MDMA Recovery (Stories & Support - 4)

[ADubbs]

Thats strange, I never experienced such reactions to curcumin. Maybe you should try a golden milk recipe if you want to give it another try.

Yeah.....well since this all began I've been sensitive to everything, couldn't even have sex (set me waaay back) garlic makes me have a little relapse. Curcumin screws around with Serotonin a bit so I think that has something to do with it. I just have to take it easy on everything, even things that seem benign I guess.

Whats golden milk?

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

Curcumin does have effects on 2 serotonin/neurotransmitter related enzymes that I'm aware of, increase serotonin and neurotransmitters isn't always the best thing.

Black pepper can greatly increase the absorption of curcumin by inhibiting one of the body's natural mechanisms of transporting substances (out of the body).

 

[ADubbs]

Curcumin does have effects on 2 serotonin/neurotransmitter related enzymes that I'm aware of, increase serotonin and neurotransmitters isn't always the best thing.

Black pepper can greatly increase the absorption of curcumin by inhibiting one of the body's natural mechanisms of transporting substances (out of the body).

You think I set myself back at all? I feel shaky all over again like another relapse, heart pounding. I'm so scared.

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

That's just adrenaline/stress response - it's okay. Curcumin is used very regularly with pepper and the very concentrated piperine extracts with often a bit of a stress reaction from what I've read. So nothing to be scared of, it's probably just inhibition of MAO-A, an enzyme that normally metabolizes serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which is normally a great treatment for depression (MAOIs). Things will return to normal soon I'm sure. Try not to catastrophize in the mean time Peripheral symptoms can really mess with your head but try to relax and calm your thoughts.

 

[fnono33]

I have noticed a degraditation in skin/hair quality. I hope it comes back to life. I guess it's a natural response to stress.

 

[Amml]

Whats golden milk?

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/golden-milk.html
I always add Lecithin for better adsorption.

Curcumin does have effects on 2 serotonin/neurotransmitter related enzymes that I'm aware of, increase serotonin and neurotransmitters isn't always the best thing.

Black pepper can greatly increase the absorption of curcumin by inhibiting one of the body's natural mechanisms of transporting substances (out of the body).

IMO curcumin has not such a strong effect on neurotransmitters that it brings you out of balance, but as I said it increases neuronal sprouting and has the same positive effects on the hippocampus as AD's, but I've never read something about neurological or psychological side effects, the only known side effects are weak blood thinning effects and gastoenteral effects, but they only occur when used in very high doses (< 3-5g pure curcumin/day). So I think if it's used in it's natural form, it may be helpful for some

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

I have noticed a degraditation in skin/hair quality. I hope it comes back to life. I guess it's a natural response to stress.

Growth hormone is important for skin quality, and most growth hormone is released during sleep. So it could be the sleep deprivation.

But have no fear, it isn't permanent at all. The skin is shed all the time, and when you start sleeping more the new layers of skin will be built with all the great effects of growth hormone.

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/golden-milk.html
I always add Lecithin for better adsorption.

IMO curcumin has not such a strong effect on neurotransmitters that it brings you out of balance, but as I said it increases neuronal sprouting and has the same positive effects on the hippocampus as AD's, but I've never read something about neurological or psychological side effects, the only known side effects are weak blood thinning effects and gastoenteral effects, but they only occur when used in very high doses (< 3-5g pure curcumin/day). So I think if it's used in it's natural form, it may be helpful for some

There is a strong case for liposomal preparations of curcumin, I personally think Longvida (UCLA's formulation) is very interesting. It's best attribute would probably be the ability to decrease some of the plaques that we see in Alzheimer's for example.

But curcumin has many effects, more research would be nice. It's effects could be as simple as increasing neurotransmitter activity by reduction of the enzymes that break them down (MAO, IDO - IDO possible playing a role in some depressions) but there are also immune system and cell apoptosis/differentiation effects that need more research. Unfortunately a lot of the research has been done by some who might have been not-so-honest.

 

[fnono33]

Is there a reason why sex/masturbation sets us off?

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

Is there a reason why sex/masturbation sets us off?

It could be various things I think. It could be something more to do with the thought patterns/neural activity that happen during it when you get out of control, but as you get back to normal and recover sex won't be an issue, at least it wasn't for me as I recovered. It was definitely an issue during the real midst of the LTC though, so don't worry too much, I think it's normal. But try to abstain for a while if you find its messing you up.

I mainly found that sex can be very stimulating and when you're in the midst of an LTC and you're sensitive to stress/anxiety then sex can stimulate you a bit too much, even stressful video games and other stimulating things got me feeling the same way so I don't think it's unique to sex. But like I said it gets so much better as you return to your normal state.

If you find your thoughts are running wild after sex, especially late at night and during sleep deprivation, mindfulness meditation is really important.

