So this started as a message to "First Bad Comedown" after I saw his posts on "serotonin syndrome aftermath". I wanted to ask him some questions... but his message space is full. Since I wrote so much, and still want answers, I figured I'd just ask the lot of you. You can also refer to an earlier post 'tramadol broke my brain' for reference... but up until lately I was thinking that my symptoms were the cause of partial seizures or some other imbalance than SS.
2 months ago I had what I believe to be serotonin syndrome after a binge weekend. I had just found out the love of my life was cheating, and cut off from my normal hooks for vics and what have you I ordered the following unmentionables (SOMA, TRAMADOL, DEMEROL CLONE) from some site in india not knowing they'd interact poorly and not doing enough research. I am not usually this careless. Soma I had been rxed many times for TMJ issues, and had no trouble in the past combining it with other drugs (albeit not serotonin agonists).
For three days in a row I took roughly 300mg tramadol (no tolerance but decent opiate tolerance) and 40mg dionoxylate (similar to demerol). It was all fine and dandy until the third day, when I took 250mg trams and a SOMA pill... I was smoking pot all weekend too as is the usual for me. About an hour after dosage my pupils dilated fully and I started to feel like m eyes were going to pop out of my head. Became extremely hot, sweating, very shakey, lied down and basically writhed in agony for a good hour; I was convinced that I would die. The next 13 hours are a blur but I know I wound up taking some benzos because I thought i was just having a seizure from the trams (had no idea soma and demerol had seratonergic activity at the time b/c im a dumbass). Woke up at 4am and half of my body felt numb... like I could only turn in one direction. Felt like some seizure/stroke type of thing and I called the ER. They wrote it off as a 'reaction to tramadol' and sent me back the next morning.
The next week I felt like I was in the final comedown stages of lsd or something (my pupils even danced in a similar way). For weeks after I was panicky. Everything felt unreal and dreamlike and involved intense fear. Light sensitivty was insanely painful at times, and I would occasionally crash and barely be able to stay awake. Every substance I took including weed, antihistimines, nicotine, alcohol caused dilated pupils, weird visuals, brain zaps and unreal and frightening sensations. I remember trying to have a few beers at a comedy club... the damn room was changing colors as I clutched my arms... trying not to faint from fear. Over 6 weeks it improved and after feeling slightly normal I noticed hot flashes and a constantly sore and tired throat. I'm a singer and this was getting frustrating. I had gotten strep (predisposed) 7 times the last couple years so I got an amoxicillin rx and tried to take it... BAM. Big episode. Writhing in bed. Coudln't lift my head or feel my face. arms were completely numb and kept getting weird muscle jerks. Pure terror. All my symptoms that seemed to be improving returned, and I wound up going to the ER again.
Since then it has been improving. Doctors knew little of SS or tramadol (one didn't know that trams had seratonin activity and told me to see a shrink) and they had me convinced for the longest time that it was a panic disorder. This was no bueno, as I used this as an excuse to keep trying weed... with results varying from bearable mania and euphoria to a full blown 'episode'. At one point I thought I was having partial seizures... based on brain zaps (feels like i leave my body) and weird sensory disturbances alone. eg. Suddenly smelling menthol before having a big brain zap.
Does this sound like SS to you? Reading your post today I've decided to ditch all drugs (though since the amox incident I had only been trying to smoke one hit of 7% thc weed every day or other day).
Any advice? exercise would logically help but has in the past (albeit when things were a lot worse) caused an 'episode'. The one good ER doc I saw gave me a Ativan script, but I have shyed from taking those because while they do help with symptoms, they make me 'bored' and have worse symptoms in rebound.
As of now I can work and it is bearable, but i get occasional agitation and vision problems... often I feel very tired or agitated for no reason. I'm no longer a mess but I still don't feel in control. I'm afraid to go out for fear of symptons getting worse and making me look foolish or insane.
The whole incident has caused me to evaluate my drug use, but I am realizing now that despite taking it too far and getting careless, I like the option of taking something to change my mood and state; believe it or not having the option made me more confident on or off drugs. My only real habit was weed, and even alcohol I would drink only once every few weeks. I was a shy, nervous mess before I started smoking weed (granted this incident has taken me bake to square one). I want to get the control back in my life, and being afraid to ingest anything doesn't do much for me in that regard. Is caffeine okay (it seemed to cause problems)? Is there any substance I can reliably take aside from benzos and not have problems? At the very least, will I ever be able to smoke again?
I should had that I have had symptoms appear, though almost always in very low intesnity, when sober. At times ill feel giddy and hyper, othertimes agitated and manic, other times sad and exhausted. On the whole the lot of symptoms seem much less intense than when it started (but still noticeable, impactful, and deeply frustrating).
TO ANYONE WHO HAS SUFFERED FROM SS WITH A LONG RECOVERY:
How is your recovery? Have you returned to a more normal state? Do you feel like any of the ill effects are in some way permanent? Were you ever able to smoke or drink or anything again?
