Relationship between dopamine/Seretonin drugs and motor skills damage

[Yellowfishmate]

Hey,

I am finding this quite an interesting area. I am almost viewing myself as a human guine pig... Worryingly enough. I am learning about a subject I never thought I would have

For roughly a year I used cocaine on the weekends, maybe once every 2 weeks, no biggie. However after having a particularly big session 3 months ago, I developed brain zaps (some of you may heard of these others not). They are typical in excessive MDMA use and SSRI withdrawal. These subsided after a month of no drug taking. Thinking I had fully recovered as symptoms has dropped after the month, I tried Coke again taking roughly 500mg. When I woke up in the morning I had a bit of vertigo, though that could have been the hangover. A couple days later I developed the brain zaps before sleeping again, they came back with a vengeance. I knew never to touch the drug again. I also developed a twitch/tic and muscle fasciculations in my calves.

The brain zaps/ myclonic jerks at night have stopped which is a positive, it's taken 2 months. The twitches/tics reduced in frequency over these past 2 months of going cold turkey however seem to have hit a plateau in terms of progress. With small random twitches throughout the day. The muscle fasciculations (sometimes close to cramps) have stayed, drinking alcohol has seemed to aggrvated them. I unserstand alcohol releases dopamine. I am also experiencing occasional burning sensations in my calfs. I don't believe it has damaged my cognitive skills but my motor neurone instead

I have done research on my symptoms and they seem to match up scarily with the below. Is it possible for what I call a drug overdose to cause Multiple Sclerosis or ALS? I understand it is your immune system attacking itself. It is the muscle fasciculations in my calves, primarily my left calf which worry me.

I am currently seeking professional help and advice. I am just interested in seeing what people think on this forum as some of you seem to have a good subject understand. Speak in greater detail that doctors worryingly enough.

Thanks

Yellowfish

 

[pofacedhoe]

go to a doctor

just tell them the symptoms. being labelled a drug user is not wise so avoid it but get checked out for the symptoms you are experiencing

 

[Cotcha Yankinov]

So basically many people have gotten fasciculations from MDMA and such and most people end up learning about how fasciculations are a common symptom of very early stage ALS, but when they go to have their nerves tested for MS/ALS they have always been fine (historically). I'm not aware of any recorded instances of MDMA leading to MS or ALS, even though in animals MDMA has been shown to activate the microglia (the cells that are problematic in MS).

I think the localization of your symptoms is strange and is not indicative of MS where central nervous system problems are the issue, I don't know about localization of ALS symptoms but if I recall correctly it usually starts in the hands.

If any other symptoms pop up I would then go to the doctor but until then I would relax. Just my two cents - I'm sure others would say basically "we are not medical professionals blah blah blah".

We don't know a whole lot about benign fasciculation syndrome unfortunately (at one point I bothered to read an entire study that was somewhat recent), but what we do know is that many people have just fasciculations from over excitable nerves often without any pathology or other symptoms, but if there is pathology it is statistically some degree of neuropathy that could be from compression of the nerves.

Compression neuropathy is actually incredibly common, there are tiny blood vessels that flow through the nerves supplying them with oxygen, the nerves can consume about 20% of the bodies oxygen so when the arteries inside the nerves get compressed the nerves get cranky and inflamed.

It's a good sign that it's improving though, I would exercise and give it time.