If youre HPPD is so severe its causing you distress and really effecting your quality of life then why dont you consider klonopin? Obviously benzo use comes with its risks but it may be better than what youre experiencing now. Klonopin is the main medication used in HPPD
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MDMA Recovery (Stories & Support - 4)
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If youre HPPD is so severe its causing you distress and really effecting your quality of life then why dont you consider klonopin? Obviously benzo use comes with its risks but it may be better than what youre experiencing now. Klonopin is the main medication used in HPPD
Cotcha Yankinov
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Personally I get worse hangovers now but I think that's a sleep thing for me. I would try a beer and see how you do and then try the party.
Thanks for you response. Ill see how I get on with a small amount first!
I want to also ask your opinion on ssris/other antidepressents. My CBT theropist recommended that I should give an ssri a try but ive been reluctant as Ive read that ssris dont really help dp/dr and can sometimes make hppd worse (although ive seen a number of studies where ssris have been used in hppd patients and none of them seem to suggest this and dr.abraham, the leading hppd researcher also stated he would treat some patients with ssris). I have some mild and occasional depression due to my situation which can flare up from time to time but its not constant. Sometimes it does get overwhelming though. Anxiety is my main issue which I think reinforces my dp/dr so if an ssri could possibly help the anxiety and depression then maybe itll help my dpdr in the long run. Any thoughts on this? I know youve recommended citalopram before.
I want to also ask your opinion on ssris/other antidepressents. My CBT theropist recommended that I should give an ssri a try but ive been reluctant as Ive read that ssris dont really help dp/dr and can sometimes make hppd worse (although ive seen a number of studies where ssris have been used in hppd patients and none of them seem to suggest this and dr.abraham, the leading hppd researcher also stated he would treat some patients with ssris). I have some mild and occasional depression due to my situation which can flare up from time to time but its not constant. Sometimes it does get overwhelming though. Anxiety is my main issue which I think reinforces my dp/dr so if an ssri could possibly help the anxiety and depression then maybe itll help my dpdr in the long run. Any thoughts on this? I know youve recommended citalopram before.
I'm a few months into my LTC and was put on Remeron a month and a half ago. It hasn't helped my floaters, but it's stabilized me a bit and helps me sleep. I still have lots of tingling on my scalp, and some muscle twitches, especially at night but I'm better than I was. Still get a few zaps some nights. Last night I had a light beer and some garlic seasoning on my burger.....not good, became shaky again, burning bowel movements, and zaps at night, felt like a mini relapse. I didn't want to go on an antidepressant, but I had no choice. I barley slept for 2 weeks and my job was being severely effected. I'm On 15mg And Hopefully No More Than that. I've found what word best for me is eating very healthy, fish oil, and vitamin C. The nights I sleep best are the nights I vigorously work out, like full on sprints. I've still got a long way to go to be 100%, but what can I do? Just gotta keep pushing on. I'm staying away from any drugs including alcohol until I'm 100% better. Is some of it in my head? I'm sure it is, but it doesn't make it any less real.
Cotcha Yankinov
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Antidepressants are okay to try - mirtazapine will have more immediate benefits upon sleep, I recommend 15mg. SSRIs can take a while to work and the first 2-3 weeks can be not so good for some people.
Mindfulness meditation is the best long term solution for anxiety.
Mindfulness meditation is the best long term solution for anxiety.
Cotcha Yankinov -Wow, for 5 years? How did you even endure this. You must be very strong mentally at least. So the symptoms actually decreased in intensity, not just "noticing less"? Is there any symptom that has completely disappeared or cleared up 90%?Do you know the prognosis for palinopsia (afterimages) and visual snow as the main symptom for HPPD? I want to know if I can recover from those visual symptoms and to what extent. As of now I've been 8 months post MDMA (I think MDMA triggered my HPPD) unfortunately I've seen zero reduction with my visual symptoms, but the head pressure has gotten a bit better at least.
Cotcha Yankinov
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I applaud the exercise. Do your best with the cardio... I hope you feel better soon.. Sorry to sound like a broken record but mindfulness meditation and deep breathing (meditating on the breath) are my weapons for sleep. Don't give up.
Cotcha Yankinov
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It's definitely not just a noticing less thing with me, most symptoms, especially the visual symptoms are more apparent when I'm sleep deprived and much improved when I'm well rested.
Most of the typical LTC symptoms I had (depression, DR/DP, anxiety, insomnia) are greatly improved - and they would have improved a lot more had I not run into so many physical health issues, especially low blood pressure/spoke issues. This MDMA/ecstasy abuse was when I was 14 as well and it was pretty severe (many times 10 pills over a multi day binge, mixing with adderall and so forth) and I had issues before MDMA/ecstasy so I'm a bit of an abnormal case.
I would expect most severe LTC sufferers that utilize mindfulness and cardio to feel much much better in 2-3 years. HPPD and visual symptoms are somewhat seperate as far as recovery goes (most people get HPPD without LTC symptoms from various psychedelics). So try not to think that just because visual symptoms aren't getting better that your LTC isn't getting better.
