415_stylee

I think you should try to lower your working hours first, like 75% to begin with, then maybe to 50% or even 25% in the end. Don't get disability or sick-leave too fast, it's a very hopeless way to live really. However, if lowering your work hours doesn't improve your condition, then get sick-leave or disability. Hope you got some kind of direction from my reply! :-)

Hi Shadowplay! I've had HPPD for almost 9 years now, and I've been through many examinations and medications so far. Maybe I can make a list soon.. Anyway, my current meds are the best so far. Which are Keppra, Wellbutrin, Concerta and Zolpidem. Keppra lowers some visuals a bit but nothing miraculous really.. However, they keep a steady baseline on the visuals. Keppra is the main reason why I can use Concerta (Methylphenidate), which is infamous for aggrevating HPPD. But there's not been any flare ups at all. I need CNS stimulants because of my ADHD, to keep the aggression in check. So in short, Keppra helps against the visuals, indeed. But only like 5-10% reduction, but 95% stabilization of visuals atleast. Also, some benzos like Ativan in particular can reduce visuals temporarily, but you know how benzos work in the long run.. Messes up the problems you tried to alleviate like 10 times more, including addiction and withdrawal from hell! Not worth it in other words.. Regarding getting diagnosed and getting proper help from doctors, it's an struggle which requires persistance and patience. Sorry to say, but doctors in Sweden are in majority incompetent, arrogant and neglecting. Very, very few are caring about their patients and profession. The only ones who had any knowledge that there was such a thing as persisting visuals from hallucinogens are the Narcotic Policlinic in Gothenburg, since they've had a couple of people which had it, but they didn't know that it's an neurological disorder called HPPD. Actually, they refer to it as "persisting flashbacks" as if it was some kind of psychological trauma! Actually, I got my help from an unexpected way, a supervisor doctor (överläkare) in Neuropsychiatry who diagnosed me with my ADHD/ very mild autism, also diagnosed me with HPPD, through a whole lot of neurological exams and consultation. He always read a copious amount of research and had an expertise beyond any other doctor. The likelihood that you might meet such a doctor is very slim, I had this guy for a couple of months in a period of almost 9 years in total.. But keep demanding and nagging until you get a doctor who really wants to help you and listens to you, according to the law you have the right to get proper care and switch doctors if you're not happy with them. Try to get an remittation to the Lund or Uppsala university hospitals QEEG tests, since ONLY these machines can see the very small differences in brain activity which HPPD is. Regular EEG's don't show anything. It's hard to get a remittation in these days of constant budget cuts in health care, keep demanding!

Here's a little checklist for migraine triggers. Since HPPD has it's closest relation to migraine aura, it's worth checking. Think of HPPD like a strong, persisting aura (auras are symptoms which precedes a migraine attack). http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/identifying-and-avoiding-migraine-triggers Avoiding triggers = avoiding flare ups. You can not recover entirely by avoiding them, but it makes the living with HPPD more managable. Bright lights make it worse (particularly flourescent tubes), so wear sunglasses as often as you can. Other than that, sleep and eat well, exercise in moderation, get an anti-EP medication (like Keppra), avoid foods with loaded with refined sugar. I had the classic type migraines with aura before I got HPPD (now I have the strange, more frequent "head pressure" kind), and I can assure you that these triggers are the very same for HPPD. Allow your eyes to rest also, they get very strained from adapting to the HPPD symptoms every day. Aside from sunglasses, also lower backlight, sharpness and colors from TV and computer screen. Warmer whites might not look correct or impressive, but it's much softer for the eyes. If you read books, have sunglasses on. For me I can read twice as much before getting eyestrain with sunglasses on. Have more soft lights on in your home instead of the bright ceiling lights. http://www.internethomealliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/living-room-lights.jpg Against "wavy" vision, avoid aggrevating the HPPD symptoms. The waviness will not go away, but it'll not be too overwhelming if you don't cause flare ups. The major culprits are mental and physical overstrain, poor sleep and overstimulation of the senses. You can both feel and see the change within a short time after these triggers are set in motion. Avoid the triggers, keep HPPD symptoms in check.