 

[ADubbs]

That's just adrenaline/stress response - it's okay. Curcumin is used very regularly with pepper and the very concentrated piperine extracts with often a bit of a stress reaction from what I've read. So nothing to be scared of, it's probably just inhibition of MAO-A, an enzyme that normally metabolizes serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which is normally a great treatment for depression (MAOIs). Things will return to normal soon I'm sure. Try not to catastrophize in the mean time Peripheral symptoms can really mess with your head but try to relax and calm your thoughts.

yeah the curcumin I took had pepper in the capsule, curcumin longvida.

I'm still wide awake at 2 am and still don't feel well at all. Upset stomach, I barely ate anything all day, dry mouth, nausea. Been hard trying to keep positive. It almost feels like a mild case of SS, as ridiculous as that sounds. I'd like to take my remeron again but am afraid of it screwing me up even further. It could also be some some slight withdrawal from the Remeron hitting me 4 days later? I have some Zopiclone as well....thinking of maybe taking one of those since it only works on GABA.

 

[ADubbs]

I took it with grapeseed extract as well which probably wasn't a great idea....

 

[BelgianBear]

Hi guys,

I am looking to find some helpful advice from members who have undergone a similar experience to myself. A little over a month ago I was at a party and dosed two 150 mg of a crystal substance I was told was MDMA, although I believe it was cut with something else. The high was euphoric and everyone opened up, but the feeling felt different, there were no visuals (what I would call "earthquake vision") and the high did not come in waves. Instead, I felt euphoric for about 8 hours straight until I started to have no energy left, I began hyperventilating, my voice began to tremble and I developed a painless torticollis (neck spasm to the left), which lasted a few hours. I have never had a negative experience on MDMA throughout the 3 years I have been consuming it. I always space my MDMA use at least 3 months apart and do not take as much as I took this last time.

The following day, after managing a few hours of sleep, I felt extremely disconnected from the world, nothing beyond the ordinary, however I did notice that my head felt extremely heavy, almost as if my neck could snap under its weight. After 5 days had passed I started getting a very dull, continuous headache and my anxiety levels were through the roof. For the following week I struggled with life: I barely slept or ate, and had terrible suicidal and desperate thoughts.

This continuos headache has continued every single day since my ingestion of MDMA approximately 35 days ago, with a few other symptoms which are as follows:

- pain in turning my neck to the left, as well as a soft, grating noise when I do so.
- ears pop and crackle when i swallow or open my jaw.
- left index finger frequently tingles or goes numb, this comes and goes every few days.
- A little more info on the headache < It is usually at the back of my head around the base, but can be around my temples and around my eyes (sometimes causing eye pain), or on the front or top of my head.
- dizziness, sometimes not that noticeable but if I turn my head or engage in activity that is too vigorous it becomes apparent.
- pins and needles seem to occur more often and more intensely than the used to.

I must say since about two weeks ago I am starting to feel mentally like myself again. I am eating a balanced and healthy 3 meals a day, I am doing cardio every day and lifting at the gym at least twice a week. However, my physical symptoms are still present with incredibly slow improvement. They always seem to set in around an hour after I wake up and get worse with stress.

I have seen two doctors who I must say were pretty unhelpful, the first one put it down to stress and anxiety. This made sense at the time but like I said it does not apply anymore as I am back to feeling like myself. The second one put it down to a viral infection he told me would subside in a matter of days, which it hasn't.

I should also mention that I am taking Omega 3 fish oil tablets and multivitamins!

Please, if anyone has gone through a similar experience please feel free to PM me or reply to this thread.

Stay safe guys,

BB

 

[ADubbs]

If your sleep is ok now, everything else should fall in line over the next few months I world think. At least that's what cotcha says and I've noticed when I don't sleep that's when things are the worst.

 

[fnono33]

So I am convinced that the coffee that I consumed two weeks ago is the culprit in me feeling worse. My rhythm is off, I am in a hyper-adrenalized state 24/7 with small windows of clarity. I think the period for the toxic effects to complete is two weeks (or so I read) and yesterday which was two weeks to the day since I consumed coffee was the worst I have ever had. I realize I am likely back at square 1 or worse but I am going to conitnue to work. I just feel so bad about consuming that. Suicidal ideations are very present. Two months of recovery down the drain....((utter sadness)) as if my life line has just been cut. What I would give to take that decision back.

 

[ADubbs]

So I am convinced that the coffee that I consumed two weeks ago is the culprit in me feeling worse. My rhythm is off, I am in a hyper-adrenalized state 24/7 with small windows of clarity. I think the period for the toxic effects to complete is two weeks (or so I read) and yesterday which was two weeks to the day since I consumed coffee was the worst I have ever had. I realize I am likely back at square 1 or worse but I am going to conitnue to work. I just feel so bad about consuming that. Suicidal ideations are very present. Two months of recovery down the drain....((utter sadness)) as if my life line has just been cut. What I would give to take that decision back.

