BigPapaChakra

A lot of the benefits of fasting can actually be obtained by eating MORE, as proper oxidative metabolism, and to a degree, mitochondrial uncoupling, increases autophagy/phagocytosis; this researcher noticed rodents lived longer the less they ate, but hypothesized that this was probably from a decreased toxin load. He fed another group a calorie un-restricted diet, though depleted in metals such as iron and aluminum, and they lived just as long as calorically restricted rodents. That being said, I've been having decent results with Paul Jaminet's+Dave Asprey's take on fasting. For the past few weeks I've been completing a ketogenic intermittent fast for 16-18hrs, though eating carbs and what not throughout the rest of the day, and then completing a full-on ketogenic fast for 24-36hrs 1x/week. I feel great after this. Simply restricting very specific amino acids, for instance, methionine, increases autophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis. Yet 1x/week I'm doing more than this and completely fasting outside of some medium chain fats, coffee, mineral water, and salt. When I get KetoForce (a salt of beta-hydroxybutyrate) I may try a 7-10 day fast. Fasting has been shown to cure drug resistant forms of schizophrenia, and all that is needed to maintain the results is a whole foods diet and an occasional 3-5 day fast.

I posted about this in another thread, but the company that made Coluracetam, Brain Cells Inc, has been running a lot of trials for anxiety and depression curing/treating compounds; they ran a 3 part trial (cell culture -> rodent trial -> roughly 6 week human trial) using Buspirone+melatonin. Apparently, the combination does something that neither of the compounds can do alone. It largely stimulated hippocampal neurogenesis, which is what all the fuss is over the new research drug, NSI-189. It led to a statistically significant reduction in both anxiety and depression symptoms after 6 weeks (though it started working earlier, too). I'm not sure on all the mechanisms of Buspirone, but from my brief research far back, it did seem safe and cheaper than some drugs. Melatonin is relatively cheap, although one should go with the highest quality source because there are always major absorption and excipient issues. I may try this stack myself depending upon what happens with my upcoming neuropsychiatrist appointment.

Sorry, I just saw this. A few days ago I was in pretty bad shape, then had a bunch of things come up shortly after, and now I have to go to this z-health session then get ready to start this chemistry+biology course. I'll post a couple studies later.

Missjess, please do share your experiences with Lamicatal - I'm definitely looking for something to help me as well as for the past few days I've literally felt as though I've been on LSD or something, lol. Very intense visuals that are distracting me from my work and so forth. Just trying to hold out until my neuro-psychiatrist appointment. That being said, my tampering with ketosis has proven to be useful, even in decreasing visuals and DP/DR, I'll leave that for another thread, though. I'm sure someone will touch upon their experiences with Lamictal. If you haven't taken it yet, I'd recommend maybe even using less at first to rule out adverse reactions, but that's probably just me and my anxious state of being that makes me extra conservative with everything.

Yeah I will proceed with caution... if I go this route. I'm currently taking Aspirin due to its effects on the mitochondria (it affects enzymes that can increase T3 production, and T3 has been known to increase the amount of mitochondria), myelinogenesis, and lastly, glutamate excitotoxicity protection. I believe it may be decreasing my serotonin, though (it can do this), so I'm going to experiment with decreasing the amount I use, decreasing the frequency of use, or maybe taking some 5-HTP or something. There are actually a lot of studies showing minocycline has potent anti-psychotic/hallucinogenesis/anxiety properties, but I'm just not too interested in taking antibiotics; but if I have to I will. Resistant starch consumption is another interesting therapeutic modality. It can increase serotonin, dopamine, and endocrine hormones. It has also been shown to lead to proliferation of NMDAr's. Lastly, there is this paper: Molecular hydrogen: an overview of its neurobiological effects and therapeutic potential for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia The gut microbiome produces molecular hydrogen from food. I believe resistant starch can increase its production. Rather than just shooting in the dark from here on out, as I've stated I'd do before but never got around to doing, I'll be ordering some labs soon. I think the most relevant ones to me would probably be an extensive neurotransmitter test followed by an equally extensive amino acid test; you can get these via DirectLabs. The in depth ones don't only show things such as dopamine and serotonin, but 5-HIAA, glycine, taurine, DOPAC, and more. Definitely useful for those of us with severe HPPD/co-morbid disorders. I'm also going to get a magnesium test, either RBC or EXA, and from there start supplementing more obscure forms of magnesium, namely magnesium bicarbonate (which in various patents hsa been shown to have some unique effects) and pico-ionic magnesium.

