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MDMA and MS?

That's a lot of interesting information, thank you, I'll try and look into it.

I was thinking as a secondary option I could have/had some sort of vasoconstriction. After I took the MDMA, for like a week after my skin felt very tight, I felt absurdly muscled and defined compared to my usual fairly doughy and dumpy self. Could my body have been denied certain essential processes during that time then, which has the knock on effect now?
 
I hope I can also add some reassurance.
A few years ago, I suffered a very, very mild Bell's palsy. A side of my face with mildly numb. I had no other complaints. I had a battery of tests and all were fine, except for a lesion in my brain. I didn't have any accidents, so MS was mentioned by the neurologist. However, nothing else attributed to MS. I didn't have any other complaints, so I was sent home with the prospect of a possibly terrifying diagnosis.

Fast forward several years later and me having my first experience with LSD and N2O. I have had no other complaints, tingling, numbness or anything of the like in the past, so I haven't had a diagnosis. After a few N2O intakes and a few hours later, I had symptoms that were very much like peripheral neuropathy. My hands were tingly, and my fingers clawed themselves together into a fist. Terrifying, I can assure you.

I talked to my friends and did some research. Peripheral neuropathy is likely to onset due to a deficiency of vitamin B. I'm a vegetarian, so my vitamin B intake is very low. N20 absolutely scavenes vitamin B12 and could have depleted my already low reserves in a dramatically short amount of time.

So, recently, I started talking vitamin supplements (multivitamin + vitamin D) and during my last experience wit LSD + N2O, I had a dramatic improvement in symptoms. It was all but gone.

Long story short, you, like I, introduced a substance into your system and our bodies reacted to it, but might have had a deficiency that was exasperated with the chemicals. Try and get your bloodwork done, improve your diet with fresh or steamed veggies, temporarily boost your system with some vitamins. Research which vitamins to take, because a lot of the stuff you can get from the grocery store tend to be glorified laxatives.

(here's my full post on my last experience using vitamins)
 
All I have to say in regards to this topic is that sometimes anxiety manifests itself physically in the way you describe (MS-esque neurological symptoms)...more often it takes the physical form of the panic attack, which is sudden and more "heart attack-esque", but it can manifest itself differently, especially in the case of generalized anxiety disorder.

check this out: http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=42556

Also, MS is an autoimmune condition and medical science is still very unclear on why autoimmune disease occurs, unfortunately (I have an autoimmune disease). So I highly doubt there has been any connection found between MDMA and MS.
 
Burnt Offerings said:
Also, MS is an autoimmune condition and medical science is still very unclear on why autoimmune disease occurs, unfortunately (I have an autoimmune disease). So I highly doubt there has been any connection found between MDMA and MS.
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Yeah, it's interesting to know that multiple sclerosis more or less means "multiple scarring", denoting the nerve damage it causes. It wasn't until modern sciences improved it's MRI techniques, that neurologists and scientist were able to study this disease. It wasn't until a few decades ago, that people were actually able to see the lesions on MRI'S.

Also, interesting to know, is that statistically, MS occurs geographically in places furthest away from the equator. Sun-bathed places tend to be spared, so there's an indication it might be related to the lack of sun. Oddly enough, Japanese is a huge exception, being a typically "Western", sun-devoid country, (stressful, environmental-unfriendly habitat MOSTLY), so there might also be a link to their non-fat, rice based diet.

Burnt offerings, godspeed with your health, hope all will be well.
 
I thought you would be curious to know that MS has changed what gender it effects greatly in the past half a century or so, it has come to affect females around 4 times more but there aren't any genetic changes that could explain this shift in such a short time, it is thought to be something to do with the increased stress in women and their change of role in society in recent times. There are other patterns with autoimmune disease just like this, largely afflicting women or first world people's disproportionately.

Vitamin D is important regarding the immune system though, there are actually vitamin D receptors in the brain too! Just so anyone reading this knows, you want vitamin D3, NOT D2, but natural sunlight is best and some people even shoot for some tanning booths that have the correct wave length to get their vitamin D.
 