Interesting theory.. Well, keep trying! I'm quite sure it won't work but at least it's not very harmful with Ibuprofen. HPPD is neither caused or maintained by inflammatory activity, actually it's more like partial seizure activity in the brain. However, it might not be a bad idea to keep inflammatory processes in check when you have them. I'm talking about flu and other viruses which causes fever. Fever on the other hand, is inflammation at it's prime, and will affect your HPPD symptoms negatively. In those periods it could be good with Ibuprofen, I can't see why it would be useful otherwise.

Stress related. No medication is 100% effective, though compared to before it's a major improvement. Yes Rene I also have Keppra, and also have a DP/DR period right now. The DP/DR flare up will surely calm down when calmer times come around, no worries. Also, a bit of sunshine would not be wrong, the dark autumn/ winter affects me negatively every year.

Mr50's, I think I'm the person for these questions. I still have DP/DR, but 80% less than before thanks to my current medication (Keppra, Wellbutrin, Concerta) and a more stable life and economic situation (less to worry about=less anxiety). But, in 2011, my mother passed away of cancer. I was devastated, drank like a sponge, popped benzos, and wanted to die and be with her in whatever lies beyond the gates of death. My doctor offered me to be put in closed psychiatric care, if needed. In spite of everything, the last thing my mother got to be reassured of the hours before she passed, was a promise that I would keep on living and not kill myself. I mean, I got out of closed psychiatric care a month before and got signed out in a very fragile state. Somehow I got through it. Much because of supportive friends and remeberance of the promise. I allowed myself to rest and mourn, and slowly I improved. Lets hope that your father can be cured from the cancer, it is possible if it's detected and removed in the early stages. Also, tell this to your doctor, since a loved one who you might lose is a crisis situation for any person. They usually know how to ease the burden for you and will keep an watchful eye on you, preventing you from doing something very stupid (like suicide). You will have an period of much trouble, I suppose meds like Keppra and sparsely use of benzo/benzo-type anxiolytics and sleep aids will keep you head above the water, so you don't plunge to deep into the DP/DR anxiety ridden depths. Keep exercising and eating well, some people might even stop eating, which of course is the worst thing possible for recovery.. Best wishes to you Mr50's!

Also here's further notes on medication for HPPD and comorbid disorders translated from the Swedish Wiki: Since a direct cure is missing, medical treatment should instead focus on alleviation of the symptoms. Examples of medication that had some success with relieving effect is Klonopin, included in the group of benzodiazepines [1] and Keppra (levetiracetam), both of which are anti-epileptic drugs. Antipsychotic medications such as Risperidone is however directly unsuitable and can dramatically exacerbate (worsen) the symptoms.[2][3] Also, varying degrees of deterioration have been reported from several HPPD- affected by the intake of antidepressants such as SSRIs or SNRIs preparations. Patients with comorbid symptoms such as depression and panic disorder should therefore be recommended to try drugs such as NRI (Reboxetine) (or NDRI-Wellbutrin *my notation*), as these have not been shown to impair the patients primary symptom picture.[4][5] Medication and continuous contact with the treating physician should also be combined with therapy to give the patient the opportunity to manage their situation and eliminate any suicidal tendencies." And I should add, Sinemet has some kind of good effects for some people on this forum. Ask the user Visual for more info on this. And I can assure you, I have a friend who is very vunerable for psychosis and also has HPPD. Previously, he has been dependant on having antipsychotics steadily, since he can relapse quickly otherwise. He has had all of them; Zyprexa, Seroquel, Haloperidol, Nozinan and also Risperidone. They made him feel awful to say the less, but were necessary. Now he has NO antipsychotic medication at all, though he's just as vunerable as before. He has Keppra instead! He has not had any psychotic relapse at all, improvement instead of degradation of HPPD, and also his mood and cognition is better than I've ever seen on him. Also, he has improved libido (according to him) and has lost much weight, almost at optimal BMI now. Anti-epileptics (Keppra, Ergenyl, Lamictal, Carbamazepine) are commonly used as mood stablizers for bipolar disorder primarely, and of these meds, Keppra is the newest medication with less side-effects. Also, Keppra is not only known for being most effective against HPPD and DP/DR, but has been known to be provide the most stable mood-stabilization in bipolar disorder compared to older anti-epileptics, according to recent medical research studies (and according to my friend who has also had all of these anti-epileptics too!) Keppra combined with an NRI/NDRI antidepressant, (Reboxetine or Wellbutrin) or dopamine-direct meds such as Sinemet, seems to be the best working medication cocktail for many HPPD'ers. However, read my previous post for the first step you need to take (proper, correct diagnosis), then read this post for the next step (proper medication). Good luck Umit! :-)

