Have you guys visited an optometrist for the visual symptoms?

[etardnow]

Questios:

For those with hppd visual symptoms, can the optometrist do anything for it? 

(if it turns out to be hppd but) If you dont mention anything about hppd, what would they try to do? (in a drug illegal strict country)

Has visual symptoms developed/worsen with time and soberness?

Anyone experience other body symptoms that are not visual?

 

Below is my 'story'. Im not sure if I have hppd or some other illness but my visual symptoms are something that i've only experienced while past trips.

 

Ive been all-drug sober for 2month now. ( I was a daily pot smoker)

 

Ever since(4month ago) I tried LSD/MDMA I had 

The ability manipulate my eye focus so I can make letters move slightly and

Different pupil dialation size. (Anisocoria)[disappeared a month ago]

 

But along with various other symptoms and sickness over the past two month which include:

 

general weakness

knee weakness?

joint paint

loss of appetite

paresthesia poking/pricking type

sudden onset of cherry angiomas and few moles

various pains for a couple seconds all over body (like a sore neck pain)

tinnitus

quality of hair (i think)

 

 

I did a few checkups, all at my request which included, blood, urine, endoscopy, and an mri.

I had minor erosive gastritis. 

I did have some sort of brain lesion but it wasnt anything alarming/problematic. 

It was my decision to go to a bigger hospital and see a neurologist that examined blood circulation in the brain which turned out to be 20-40% higher. (was just a few days ago)

 

Basically the doctor said i have a sensitive brain right now and he suspects it could be the start of chronic migraine (which i doubt because i havent had any intense/throbbing migraines; only a seldom pressure like existence in brain). He told me to stay off caffeine. 

 

Most of the non visual symptoms have died down, my consistent 140 blood pressure over the last month has also returned to 120ish. But last week I got prostate infection which I am now taking antibiotics for. 

 

The visual symptoms that remain and I had developed last 3-4 weeks ago,  include:

 

Ghosting in both eyes, only on bright lights LEDs, streelights, and such. (first time i noticed it was after attending Ultra Music Festival. [bright lights, loud noise which i read may affect hppd] I also never had this effect even on trips. )

Starbursting.

A blurry Halo on bright lights like lamp posts.

A significant increase in noticeable floaters

Some sort of overall overlay in my vision. Its not visual snow but like this

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Closed-eye-visualization.gif

Its not moving and its very mild/really hard to notice at all so I dont know if im just imagining it or not but i do feel some strain on my eyes.

 

Anyways I suspect even if I go to an opto, he will find nothing wrong with my eyes.

 

I think lsd/mdma fucked up my brain resulting in a lowered immune system as well and the sickness is heightening my visual symptoms like how tiredness makes visual symptoms worse. 

 

I honestly think its either brain is fucked due to mdma +lsd or that i have some disease/infection/autoimmune disorder thats hard to diagnose. I can visit different types of doctors but unless I go to a diagnostic hospital, none of them will really collaborate and only think in terms of their field. 

[chrismo]

1. No, an optometrist cannot do anything. They may send you for further tests to rule out other things but there is nothing they can prescribe and most seem unfamiliar with the disorder.

2. Personally, yes; certain symptoms have gotten worse with time without taking any drugs. I don't think this is particularly common, though.

3. I haven't myself but others have.

 

Your visual symptoms suggest you have HPPD. Some of your non-visual symptoms are probably related, some are almost certainly not.

 

Going to an optometrist will almost certainly not help but they will at least be able to reassure you that your eyes are healthy. As it's only been around a month the best thing would probably be to to stay sober, try not fixate on it, and try and keep healthy. Things should hopefully improve.

[onedayillsailagain]

I never considered it. I mean people have advised me to see one, but honestly I just knew it wasn't a retinal problem from the start.

Ruling out (co-morbid) diseases might help. Lyme seems to make HPPD worse, for example.
Anything to improve overall health should be done though.