I suppose that since the myelin is based on a fatty solution, that omega-3 and omega-6 fatties plays a high role for our gliacells. In our western world we mainly consume wheat flower and corn products flooding our systems with bad sugar. Besides that we eat salty and a lot of bad fat, like deep fried stuff. After thinking a little bit... Fish and seafood (Japanese eat quiet a lot) contains vitamin D, so it is plausible that it might be indeed a lack of vitamin D resulting in a higher chance of developing MS.
 
Hey guys, I feel a bit bad breaking up this interesting discussion but I suppose I should say how I've been doing.

For the past two weeks I'd been on Proton Pump Inhibitors for my stomach, which outside of the tingling in my head and extremities is what's been most affected during this whole ordeal.

For the past week, I've been on Mirtazapine, an anti-depressant. Between these two drugs I'd been feeling a lot better, still had the tingling/burning/numb/painful feeling in my limbs and generally all over, but my appetite returned with a vengeance, and was having less digestive stress. I've been sleeping better, and doing my best to come on here less and trying to lower my anxiety. My sexual dysfunction still persists a little but not quite as severe.

Tonight I had take out and it all went off the deep end, even though I'd managed to handle it once or twice in the past couple of weeks, my symptoms skyrocketed.

I don't want to stay on the PPI's and anti-depressants forever, fearing further complications or side effects and had been feeling well enough to consider asking my doc to reduce my dose, but after tonight I can't. Drugs for side effects and then drugs for those side effects.

I'd been feeling a lot more positive lately, talked to my therapist today and sketched out positive plans for my life, and this one night has happened and fucked it all up. I'm sorry for whinging like this but I just want my body and my life back. Hope and positive thinking has helped me go a long way but I'm burning through my reserves of optimism with every relapse like this. It's just so frustrating. 3 weeks on and I've only made cursory progress, that can seemingly be undone so readily.
 
Did you ever try 5-HTP? Most of the serotonin is in the gut with your enteric nervous system. Serotonin's original job is to assist with digestion. Your enzyme that makes serotonin is downed for a while after MDMA. Tryptophan hydroxylase takes more than a week or so to get back to normal, and since tryptophan itself is not very common in the diet it can take even longer once your serotonin making enzyme is back up for your serotonin to get back to normal, and you can really deplete your serotonin with MDMA.

Taking 5-HTP could help, it is the direct precursor to serotonin. You're not really supposed to combine it with SSRIs because of serotonin syndrome (excess serotonin) and blah blah blah but if I were you I would try taking 50mg in the morning for a month and see how you do, if anything gets worse like anxiety I would stop it if you feel it's connected to the 5-HTP or try 25mg. If feeling heroic you could taking 100mg after seeing how the 50mg goes for a couple days but I would want you to take multiple small doses throughout the day (25mg X 4 times a day). You could also take this with a green tea extract called ECGC, this will help he 5-HTP last longer in your system (it inhibits an enzyme that breaks it down).

Mirtazapine can be helpful with gastropareisis and low gastric motility because of its serotonin related effects, of course stimulates your appetite as well, this is also through serotonin. What dose mirtazapine are you on? PPI's if they are helping you are very worth it for now, I wouldn't worry about your long term, let's just get you through these next couple of months so your system can calm down.
 
Here is just some information on the enteric nervous system from wiki, thought you'd be interested.

"Through intestinal muscles, the motor neurons control peristalsis and churning of intestinal contents. Other neurons control the secretion of enzymes. The enteric nervous system also makes use of more than 30 neurotransmitters, most of which are identical to the ones found in CNS, such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin. More than 90% of the body's serotonin lies in the gut, as well as about 50% of the body's dopamine, which is currently being studied to further our understanding of its utility in the brain."

"The enteric nervous system consists of some 500 million neurons, one two-hundredth of the number of neurons in the brain, and 5 times as many as the one hundred million neurons in the spinal cord. The enteric nervous system is embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal system, beginning in the esophagus and extending down to the anus."

