Well, I've had an episode of something or other after taking 5-HTP that I thought was serotonin syndrome but now find it probably wasn't.
I'll try to describe the experience as accurately as possible and hope some of you may be able to tell me what was actually happening.
Three weeks ago I took three pills of E that ended up being mostly meth (or so me and friends think judging by the symptoms) with some mdma. Too much for me; heart rate was blasting for close to 17 hrs. Anyway. About 40 hrs after initial dose of meth pills, I took one pill (50mg) of 5-HTP, and about 6 hrs later, another. No discernible effects.
The next day (so, about 72 hrs after initial dose of meth pill) I took a pill of 5-HTP. I was busy getting stuff out of the car and so the pill partially melted (gelcap) in my mouth before I finally got water to wash it down (stupid multitasking). I assume this means that more of the 5-HTP made it to my brain because it entered the bloodstream more directly (through the tongue).
About half an hour after this ingestion, I was lying in bed, looking to sleep when I suddenly started feeling slightly naseous. After about 5 minutes of this feeling, I started seeing things moving oddly....like wavy really. This wasn't sustained. Maybe 3 s long about 30s apart. I closed my eyes but found that I was hallucinating. I kept seeing odd patterns and even street lights (I had been driving shortly before this). I became rather frightened. I didn't know what was happening or why and couldn't figure out why it would be happening.
The scariest part of the whole ordeal was probably my fluctuating heart rate. It would be normal for about 10 minutes only to increase for about 5 minutes. Cycles of this. I felt anxious and felt like I had to keep moving (a similar feeling I had when my heart rate was still booming 10 hrs after initial meth dose two days previous). I went outside and found it to be more comfortable.
I did panic a little and was the whole time considering both waking my parents and driving myself to hospital.
I ended up simply phoning a friend of mine. I found it comforting to talk to someone.
The whole ordeal lasted maybe an hour after which I was able to fall asleep.
Near the end of this hour I felt a slight euphoria.
Also (sorry for failing to mention this earlier), I got odd rushes as I was lying in bed....kind of felt like I was going to faint. A quick rush of light-headedness that I could feel in my chest/throat even. These came on about every 10-15 minutes and were quick, lasting no more than 2 seconds.
I discontinued 5-HTP use thereafter, afraid that such an episode could happen again. A week ago (or two weeks after the above-mentioned episode) I took a pill of 5-htp before bed to see if this would happen again. And it did! Not nearly as intense or long-lasting as before and without some of the scarier symptoms (chiefly the fluctuating heart rate).
The three nights after the first incident, I would get those naseating rushes when trying to fall asleep. Getting less and less intense and numerous as time went by.
The night after the second incident I also had a recurrence of the rush but only one.
Anyone?
I very much appreciate any and all help.
Thank you.