You and I appear to be in the same boat Fnono. Since I took all those supplements 3 days ago I've been back at square 1, no sleep, tons of twitches, crying spells, thumping chest (i.e. "wired"). Full on relapse.

How's your sleep been? Mine has gone down hill considerably, only 1.5 hours last night. Time to take Remeron again it looks, even if it will hurt things in the long run.

 

[fnono33]

Yeah, it's rough...considering how much progress was made. This is actually feels worse than square 1 so I think I am in for some long term recovery ahead as I don't think these symptoms could be any worse in anyone. My sleep is not good. I have had to take attivan over the last couple days to even get a few hours. The worst part is that the rhythm now is that I will be in the worst state during the night. I'm going to try to not take the attivan tonight.

 

[fnono33]

Hi guys,

I am looking to find some helpful advice from members who have undergone a similar experience to myself. A little over a month ago I was at a party and dosed two 150 mg of a crystal substance I was told was MDMA, although I believe it was cut with something else. The high was euphoric and everyone opened up, but the feeling felt different, there were no visuals (what I would call "earthquake vision") and the high did not come in waves. Instead, I felt euphoric for about 8 hours straight until I started to have no energy left, I began hyperventilating, my voice began to tremble and I developed a painless torticollis (neck spasm to the left), which lasted a few hours. I have never had a negative experience on MDMA throughout the 3 years I have been consuming it. I always space my MDMA use at least 3 months apart and do not take as much as I took this last time.

The following day, after managing a few hours of sleep, I felt extremely disconnected from the world, nothing beyond the ordinary, however I did notice that my head felt extremely heavy, almost as if my neck could snap under its weight. After 5 days had passed I started getting a very dull, continuous headache and my anxiety levels were through the roof. For the following week I struggled with life: I barely slept or ate, and had terrible suicidal and desperate thoughts.

This continuos headache has continued every single day since my ingestion of MDMA approximately 35 days ago, with a few other symptoms which are as follows:

- pain in turning my neck to the left, as well as a soft, grating noise when I do so.
- ears pop and crackle when i swallow or open my jaw.
- left index finger frequently tingles or goes numb, this comes and goes every few days.
- A little more info on the headache < It is usually at the back of my head around the base, but can be around my temples and around my eyes (sometimes causing eye pain), or on the front or top of my head.
- dizziness, sometimes not that noticeable but if I turn my head or engage in activity that is too vigorous it becomes apparent.
- pins and needles seem to occur more often and more intensely than the used to.

I must say since about two weeks ago I am starting to feel mentally like myself again. I am eating a balanced and healthy 3 meals a day, I am doing cardio every day and lifting at the gym at least twice a week. However, my physical symptoms are still present with incredibly slow improvement. They always seem to set in around an hour after I wake up and get worse with stress.

I have seen two doctors who I must say were pretty unhelpful, the first one put it down to stress and anxiety. This made sense at the time but like I said it does not apply anymore as I am back to feeling like myself. The second one put it down to a viral infection he told me would subside in a matter of days, which it hasn't.

I should also mention that I am taking Omega 3 fish oil tablets and multivitamins!

Please, if anyone has gone through a similar experience please feel free to PM me or reply to this thread.

Stay safe guys,

BB

It seems like you're doing the right stuff. I had/have all these symptoms and if you stay on the path you'll be good to go I think. I also took
Cq10 which I think helps.

 

[martainnn]

If it helps...I decided to consume alcohol about 5/6 months into my LTC (cant remember exactly when) and I tried 4 bottles of beer. Went okay and actually woke up the next day feeling really good. 2 weeks later, decided to have a pint and drank about 2/3rds of it. Alcohol has this effect on me of keeping me awake and I ended up sleeping about 2 hours of that night and the next day was the worst I ever had. The following day after was the best Ive had since the whole thing started. Then the following month I took a turn for the worse and started wanting to kill myself again, crying, thinking my life was over, but Ive slowly got better since and my anxiety is pretty low, but my vision is slightly worse than before but im hoping thatll calm eventually too! Anyway what im saying is, setbacks are normal, and they make you feel worse than ever because you started to feel better. Just hang in there, and in a couple of weeks you'll have gone back to baseline. These things take time. Hope that helps

 

[ADubbs]

Yeah, it's rough...considering how much progress was made. This is actually feels worse than square 1 so I think I am in for some long term recovery ahead as I don't think these symptoms could be any worse in anyone. My sleep is not good. I have had to take attivan over the last couple days to even get a few hours. The worst part is that the rhythm now is that I will be in the worst state during the night. I'm going to try to not take the attivan tonight.

Sorry to hear this, can you take some time off work? I'm way worse at night too, that's when my face buzzing and twitching is the worst. Is the Ativan prescribed? Maybe have your doc consider klonopin instead, or maybe something more mild like a Z drug, although these didn't work for me when I'm really wired.