keep positive

LSD use can trigger schizophrenic behavior IIRC but it is a pre-existing condition. I wouldn't assume it is HPPD

Wow. There is hope.

I'm going on 8 years. My life is good. I take Keppra 500mg daily. I'm finishing up grad school, got married, became a father, am a social person again, have progressed in my career and I've given up drugs. All positives. My mind doesn't live with HPPD anymore. I've freed myself from the shackles of worry and regret and I live my new life with acceptance and accountability. It is what you choose it to be.

Since I've acquired HPPD, I've: 

• met a beautiful girl and gotten married
• am 2 years done with a part time MBA program, finish in Dec.
• received a promotion at my work
• made memories that I will cherish forever
• am expecting a baby boy in 3 months

I'm proof you can live a normal life again.

HPPD sucks, definitely. I hate to say this, but the best way to start feeling better is this easy - exercise every single day and eat healthy every single meal. Sugar makes HPPD worse, I'm convinced. That also means flour which converts to sugar. Don't wait on others to help you feel better, take charge of your situation. Run, meditate, exercise your brain, eat well!!! I can;t emphasize this enough, diet is a big factor in my symptoms. When i eat poorly, processed foods, sugars, soda, etc...my symptoms spike big time. I had the greatest bit of recovery when I ate healthy and exercised. I'm back at it, and it does wonders. I'm a firm believer that I can exercise my brain function back. 

Hang in there. I'm at 7 years right now. I know it's only half of your battle, but things are getting progressively better every day. Be healthy, be positive.

I had a scratching in my inner ear that would only happen when I listen to music and talk. It seems to have gone away slightly, but it started with my HPPD. Saw two different ear doctors, neither saw anything that would indicate an issue with my ears. There's some sort of issue with head pressure with HPPD which affects pressure on the ears, eyes, etc. Even when my HPPD kicked in, I remember there being a feeling like something had popped inside my head and I went light headed.

I'm in Delaware...and coincidentally starting grad school in two months.

Things you can accomplish with HPPD:

1. Get your MBA

2. Get married - I got married in June.

There's hope people!

HPPD like symptoms, not induced through drug use. I'd diagnose it same as my nuero-opthamologist has defined my disorder - unexplained visual disturbences.

I notice that NAC does clear up my perception somewhat. I read that NAC helps reduce abnormal glutamate. So I'm guessing a connection. More so when it comes to DR type things, blurry/foggy vision, then the more classic hppd things though.

I read this and began trying Gingko Bilboa on Tuesday. I can say with 100% certainty that my mind is clearer and I've regained some of the personality I lost when I came down with HPPD. I'm much more mentally sharp than I was without taking it, and I feel like my worst symptom was "losing a bit of the person I was" pre-HPPD. I'm not saying this lightly, it's definitely helped. I'd highly recommend everyone trying it

I take Keppra and experience zero side affects. It's been a wonder for me.

Hey Jake, it gets better. My hppd is just from shrooms, but my experience was that it comes on, gets worse, and then gets better.

This has been my experience. I liken it to the stock market where I see improvement over the long-term, but every so often it seems to regress or get worse, but when it bounces back, it is better than it was before the most decline..

right now I'd trade winning the lottery to have my normal vision back.

I try to spend 30 minutes every night reassociating what correct vision should be like to try and "re-train" my brain. I'll think of times when I was younger and associate songs to places in times and think about what I was seeing, how it looked etc. Not a cure, but it does bring some level of comfort.

Your words are truly inspirational, as the after-images I see from everything on a 24/7 basis makes it hard for me to go from one room to another or to look at something in a fluid motion instead of doing it choppily. I also have problems understanding people sometimes, which is really frustrating.

What is your past history of hallucinogen use, if you don't mind me asking? I smoked mj for 3 years, dropped acid once, and have tripped twice on mushrooms, once on less than an 8th, and the second time on 7 grams which is ultimately, in my opinion, what gave me this terrible condition. It was a terrifying trip too.

long history of drug use from age 16 to age 33. For the most part I've stopped using drugs since developing HPPD.

eat right, exercise, stay active, stay social, etc. These things help. Try not to think about it or obsess over it. Easier said than done, I know. There's no magic cure for HPPD except for time and treating your body and mind right.

Hey there...I've had HPPD for 4 years now, and I know in my case I've gotten better over time - much better. The only med that really worked for me was Keppra. I still take 500mg per day. It might be worth looking into. I sometimes I wish I took it sooner thinking it would've been better to fight the disorder sooner. I started after about 18 months. I think I would describe my case a mild, I originally had significant dr, trailers, neg afterimages, static, etc. All of these things have dissipated with time. The one thing that helped more than anything was eating right and exercising - and quitting all drugs. I even gave up smoking cigarettes and caffeine - though I'm back on coffee and it doesn't affect me as much today

My advice, live healthy, do your best to get by day by day and gradually things will correct themselves in your brain, or you will adapt to the point of it not affecting you as much. I don't know of any 100% reversals, but I know many people have reported symptoms decreasing so much over time they felt like they were 100% - or at least HPPD didn't negatively affect them anymore.

Hope this helps.

Keep up the good fight, stay positive. Your friends probnably won't understand what you're going through. Don't hold it against them, this is a hard disorder for many people to grasp.....even doctors.

marijuana jump-started my HPPD. I'd taken LSD the night before, the next day when I smoked, i felt something pop in my head and I got light headed then I immediately had a flashback. About 5-6 days later HPPD set in. If anything marijuana was a catalyst. For this reason alone, I know it can have an adverse affect on my brain. Give it up, not worth it. Let your brain heal..