3 replies to this topic

[Jhamham]

Hi, my names Jesse, I'm an 18 year old male and I first want to apologize for this super long post. It's just I really need to know what's wrong with me and it's essential that I know what to do from here. Ok, here I go.

About a month and a half ago I was with a friend (not friends anymore obviously) and he was really into doing pills. Mostly robitussin. He persuaded me to take 12 of them (I was so stupid) and I got very high from just 12. I wasn't seeing or hearing things but the effects associated with Dextromethorphan overdose (Ingredient in Robitussin) was very high. It's dissacotiative effects took me hard. I had a loss of balance control, I was running into things, got so dehydrated that my tongue turned white that stuff. Then I had this really bad panic and had to talk to my parents. He wouldn't let me and we actually ended up fist fighting over it. I got tired out and just layed down on my bed. He gave me a few glasses of water and we went to sleep.

The next day I woke up and I was still feeling like I was high off of it. He had taken 26 and when I asked him if he still felt high he said no and that it was because it was my first time. The feeling of being high wasn't as strong as it was that night but it was still very noticeable. I ended up having another panic attack that morning and my parents saw me so I finally told them. They took me took me to the ER and the doctorsthought I was having an anti-cholinergic reaction which turned out to not be the case at all.I woke up at least 3 to 4 times in the middle of the night and I ended up having over 30 panic attacks in 2 weeks and went to the ER 2 more times before I admitted myself to Rivendell ( A psychiatric inhouse, kind of like rehab)

I was there for a whole week and the doctor there told me I had seretonin syndrome and gave me risperdall. A couple days went by and the panic attacks had gone away, the shivering, the hot flashes, and themuscle jerks. The waking up in the middle of the night went away after about another 3 weeks but the effects that stayed and I still have are

1. Still feel high (Dissacotiative effects like I don't feel all there. From what I know it effects the NDMA receptors and blocks them off. The dextromethorphan that is. I believe it's called an NDMA receptor antagonist.)
2. Balance problems ( bump into things and such)
3. I don't have regular everyday sweat anymore. (Ex. I have no ball sweat anymore and I used to have alot of it.)
4.Visual problems (Floaters, Tracers, and slight depth issues)
5.Time perception problems( My internal time clock is ****** up. I can't tell if 10 or 20 minutes went by. I can't estimate how much time has gone by, I have to look at a clock in order to know how long it has been.)
6. Memory in general is worse( Ex. I forget where we parked the car in walmart, forget things in rooms more often, Have to be told something more than once)
7.Heartburn ( Almost daily) Acid reflux.

I have an appointment with the neurologist in late July but I want as many answers as possible. Very descriptive answers. This has affected me in every single way. Emotionally, mentally physically....I don't feel like the same person and I hate it. The questions I have are these.
1. Why do I have each symptom?

2. Is it possible to get better from this? Fully? I heard on a couple sites that in rare cases it can be permanent.

3. If I can get better fully or even semi fully, what are some things I can take that will make me better faster? (Ex. Piracetam, GABA stuff like that.) Nothing that is a receptor antagonist please.

4. Does this mean I can't have anasthesia for surgery because DXM is a dissacotiative anasthetic and it might react synergistically with my possible nerve damage? Remember I still have the dissacotiative effects.

5. If I may never get better, what are some things I could do that could make me a happy, productive person? I want to be a Xray technician, and if this will effect my schoolwork for it then I want to know how to deal with that. Medically and emotionally.

6. What are your credentials?

Thank you so so so much whoever you are reading this, I can't thank you more if you answer my questions. I would give you all a hug in person if I could. Again, Thank you ) I need this.

[gizmobrain]

First of all, I know it's hard to do, but breathe. Relax. You'll get better. The brain has powerful methods of regenerating itself, but some of these systems don't get back to equilibrium for a couple of months after a traumatic experience. Don't underestimate the power of positive thinking when it comes to mental health either.

Also, if it makes you feel any better, every single symptom you described is what I would describe as having in differing degrees of intensity since birth. So you aren't more messed up than me

There is actually a lot of information out there on this subject (some better than others). Bluelight.ru, Erowid, and Drugs-forum.com all have numerous talks about it. Of course, you might find illegal recommendations intermixed with decent ones, but that's the nature of the beast.

I've even seen some threads about it on Longecity. Here is one, for instance:
http://www.longecity...duced-psychosis

Hopefully, that will give you some places to get started.

For the record, I would guess that you are recovering from serotonin syndrome and the resulting anxiety/stress. High doses of anxiety/stress are bad for the brain. I doubt you have lesions on your brain or anything that long-term dextromethorphan abuse could possibly cause.

Edited by zrbarnes, 26 June 2012 - 06:12 PM.

[splitastone]

Jesse - Here's the good news. You're not going to grow two heads and it very likely that you will start to feel better soon. There are thousands of other people who have experienced exactly what you experienced and are doing just fine now. I encourage you to use this experience wisely and pay attention to what your body and mind and spirit are telling you. Consider the possibility that you can have a totally kick-ass life as a person who choses not to use drugs.

Focus on deep slow gentle breathing. Eat nutritious food and eat slowly. Stay hydrated. If you can afford to see a therapist try to find one who specializes in anxiety (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).

Panic attacks are normal and common. They are not dangerous and don't mean you're crazy or will lose your mind. They will not last forever and there are lots of different ways to treat and overcome them.

Remember, you are not alone. You had a common/expected reaction to a DXM overdose. I have seen this many times and have yet to see a time/case when a person's symptoms did not resolve with time.

I encourage you to take a step back from trying to fix this or solve this on your own (because you don't have to). Seek out qualified professionals for support. They will know exactly what to do.

You're going to be OK Jesse - Sean

[noopeptisgood]

Are you sure that dextromethorphan was the only ingredient in the product? Did you look at the box with your own eyes? Were you on any other kind of medication, like anti-depressants? I don't think dextromethorphan can cause serotonin syndrome on its own, so I think it may have interacted with something. Dextromethorphan is sometimes combined with chlorpheniramine, which can cause adverse reactions and should never be taken to get high.

Anyway, stop having "panic attacks." You can control your own consciousness. No one is sending you into a panic attack but yourself.

I suggest you get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water, take your fish oil, and relax. You aren't high, you've just experienced a lasting change in consciousness. It will fade given time.

I don' t think you need any other chemicals in your body to recover.

Edited by noopeptisgood, 03 July 2012 - 06:26 PM.