1. Nah it won't help. Doesn't hurt to try though. Although I noticed that when looking through my brother's glasses, my symptoms are still present but I can see a lot sharper.
2. Both. Really comes at random I guess. I've had some mitigation with certain supplements, worsening with others. Sometimes they flare up, sometimes they die down. Anxiety seems to worsen it, and relaxation/meditation seems to make it less of an issue, albeit that doesn't always come as easy.
3. Yeah, loads. Too much to mention.

[lemondrop]

I have some other weird body symptoms. I had body numbness come on after a three day alcohol binge (lol.) Definitely neck pain, and severe migraines radiating into the neck region. I have been seeing a chiropractor and doing massage, specifically japanese shiatsu.

I myself have not gone to a medical professional to question my hppd symptoms. I know they can't do a damn thing.

 

I would be careful not to blame everything on HPPD.. you have only had this for 4 months. (I'v had for 3 and a half) I know for me, things have improved. I have heard before to wait 6 months before you seek medical attention.. let things heal a little on their own.

 

Good luck

[disguyhere]

most optometrists wouldnt know what to do with the bulk of my symptoms but i did go to at least 6 different ones in pursuit of answers for my floater situation as its gotten worse each month since it started 3-4 years ago. not once were they able to find anything they could clearly say would cause the level of floaters i saw.

 

the last opinion i got was that the floaters were everyday ordinary ones most people get but never see... but that for "whatever reason" I have an ability to focus my vision so close to the surface of my eye that i can see the floaters clearly no matter where i look.

 

in otherwords they dont know.

 

right now my floaters involve a super big clump in my left eye that leaves a permanent blacked out spot in my vision.. makes me think i see bugs in front of my when i move my eyes too quckly or look at a white or blue surface or the sky. my right eye doesnt have nearly as thick of a floater but it has more smaller ones.. alot are just straight up circles with dots.. like looking at a single see through skin cell. sime are clumps of these dots. twisted together like bent ropes of proteins.. and then there are the cracks. both eyes through the center of each eye but not aligned in any vertical or horizontal direction.. more like an inverse 7 shape.. i have thin black lined cracks in my vision. 

 

so yeah ..6 doctors.. obvious to me issues but oblivious to it doctors... no prorgess... and basically me being told theres nothing they can do until i start seeing them in connection with flashing lights which would indicate retinal tears.

 

now how much the floaters has to do with the hppd couldnt say.. other then the ability to see them as often as i do which i think comes from the rest of my visual hppd issues. i think if anything its more a neurologist that we'd need to see to help with those things though. the problem isnt the eye itself. it's the brain.

 

or in camera terms.. we've got this dslr in our heads... the eye are the lens and autofocus systems.. the optical nerve and parts of the brain that process the signals from our eyes are the sensor.. and the little bits and pieces like rods and cones in our eyes are a mix between points leading to the sensor and filters on top of the sensor..

 

my problem is i damaged the software the sensor uses to process images. the camera still works but it rarely takes focused pictures and it does funny things with colors....through hard work and effort though I added some custom firmware to the sensor that go around the normal processes and allows use of other filters. 

 

couldnt say i have a fully perfect stock working camera.. but the camera works enough. one day i'll hopefully find the proper mechanic or even systems hacker who could help me fix the damage .. before autofocus fires off wrong one day and damages the lenses ..

 

...end random camera analogy

[etardnow]

Yea, i expected optos cant really do anything when its HPPD.

 

The eyes being able to focus enough to notice more floaters kind of makes sense to me since LSD itself manipulates pupil dilation/eye muscle focus. 

 

For me I can also 'feel' my right eye getting weaker and I often find myself closing only my right eye when I have been reading for a while. (probably due to the ghosting and my brain is shutting down my non-dominant eye)

 

The symptoms getting worse is what scares me. :\

 

There is a new symptom I have been noticing more, Does anyone else have this one?:

 

You know how like when you have a blood rush(ive also noticed blood rush has been occuring more) after suddenly standing up, and your surrounding becomes darkened?

Its like that but at 1% of the intensity. 

Kind of like having a 1% black afterimage overlay on everything. 

 

Im getting worried that it will get worse and eventually blind me :(

 

Let me know, and thanks for all the replies. 

[Janezzz]

Hello bro! How you doing? I have something similar to you. Do you still have visual symptoms? Please answer.