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Starbursting Recovery


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hey mike-

I have recovered once before from this about 3 years ago. And concerning my most recent HPPD episode, i have recovered from starbursting about 95%.

I'd say make sure you keep your sugar levels up [but not too high] and try some breathing stuff [if dp is not too much of a problem] to get more oxygen to the brain.

I know in yoga they got that breath-of-fire bullshit----something like that will help, i think.

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I think starbursting in the mild sense is 100% normal. Can you describe what your starbursts are like?

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Basically, its any bright light with an aura, and then dozens of long warped hairs spiraling from all sides that sort of curve into my vision, obscuring the light. It's not so bad during they day time depending on where the sun is in the sky. I see it off of shiny objects reflecting the sun, but it isn't the worst offender by a mile. Night time, is utter hell. It's near impossible for me to drive. Street lights, car lights, and stop lights seem to burst for miles, and sometimes they trail. I usually don't go out at night. This is the worst my HPPD gets. I can't say for sure if it has gotten any better or worse since the 4 or 5 months I have had it, It may have changed, and developed a little though.

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I think starbursting in the mild sense is 100% normal. Can you describe what your starbursts are like?

I never had any trace of starbursting in any situation before "brain-implode". Now at night have them. They are not symmetrical within picture, but are generally mirrored image flares between the eyes.

Curiously, cameras (film and electronic) can starburst. You can also buy Star-Filters to cause starbursting - these are generally grid lines like a screen. Try looking through a screen window or door at night and your see starbursting.

There are often posts about visual distortions as being normal (for example, visual snow and floaters). However, normal and good-visual-health are two different things. If a person has always had snow, starburst, whatever... then they were born with less than ideal vision - just as any other birth characteristic.

While trying to analyze/understand our HPPD crap, it is good to focus [ pun intended ] on change .... before HPPD vs now.

I actually was born with 2 different sized pupils but in general that is a sign of Traumatic Brain Injury [TBI]. So you can see how there is a relation and miscommunication between

your eye's shutter, shutter speed, rods/cones and the Visual Cortex.

Have you ever tried dopamine increasing meds?

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I've got different sized pupils but not as evident as the picture there. But mines only started after i got hppd. Traumatic brain injury indeed. Pisses me off cos every time i look into a mirror, there's a physical reminder of my hppd. Not just internally in my head.

I got this after HPPD. When it shows there develops an anxiety/aggitation that is abstract ... not like real anxiety. It can get bad enough that have to just curl up and wait for it to go. When it started, some days were over 20 hours worth of suffering. Am told it is a mild seizure disorder, but for a very long time doctors just thought it was anxiety.

Gabapentin manages this very well. For a long time took 6 pills a day (1800mg) but now it is 100 - 300mg / day. When looking in a mirror and seeing different sizes, I just take more Gabapentin.

Do you have other symptoms with yours? Or is everything 24/7?

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Hmmm, I dont think my pupils are two different sizes. Maybe a slight difference, but im pretty sure thats normal. Perhaps star-bursting stems from an impediment in the pupils ability to contract and expand. I say this because after long times of exposure to certain lights, my star-bursting will diminish greatly.

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Does the gabapentin work immediately for fixing it? Im the same, when i go into an anxiety state it seems to get worse. Yeah, pretty sure I'm seizure like too. I've been on LYrica for ten days and it hasn't resolved my pupils. Allthough, anxiety seems better. Visuals haven't improved but I'm not bothering about them as much. Star bursting isn't one of my symptoms really. More vs, bad floaters, blurred vision and slight trails.

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Not yet, but I want to. Either Wellbutrin or sinemet. Allthough keppra above all those. I'm very apathetic in general and I'd like to have a bit more drive. Maybe that's a dopamine thing. Recently had blood tests done for testosterone, thyroid and 'brain hormone' levels as my doc said because my libidos taken a big dip. . And I got a phone call saying I needed to make an appointment to discuss the results of the brain hormones (very vague). So I'm wondering what it could be. Cortisol? Prolactin?

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I'm about to try wellbutrin as well, I am very meh a lot of the time too. Most of the time when I feel down I take a few St. Johns Worts or something. I'm really just curious to see how it will affect my HPPD, overall. My brother had a full prescription of a very low dose generic Wellbutrin that he never took. So I snagged it, and I'm gonna see how it goes. It says to take one every day for 7 days, and then take two ever day after. I don't think Ill get that far, as I doubt it will have any major effect.

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Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to be taking anything else, for the sake of the results. I haven't gone to a doctor about my HPPD, yet. If this seems to help then I will consider it. I was actually prescribed a stronger anti-depressant a few months back for general anxiety. My parents were so off put by the doctors diagnosis, they wouldnt let me take it, and I havent gone back to that doctor since. So that's really the reason I haven't talked to a doctor about this yet. Also, there is a doctor at the University of Mississippi that cured a past member on here with keppra, so I am waiting to go there after I transfer from my community college, to discuss the matter with him.

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re: Wellbutrin

Suggest starting with a small dose in morning only, then work from there.

I've used the SR formula. The standard and SR formulas can be broken to smaller sizes. The XL cannot be broken down (without undesired effects)

Expect the first few days to be weird (unless the dose is so low you don't feel much of anything). Back off if you start getting bad headaches with anxiety.

For me, Wellbutrin SR works well, but cannot take more that 75mg / day and sometimes not every day. 150mg helped visual even more but had the above issues.

As far as I can tell, starbursting hasn't been affected by this med ... but everyone is different.

Look forward to hearing everones results... B)

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So second day on it, had to take a second dose within the first 15 hours of the first, which may have messed things up. But, I dont think so. I feel really weird, its hard to describe, no decrease or increase in visuals yet. I don't really like this feeling, but it is tolerable. Feels like my thoughts are really far away and hard to hear, if you understand that. Anyways, think Ill give it a few more days. I don't necessarily feel bad, so it's not a big deal.

Update: Feeling really relaxed now. Really sedated, my mind is very calm. It seems like I havent been able to think this clearly in some time. It's a very refreshing feeling. I think i'm used to the feeling of the med. Anyways, I think I'll stay on it for the next week or so, and see how it goes from there.

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So end of day 2, I must say it has been overall a pretty decent experience. I think the wellbutrin is already working its magic. Visually, i notice a bit more ghosting, but a bit less starbursting. Maybe things will smooth out. I'm going to continue through the week, and keep you guys updated.

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