I'm still unsure if you actually have a psychosis. You see, doctors can sometimes misdiagnose disorders if they don't do proper research. If you indeed had an psychotic episode, your medicine Risperidone has forced it down long ago, as most episodes only last a short time (a few days or weeks). Therefore antipsychotic medication should be removed when the doctor deems it to be safe to do so.. You really should get an second opinion if you actually have psychosis in the present time. I mean, you actually WENT to the doctor and he diagnosed you.. Most psychotic people get BELTED DOWN and forced out of it with Haloperidol and Ativan, diagnosed in closed psychiatric care! Read the basics about psychosis here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosis Then also read these basics on DP/DR and HPPD, were there also is mentioned how these disorders easily can be misdiagnosed if the doctors don't do their research: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogen_persisting_perception_disorder Translated from the Swedish Wiki on HPPD (different info than the English Wiki): "HPPD is a rare disorder that rarely occurs in the educational or practical activities of neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and ophthalmologists. At a first clinical assessment the treating physician may be of the impression that it is an issue of drug-related psychosis. This diagnosis, however, is inaccurate and likely to impair the patient's potential for rehabilitation. Contrary to a person with psychosis, individuals with HPPD have an intact sense of reality and are therefore fully aware that their visual disturbances are not a part of anything that can be perceived by other people. These disorders are therefore not strictly hallucinations in the clinical sense, but rather a continuous perceptual disorder of the senses, which manifests itself in the form of visual disturbances and pseudohallucinations. There is currently no cure for this disorder, even though it in rare cases occurs in some patients shorter periods of symptom improvement, the vast majority diagnosed with HPPD has to take into account to live with HPPD permanently." "Other common symptoms for individuals affected by this disorder include depression, cognitive impairment, panic disorder, also emotional blunting and "feelings of unreality" (Depersonalization-Derealisation). Also physical symptoms such as tinnitus, headache and neurological pain occurs." Does what I've said above sound familiar? Now do you see that you, whether you have psychosis or not, need to get a new and more accurate examination "second opinion" by another doctor? "Risperidone is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic.[2] It is a dopamine antagonist possessing anti-serotonergic, anti-adrenergic and anti-histaminergic properties." It says that everything which makes you feel alive and happy, is supressed by Risperidone! Neither Sinemet or Wellbutrin can break through this antagonistic effect very much. Which means, as long as Risperidone is used you'll get close to zero transmission of dopamine or serotonin. No wonder everything feels empty and pointless to you! Now imagine, that you might not have a psychosis anymore, or you didn't have any psychosis at all to begin with.. Then the antipsychotic medication is of no use, it's harming you instead! Go get a new examination at another doctor, I have a feeling you have been either; 1: misdiagnosed with psychosis 2: your previous diagnosis (psychosis) is inactual now And therefore you need your medication re-evaluated. If you want to improve, this is nr.1 on your to-do list. Other than that, eating healthy, exercising, socializing with friends and loved ones are important also, of course. Hope I have given a more clear answer this time, now get going and make this right! ;-) Best wishes to you!

Yeah, Cannabrain. I developed severe panic anxiety and OCD due to a combination of traumatic experiences and HPPD both caused by previous drug use. Even with recovery from PAD and OCD some years ago, dwelling in "how could I ruin my life" "how the hell could I use drugs at all" is not very constructive for me. It's actually a risk for OCD relapse. Self-punishment really. Same thing with the "more is better" thinking. It can easily become an obsession, for me it's also major risk of relapse to burn-out (stress collapse), which always is looming under the surface waiting to return.. Regarding medication for ADHD, it's a walk on the tightrope. This year I was prescribed Concerta, which I would not be able to use without simultaneous Keppra stabilizing. They work well together, I finally feel some calm in the ADHD storm, while Keppra keeps my mind and HPPD symptoms from running wild. Think that I got my ADHD diagnosis at the age of 11, renewed diagnosis at adult age (23), and now at age 30 I got the medication which I would have needed long ago, which could have prevented the polydrug abuse which gave me HPPD & co.. Well, there was the dwelling in past again.. ;-) My life now requires more scheduling and discipline. If I forget relaxation and recreation, then I'll be sorry quickly. Likewise if I don't keep up some light physical and mental activity.. Difficult and complicated to adapt to such a schedule, because you always want far more than you can perform in reality. Finding balance is hard as hell..