Now I would like to say before this next part here that deep diaphragmatic belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, increasing gastric motility.

"The enteric nervous system has been described as a "second brain" for several reasons. The enteric nervous system can operate autonomously. It normally communicates with the central nervous system (CNS) through the parasympathetic (e.g., via the vagus nerve) and sympathetic (e.g., via the prevertebral ganglia) nervous systems. The enteric nervous system has the capacity to alter its response depending on such factors as bulk and nutrient composition."

I highly recommend thinking about 5-HTP (might want to skip a mirtazapine dose and then try 5-HTP if you wanted to be careful but you should be all right if you're on 15mg in my personal non-medical professional opinion) and practice some deep belly breathing with meditating on the breath. Adrenaline (fight or flight) shuts off your parasympathetic (rest and DIGEST) nervous system. Belly breathing stimulates your vagus nerve.
 
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suedonym said:
Hey guys, I feel a bit bad breaking up this interesting discussion but I suppose I should say how I've been doing.

For the past two weeks I'd been on Proton Pump Inhibitors for my stomach, which outside of the tingling in my head and extremities is what's been most affected during this whole ordeal.

For the past week, I've been on Mirtazapine, an anti-depressant. Between these two drugs I'd been feeling a lot better, still had the tingling/burning/numb/painful feeling in my limbs and generally all over, but my appetite returned with a vengeance, and was having less digestive stress. I've been sleeping better, and doing my best to come on here less and trying to lower my anxiety. My sexual dysfunction still persists a little but not quite as severe.

Tonight I had take out and it all went off the deep end, even though I'd managed to handle it once or twice in the past couple of weeks, my symptoms skyrocketed.

I don't want to stay on the PPI's and anti-depressants forever, fearing further complications or side effects and had been feeling well enough to consider asking my doc to reduce my dose, but after tonight I can't. Drugs for side effects and then drugs for those side effects.

I'd been feeling a lot more positive lately, talked to my therapist today and sketched out positive plans for my life, and this one night has happened and fucked it all up. I'm sorry for whinging like this but I just want my body and my life back. Hope and positive thinking has helped me go a long way but I'm burning through my reserves of optimism with every relapse like this. It's just so frustrating. 3 weeks on and I've only made cursory progress, that can seemingly be undone so readily.
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Hey, it's OK to feel bummed out that you relapsed. I can't really say anything else but: grit your teeth, set your eyes on the horizon and trudge on. You've been making progress, you've gotten wiser, so use that information to improve on your situation.
Also, take in regard that some symptoms, like depression and sexual dysfunction go hand in had. Improving the former will improve the latter.

Have you had an MRI and your bloodwork done? I think a lot of what you're doing today is guesswork based on externally visible symptoms. Sometimes certain little changes in lifestyle and/or diet tend to go a long way.
 
Hey guys, sorry for taking my sweet time replying, I'm trying to limit my time on here for hopefully understandable reasons.

Thank you all very much for your advice and support and patience. I do appreciate you going out of your way to help a total stranger at a very vulnerable time of my life.

I have heard people on here mention 5-HTP and did look into it but like you say I was worried about possibly doing so whilst on an anti-anxiety med. I wasn't sure how to go about getting it, as I can't find it on any store shelf, and I'm reluctant about purchasing meds online.

My symptoms, a month on now, seem to wax and wane. Somedays it's all in my extremities, sometimes all in my jaw and gut. Someday's I have a reasonable sexual appetite, someday's none, my erectile problems have decreased a little even if the sensation and pleasure is still lessened. Someday's I'm a food monster and others I eat because I feel I should, not out of any basic, normal necessity. I can at least enjoy the process of eating though now, bar my jaw problems.

I have tried deep-belly breathing following you suggestions, looked up a video guide online, and the meditative quality of it. It helps some, on some days. I did find a multivitamin with b-12 in it, but as of today it's seemed to exacerbate certain symptoms, muscle weakness, awkward movement, jaw stiffness and neck tension. I don't know if that's a healthy sign or a bad one, so I'll stop for now.

Incidentally from my blood test, the doctor did say I have high cholesterol and low Vitamin D, and I'm on a supplement for it. That's 3 meds now, heh, anti-anxiety, PPI, and vitamin.

The symptoms have boiled down to increased sensitivity, muscle aches have become like painful tearing feelings. Pins and needles or feel like my limbs have gone dead. Not a tremendous amount of cognitive dysfunction thankfully, or brain fog, which is a relief. The thing I'm most afraid of is losing my mind, my faculties. In my worst moments of self doubt I do panic a little and still fear this is a serious auto-immune disorder in its earliest stages, despite most on here telling me things to the contrary. But I can snap out of it generally, and focus on feeling positive.

After Halloween and all the inevitable festivities are out of the way, I am going to try and at least eat and live a little healthier, incrementally. I have another doctors appointment booked for this Friday, and will discuss my current medications and taking any other possible measure to try and help ascertain what is actually wrong with me, but I fear I'll be pissing in the wind.

I'll try and keep the faith. All I got at the minute, heh :)
 
I'm sorry you're having such a hell of a time :(

I personally would be very curious to see how you react to a medication called Sarpogrelate, this medication works oppositely of MDMA which first brought on your symptoms. It is classically used for vascular problems (vasoconstriction essentially, which I do believe is what's giving you different problems, especially nerve problems) and could be very beneficial.

It's also known as Anplag, I would be curious to see how you react to it. It should dilate your blood vessels and help with a lot of your symptoms.

Your system is likely very slowly returning to homeostasis, it will do this on its own but I'm curious if the mechanism of Sarpogrelate could get you back on your feet sooner. It's a very selective medication for a specific kind of serotonin so if you reacted well it would be very diagnostic, it is selective for a kind of serotonin that's extremely important called 5-HT2B which is essential for the mechanism of MDMA .

This Sarpogrelate medication shuts down 5-HT2B. A French study suggested these kinds of medications could be therapeutic for MDMA abuse.
 
Hey guys just checking in. I guess I should probably post updates like this in the support or recovery thread, but as I'm still not entirely sure this isn't early days MS, (and I'm gradually, painfully preparing myself for that reality and likelihood, whilst trying to remain positive it is something temporary and ultimately something I can 'recover' from) I guess they're still on-topic. I'm still not entirely sure of anything, that's the niggling, grating frustration, no one knows what the fuck is wrong with me, and no one, other than a few kind souls on here, can really offer me any help at all.

I guess for a bit of colour and clarity, before all this happened I wasn't an especially well boy, having myopia (glasses since I was 16), strabismus, visual snow, dry eye. If I over-strained my eyes, my vision would sometimes blur out - usually when trying to read for longer than 10 minutes or watch a really long film. After reading I'd also gain a persisting after image of the text, or if I played a video game for a while my eyes would be 'bleached' a different tone or shade, for a short time. I'm also very sensitive to bright sunlight. Most of these main eye symptoms occurred about four years ago, long before I touched any drugs.

Sometimes I would get a painful feeling in the back of my head, a crackling, tinnitus like noise sensation, a sharp, stabbing pain in the side of my head, limited neck movement. This could last usually up to a week, was uncomfortable but bearable.

Apparently some degree of optic neuritis is an early symptom of MS. I went to a couple of different opticians and doctors and they dilated my pupils etc. and apparently there was nothing wrong, detached, inflamed or off base in anyway. They just gave my drops for my eyes, which do offer a little relief, and I've managed it with painkillers, rest and moderation since.

I also, as a result of those initial eye complications, and the 'Oh fuck I'm going blind' anxiety it caused, developed OCD, which has had two or three main flare ups, which usually last a handful of months, and I've been in CBT twice. I have known fairly chronic anxiety during those periods, and worked my way through it.

I've also always been terribly clumsy and uncoordinated, and my feet walk at different angles, I don't drag my feet or anything, but there is a notable and distinctive pattern to it.

So I do have a prior history of unexplained but seemingly largely benign or manageable health complaints and anxiety, which is probably why despite offering a little help, most of the doctors I've seen are keen to dismiss this, or be reluctant to offer further help. This is at best unhelpful and at worst hugely frustrating and insulting. We have a wonderful health system in my country but unless you've got a fucking tumour growing out of your face or are at death's door they're very reluctant to help you. There's only so many times you can hear the implication that you're a hypochondriac or it's all a side effect of your anxious and restless mind, despite having clear and persisting symptoms indicative of potentially very serious and lifelong health problems before you totally lose faith. People with anxiety want to be well, we don't make shit up for attention, 'will' ourselves to be ill in someway, I don't like wasting time and money on empty doctors appointments, I want to be fucking healthy or at least have answers, or if it is bad news, the meds and support to manage it. Like I appreciate an overburdened and underfunded health care system has to prioritise the truly ill, but is that too much to ask? To be respected and treated with a little dignity and seriousness?

I know what anxiety is and these physical symptoms aren't it, at least how I've experienced it. I've had the poor appetite, reduced sexual dysfunction, depersonalisation, wobbly sleep, shaking and clenching of panic attacks before. This is an entirely different situation, I can be totally relaxed and have my symptoms persist. I've never experienced anything like this in my life.

The initial tingling and itchy feeling is still there, it's spreading to parts of my face other than my scalp and jaw now which is worrying, but there's a lot more muscle ache now; just typing the first few paragraphs of this were a murder on my fingers, basic movements can feel like moving mountain's somedays. It's not too bad yet but it's distressing and makes many of my primary pastimes - writing, reading, browsing the net, playing videogames, a total chore. Sleep, appetite, mood, and sexual response yo-yo horrendously, snatched periods of relative normalcy with a lot of illness and frustration.

My doctor has taken me off my daily Lansoprazole after nearly a month, fearing potential long term complications like impotency, and so far my belly hasn't been too bad, with the odd blip. Had takeout tonight with my folks like usual and for once it hasn't felt like a wolverine is clawing at my insides - yet. His only other advice was stay on the anti-anxiety med and carry on taking my Vitamin D supplements till it's back to a more acceptable, normal level. He then said that if my symptoms still persist afterwards, then and only then can I have nebulously defined 'tests' for something more severe. The hoop jumping is getting old, I know these things take a long time to diagnose but this lack of answers is testing my resolve and weighing on me.

I am trying to exercise, socialise, be more proactive, and largely succeeding but when my sleeps in the shitter like it frequently is with this current nightmare, I feel too drained and apathetic to want to. The feeling of wanting to embrace life and enjoy it but never knowing how I'm going to feel one day to the next is prison like. This awful fucked up deal is bleeding to every aspect of my life. I don't blame the MDMA, even if directly, and I mean directly after taking one a little north of average dose once in one night this started happening, nor do I blame my friend for introducing it to me entirely in innocence. But I do wish I never would have done it, what it's triggered, exacerbated, and essentially robbed hundreds of hours of my life, so, so, so was not worth it. I refuse to accept that this is coincidental.
 
I personally suspect you're suffering from something similar to trigeminal neuralgia, with your cranial nerves now suffering. Bell's palsy is the extreme inflammation version (not necessarily MS pathology however) but you could have some very serious nerve irritation and compression, especially if your tingling sensations are spreading across your scalp to your face. I personally have had pins and needles spread out from the tops of my shoulders to my scalp and now to some degree in my face/lips from nerves being compressed/irritated, but it's not full on Bell's palsy.

But if you are having musculoskeletal problems I think this is EXTREMELY important to examine. Nerve problems and muscle problems feed into each other, I highly recommend talking to a physiatrist (physical medicine doc) about doing some physical therapy. Physical therapy has helped me beyond words. I can't stress enough that if you are having physical problems you should get them sorted out by a doc that deals with the physical side of the body. Pins and needles does not necessarily mean MS, about 99% of the time pins and needles means normal neuropathy. There are really sensitive nerves snaking through all corners of your body at this very moment, they are pinched very easily. This compression will not show up on tests.