So that's stating increased vagal tone can perpetuate dissociation? If so, that's interesting, because Dr. Peat told me longgg ago (before my HPPD even got to the extent that it is now) that I should avoid doing anything that increases vagal tone with my history.

Yeah I know - the ONLY similarities are potential visuospatial/auditory type problems, but that doesn't occur in everyone with Asperger's and even so those perceptual problems are entirely different than what is experienced with HPPD. Nonetheless, I wish you luck for when you return home (U.S.?). I'm not certain if this is somehow breaking forum rules, but if you had any trouble getting prescribed keppra or any other med you want to try, there are online pharmacies that appear to be reliable, and some even send scripts with the product signed by M.D.'s just in case customs get involved. I'm looking for some naltrexone, naloxone, and clonazepam (though, this last one I'd only use until I see this neuro-psychiatrist a couple times and actually see what's going on in my brain).

Yeah, that's typically what I do nowadays. I'll also email them studies and the DSM-V HPPD (and co-morbid disorder) diagnosis. I've had too many experiences where I describe my extensive symptoms and state how everything in the literature establishes how psychedelic/drug use can cause some of these things, how all my problems started after specific events, and how I never had any of these symptoms prior, yet I'll be told I'm completely wrong and I have Asperberger Syndrome or post concussive syndrome. When I first send some studies/papers/etc. prior to an appointment, the people are much more understanding and understand this is a real problem.

Yeah, but those studies neglect to mention a lot of variables. There are many different forms of neurofeedback, each that produces drastically different results. Additionally, each protocol needs to be selected on an individual basis. For instance, many people with dissociative disorders have ultra-high levels of beta brain waves in different brain regions. If you did a form of neurofeedback that even temporarily increased beta waves, you'd feel terrible. Prog Brain Res. 2006;159:421-31. Validating the efficacy of neurofeedback for optimising performance. Gruzelier J, Egner T, Vernon D. Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, Lewisham Way, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, UK. j.gruzelier@gold.ac.uk The field of neurofeedback training has largely proceeded without validation. Here we review our studies directed at validating SMR, beta and alpha-theta protocols for improving attention, memory, mood and music and dance performance in healthy participants. Important benefits were demonstrable with cognitive and neurophysiological measures which were predicted on the basis of regression models of learning. These are initial steps in providing a much needed scientific basis to neurofeedback, but much remains to be done. Efficacy of Neurofeedback Treatment in ADHD: The Effects on Inattention, Impulsivity and Hyperactivity: A Meta-Analysis Dr. Martijn Arns1⇓ Sabine de Ridder2 Ute Strehl5 Marinus Breteler3,4 Anton Coenen4 Due to the inclusion of some very recent and sound methodological studies in this meta-analysis, potential confounding factors such as small studies, lack of randomization in previous studies and a lack of adequate control groups have been addressed, and the clinical effects of neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD can be regarded as clinically meaningful. Three randomized studies have employed a semi-active control group which can be regarded as a credible sham control providing an equal level of cognitive training and client-therapist interaction. Therefore, in line with the AAPB and ISNR guidelines for rating clinical efficacy, we conclude that neurofeedback treatment for ADHD can be considered “Efficacious and Specific” (Level 5) with a large ES for inattention and impulsivity and a medium ES for hyperactivity. When searching for neurofeedback specifically, there are a few thousand studies that come up, most with positive results. Additionally, the article's argument is flawed, because many of the benefits of neurofeedback are in spite of brain wave changes, and more due to structural changes to the brain (gray and white matter/cortical matter, etc).