Jay speaks the truth, and puts it out perfect as usual! :-) I totally agree with Jay. Don't risk doing drugs again, it's like playing Russian Roulette with your brain. You have a MAJOR chance of full recovery within 5 years, if you abstain from further drug use, psychedelics and weed in particular. Try to stop drinking also. This is according to medical data on HPPD so far.. Both me and Jay have passed this 5 year period, and have a slim to zero chance of recovery now. Think of your current experiences living with HPPD as a warning of what might come if you don't quit drugs, and a reminder of what these drugs have done to you, why you should get clean from drugs.. Think of being symptom free and continuing your life with some kind of future. Instead of winding up like me for example, a pill crunching, mentally unstable freak on disability pension close to the poverty line, at the age of 30.. Besides, you have passed 6 months without weed now, at that time the psychological addiction on weed starts to fade quickly.. Good progress, don't start smoking again now that you are so close to the goal, finally getting clean! :-)

If you have a psychotic disorder, and get antipsychotics for them, you can not stop taking them without a doctors approval and supervision. But it seems your doctor has misdiagnosed you with psychosis. If you "see things" and it "feels like I'm losing my mind" that sounds more like HPPD and DP/DR, really. Antipsychotics are probably the worst meds against those disorders. With psychosis, you would not have any realization of being sick. You would think that everyone else sees the same gnomes and dragons you see, basically. Delusional, it's called. With HPPD, you know that what you see is not part of what everyone else sees. Same with DP/DR, everything feels alien to you, but you know people around does not experience what you do. You seem to have a clear definition what's reality and what is fantasy. Psychotic people lacks this defining line, reality and fantasy are merged into one for them. You should get a second opinion from another doctor. Risperidone is a hell for body, mind and HPPD symptoms. To use it without being psychotic is torture, without necessity. As for meds, Sinemet will bring dopamine levels up, Wellbutrin is another option. Keppra for improvement of HPPD/DPDR symptoms, and mood stabilization. Your libido will improve also with cessation of Risperidone use, libido will get an extra boost with Sinemet or Wellbutrin. However, discuss the medication with a doctor, rather some other doctor than the one who sloppily diagnosed you as psychotic..

Mirtazapine: I've used it for extended periods before. Strangely enough, it doesn't cause any noteworthy HPPD worsening. Odd regarding it's pharmacological profile.. Anyway when I started it, I took 15 mg doses. Onset is quick, 30 mins to full effect. It makes you so sleepy you can barely stand. Sleep onset is quick and duration of sleep can be long, the first night I slept 12 hours straight. This is because it's a very strong antihistamine, it also antagonizes 5HTA and B receptors, and agonizes 5HTC. It also antagonizes the adrenergic receptors. So it's sedative and calming, tells your brain to pull the handbrake on wakefulness really! But, tolerance to the sedative effect is reached within 10 days (according to medical data), and it can't put you to sleep no more. I had my dose raised to 30 mg, the sedative effect came back for like 5 days. Then I began to experience symptoms of serotonin poisoning, tremors and dissociation went out of hand. Then I had a clonic seizure (first one ever), and I stopped taking it immidately. Besides, I gained much weight very fast, due to water swelling of tissues which in turn increases fat storage. And I got so damn zombified and lost all passion for life, had much suicidal thoughts in end. Mirtazapine is anxiolytic, but made me worse in the psyche as a whole. And gave me a seizure and made me fat also (weight back to before now though).. I was prescribed it in a period of benzo withdrawal, no medicine could calm me or make me sleep. My heart rate was up to 150 bpm, blood pressure 150/90. After the period of Mirtazapine use, it was down at 80 bpm, blood pressure 120/70. So it saved my life, but also almost took my life, at the same time.. I would say if you use Mirtazapine, take only 15 mg at need, not regularly, with several days spacing in between. Like if you had a long period of terrible sleep, and just need atleast one night of good sleep, take a 15 mg and you'll sleep like the dead! How Mirtazapine could be classed as an "antidepressant" is a mystery to me. "Prodepressant" is more fitting!! Agomelatine (Valdoxan): It's a specific melatonin and 5HTC reuptake inhibitor. Basically, quite similar effect to pure melatonin but with longer duration. You'll get cool dreams, that's all.. It sedates you as much as a glass of warm milk, i.e. not at all. Not a bit anxiolytic. Not an "antidepressant" either. A rather effectless (and pointless) medication. Cool dreams is simply not enough.. No HPPD worsening though. Might mess up your liver because of the "helping" substances in the pill (read: heavy metals) I stopped using it after ~6 months, it had no benefit simply. I would also like to recommend some very mild, harmless, herbal anxiolytics: Mint (most sorts): A little bit relaxing for mind and muscles. Hops: Yup, the famous beer ingredient, provides the bitter flavour. Mild anxiolytic and muscle relaxant, promotes sleep. Nothing close to a benzo, but on the other hand safe to use regularly (without alcohol, that is).. Extracts, fresh, or dried forms are to be prefered, not in beer due to the risk of alcholism. No HPPD worsening on any of these herbs.