If you are having a lot of jaw problems and pins and needles in your head I highly recommend finding a good chiropractor to help you sort out your musculoskeletal issues. Chiropractors receive a lot of crap from the general public but they really can do wonders for spinal issues. They also deal intensively with the nervous system. Once again if you are having neck problems I can't recommend you find a chiropractor enough, I have had a couple friends now have strange symptoms and it turned out to be from problems from their nerves in their neck (diagnosed officially by MRI) and many people have IBS problems from lower back issues. Your nerves that come out of your vertebra are important. If your spine is messed up chances are nerves are getting pinched somewhere, there is not a lot of room for error especially regarding the nerves that innervate your head.

The testing is unfortunately tricky for MS. A brain/spinal MRI can check and see if there is any evidence of demyelination in those areas, I'd go with a brain MRI first. But a neck MRI would be next given the hand symptoms (the nerves that go to your hands come out of your neck's vertebrae, what was that about you having neck problems????). Nerve conduction studies unfortunately will not find your typical compression neuropathy, they only find more "permenant" nerve damage. A spinal tap is what is typical for MS, this is serious and usually comes with a serious head ache for more than a week but is relatively safe now. But a neck and brain MRI would be the most useful, they could rule out many things like herniated disk involvement or a lack of space in part of your head.

I do wonder what might be going on with your nervous system towards the cranio-cervical junction, has anything like trigeminal neuralgia been discussed? Have you ever seen a bonafide neurologist? Brain + neck MRI is what I would start with, along with nerve conduction studies for your hands. This is however just a peripheral test and would check for things similar to carpal tunnel, but it's not too difficult get out of the way.
 
Also, I knew of this all along I didn't want to post this but I thought at this point I might as well... Sorry, I was trying not to freak you out or anything, but at this point I figure you have the right to know.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2962814/

What this paper basically says is that a lot of your immune system is suppressed after MDMA but the cells that are problematic in diseases like MS can be activated, these are the microglia. There are other sorts of inflammation that are kicked up as well, my opinion is that this would lead to problems with increased nerve inflammation from nerve irritation (especially regarding the cranial nerves). What I am confused on and will hopefully get back to you some day about is what to do about this aside from MS treatment style immunosuppressants. The paper I linked involves interleukin 10 which is complicated but very important regarding the immune system. Some of these interleukins actually help contain inflammation to a degree. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_10

"Lower levels of IL-10 have been observed in individuals diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when compared to healthy individuals.[18] Due to a decrease in IL-10 levels, TNFα levels are not regulated effectively as IL-10 regulates the TNF-α-converting enzyme.[19] As a result, TNFα levels rise and result in inflammation.[20] TNFα itself induces demyelination of the oliodendroglial via TNF receptor 1, while chronic inflammation has been linked to demyelination of neurons.

IL-10 is linked to the myokines, as exercise provokes an increase in circulating levels of IL-1ra, IL-10, and sTNF-R, suggesting that physical exercise fosters an environment of anti-inflammatory cytokines."

I hope you can get as much aerobic exercise as possible.
I don't believe you have specifically MS but I do believe you have some form of nerve inflammation, you could have a mechanical cause of part of your nerve irritation (especially concerning the head and hands) and I would urge you to do your best to sort this out with physical therapy and quality chiropractic care. Please feel free to PM me anytime, and keep us updated. Farewell.
 
Thought I would also post about the Strabismus, I guess you could very well have cranial nerve problems that may have been pre-existing but are now worsened? - "The extraocular muscles are controlled by cranial nerves III, IV, and VI. An impairment of cranial nerve III causes the associated eye to deviate down and out and may or may not affect the size of the pupil. Impairment of cranial nerve IV, which can be congenital, causes the eye to drift up and perhaps slightly inward. Sixth nerve palsy causes the eyes to deviate inward and has many causes due to the relatively long path of the nerve. Increased cranial pressure can compress the nerve as it runs between the clivus and brain stem.[3] Also, if the doctor is not careful, twisting of the baby's neck during forceps delivery can damage cranial nerve VI".

