I feel like I am wearing a turtleneck and it escalates to a crawling feeling

[klynnk1]

I am losing my mind with this crawling sensation on my neck, it is mostly on the right side but sometimes comes across the front of my neck.  The past few years I have tossed everything from my closet but V-necks.  I used to think it was thyroid meds causing the problem but I am off all medication and it is still there.  I am asking here since I have heard others mention this wearing a turtleneck sensation on a hashimotos page.
Anyone else have this creepy crawling feeling with no explanation?

[Sarahjogs]

Hi klymmk1,

I just discovered this thread, but you were asking for people with similar experience so here's mine:

When I was under a lot of anxiety, and also being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, multinodular goiter, and eventually thyroid cancer, I would periodically have a sensation of water running down the front of my neck.  I would go to wipe it, and it would be completely dry.  I googled it, decided it was not something I needed to worry about since there was a lot of other stuff going on at the time.  It probably only happened 3 or 4 times, but was a very, very weird sensation.

I just googled anxiety and choking sensation (I have/had a lot of anxiety this year), and it can be an anxiety symptom, and the only time I experienced the weird skin sensation (mine was not a crawling, but I think it's a similar situation since there is no explanation for it) was when I was very anxious.  

I had multinodular goiter from chronic untreated Hashimoto's (diagnosed this year), and I have avoided anything touching my neck for decades, starting when I was in my late teens/early twenties, I stopped wearing turtleneck and eventually scarves.   I am with you on V-necks, I wear some crew cut now, but end up stretching out the collar if it is not loose enough.  I also have not worn a necklace in probably more than 10 years.  I wear scarves now because I had my thyroid removed and now have a scar I like to cover, but it's still weird to have something touching my neck.  I believe my goiter and my swollen lymph nodes from Hashi's led to my neck being really sensitive all the time, but I don't think it's uncommon to not want things touching your neck even if you don't have those issues  (I told my aunt about my avoidance of neck touching before I had a definite diagnosis, and she said "lots of people don't like things touching their neck").

Anyway - I'm so sorry you're dealing with this and can't find out what's wrong.  I just wanted to let you know that you are not the only one out there with weird unexplainable neck sensations.

[klynnk1]

Thanks for your comment.  I think anxiety does feed into the sensation or at least when I am overwhelmed it is harder to deal with.  I have tried to identify triggers, I know some things that would definitely aggravate the sensation but part of it just seems random and no reason for the flares.  

I'm looking into hypnosis - can't hurt to give that a try ...

[Barb135]

Do you have Hashimoto's?  Have any of your ultrasounds ever indicated a goiter?

[klynnk1]

Don't have Hashimoto's - I have been tested twice.  No goiter.  Everything always comes back normal.  

[Barb135]

What tests have been done and what are their actual results and reference ranges?

I assume you've also been tested for hypothyroidism, so it would be helpful if you would post results TSH, Free T4, and Free T3 as well. Be sure to include reference ranges as those vary from lab to lab and have to come from your own reports.

[klynnk1]

These are my labs as of May 2018
TSH (.34-4.82) 1.76 ................. Free T4 (.78-2.19) 1.04 ......................... Free T3 (2.77-5.27) 3.46

[Barb135]

I'm not sure about a "crawling" sensation; I know a lot of people with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's have a choking sensation.  That often comes from having a swollen/inflamed thyroid. I've had that quite often myself, when I've had a flare from Hashimoto's.  

Can you describe the crawling sensation more fully, please?  Do you mean it feels like something is crawling on your skin?  Like bugs or something?  

[klynnk1]

Most of the time it is a sensation of a high turtleneck where I want to pull it away from my neck.  I have that sensation pretty much all the time to some degree.  If I am busy and moving around I can ignore it.  If I am sitting still it will sometimes get worse.  Either feel like the turtleneck tightens and I get a choking feeling.  Not choking on the inside but like someone's hand is on my throat.  If it escalates more it feels like bugs crawling under my skin - only on the right side.  It had let up most of the summer. I have no idea what triggered this latest 3 day episode - I am a basket case when it happens.  I have had ultrasounds on my thryoid.  No nodules or anything abnormal. Ear, nose, and throat doctor put a camera down my throat and saw nothing. There is no explanation of what this is.