Ughh I have to get to compiling some of this information in a more organized manner - I've just been rather busy lately on top of trying a bunch of different things. Additionally, I just registered for some courses via edx.org to earn some verified certificates in biology/chemistry. Nonetheless, I found some interesting information on aspirin and minocycline: Is aspirin useful in patients on lithium? A pharmacoepidemiological study related to bipolar disorder Minocycline and aspirin in the treatment of bipolar depression: a protocol for a proof-of-concept, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2×2 clinical trial Minocycline as Adjunctive Therapy for Schizophrenia: An Open-Label Study Another study on Minocycline for Schizophrenia. Neuroprotection in Huntington's disease: a 2-year study on minocyclineI plan on running some labs when I get the money (perhaps in the next month) - I'm not sure what I should purchase in order to determine if minocycline would be warranted in my case (it's an antibiotic, but a seemingly well tolerated one with anti-psychotic, anti-aggressive, anxiolytic effects). For me, in terms of meds, currently minocycline, T4+T3, clonazepam, buspirone+melatonin, progesterone, and DHEA all seem viable. I'm going to try Coluracetam again tomorrow, too. I'm interested in seeing if I can combine coluracetam+etizolam...

Well, that can be true, but I've found dietary approaches to be far superior to any supplement or med thus far, outside of LLLT. I'm not saying I know everything about the biological information underlying diet, but many individuals believe simply avoiding processed foods and what not will create a healthy diet. I'd look into Dr. Peat - his whole entire dietary philosophy is about restoring brain function, or, in a healthy individual, enhancing brain evolution. Dr. Roger J. Williams is another. Oh, Dr. Peat also responds to practically every email sent to him personally, often within the same day of receiving it. I've had extensive conversations about my problems with him, and at first glance, his ideas seem too good to be true. Things such a eating raw carrot salads every day, breathing into a bag, supplementing with salt and baking soda, yet, these things have worked better for me than anything.. There were times that I didn't have etizolam or CES to control panic attacks and debilitating DP/DR - it was all Dr. Peat's ideas that helped at those times. A ketogenic diet is typically one devoid of carbs, in which your body breaks down its own adipose tissue to create ketone bodies such as beta-hydroxybutyrate. The reason I asked you is because ketogenic diets are used for epilepsy, and are often far more efficacious than medication. Additionally, it has been known to help people with Schizophrenia and Alzheimers diseae; in fact, there are a lot of people who suffered from debilitating hallucinations, went on a ketogenic diet, then were free of any mental illness symptoms. "She returned for a follow-up appointment 7 days after starting the low-carbohydrate diet. She was feeling well, and noted an increase in energy. She was seen again in clinic 19 days later. When asked how she was doing, she responded that she was no longer hearing voices or seeing skeletons. " I personally don't think ketogenic diets are optimal long-term, but there are ways around this. Schizophrenics and psychotics routinely have diminished cerebral glucose metabolism, hence why ketogenic diets cure them of their ailments. Yet, simply fixing the foundation of the problem would work equally as well, if not better. This is where the likes of Dr. Peat comes in, with his seemingly ridiculous idea of consuming a diet with a large amount of fructose and sucrose in it. Interestingly, both of those sugars also serve as an alternative fuel to glucose, and are anti-convulsant (anti-epileptic). I posted about him recently in my Orthomolecular Approach to HPPD and Other Neuro-Psychiatric Illnesses thread. For instance, a lot of people end up being considered psychotic, when really they're hypothyroid. They then get institutionalized and pumped full of anti-psychotics, yet all along all they needed was some sugar and salt and maybe some thyroid meds. If one isn't eating correctly, NO amount of medications or supplements will work. One's body needs the proper lipids, carbs, proteins, nucleotides, etc. I'd bet my money that more psychiatric diseases have been cured through diet alone as opposed to any combination of medications.

Missjess, have you ever went on a ketogenic diet/modified ketogenic diet, or taken progesterone?

Wow, Lobotomizer, I can't even describe how much this resonates with me. Firstly, the dreaming - SAME EXACT THINGS happened/happen to me. I went through a period of MONTHS where I couldn't sleep on my back. I would try, then I would get hypnagogic-like sensations/tactile hallucinations; my body felt weightless, the sensation of going down a roller coaster was present (it felt as though I was falling through the bed), and I often felt as though I were on the verge of having an OBE. All I had to do was rotate and sleep on my belly and it'd stop (though if I let it go on long enough, I'd still feel odd for a long period of time). Also, premonitory dreams, and hyper-vivid dreams. Dreams I'd wake up from and be crying because I was crying in my dream. All this weird stuff. This is what has made me semi-fearful of meditation, now. Before HPPD I was into trying to astral project, have lucid dreams and OBEs, meditation, etc. I've seen a lot of spiritual forums where people have odd sensations during/after meditation, often persisting for days, weeks, or sometimes years. I'd look up ThinkingAllowedTV on youtube, with Jeffrey Mishlove. It's all about the science of spirituality/mysticism, and the likes of John C. Lilly (inventor of sensory deprivation tanks and big-time ketamine user) have been on there. Nonetheless, there was some woman on there who described similar things to HPPD/Kundalini Awakening, yet called it a Spiritual Emergency or something of that sort. In fact, there are books on this from renowned psychologists/scientists such as Stanislav and Christina Grof: Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis

Well, I'm probably describing it wrong. It's teaching you to consciously up-regulate cerebral metabolism, particularly in the prefrontal cortex; altered cerebral metabolism takes place in almost every psychiatric illness, hence why the same medications don't work for everyone - they alter neuronal substrates without getting to the route causes of the problem, which can be altered cerebral metabolism, dysfunctional HPA-axis, etc. Hence why things like a SPECT Scan are so useful. Check this out.

For instance, I would see the information in this thread being more related to the "Why NMDA-antagonism?" and similar threads, as opposed to the HPPD Stack thread.

Well, I didn't want to really add studies, but the ones I added were directly related to the article above them. I figured this would be more relevant to an actual orthomolecular theory of treatments for HPPD and essentially any other neuro-psychiatric disease. If you'd like (or anyone else for that matter) I can just copy this over to that thread and close this one, but I figured this would serve as a good place to actually discuss theories of psychiatric diseases in depth, in terms of their biophysical etiologies rather than just posting a study on say, ALCAR or ALCAR-arginate and how it increases "this or that" neurotransmitter or growth factor at what dose. I have found over a dozen articles that get extremely in depth on the actual causes of psychiatric illnesses, and I figured it would largely distract from the specific studies on different supplements/drugs/etc. But again, I'm open to just closing this thread and putting it in the HPPD Stack thread, but it may get rather bogged down in theoretical/hypothetical jibber jabber, lol.

Some related studies to the above: Acetazolamide and thiamine: An ancillary therapy for chronic mental illnessVitamin B6 Treatment in Acute Neuroleptic-Induced Akathisia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Vitamin B6 Treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study. Antidepressive therapy by modifying sleep Schizophrenia is a diabetic brain state: an elucidation of impaired neurometabolism. Frontality, Laterality, and Cortical-Subcortical Gradient of Cerebral Blood Flow in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Symptoms and Neuropsychological Functions Effect of attention on frontal distribution of delta activity and cerebral metabolic rate in schizophrenia. "15 patients with schizophrenia and nine normal volunteers had 32 channel topographic EEG recorded for spectral analysis during the uptake of 18-F-deoxyglucose (FDG) for positron emission tomography (PET). Both patients and controls performed the Continuous Performance Test, a visual vigilance task, during FDG uptake. EEG was also obtained during an initial pre-FDG resting period. Each EEG epoch was individually inspected for eye movement artifacts. Analysis confirmed increased delta activity in the frontal region of patients with schizophrenia in comparison to normal controls, and a significant correlation between increased frontal delta and relative reduction in frontal lobe metabolism among patients with schizophrenia. This finding of increased delta is consistent with PET, blood flow and topographic EEG studies of schizophrenia, suggesting reduced frontal activity."

