Venting Anxiety continuing three weeks after cocaine use, not going away

[Mike510]

I posted in this in the focus forums, but I figured this was a better place for it after getting no responses.

I've used toot sparsely for the past two years. I could probably count the number of times with my fingers. The most recent time was 3 weeks ago. I got hammered and then used some, not a lot. Ever since, I've had little persistent headaches. The back of my head/neck feels kind of heavy and I am restless. It's harder to go to sleep. It's kind of like brain fog. I went to the doctor and they told me my vitals, blood, and urine is good and they think I have anxiety. I wanted to get a body scan, but they didn't want to recommend me, as it wasn't anything major from their point of view. I really do feel physically weakened.

I've never experienced anxiety before and I'm pretty sure this was a trigger. I've always been a normal laid back person. I'm seeing a psychiatrist soon. Anybody else have this experience or know anybody that's had this experience? The other times I did it, I might've had anxiety the next day, but nothing that persisted this long. I never used it much in the first place and will definitely stay away after going through this. It makes it harder to concentrate.

 

[Mafioso]

Yeah that does seem kind of odd. I've heard of similar experiences being triggered from very mild drug use but it's rare and usually involving a substance believed to be mdma. It's difficult to say what is really happening because of limited research with banned substances.

How serious are the symptoms would you say? Like how much are they impacting your ability to function normally through out the day?

 

[Frontwize1]

That's gonna be hectic for you to quit man

 

[Mike510]

I have a persistent headache that sometimes involves nausea and diarrhea. But it's mostly the headache part. I'm really not sure if it's anxiety because it really feels physical. I'm worried that the last time I tried it, it was cut with some bad substance. The few times I did it was in college last year where I knew what I was getting. But this time, it was from one of those city dealers that tend to be a bit more sketchy. Last time I did it before this time was in college 8 months ago. I want an MRI scan, but health insurance in the US rarely covers those unless it's an emergency.

And as a side note: I only did around two lines worth this time. Nothing that would be considered a 'binge' but it was pretty potent stuff.

 

[Mafioso]

I would think that you would have had to ingest some pretty fucking nasty substance in order to have that major of a reaction from that small of an amount. Also, if it was the coke, or some substance it was cut with, what about your friends you did it with? If it makes you feel any better, most coke in the US is less than 40% pure. And people go on benders doing an 8ball in a night, even injecting the shit.

There is a really interesting documentary on Netflix called Afflicted about people with undiagnosed illness. Some have some really skeptical diagnosis like electromagnetic sensitivity syndrome. The illnesses do not seem to have a root cause and the symptoms often seem to vary with setting and environment. Some doctors who specialize in this talk about how even if it is "all in their mind" that it is still real because the mind and body are one. The brain can make real changes in the body, things like stress response are physical responses that begin in the mind.

I'm not trying to say that you are only imagining things at all. I believe you are having actual physical symptoms that are concerning, but I wonder if it is not being amplified by worry. Rather than exhausting your mind with all the different possibilities and "what if's", is there a way to shift the focus to ways you can be healthier? Like headaches can be caused by many things, something as simple as not drinking enough water could be the cause. Rather than focusing on all the different ways things could have gone wrong, try to focus on all the ways that things can go right. Are you exercising every day? Are you taking time to relax and destress?

 

[lavanlavan]

Have you ever struggled in any way with your mental health in the past? It's rare, but certain drugs can trigger things depending on your personal stability. I used to smoke a lot of weed in my teens and was once given a reefer of pure grass with no tobacco at a party and lost 2 days of my life. This was 30 years ago and I have had air hunger/anxiety ever since. Any drug I touch sets it off. Coke is now the only drug I do and I need a lot of Xanax to calm me down after.