Sorry if I sound a bit sharp or confrontative, no personal offense to anyone (except to my previous monkey doc) and especially not to you Stateofregret! ;-) It's simply who I am, can't be quiet and have a constant need to "stir the pot". Debating is an excellent way to raise the collective knowledge level, which is especially positive regarding this largely unknown disorder, HPPD!

Great extra info, Visual! Indeed medication doses should be as low as possible. Slow dose increases with evaluation with each step is a good way to go.. I'm a large guy, 220 something pounds, for me my doses are a cakewalk. If you weigh 150 lbs, doses need to be lower. Most meds/drugs have a mg/mcg per kilogram dosage calculation. For Methylphenidate, the max allowed dose is 1mg/kilogram, i.e. 100 mg per day for a 100 kilos heavy person. Then there are individual responses, genetics, gender, previous disorders etc. are important factors for dosing. You'll know when the dosage is perfect, too much Methylphenidate speeds up heart rate and perspiration, too much Keppra is very sedative (somnolence) and lowers levels of consciousness. Adult dosage on average might therefore be somewhere around 54-72 mg Methylphenidate and 1500 mg for optimal effects.. Like Visual says, do you have a clinical diagnose on ADD/ADHD? If you don't, don't use CNS stimulants. CNS stims without ADHD will make you very speedy and high, too much energy simply. With ADHD, you'll experience a very harmonious calming effect. Not a high feeling at all. Actually you can get drowsy in the beginning. Not like a benzo would do, this feels really natural. Like it is something your body has not been able to provide before, but suddenly it starts working, if you know what I mean.. Everything just seems to run at the right pace, and just sitting still 5 mins is possible and kinda comfortable. You'll feel more in control, less nervous and agitated. Also, you'll probably think; "How could I ever have lived without this? Now I'm finally complete!" Most people with ADHD and medication report that they finally can stop the polydrug abuse, which is 6 times more likely to occur for an ADHD person. The need for it is replaced by the missing piece (bringing the dopamine level close to normal) with controlled medication instead of random drugs and other destructive "dopamine kicks". "Addicted to ADHD drugs? No, now I'm finally unaddicted" as I read in a comment in another forum, sums it up very well. Since I began Concerta, I stopped drinking alcohol entirely. I can't drink with this med (toxic) and I don't want to drink or use drugs again. I don't need it, I'm content with life, calmer, more self-confident and well, actually a bit happy for once!! Alcohol/drugs is nothing but yuck for me now, I went from being close to developing alcoholism again right before I got this medication, to not wanting to touch booze ever again. Like a flip of the hand! Abuse of ADHD meds is a risk if you don't have ADHD, not very likely if you have the diagnosis. You'll notice if you start the ADHD medication how your response is. However, make sure you have a clinical diagnosis and don't forget to have an anti-EP before!

ALAT does not specifically signify liver toxicity, though it can be an indicator of it in some cases. ALAT is present in more places in the body, not only the liver. Actually, which the name shows, it has to do primarely with the alanine aminoacid transferase. Alanine is vital for the formation of urea (urine). Keppra is hydrolyzed in the bloodstream, not hepatic metabolized. It bypasses your liver, and is 100% excreted in the urine. What your liver values showed, ALAT exclusively elevated, actually says that it's your KIDNEYS which has gotten an increased workload. This is normal in the first months of Keppra use, it's both because of the urine processing, and the dumping of pyroxidine (B6) which is a normal, initial side effect of Keppra, which vanishes later on. B6 is of significant importance of for the alanine/ALAT cycle. Sorry to say it, but that doctor obviously lacks much medical knowledge. Let me guess, he had not tested anyone who uses Keppra before? Your ALAT values showed normal initial Keppra effects, not hepatotoxicity, but increased urea activity. It takes some months to normalize. This liver-value test deal has happened to me before. I had raised values on the liver enzymes which metabolizes alcohol, my previous doctor claimed that this was because of daily alcohol abuse, though I proved (with witnesses) to him there was a whole month in between last alcohol use and the test. Because of this, he denied me important medication (Concerta) which the doctor before him had approved. Turns out it was the Wellbutrin causing the elevated liver values, as it metabolizes in the liver by the exact same enzymes which metabolizes alcohol! *facepalm* That re**rd thought it would be better to medicate with various benzos rather than Concerta! Here's a picture of him, or rather what I think he is: https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/lE79E_4B6Z-YJ78m5SukTDUdXHTD8tOIFNqOIoA2VQ6i-0D4xYexCS53kkAAwONTws_Imogu2U4Pw8ZvOxSEQqbT=w192-h184-nc Never trust doctors opinions too much, they have a nasty habit of not admitting mistakes, thinking they have a say in subjects they don't know or are trained in. Needless to say, such doctors are an hazard to patients health.. Wiki on ALAT: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alanine_transaminase

I have both diagnoses. Against ADHD, I use Concerta 54 mg and Wellbutrin XR 300 mg. How is this possible with HPPD? The answer is for me; Keppra. An anti-EP/ mood stabilizer is commonly used with combined bipolar and ADHD, as it will stabilize the increased activity in the brain (caused by the CNS stimulant) which helps the ADHD, and prevents manic/psychotic episodes at the same time. Is this also true for coexisting ADHD and HPPD? A clear yes! Both me and my doctor thought there might be a risk for HPPD aggrevation when I started with Concerta, but there has been almost none at all. This is because of Keppras smoothening of the electric overactivity, it seems. I have 1000 mg/day right now, I started Keppra 1.5 years before Concerta. Wellbutrin I started 2 years before Keppra, and I suffered a couple of weeks of severe HPPD aggrevation (think 200 mics of acid visuals). Wellbutrin is quite close to Concerta in pharmacological effects, but Concerta (methylphenidate) is a controlled substance and far stronger. In summary: start with Keppra before Concerta or Wellbutrin. Concerta is the #1 choice against ADHD IMO, since it's a quite steady 12 hour effect. Ritalin (instant release) should be avoided, for many reasons. Wellbutrin has a little bit of effect against ADHD, but not very much, so skip that one. Keppra by itself helps against some ADHD problems, such as restless sleep and restless legs, and speech impairments (dysarthria). What I'm saying is that you can use CNS stimulants for your ADHD, but only if you have an steady anti-EP medication before! Keppra is to prefer, other meds of the same class might work also. I've not used Sinemet, but from what I know and read, it doesn't help ADHD at all.. And for all the supposed effective supplements against ADHD, like fish oil, I'll just say: they don't help one bit, I've tried most of them. I have strong version of ADHD, with frequent rage outbursts, horrible restlessness, highly distractable, and self-destrucive behaviour. Chaos embodied basically! Only Concerta has really had any power to make order in the chaos, before I had a polydrug abuse, with weed, benzos and alcohol. They made me calm for the moment, but destroyed me even more in the long run. Now I never want to use them again, Concerta has replaced them entirely and fixed the main cause of the polydrug abuse; ADHD. CNS stimulant medication really works for ADHD. This fact have been proven several times by many separate studies. Also I should add, that my friend who also has ADHD and HPPD, but also had repeated psychotic episodes, uses the same combination of meds as me (but no Wellbutrin, and higher doses of Concerta) has an much improved condition now, with this med combo, no HPPD spikes or relapse of psychosis. Sorry if the answer got very long, hope it can help to clarify how to get ADHD improvements without messing with HPPD.. If you want, I can also give you advice on ADHD management strategies (I learned from specialized therapeuts I had) which helps my everyday life, an extra help alongside the medication.