If no one minds, I'd like to create and maintain this thread to compile articles, book excerpts, studies, quotes, etc. on orthomolecular approaches to treating/managing and reversing neuro-psychiatric illnesses, HPPD being one (if it's a problem, no worries, it can be deleted or whatever). When I first started getting HPPD symptoms (which were much less severe than now), I started looking into things like organic foods (I definitely recommend the documentary Genetic Roulette, as well as the book Seeds of Deception, for more information), followed by alternative and naturopathic medicine. Nowadays, I'm open to anything, including the traditional, Western allopathic model to medicine. Nonetheless, personally, I believe the orthomolecular approach holds the greatest promise as it is (1) science based (unlike some other models), and (2) contains potentially hundreds of thousands of cases of people being cured of their ailments, which, interestingly include ailments such as psychosis and Schizophrenia. To begin this, I'd like to share some excerpts from an article on the thyroid (hormone)/oxidative metabolism-"insanity" connection written by Dr. Ray Peat; though I'm a fan of Dr. Peat, there are many others that have fantastic information, such as (but not limited to): Dr. Abram Hoffer, Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgi, Dr. Linus Pauling, and Dr. Roger J. Williams. Thyroid, insomnia, and the insanities: Commonalities in disease SOME FACTORS IN STRESS, INSOMNIA AND THE BRAIN SYNDROMES: "Everyone is familiar with the problem of defining insanity, in the case of people who plead innocent by reason of insanity. The official definition of insanity in criminal law is “the inability to tell right from wrong.” Obviously, that can’t be generalized to everyday life, because any sane person realizes that certainty is impossible, and that most situations, including elections, offer you at best the choice of “the lesser of two evils,” or the opportunity to “do the right thing,” and to “throw your vote away.” People who persist in doing what they know is really right are “eccentric,” in the sense that they don’t adapt to society’s norms. In a society that chooses to destroy ecosystems, rather than adapting to them, the question of sanity should be an everyday political issue." "Looking for general physiological problems behind the various symptoms is very different from the practice of classifying the insanities according to their symptoms and the hypothetical “brain chemicals” that are believed to “cause the symptoms.” The fact that some patients hallucinate caused many psychiatrists to believe that hallucinogenic chemicals, interfering with nerve transmitter substances such as dopamine or serotonin, were going to provide insight into psychotic states. The dopamine excess (or serotonin deficiency) theories developed at a time when only a few “transmitter substances” were known, and when they were thought to act as very specific on/off nerve switches, rather than as links in metabolic networks. The drug industry helps to keep those ideas alive." "A particular drug has many effects other than those that are commonly recognized as its “mechanism of action,” but when an “antidepressant” or a “tranquilizer” or a “serotonin reuptake inhibitor” alleviates a particular condition, some people argue that the condition must have been caused by the “specific chemistry” that the drug is thought to affect. Because of the computer metaphor for the brain, these effects are commonly thought to be primarily in the synapses, the membranes, and the transmitter chemicals." "The brain, just like any organ or tissue, is an energy-producing metabolic system, and its oxidative metabolism is extremely intense, and it is more dependent on oxygen for continuous normal functioning than any other organ. Without oxygen, its characteristic functioning (consciousness) stops instantly (when blood flow stops, blindness begins in about three seconds, and other responses stop after a few more seconds). The concentration of ATP, which is called the cellular energy molecule, doesn’t decrease immediately. Nothing detectable happens to the “neurotransmitters, synapses, or membrane structures” in this short period; consciousness is a metabolic process that, in the computer metaphor, would be the flow of electrons itself, under the influence of an electromotive force, a complex but continuous sort of electromagnetic field. The computer metaphor would seem to have little to offer for understanding the brain." "Although it is common to speak of sleep and hibernation as variations on the theme of economizing on energy expenditure, I suspect that nocturnal sleep has the special function of minimizing the stress of darkness itself, and that it has subsidiary functions, including its now well confirmed role in the consolidation and organization of memory. This view of sleep is consistent with observations that disturbed sleep is associated with obesity, and that the torpor-hibernation chemical, serotonin, powerfully interferes with learning. Babies spend most of their time sleeping, and during life the amount of time spent sleeping decreases, with nightly sleeping time decreasing by about half an hour per decade after middle age. Babies have an extremely high metabolic rate and a stable temperature. With age the metabolic rate progressively declines, and as a result the ability to maintain an adequate body temperature tends to decrease with aging. (The simple fact that body temperature regulates all organic functions, including brain waves, is habitually overlooked. The actions of a drug on brain waves, for example, may be mediated by its effects on body temperature, but this wouldn’t be very interesting to pharmacologists looking for “transmitter-specific” drugs.) Torpor is the opposite of restful sleep, and with aging, depression, hypothyroidism, and a variety of brain syndromes, sleep tends toward the hypothermic torpor. An individual cell behaves analogously to the whole person. A baby’s “high energy resting state” is paralleled by the stable condition of a cell that is abundantly charged with energy; ATP and carbon dioxide are at high levels in these cells. Progesterone’s effects on nerve cells include favoring the high energy resting state, and this is closely involved in progesterone’s “thermogenic” effect, in which it raises the temperature set-point. The basal metabolic rate, which is mainly governed by thyroid, roughly corresponds to the average body temperature. However, in hypothyroidism, there is an adaptive increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, producing more adrenalin, which helps to maintain body temperature by causing vasoconstriction in the skin. In aging, menopause, and various stressful conditions, the increased adrenalin (and the increased cortisol production which is produced by excess adrenalin) causes a tendency to wake more easily, and to have less restful sleep. While the early morning body temperature will sometimes be low in hypothyroidism, I have found many exceptions to this. In protein deficiency, sodium deficiency, in menopause with flushing symptoms, and in both phases of the manic depression cycle, and in some schizophrenics, the morning temperature is high, corresponding to very high levels of adrenalin and cortisol. Taking the temperature before and after breakfast will show a reduction of temperature, the opposite of what occurs in simple hypothyroidism, because raising the blood sugar permits the adrenalin and cortisol to fall." "Therapies that have been successful in treating “schizophrenia” include penicillin, sleep therapy, hyperbaric oxygen, carbon dioxide therapy, thyroid, acetazolamide, lithium and vitamins. These all make fundamental contributions to the restoration of biological energy. Antibiotics, for example, lower endotoxin formation in the intestine, protect against the induction by endotoxin of serotonin, histamine, estrogen, and cortisol. Acetazolamide causes the tissues to retain carbon dioxide, and increased carbon dioxide acidifies cells, preventing serotonin secretion."

