection, history of discharge from ear then you should first of all get your ears examined by an ENT doctor. This will help to rule out any organic cause of your symptoms. If this comes out normal then we can provisionally say that the symptoms of ear and back are related.

Such symptoms of back can occur due to some medical causes especially Vitamin B12 deficiency. This results in abnormal electric like sensations in focal nerve fibres or in particular areas of back which could present as if spiders crawling on back. This may be due to localised neuritis. Chronic Vitamin B12 deficiency may result in ringing like sensation in ear or may result in tinnitus. In most of individuals such symptoms respond to doses of Pregabalin or Gabapentine. These drugs are very helpful to reduce such symptoms of electric sensations.

Other possibility for such symptoms is anxiety. In anxiety some times atypical symptoms can result in such presentation, but possibility is not very likely. Still I would advise you to get yourself checked for Vitamin B12 levels and iron deficiency anaemia. Visit your doctor for prescription of drugs and for detailed evaluation.

Thanks, hope this helps you. Please don't hesitate to ask again for more doubts.

Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad