Tripping without the trips - HPPD?

[Tidefix]

So to preface, I use psychedelics on a semi regular basis, using either low or high doses as appropriate. The bulk of my recent use has been with MDMA, 2CB and LSD but I've also taken Mexicana truffles and 25x-NBOMe (masquerading as acid, double dropped it and had a rough time physically).

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For a month exactly now I've experienced visual distortions and altered perception after an incredibly psychedelic experience with MDMA (fractals, CEVs etc, the roll was beautiful but very intense).

I have consistently experienced a grainy, static vision much like taking a photo in low light with a low quality camera. It makes it harder to see in the dark. When this gets super intense the 'dots' making up the grains can have a blue tinge. I see a lot of floaters and flying, bright white dots especially when looking at white or blue light.

Additionally, I see a honeycomb-esque pattern against white light - both my TV screen and lampshade in room - which I often see on a variety of surfaces when tripping (especially MD and 2CB). When this is printed on the lamp shade the outline of the shapes is clear with the interior resembling frosted glass. I like to use this lampshade now to remind myself I'm not imagining sh#t haha.

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About an hour ago, this stuff kicked up MASSIVELY. I had smoked a bowl of high quality Kali Mist and taken 10mg propranolol so both probably contribute.

However, I don't think it's caused solely by the weed as I didn't smoke for the first two weeks of experiencing this. I haven't used drugs beyond alcohol, cannabis and one dose of kratom this month.

My (very smooth, pattern free) white ceiling looked as if it had painted swirls on. Out the corner of my eye the ceiling above the light bulb looked cracked. Naturally upon noticing this I checked the lamp and the pattern was very prominent. Also, when I focused hard on it a flash of neon blue dots occurred around it. It was very pleasing visually and I half expected it to hand me a quest.

I also experienced morphing and swimming (felt like a low dose of LSD) and palpitations. I seemed to be dazed and clumsy. I threw cat food everywhere! This was a bit unusual as I find the weed strain (90% sativa) stimulating and focusing.

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This happening is a relief to me as now I know I'm not imagining things but I do wonder what it means and why it has come to me now after extended use with no prior issues.

I find the perceptions interesting and harmless but I don't really want it to last forever!

How many people have experienced the same?

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PS I've had my eyes tested to check it isn't those, no signs of problems and light reactions completely normal.

 

[whos there]

weed can be super psychedelic after a bunch of psychedelics

 

[lionheart90]

Sorry mate but it does sound like HPPD. Seems like God saw fit to take psychedelics away from you.

Had a friend go through it and he told me that it cleared up a few years after he quit all psychedelics.

he was heavy into psychedelics and then developed HPPD. he quit all the psychs and only smoked weed but eventually even the weed would make his HPPD flare up. He quit the weed too and went to completly sober living, started to exercise regularly and ate mostly vegetables and healthy foods. took a while but he said his HPPD has totally cleared up.

 

[dopamimetic]

From a neuroscientific point of view, afaik it would appear logically to assume up-regulated 5-HT2A receptors (the same ones where psychedelicas act on), so that they kind of "over react" to endogenous serotonin or in absence of any ligand.. so it might be worth trying a medication which either blocks (antagonizes) or reverses (inverse agonist) such activity. I know this is the net and I am not a doc, nor can I replace the visit at one's or am supposed to recommend medicine but I think some information can't hurt and to get 'em you'd have to visit a doc's anyways.

Unfortunately most approved chemicals in said group are quite powerful and quite non-selective, most are antipsychotics which at least also block dopamine (and thus have a set of side effects which are not required when you are not suffering from abnormal thought patterns), or some atypical antidepressants.

From a quick look, a very promising medicine is pimavanserin (Nuplazid) because it is a selective 5-HT2A inverse agonist that does not touch dopamine or other circuits. Maybe it's hard to get cause at the moment it's only approved for psychosis with Parkinson's but approval for "Schizophrenia" is also under development... (I don't get it why meds get approved for a non-scientific symptom package called schizophrenia instead of just psychosis..) Besides that, a relatively benign antipsychotic with pretty high selectivity for 5-HT2A over dopamine is dipiperone. It can make you tired though.

Also, as you've experienced, smoking pot isn't the best thing to do when you've got HPPD. I don't tolerate weed even without it, it exacrebates my anxiety disorder. Alcohol also isn't that good because it has a harsh rebound. But this doesn't mean that you'll never be able to enjoy drugs again, just give your body and yourself enough time to heal and avoid rebounding stress - that's also why I think that taking meds temporarily might aid in the long term.

Wish you a quick recover.

 

[Xorkoth]

It does sound like HPPD. Is there an emotional component, too? Like anxiety, depersonalization, anything like that? Or is it just visual? Either way, sadly, weed is going to exacerbate this, as it is known to do. Generally the cure for this kind of thing is time away from drugs, especially weed, psychedelics and stimulants.

For the record, I experience visual static and occasional anomalies and I've tripped a whole lot in my life. The longer I go without drugs, the less I see it. I recently had to quit smoking weed for 2 and a half months and it substantially disappeared even though I tripped a couple of times in that period of time. However, I like weed, and mine is just really minor so it doesn't bother me.