I believe so. I had an MRI and (I believe) a CT scan that showed no structural abnormalities despite a history of concussions and cracking my head open (lol). Check this out: Brain SPECT Imaging in Complex Psychiatric Cases: An Evidence-Based, Underutilized Tool

Depending upon the severity, and if it seems as though it may be dying down (even very gradually), you may not develop HPPD to the severity some of us have (such as myself). Personally, I had very minor HPPD symptoms after doing LSD a variety of times - it was only present when sleep deprived, very high, very stressed, or a mix thereof. I continued smoking weed every day, taking psychedelic, using club drugs and so forth, and then being laced with a potent compound gave me severe HPPD for the past 2+ years. I'd chill out for awhile and see what happens. Don't smoke, drink, or do any drugs/psychedelics, get sleep deprived, or overly stressed, and see how things progress over the next few days/weeks. Try breathing into a bag to increase CO2, it really helps with anxiety (I don't mean hyperventilating, but just breathing normally into a bag, perhaps using diaphragmatic, rhythmic breathing) - CO2 is anti-inflammatory/oxidative and is very calming. You can also take hot baths with epsom salts and baking soda (and if you want, aspirin and caffeine). If it seems like things aren't dying down (or getting worse) and you actually have lasting HPPD, that's when to start looking into meds, dietary protocols, supplements, nootropics, therapies, etc. Also, if you can control your emotions/thought processes enough to still do a lot of things normally, start taking walks in novel locations (forests, bike trails, etc), getting tons of light and warmth, etc. Meaningful activity enhances neural stem (and other) cell proliferation/lifespan.

Interesting you posted this because I was just looking into both (1) a SPECT Scan (blood flow to different brain regions), and (2) HEG Biofeedback (consciously controlling blood flow throughout the brain). Thanks!