I understand this is a lot and thank you in advance, even if you don't get to it. I only ask because doctors keep telling me its anxiety and telling me to see a shrink, but ive had anxiety all my life and KNOW that anxiety is a symptom in this case, not a cause.
Thanks again.
2 months ago I had what I believe to be serotonin syndrome after a binge weekend. I had just found out the love of my life was cheating, and cut off from my normal hooks for vics and what have you I ordered the following unmentionables (SOMA, TRAMADOL, DEMEROL CLONE) from some site in india not knowing they'd interact poorly and not doing enough research. I am not usually this careless. Soma I had been rxed many times for TMJ issues, and had no trouble in the past combining it with other drugs (albeit not serotonin agonists).
For three days in a row I took roughly 300mg tramadol (no tolerance but decent opiate tolerance) and 40mg dionoxylate (similar to demerol). It was all fine and dandy until the third day, when I took 250mg trams and a SOMA pill... I was smoking pot all weekend too as is the usual for me. About an hour after dosage my pupils dilated fully and I started to feel like m eyes were going to pop out of my head. Became extremely hot, sweating, very shakey, lied down and basically writhed in agony for a good hour; I was convinced that I would die. The next 13 hours are a blur but I know I wound up taking some benzos because I thought i was just having a seizure from the trams (had no idea soma and demerol had seratonergic activity at the time b/c im a dumbass). Woke up at 4am and half of my body felt numb... like I could only turn in one direction. Felt like some seizure/stroke type of thing and I called the ER. They wrote it off as a 'reaction to tramadol' and sent me back the next morning.
The next week I felt like I was in the final comedown stages of lsd or something (my pupils even danced in a similar way). For weeks after I was panicky. Everything felt unreal and dreamlike and involved intense fear. Light sensitivty was insanely painful at times, and I would occasionally crash and barely be able to stay awake. Every substance I took including weed, antihistimines, nicotine, alcohol caused dilated pupils, weird visuals, brain zaps and unreal and frightening sensations. I remember trying to have a few beers at a comedy club... the damn room was changing colors as I clutched my arms... trying not to faint from fear. Over 6 weeks it improved and after feeling slightly normal I noticed hot flashes and a constantly sore and tired throat. I'm a singer and this was getting frustrating. I had gotten strep (predisposed) 7 times the last couple years so I got an amoxicillin rx and tried to take it... BAM. Big episode. Writhing in bed. Coudln't lift my head or feel my face. arms were completely numb and kept getting weird muscle jerks. Pure terror. All my symptoms that seemed to be improving returned, and I wound up going to the ER again.
Since then it has been improving. Doctors knew little of SS or tramadol (one didn't know that trams had seratonin activity and told me to see a shrink) and they had me convinced for the longest time that it was a panic disorder. This was no bueno, as I used this as an excuse to keep trying weed... with results varying from bearable mania and euphoria to a full blown 'episode'. At one point I thought I was having partial seizures... based on brain zaps (feels like i leave my body) and weird sensory disturbances alone. eg. Suddenly smelling menthol before having a big brain zap.
Does this sound like SS to you? Reading your post today I've decided to ditch all drugs (though since the amox incident I had only been trying to smoke one hit of 7% thc weed every day or other day).
Any advice? exercise would logically help but has in the past (albeit when things were a lot worse) caused an 'episode'. The one good ER doc I saw gave me a Ativan script, but I have shyed from taking those because while they do help with symptoms, they make me 'bored' and have worse symptoms in rebound.
As of now I can work and it is bearable, but i get occasional agitation and vision problems... often I feel very tired or agitated for no reason. I'm no longer a mess but I still don't feel in control. I'm afraid to go out for fear of symptons getting worse and making me look foolish or insane.
The whole incident has caused me to evaluate my drug use, but I am realizing now that despite taking it too far and getting careless, I like the option of taking something to change my mood and state; believe it or not having the option made me more confident on or off drugs. My only real habit was weed, and even alcohol I would drink only once every few weeks. I was a shy, nervous mess before I started smoking weed (granted this incident has taken me bake to square one). I want to get the control back in my life, and being afraid to ingest anything doesn't do much for me in that regard. Is caffeine okay (it seemed to cause problems)? Is there any substance I can reliably take aside from benzos and not have problems? At the very least, will I ever be able to smoke again?
I should had that I have had symptoms appear, though almost always in very low intesnity, when sober. At times ill feel giddy and hyper, othertimes agitated and manic, other times sad and exhausted. On the whole the lot of symptoms seem much less intense than when it started (but still noticeable, impactful, and deeply frustrating).
TO ANYONE WHO HAS SUFFERED FROM SS WITH A LONG RECOVERY:
How is your recovery? Have you returned to a more normal state? Do you feel like any of the ill effects are in some way permanent? Were you ever able to smoke or drink or anything again?
I understand this is a lot and thank you in advance, even if you don't get to it. I only ask because doctors keep telling me its anxiety and telling me to see a shrink, but ive had anxiety all my life and KNOW that anxiety is a symptom in this case, not a cause.
Thanks again.
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