Mayby Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Hi Guys! I'm writing because I seem to have the same symptoms than you, but I never took hard drugs! However, in May, I took an SSRI (anti-depressant) for 3 days before it made me hallucinate! I immeditately stopped taking it, but 2 weeks later I started to see weird things : 1. Negative afterimages, espacially in the morning. 2. Trails 3. When I close my eyes after looking at the window or inside my fridge, I can still see what I saw with my eyes open. 4. Light sensitivity 5. Starbursts around lamp posts and car headlights (the most frightning). 6. Feeling that my eyes are cameras (derealization?) It's been about a month since everything started and I'm very afraid that this is some sort of HPPD that won't go away. I have to say that I cold turkeyed from a low-dose benzo that I took every 2 days for 1 month and a half. Maybe this is just a matter of time too. I don't know what to do to get better. My anxiety is quite high because of this and I don't want to go back to meds since that's what started it in the first place. Are there any success stories on this site? It seems like everyone here is stuck with this and no one seems to recover. Maybe I'm not searching adequately... Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepuinthesky Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 This post has been promoted to an article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepuinthesky Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 have a look: http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/e27891/e27265/e42285/e42442/e42449/index_en.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VisualDude Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Hi Guys! I'm writing because I seem to have the same symptoms than you, but I never took hard drugs! However, in May, I took an SSRI (anti-depressant) for 3 days before it made me hallucinate! I immeditately stopped taking it, but 2 weeks later I started to see weird things : 1. Negative afterimages, espacially in the morning. 2. Trails 3. When I close my eyes after looking at the window or inside my fridge, I can still see what I saw with my eyes open. 4. Light sensitivity 5. Starbursts around lamp posts and car headlights (the most frightning). 6. Feeling that my eyes are cameras (derealization?) It's been about a month since everything started and I'm very afraid that this is some sort of HPPD that won't go away. I have to say that I cold turkeyed from a low-dose benzo that I took every 2 days for 1 month and a half. Maybe this is just a matter of time too. I don't know what to do to get better. My anxiety is quite high because of this and I don't want to go back to meds since that's what started it in the first place. Are there any success stories on this site? It seems like everyone here is stuck with this and no one seems to recover. Maybe I'm not searching adequately... Thanks! Yes, SSRIs can cause DP, DR, HPPD and dopamine disorders (many SSRIs warn of possible Parkinsonism). It is rare, but it can happen. There have been a few members reporting this happening to them on DPselfhelp.com. Think one guy got it from Zoloft. Serotonin 'dances' with dopamine, generally reducing it. To get problems from these drugs would likely indicate a dopamine 'weakness' in a person ... or a brain-toxicity to the med. I have to say that I cold turkeyed from a low-dose benzo that I took every 2 days for 1 month and a half. Maybe this is just a matter of time too. Please detail this ... what were you taking and when in relationship to the SSRI. We may be able to answer better with more info... GABA is a major player in HPPD. Klonopin being the most effective med in managing it (but not 'curing'). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayby Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 I was prescribed Ativan for Anxiety on April 23rd, and I took it as needed (not more than 0.5 mg) until I saw MY doctor in May, who prescribed me Cipralex (SSRI), and said that I could continue Ativan just for the time the SSRI kicks in. But as I said, after 3 days on the SSRI, I started hallucinating (I didn't take Ativan that day, but I think I did the other 2 days). So I stopped the SSRI, and continued on Ativan for a while (not every day, and never more than 0.5 mg). About 2 weeks after hallucinating on the SSRI (and after slowed down the Ativan), I started to have the visuals... So I completely stopped Ativan too. It's now been 6 weeks since I took my last Ativan. And I still have all the visuals... I'm afraid it's going to stay forever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VisualDude Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 When I tried Lexapro (Cipralex), my need for Sinemet (a dopamine med) doubled and discontinued after a couple weeks. It didn't seem harmful otherwise ... but wasn't helpful and already had visual problems. Good news for you is that it has only been a short time. Many recover over time ... but it often does require time. Have you described this all with your doctor? HPPD symptoms? Prior to April, had you taken other meds, prescription or recreational? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gill Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 It might actually be the benzo withdrawal which can be pretty prolonged for some people; up to several months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayby Posted July 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Yeah...I smoked weed at the beggining of April...but I'm quite sure that's not what has triggered it. However, I know I won't touch it again!! Thank you for your answers! I hope everything will fade in time! Everyone here seem to be stuck with the condition however. That's not very encouraging Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs1234 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 5. Starbursts around lamp posts and car headlights (the most frightning). Don't worry about this one, that scared me so much when I first got HPPD. Now it's still there but I barely notice it. Everyone here seem to be stuck with the condition however. That's not very encouraging That's not true. If you dig through the forums, you'll find some "recovered" threads. those are nice to see. You also need to take into account all the inactive members on the site. For some reason these members don't go on anymore...my guess is they have either recovered or it doesn't even bother them anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrade Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I'm not sure if i read this right.......The question is: Did you have HPPD before you started the SSRI? .....SSRI can give you nasty migraine-like symtoms esp. if you have HPPD.......or not they could help you too maybe.......But it is definitely possible you and Lexapro just ain't gettin' along. There are people who can get HPPD-like symtoms from low-sugar, lack of sleep, and dehydration, so, also considering the side effects of this drug, HPPD-like symtoms are absolutely possible with an SSRI. Whether it is truly HPPD, I am not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayby Posted July 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 No I didn't have HPPD before the SSRI. It all started when I stopped the benzo that I took for about 2 weeks after the SSRI that made me hallucinate. However, I did already have extreme anxiety before the meds and I still have. It seems that we can also get HPPD-like symptoms when you get derealized (I am), and you can get derealized from extreme anxiety. So MAYBE I would have it even if I hadn't been on the meds... who knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferret Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Everyone here seem to be stuck with the condition however. That's not very encouraging I am 99.9% recovered Its taken me 6 months to get here but I was at 95% after 4 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrade Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 I saw a story on 60 Minutes: the "experts" said that SSRIs generally are seen as psychosomatic, or vulnerable to the placebo effect. Essentially saying it doesn't help in most cases. Well for me they help and i am actually quite sensitive to them. For instance, for one drug, the dosage used to have (supposedly) any effects at all is 30mg but I only need like 5-10mg. So i could see a weird reaction possible esp. as you are withdrawing from either the SSRi or Benzodiazepine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still_here Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 Hey there. I regularly come back and see what's happening but rarely comment any more, as I feel I have learned to accept my HPPD (hardest part of the battle). But I felt compelled, as it was Citalapram (Lexapro I believe in the U.S) that triggered my HPPD. I had a long history of drug use, however I'd been straight for a long time when my HPPD set in. MY symptoms and onset were identical to yours. I felt that I was getting visuals the first day of taking the SSRI, however the doctor told me it was a short lived side effect and it would subside. I continued with the SSRI for around a month, my symptoms got worse and worse, so around december I cancelled the SSRI. It has now been three years on October and my visuals have gotten worse and worse, however I eventually learnt to accept HPPD, and as such the anxiety and mental effects lessened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrade Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 There is nothing you can do under normal circumstances SSRIs might not have those effects on you. It seems either way, the visuals are still there. My problem for me now is bad headaches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgrade Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Don't let anyone tell you what to take. If the SSRIs were causing you hallucinations, it was good that you discontinued them (lol... obvious). Sure....the information is there; some people as you know can have a bad reaction. For instance, people who take anti-psychotic meds can develop a thing call tardive dyskinesia, where you start to sticking out your tongue, licking lips, smacking lips, weird oral things basically involuntary. Basically you feel like a retarded mental deficient. Anyway, it is rare for persistent hallucinations from SSRIs but so is HPPD supposedly rare. .....There are success stories. I have successfully recovered twice from persistent flashbacks (80-99%) and i am now recovering from a third. But i don't know if you would technical call it HPPD because while the symptoms were persistent for up to a few years, they weren't persistent for good, and i know that some people have it after 10-20+ years. But I would say it's HPPD though nevertheless. So it is possible to get better and in many cases probable I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zukov Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 mayby: I have all the symptoms you experience and also were triggered by an SSRI (imagine the depression that caused to me), 6-7 months earlier i had taken two doses of LSD, and was a regular marijuana smoker....so i dont know which drug make this. However since i suspended the ssri some visual symptoms decreased significantly. Be patient and dont lose hope. It's easy to get depressed or return to old habits. dont drink,dont smoke, stay sober.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now