A neuro-psychiatrist is similar to both a neurologist and psychiatrist; I have more faith in the one I'm seeing than any of the past neurologists and any local psychiatrists (which I have never been to), because he is educated in both fields and board certified in both fields, so he has the knowledge of brain processes/structures and medications that affect said processes/structures, rather than just a very significant emphasis in one aspect. Additionally, he's experienced with other things such as neurotransmitter replacement therapy and nutritional therapies. A QEEG, to my knowledge, detects far more subtle/minor electrical variances than an EEG, and thus you can be seen as "normal" (what is normal anyhow, lol?) from an EEG, yet a QEEG will detect huge differences in brain waves in different regions. For instance, according to two different neurofeedback practitioners I've spoken to (who have treated people with dissociative disorders), beta waves are drastically increased in states of dissociation. A SPECT Scan is a test for cerebral blood flow/metabolism. So, you'll know which regions of your brain are receiving too little/just enough blood, which also means you'll know if they're receiving too little/just enough(/too much?) oxygen, glucose, and nutrients. From these two tests, one could have a better idea on how to tackle a neuro-psychiatric illness via medication, supplements, diet, or other modalities such as neurofeedback, HEG biofeedback, tDCS, etc. I actually just ordered a new tDCS unit, but canceled the order because I'm going to wait to get these tests run and then I'll have an idea as to what regions of my brain would need extra energy from the direct electrical currents. Lastly, yes, I hope those meds work well for you too!

Glad to hear that you didn't react poorly! Let me know (if you don't mind) how Lamictal and Naltrexone go when/if you try them - I'm very interested in trying those out (as well as Keppra and Sinemet), especially Naltrexone as it has actually been used for both HPPD and DP/DR. Yeah, the visuals are annoying. When I close my eyes rather than seeing black I still see visual snow, and additionally, blobs/orbs of different colors, especially blues and purples. I also see these blobs/orbs with my eyes open if I have a headache/migraine; yet when my eyes are open I typically see pink. If I look at any source of light I have multi-colored after images that last for many minutes afterwards. In fact, if I look at snow the same thing happens (one time I was shoveling for a couple hours and came inside and my vision was entirely pink; additionally, my eyes were in severe pain. I thought that I had permanently burnt my eyes, lol) "the brain dysfunction that caused HPPD must go deeper," - I agree. On April 24th I have an appointment with a well-reviewed, rather sought out (in Illinois, anyhow) neuro-psychiatrist. I'm going to push for getting a SPECT Scan and QEEG, then I'll know what areas of my brain are lacking blood flow and what brain waves are predominate in which brain regions.

How severe was the DP/DR prior to HPPD? Significant enough to impair normal daily functioning, or more of an annoyance? CEV's are Closed Eyed Visuals; think of when you've taken a psychedelic and closed your eyes and you can see geometric patterns swirling around and what not. I have these daily, and as of yesterday I plan on using them as an adjunct to meditation (that I'm starting up again). I'm glad to hear you've at least had small improvements. At least you know SOMETHING can help. At least less of a reason to be hopeless. It's interesting you bring up antibiotics - I've been doing some research and there are a lot of cases of bacteria/parasites causing people severe mental illness, yet when they kill them off they're better. There was this woman who's mental health continued to deteriorate to the point of her being not only convinced it was raining inside of a bus, but she could actually feel the rain. She went on a ketogenic diet with some supplements, made gradual improvements, added some specific antiobiotics and started getting better.

Well I don't want to seem negative, but I feel for MissJess - if I'm correct before she had HPPD she's had either DP or DR for years and then Ibogaine caused everything to get drastically worse. My heart goes out to you MissJess, you said yourself that (although you feel terrible) being in Brazil is improving you gradually. Even if it is very minor that's a positive. I know exactly how you feel, I've had HPPD symptoms for a little over 2 years and have gotten progressively worse to the point of me suspecting something more than HPPD is going on (I can barely even go to school without having a full blown nervous breakdown and feeling immobilized for a day or two). Nonetheless, I'm still extremely hopeful. Although our brain may be the most sensitive area to damage, it is potentially the most regenerative tissue, too.