Myopia- "
Dopamine is a major neurotransmitter in the retina involved in signal transmission in the visual system. In the retinal inner nuclear layer, a dopaminergic neuronal network has been visualized in amacrine cells. Also, retinal dopamine is involved in the regulation of electrical coupling between horizontal cells and the retinomotor movement of photoreceptor cells. L-Dopa has been shown to re-establish circadian rhythms in animals whose circadian rhythms have been abolished. Dopamine, a major metabolite of levodopa, releases in response to light, and helps establish circadian clocks that drive daily rhythms of protein phosphorylation in photoreceptor cells. Because retinal dopamine levels are controlled on a circadian pattern, intravitreal injection of L-dopa in animals that have lost dopamine and circadian rhythms has been shown to correct these patterns, especially in heart rate, temperature, and locomotor activity.[108] The occluders block light completely for the animals, which does not allow them to establish correct circadian rhythms, which leads to dopamine depletion.

L-Dopa metabolism is important to consider due to its extensive presystemic metabolism, rapid absorption in the proximal small intestine and short plasma half-life. The major metabolites of L-dopa are dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid, and 3-O-methyldopa and 3-methoxytyramine.[113] Levodopa can be converted into dopamine in the presence of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (L-AAAD).[114] L-AAAD activity in rat retinas is modulated by environmental light,[115] and this modulation is associated with dopamine D1 receptors[116] and alpha 2 adrenoceptors.[117] Also, the synthesis and release of dopamine are light dependent, and light accelerates the formation of dopamine from exogenous L-Dopa.

Past treatments with dopamine has been used as the gold-standard drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and low-dose administration of the drug has been the most effective treatment of Parkinson’s. Possible treatments involving dopamine in preventing a decrease in visual acuity have been shown to be successful in the past. L-Dopa treatment in children with amblyopia showed an improvement in visual acuity.[118] In rabbits, injections of dopamine prevented the myopic shift and vitreous chamber and axial elongation typically associated with FDM.[119] In guinea pigs, systemic L-dopa has been shown to inhibit the myopic shift associated with FDM, and has compensated for the drop in retinal dopamine levels.[120] These experiments show promise in treating myopia in humans."

Sounds like sunlight has even more benefits than previously thought. You were deficient in vitamin D right?
 
Also, OP, you say that you've had anxiety before and "this doesn't feel like anxiety" basically, but that's not even the point. There may very well be something actually wrong with you outside of your own mind. But the point is that people with anxiety, esp. as it manifests itself in health anxiety, take a symptom or a set of symptoms and take them to the most extreme and morbid conclusion. So numbness and tingling (which are actually very common just through simple neuropathy alone) becomes a very rare organic disease process like multiple sclerosis. (Even more rare when you take into account demographic factors like genetic history, age, gender, etc.)

And as far as symptoms people have had that are "only anxiety", you name it pretty much. Tingling, pins and needles, constant headaches, blurred or double vision, muscle spasms/twitching, difficulty swallowing, the list goes on and on. Somatoform disorders also put the body into a state of hyper-vigilance, which only amplifies the severity of symptoms.
 
^^I agree. I also believe a great many of your symptoms are from chronic sleep deprivation, are you known to snore by the way?? I recommend a sleep study. Sleep is so incredibly important. Have you considered more medications for sleep? There are a lot out there and I would be more than happy to talk about some of them (aside from Xanax etc.).
 
Cotcha, can you be my doctor please? ;) You're a down sight more useful than any of mine round here. No seriously though, thanks for that information.

My apologies for kind of losing it in my previous post, I hope no one thought it was directed at anyone on here, it wasn't.
I'd recently got back from the doctors where he'd had a bad morning and was taking it out on me, dismissing all my perfectly valid fears with a detached nonchalance and acting like all this physical and subsequent emotional dysfunction was pie in the sky. So I was rightfully pissed off.