Indeed, Stateofregret. Science is process forward without stop, not a goal that can be reached. As nature has no absolutes, but is in constant motion. Science is to keep questioning, not accepting anything as 100% truth, but striving for getting closer to "truth" without pause. So the best method is to have and keep updating the knowledge-base and cross study many sources. Also keeping in mind who's funding the research.. I'm usually wary against lack of criticism, if something sounds to good to be true. The scientific method is therefore not infallible, but less lacking than not using such a method.. ;-)

Accurately noted, StateOfRegret. This video is courtesy of the Scientology Church. They have a front called "Commitee for Human Rights" which claims that ADHD meds is an evil conspiracy for drugging kids, and that there are no psychiatric disorders at all. If one reads the deranged core beliefs of Scientology, it's good evidence that psychiatric disorders does exist and mass prescription of antipsychotics should immidately be mandatory for all members of Scientology! :-D This "church" has a lot of money and influence, so they can trick people into believing their b**ls**t without people really understanding the source of the "info". I have seen it spreading on social media, newspapers and on the TV. There recently was a scandal in Sweden regarding the Scientology-funded drug rehab Narconon. Obviously they had "rehabilitated" addicts with large doses of vitamin B and frequent sauna baths, but also tried to recruit them to their church, where the true "purification" awaited.. Yet, I'm very aware of the large pharmaceutical corporations foul play with with bribes and lobbyism. There was a case where a manager of the government DMV authority received bribes from the large corporation Eli Lilly to approve Strattera as the first hand choice for ADHD medication, which lacks efficiency evidence. The DMV banned the evidently effective Dexamphetamine because of this, and made it extremely hard to get Methylphenidate. The Scientologists after this got fired up and bashed all ADHD and other psychiatric meds, and even said ADHD is a fake diagnose, along with every other diagnoses in the DSM manual. All neatly packed in the cute "Commitee for Human Rights" package! But who are they to say so? They believe that all psychiatric problems are caused by soul-parasiting evil spirits called thetans, which were cast down to earth by the alien Xenu.. Which can be purged by paying large sums of money to the church, to rise in the ranks. Higher rank= more purified.. Hmm well that sounds very logical! *sarcasm meter shooting through the roof* With all this said, trust your common sense and get scientific knowledge on medicine. There are clear reasons to not trusting Scientology at all, but there are also reasons to not fully trust all medical corporations marketing. If anything is to be trusted, it's science and research, not Scientology and/or corporations profit motives! ;-)

AndrewCb, your reply is spot on! Both are needed, fixing the chemical inbalance with the right meds and therapy for the other, non-chemistry problems. For many HPPD'ers there are 2 parts; the chemical inbalance which messes with a lot of things in the psyche aswell, and the trauma which HPPD causes, the realization live with a permanent disability can be a fearful, soulscarring shock. In my experience, both meds and therapy have been needed for my current improved state. I agree that too many doctors act like "here you go, take this standard medicine A, and we'll set up at new appointment in 6 months". Those that only care about their salary and benefits from medical corporations. But some (not many) doctors are brilliant, they really care for their patients, listen, do their research, and will use every evidence-based method for helping. From unconventional meds to unconventional therapy. Scientifical methods and evidence are needed for both meds and therapy. Doctors who claim that hypnotization, magic stones, mindfullness or other types of alternative medicine can cure every disease are fraudulent quacks. It's simply impossible to fix a chemical inbalance such as HPPD with therapy, like it is equally impossible to stop a cancer tumor from growing with therapy. But it's of course helpful for the psyche of the sufferer with therapeutic support.. Therapy can not resolve the physical causes on it's own, just as little as meds can fix all emotional problems which comes with the above mentioned diagnoses..

Well.. 1: it lifts the MAO barrier for GABA, think of it like a unwavering mild benzo effect. So it will calm down milder anxiety, which in turn can stop panic anxiety from occuring. It can therefore be efficient against social anxiety, which for most is at the shallow end on the anxiety scale. 2: with HPPD, there are more bothering coexisting disorders than the visuals which can make it uncomfortable to be around other people. Such as brain fog, DP/DR etc. which can make the surroundings or yourself feel surreal, disorientation, degradation in cognitive function (ex. slow thinking, slurry speech). These comorbid disorders can clearly make the social anxiety a lot worse. Keppra is particulary efficient against these issues, much more than it is against the HPPD visuals. So yes the Keppra might work for you, it's generally well tolerated, give it a try maybe? The therapeutic methods of CBT/CPT are the best methods against actually resolving any anxiety, since it quite literally reprograms the hippocampus, where your most central phobias are memorized. Try both, doctors can be very reluctant to prescribe either Keppra or CBT, but they're both more efficient than the standard "one pill solves everything" prescription of SSRI/SNRI they're so damn fond of..

