Do you think I have HPPD?

[FDog]

Hi all, I am 29 and live in the UK. I am not sure if I have HPPD but came across this site when searching out symptoms I have been suffering from for about 6 months now.

I have slight double vision (worse when looking at light sources or back lit (e.g TV's etc)), visual snow, slight afterimages that burn away very quickly, halo's around light sources and some trails. I also have some floaters (crystal worms). My colour perception is fine and the only I anxiety I have is caused by me worrying about the symptoms.

I used to to take ecstasy when I used to go clubbing about 5/6 years ago but was never a heavy user but took it quite regularly for about 18 months. I now only take it on very rare occasions (maybe 1 or 2 twice a year if that) and I have never done LSD/shrooms and only real hallucinogen I have taken is Salvia.

I smoke cannabis 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes this makes my symptoms worse, other times I don't notice a difference.

I started getting the symptoms I described above in February this year, starting with double vision and visual snow. As these progressed and other symptoms become prevalent I visited my GP and optician. The optician was worried I had optical neuritis (a symptom of MS) so I was referred to the eye hospital. I have been tested for everything possible to do with my eyes and neuro-opthalmology including an MRI scan of my orbits and brain and everything has come back as healthy.

My GP made me have a full suite of blood tests to rule out things like thyroid diseases or diabetes and again these all came back normal. My blood pressure is fine as well.

I have taken ecstacy since the symptoms occurred and they don't seem to have got any worse.

My question is, do you think this could be HPPD? Is MDMA known to cause it if I have never taken other hallucinogens?

The symptoms I have are driving me insane and have started to affect me mentally as I feel constantly down and worried that I am going to have to live with these for the rest of my life.

Any help or advice from the community is greatly received as I feel at the end of my tether!

[Davidirl]

Yeah I think you have HPPD, but don't worry too much about it, it will only make it worse in my experience just accept that you have it and it will pass if you will look at it like that in my experience.

When I worried about it, it made it alot worse but when I stopped with that it got better and better every month.

[Jay1]

Yes, sounds like mild hppd or pre-hppd. If you stop smoking weed and those occasional Es, it will probably go away completly.

I would be VERY wary of doing anymore mdma, you are in danger of getting full hppd and taking mdma is pretty much playing russian roulette, at this point. There are so many people here who had the midl/pre hppd and then one drug experience was the one that sent them into this world of hell.

Your body is sending you a message, pay attention to it.

Good luck, Jay

[Guest FDog]

Hi,

SO its been 6 months since I last posted and I am still in exactly the same position although my symptoms seem to have got slightly worse.

I have stopped taking MDMA/Pills completely but have slipped and smoked weed on a few occassions since.

Since I posted I have been referred to a Neurologist and was tested for things like MS and thankfully these all came back negative.

The problem I have now is that I have reached a stage where my Eye Consultant at the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester is saying there is nothing else they can do to help me as the things I am "experiencing" are not being caused by the eye. My GP is saying all she can do is refer me back to the Eye hospital and the merry-go round will start all over again.

Can anyone recommend any Doctors or Specialists in the UK that deal with HPPD as everyone I have mentioned it to have never heard of it because "it is not a recognised condition". Or any resources I can print out and take to me next appointments?

I am getting to the end of my tether with it all. I am severely depressed and sometimes think things would be better if I did myself in, living with this is killing me from the inside and it seems there is nothing to do to stop it

[FDog]

Hi,

SO its been 6 months since I last posted and I am still in exactly the same position although my symptoms seem to have got slightly worse.

I have stopped taking MDMA/Pills completely but have slipped and smoked weed on a few occassions since.

Since I posted I have been referred to a Neurologist and was tested for things like MS and thankfully these all came back negative.

The problem I have now is that I have reached a stage where my Eye Consultant at the Royal Eye Hospital in Manchester is saying there is nothing else they can do to help me as the things I am "experiencing" are not being caused by the eye. My GP is saying all she can do is refer me back to the Eye hospital and the merry-go round will start all over again.

Can anyone recommend any Doctors or Specialists in the UK that deal with HPPD as everyone I have mentioned it to have never heard of it because "it is not a recognised condition". Or any resources I can print out and take to me next appointments?

I am getting to the end of my tether with it all. I am severely depressed and sometimes think things would be better if I did myself in, living with this is killing me from the inside and it seems there is nothing to do to stop it

[chrismo]

If you can get yourself to London Dominic ffytche seems like the best bet; he certainly recognises the condition, treats people who suffer from it and would take you seriously.