Past couple of weeks or so have been weird. Not a lot of improvement. Symptoms seems to come and go. My eating, urination and passing stools was fine for a while, now my poo is all choppy and stringy or little clumps again, half formed. Still have a reasonable appetite and don't have too many problems with urination. Sleep is all over the place but I've never been very good with sleep. I either sleep twelve hours waking up three of four times or sleep solidly for 5-6 and wake up for good.

Sexual response is weird. Bar a couple of days of dysfunction I can generally, with a bit of time and effort, get an erection, and can ejaculate. Less sensitivity and pleasure in the act than before but I can get there. But the orgasm is totally devoid of any real pleasure. I rarely sometimes do get that nice, sleepy feeling thereafter but rarely. Otherwise, nothing. Kind of sad, if I do get with a girl again any time in the future this is the symptom that gives me the most fear. That I might never experience a proper, wonderful orgasm again. One friendship that had the potential to be more has already died due to me feeling lousy and insecure because of this.

Still get the tingling in my arms/hands and leg/feet, heck my whole body, maybe a little less than at the start, and muscles still hurt on and off a bit, and also a lot of deadness. A week last Wednesday, I took my mirtazipine before bed. It seemed to hit me really, weirdly hard, I could barely walk, my legs were all over the place. When I did get to sleep, I woke sometime later startled, and my whole body was paralysed all over, like I literally couldn't fucking move. Had to spend ages moving my limbs to regain any movement whatsoever. Thankfully this hasn't happened again, but it terrified me. Still also get that irritating 'vibrating' like feeling in my gut and groin shortly after any reasonably sized meal, usually dinner in the evening, usually last an hour or two.

Troublingly, I've also noticed my heart beating way more obviously, tightly and deliberately, usually when lying down. I do have high cholesterol so I initially dismissed it to do with that, but now I think it could be to do with this. One of the most stubbornly persisting symptoms is a feeling of 'numbness' and 'tension' in my jaw usually before, during or a little after eating. Also sometimes when looking directly up or down. I generally don't have a massive trouble swallowing food as such, but the feeling in my jaw is horrible. Again, maybe not as painful or severe as it was at the start, where it felt like my jaw was in a vice, but still very noticeable. It's kind of like the numbing you get when you receive anaesthetic at the dentists, but more like a stiffness, tension, and feeling like it's inflamed even though it's not.

I'm starting to swing more to this being Neuropathy than full blown MS. I'm still scared it is something more severe, but, I mean Neuropathy isn't exactly some light hearted walk in the park is it, heh?

I'm interested in pursuing the more unconventional means Cotcha suggested, but I'm currently unemployed, voluntarily. My dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer this year and the diagnosis, coupled with some messy relationship stuff caused me to have one of my OCD breakdowns. I had to leave work to recover for a couple of months and the relationship ended. I got to go with my dad to all his chemo treatments and spend some quality time with my friends that I hadn't seen in months due to work. But I also kind of acted outside of my nerdy homebody character and went to all night club nights and smoking weed for the first and subsequently a handful of other times. This culminated in me trying MDMA that fateful September night and well, that's why I'm still here seven weeks later.

But yeah, I have enough money saved to look after myself so I can avoid the dole office, but I'm in no fit state to work currently and I'm a little fearful of pursuing potentially costly private treatments or consultations with people not part of the NHS. But if it's helped you I guess I can look into it. Next Saturday will mark two months since the incident. If I haven't seen any noticeable improvement I'll go back my doctors see what they suggest, but if its another frustrating dead end, then I might look into it. I can't moan about feeling like cack all the time then not do absolutely everything to try and make myself better.

To like give me some glimmer of hope, you're basically saying with the right combination of physical therapy, abstinence from any kind of 'hard drug' or maybe even some lesser ones (beer/caffeine etc.) and a more positive and healthy outlook people can see some improvement in neuropathological symptoms?
 
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