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Is smoking/previous drug use the contributing factor?

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Fargo, Oct 18, 2009.

  1. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    So I smoke, and I used to do ecstasy, which I was addicted to for awhile, but have since been clean for about 3 months now. Anyways, I was wondering if smoking or e-withdrawals can produce these symptoms?:
    -Fatigue
    -Depression
    -Tremor
    -Balance difficulty
    -Speaking difficulty
    -Headaches
    -Lower back pain
    -Ataxia
    -Vision blurs/clouds
    -Dizziness
    -muscle spasms

    There is more, but those are the most prominent ones lately. They seem to come and go. I went to my doctor and all she did was get my thyroid checked and a chest x-ray and told me I was fine. All she said was "Eat healthy and stop smoking" but I can't help but wonder if smoking even creates some of those symptoms?
     
  2. Swamp56

    Swamp56 Guest

    Describe speaking difficulty. Do you mean difficulty speaking physically, or you find yourself saying things that make no sense or forming words that don't exist?
     
  3. Chip

    Board Member Admin Team Advisor Full Member

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    Addiction to ecstasy itself is pretty rare, if you're talking physical addiction. However, most ecstasy is not anything remotely close to pure MDMA, and so you really have no clue what you're getting. Very commonly (at least as of several years ago), ecstasy tabs analyzed were found to contain substantial amounts of crystal meth and sometimes even worse stuff. So it's possible you've got a toxic reaction to something that the E was cut with.

    Because of the way E works, it both depletes serotonin reserves (serotonin is responsible for mood stabilization), and it also, particularly with repeated use, damages serotonin receptors, making them less able to bind to serotonin. The result is twofold: depression as a result of the lack of available serotonin, and longer-term depression as a result of damage to the receptors.

    I had a friend that used ecstasy fairly frequently (once or twice a week for several months) and he developed an extremely severe depression that was essentially untreatable. The psychiatrist he saw gave him prozac, but essentially said it wouldn't do much and he'd just have to wait it out. I had another friend that used e on a similar basis and had a depression that lasted for about 6 to 9 months. Since depression can affect energy levels, I could see the fatigue being tied to it.

    However, I'd be rather concerned about the tremor, balance difficulty, vision blurs and dizziness. Those would, as far as I know, not be consistent with E withdrawal, nor should smoking cause them.

    I'm guessing Kara Bulut will offer up some advice, but I would think it would be wise to get a second consult. The combination of tremor, balance, headache, dizziness, and vision issues would, to my unqualified eye, warrant a consultation with a neurologist. That constellation of symptoms is not consistent with thyroid issues (though the fatigue and depression are), so it seems like your doc either ruled out neurological issues or somehow glossed over those symptoms.


     
  4. KaraBulut

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    No. After three months, your withdrawal symptoms will have been gone.

    You need to see an internist or neurologist. They will need to do some "rule out" testing for things like multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, lupus, etc.
     
  5. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    Well for speaking it includes: stuttering, difficulty finding the right words, and when trying to say a word something completely not understandable. This happens on a regular basis. As for neurological, my doc says I have no signs of lesions or anything wrong with my brain from a CT scan taken years ago...
     
  6. Chip

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    But when did the symptoms appear? A CT scan taken years ago is pretty meaningless if the symptoms only started appearing a month or two or three ago.
     
  7. KaraBulut

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    ^^QFT.

    If your doctor says otherwise, change doctors and get a second opinion.
     
  8. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    I guess you're right, a new doctor would be helpful.
     
  9. Jack2009

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    that happen to me

    I was exhausted and just woke up ten minutes ago

    I didn't sleep much that night
     
  10. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    It tends to happen whenever I talk. Usually when I'm talking to customers at work, maybe it's just a shyness issue. But even when I talk to people I know and am close to, forming words can be a big time challenge.

    edit: I'd also like to ask if constipation and diarrhea could have been caused by e by damaging my digestive tract?
     
    #10 Fargo, Oct 18, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 18, 2009
  11. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    Oh, another question most likely irrelevant to the prior question but I have been in the sun quite a bit, and now I have these weird white spots on my body. I don't know if the sun brought them on or if I always have them, I haven't paid much attention until I noticed a big patch on my side, then noticed they are on my chest, shoulders and back.
     
  12. Chip

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    OK.

    -- There's no correlation between prior E use and constipation and diarrhea occurring months later.

    -- You're describing a long list of symptoms, many of which are likely completely unrelated, but some of which sound potentially serious. You should not be seeking medical advice on a discussion board with these sorts of symptoms and issues. You should be getting an appointment right away with a different physician.

    Not trying to scare you, just saying... these are not simple, ordinary things and should be checked out.
     
  13. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    Well my doctor seemed to think there was nothing wrong, especially since the symptoms come and go like episodes =/ She had a look at the back of my eyes and said everything looked fine. The thing that really sucks is that some symptoms are very spread apart, while others happen on a daily basis. =/ Could a brain change within 4 years?
     
  14. KaraBulut

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    It's probably vitiligo. When it is on the chest and back but nowhere else, it's often caused by a superficial fungal infection. Ask your doctor to look at it.


    Yes. Tremendously.
     
  15. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    Hmm =/ Wonder why my doctor didn't seem to think so D=
     
  16. Gumtree

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    I didn't have time to read the reply's so sorry if your questions have been answered!

    I think the simple answer is no. Ecstasy addiction in itself is pretty rare and quite a complicated process. If your symptoms are related to your drug use, then I would assume it would be more likely to be connected to the ambiguous and 'unclean' nature as to what else E can contain beyond MDMA.

    Withdrawals for Ecstasy after prolonged use are generally gone within 8-12 weeks I believe and permanent affects are generally superficial unless you had access to very high concentrated MDMA or were really popping a shit load of pills.