Stimulants Continuing Endocrine Damage From Amphetamine/Overheating Incident?

[thewall3333]

About 3 months ago I took 40mg of generic amphetamine salts (in 2 20mg pills). Stupidly, not knowing the risks, I was outside for most of the next four hours. It was hot and sunny, and when I started to feel euphoric I laid down and even took my shirt off to feel the sun. I started having visual hallucinations, feeling strong tingling sensations, and before I knew it I think two hours or so had passed -- enough for a sunburn. This was about four hours after ingesting the pills, and I hadn't drank any water or electrolytes or eaten any food during that time.

I did not take amphetamines recently, so would have had no tolerance, making this a rather high dose of an unbalanced amphetamine mix for the first time -- without the aggravating circumstanced. From what I have come to learn about amphetamine risks following the incident, it would almost be hard to be more stupid.

Now over the next few days I continued to feel increasingly worse, leading to numb limbs, lethargy, lack of appetite, weird or no bowel movements, and very high anxiety. After about a week I went into the ER, and they gave me saline IV solution which provided temporary relief. My uninalysis came back with ketones at 80mg/dL, which I understand is VERY high even for someone with diabetes, which I don't have. It returned to normal in a test a few days later, but I'm worried there's permanent damage from my endocrine system working so hard to recover and clear the high levels the previous week. If that was the reading a week after the incident, I can only imagine how bad the ketosis was in the days immediately following.

I have continued to feel horrible over the next two and a half months, bringing us to now. Lethargy, severe confusion and lack of memory, complete lack of appetite, dry skin, white lesions in my mouth, really bad breath, anxiety, etc. I feel like I really damaged my system here, but don't have money for more tests/consultations. I was very healthy before the incident.

Any input would be deeply appreciated. I feel like I may have to pay the rest of my life for my stupidity and ignorance in this one incident. Don't mess with stimulants unless taking careful care.

 

[JBrandon]

I have a really hard time believing any of the symptoms you're describing are related to 40mg of amphetamines and a sunburn.

40mg isn't much beyond a therapeutic dosage and dehydration and hyperthermia need to be pretty extreme to cause organ failure in the way you're describing.

I think you've got an anxiety disorder going on for sure, but I don't think you damaged your endocrine system.

Everyone's different and maybe you're right... but I've sure as hell put my body through much worse on much higher doses of amphetamine than that (and so have many people I personally know.)

ETA: exercise daily, sleep hygiene, nutritious diet, abstinence from all recreational drugs. It's the default prescription for recovery from drug abuse of any kind. But please, take some reassurance from me, you are so far from the realm of truly dangerous amphetamine behaviors that I really think you are fine.

 

[SS373dOH]

^ I have to second most of this.

I doubt a single 40mg dose would cause irreparable damage. Although anything is possible. It's also possible you're psyching yourself out, but if you're truly worried about it, maybe see a specialist?

 

[thewall3333]

I guess I should have gone into more detail about the actual experience itself, which was much more intense than any amphetamine experience I've ever had. I had VERY vivid visual hallucinations, to the point of seeing the clouds morph into entire pictures and scenes and my entire vision being overtaken with hallucinations. I have never had something like that on amphetamines before, making me think it was in fact some kind of overdose, or what I took (the pills just said M. Amphet Salts) was actually more like meth than a balanced Adderall mix.

 

[JBrandon]

Generic Adderall comes labeled as "m. Amphetamine salts" with the m standing for "mixed" - there are four different salt compounds.

On occasion, stimulant (ab)use will bring about HPPD-symptoms for me, but they're definitely worlds-away from what you are describing!

Well, you can always save up and see an endocrinologist - I have no idea why you would have had that transient ketosis, so maybe something is going on there, but in general the medical field offers you one pharmacological aid in situations like this - an SSRI. It may help with some of your symptoms, it may not.

Otherwise the advice at the end of my previous post is basically all you're going to hear - in short, healthy living and time.

It's really easy to have a drug experience go poorly and then get fixated on it and the negative repercussions, but whether it's all psychosomatic or not, the reality is that this is where you are and what you're experiencing now. you can't change what happened, and there is no miracle cure - it sucks - and it can be really hard to accept that your life could change so drastically from something so "small". But it is what it is, and recovery is possible - even simple - it's just not easy and it usually sucks hard for a long time.

For me, it was key to let go of my idealized image I had in my head of "how I used to be" before the drugs. I had to stop trying to get back to who I used to be, accept the state I was in and that is never be that other person again, and look to a new future of who I could be. It was brutal and it's still an on-going process.

I wish you the best- please let us know if you do see a doc, or just in general how you are doing as time goes by.

 

[thewall3333]

Yes, the most frustrating part is definitely accepting that there may be some lasting damage to my mental functioning.

 

[mike.vick]

Amphetamine(s) has been known to cause an increase in neurotoxicity with an increase in ambient temperature - an odd phenomenon.