Yeah, how they can label that poison mixture as meat is a mystery.. :-)

It's called clear answers.. ;-) The best method for getting rid of anxiety is CBT/CPT methods, trigger mapping and exposure. SSRI's is really bad stuff for HPPD, since it increases the activity in the damaged neural pathways, which is the core cause of HPPD. Wellbutrin is not a miracle cure, but it doesn't affect visuals negatively in the long run. Since I have ADHD, it has an anxiolytic effect for me. Wellbutrin is a bit too weak on it's own for me, for other people it seems to be almost like taking amphetamine. So I can understand some people might get jittery (anxious) on it.. But like many amphetamine-derivatives, it boosts self confidence, which might help taking the first steps for effective therapy against social anxiety in particular. I cannot recommend benzos other than controlled prescription against severe panic anxiety. If you can avoid them, never start with them! Having the brain drop GABA and firing extra glutamate in the process of benzo withdrawal will make the most severe panic attack seem like a walk in the park.. Luukzorika asks for quick medical advice, and I answer him from my empirical experiences, and my acquired medical knowledge. I'm no doctor, but medicinial sciences is one of my core interests. Out of necessity, and desire for knowledge.. ;-) BTW, StateOfRegret, who is the bearded fellow in your profile pic? He looks familiar, someone who lived in the century of massive beards, i.e. the 1800:s perhaps?

Yes, particularly sweetwater fish. Safest fishes are those from the open sea, like Atlantic Mackerel. Grown fish like salmon (unnatural but no PCB or lead at least) might also be better. Fast food (Mickey D in particular) is probably the worst crap that can be eaten. The beef is 50% soy, the meat is the worst quality. Grown with antibiotics, corn and steroids. And there's also sugar(!) in the beef! Might also contain EHEC, Mad Cow and antibacterial chemicals.. Yay!

Absolutely not! Using psychedelics after HPPD onset is like pouring gasoline on the fire. You might get permanently worse, and it will ruin your chances to heal the damage. If you abstain from drugs, you might have a good prognosis of recovery within a 5 year period. There are no "reversal" methods for HPPD. Some meds can alleviate the symptoms, but not cure you. Only time and disciplined abstinence of drugs might do that.

I agree with Jay, both regarding "safer" substances (with their risks) and that some hours of fun are not worth f**king up the rest of the life for. And thinking back, after 8 years with HPPD, I would actually go back to the messed up state of chronical unemployment, with a few months of work here and there, being mostly healthy and HPPD free. It beats being on disability pension at the age of 30, having 5 diagnoses (so far), and shoveling down 4 meds daily (for now), for the rest of my life, being stuck at the end of the rabbit hole, close to getting out, but not being able to.. I'll never be fully functional again, which in turn means; no work at all, no children/family. A life on the tightrope, where every nudge can make me lose balance.. Being in that hopeless (but still healthy) state of before.. I'll take it any day rather than being really f**ked up like I am now. Gooseontheloose, you still have a chance of recovery. Statistics say, if you get HPPD, and abstain from further drug use, you'll have quite a good prognosis of recovery within a maximum of 5 years! After those 5 years, your chances are slim to none for recovery.. So don't go visit "Wonderland" ever again.. "Realityland" is better, no matter how many flaws it has. It's where you live and belong.. You might get stuck in the rabbit hole forever otherwise.. :-S And regarding my "friends" from before, who I used drugs with.. Most of them have either got criminal charges, reoccuring psychosis, are homeless or are dead. Some of them turned snitches, or betrayed everyone of their previous friends. Really, people like those are neither worth your time, energy or your life. No real friend would pull you down with them into misery.. I have no good memories from a "young, wild, fun" life, just traumatic scars which are etched into my soul forever.. A life in misery, that turned to even worse misery when I tried to escape the first misery by drugs.. Now I have too try to make my life worth living, rebuild it from the ground up with a damaged body and psyche.. Though it'll never be as it could have been. Accepting that is probably the hardest thing to come to terms with, to forgive yourself and move on. Don't put yourself in that position, Gooseontheloose. Keep abstaining from drugs and make new friends who don't use drugs. You'll thank yourself later! Sorry for being preachy, I just don't want anyone to end up like me..