Hi guys - just checking in. I'm now almost at 8 months and things have actually been pretty good the last couple of weeks. Starting to have really shaken most of the cognitive issues and am functioning pretty well at work. At the point now where I'm not only just getting through day-by-day, but actually enjoying a lot of my life again.
My eye floaters are still there but are bugging me less every day. I've started to accept their presence and by doing so am realising they aren't really causing me any trouble. Hopefully they move even further out to the periphery of my conscience. Tinnitus is still there too but I think is gradually going. My head pressure seems to have gone completely, for now at least anyway.
My immune system is cooked - I'm finding I'm getting sick very easily - but hopefully that's pushing me to lead a more healthy existence. A couple of big nights on the booze and a cheeky cigarette at the same time hasn't helped!
Really looking forward to getting back to normal - I'm definitely getting there.
My eye floaters are still there but are bugging me less every day. I've started to accept their presence and by doing so am realising they aren't really causing me any trouble. Hopefully they move even further out to the periphery of my conscience. Tinnitus is still there too but I think is gradually going. My head pressure seems to have gone completely, for now at least anyway.
My immune system is cooked - I'm finding I'm getting sick very easily - but hopefully that's pushing me to lead a more healthy existence. A couple of big nights on the booze and a cheeky cigarette at the same time hasn't helped!
Really looking forward to getting back to normal - I'm definitely getting there.
That's awesome man, congrats! I am going through a bit of a relapse here. Right now I'm at like 50 percent where I was at 70-80 percent the last couple days. Probably has something to do with the fact that I consumed coffee a few days ago. It has ramped up from there. Has anyone had relapses that can relate?
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Oh ya......LTC is like a roller coaster it goes up and down you have good weeks and bad weeks....for me personally o still have ups and downs but after a little more than a year in it has progressively gone up
And here I thought I was making so much progress...the LTC is a tough pill to swallow. Does the roller coaster get easier to deal with over time?
Yeah, definitely gets better over time. I still have reasonably big swings but it is really noticable that the base-level of those swings improves up a notch every time. Even throughout the day there are swings. Most mornings I wake up with a feeling of anxiety - it's not the feeling of dread that I had in the first few months, but instead a feeling of butterflies in the stomach / sweaty palms etc. It's like being nervous for a big game you're about to play, but without the big game.
It seems to even itself out over the course of the morning, but ideally I'd like it to go. My understanding is that levels of cortisol are at their highest right when you wake, and for those of us going through an LTC it's likely that our cortisol levels are way higher than what we'd like.
On top of all the standard recommended stuff (cardio, diet etc etc), I'm going to give a bit of a try to using some Ashwagandha supplements at night. I've read that it can help to reduce the morning cortisol levels, so I'm going to give it a crack - it may not do anything but it can't hurt to try.
thanks for the PM about the mirtazapine btw, appreciate the input. I've been trying the mindfulness almost every day and I'm learning to enjoy it but it's hard, takes lots of practice. The therapist I'm seeing also strongly suggests it. Cardio is my main form of exercise, I try to do it almost every day. I joined a gym and have been doing weights a few days a week as well. Just gets frustrating as I feel I've been in the same state for over a month. Also paranoid of doing any sexual stimulation as well since that it what pushed me off the deep end. The GF will have to wait a couple more months I think....which sucks but I don't want to risk it.
Cotcha Yankinov
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When you do finally have sex I would try to maintain mindfulness throughout it and after it, I bet for many people sex can kinda throw your thought patterns off and that might have contributed a bit to your original reaction to sex.
Keep at the mindfulness! If it is difficult then it is exactly what you should be doing. Just as if an exercise is very hard and that muscle is very weak, it's good to exercise that muscle. The changes made to the functional connectivity of the brain with mindfulness are impressive but they do take some time.
Keep at the mindfulness! If it is difficult then it is exactly what you should be doing. Just as if an exercise is very hard and that muscle is very weak, it's good to exercise that muscle. The changes made to the functional connectivity of the brain with mindfulness are impressive but they do take some time.
Bruhhhh1234
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What do you guys think about a leaky gut maybe the majority of our problems are coming from it.
I think it becomes dangerous when you start looking for answers in the wrong places. I keep seeing maybe its hpa axis this or adrenal fatigue that or maybe its related to this illness. I think people are over complicating something which is probably very much so anxiety based and should be treated as such. And if its not anxiety based then theyll be another main reason for it.
I very much doubt MDMA can cause leaky gut syndrome or anything of that nature. If you believe you have something like LGS or colieac disease or chrons or whatever, then thats probably secondary to your 'ltc' and you should treat that if needed. Its probably something you eat and an elimination diet should be used to find the cause. That being said if your 'ltc' is anxiety based, that could cause gut problems for sure.
This is a post to bash you or anyone in particular btw, I just think people need to be careful about putting forward all these different illnesses without actual evidence to back it up. I remember when I first got ill id come on here or spend hours searching the internet for different reasons for the cause of my problems, and it didnt do me any favours, now I just accept that i have drug induced depersonilisation/derealisation disorder and treat it as such.
I don't think that the problems come from that, but I realized that eating fresh vegetables/fruits helped me a lot, they give me a real energy kick. I think nutrition is very important for recovery and feeling well.
Will time heal us or is it up to us to relieve our symptoms?
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