Jessica Keller :
I am researching HPPD for a psychology 101 project and was curious about what kind of hallucinogens trigger this disorder. Is there more reports of Hppd occurring in those who use lysergic acid diethylamide than those who use psilocybin, mescaline, MDMA, phenylcyclohexl piperidine, or marajuana?

Hi, Jessica:

Although HPPD refers generically to the disordered associated with hallucinogenic drugs, it’s LSD, by far, which has had the strongest link to the disorder, compared to all the other drugs you’ve listed. I’ve seen cases of folks with HPPD from other stimulants, including psilocybin, mescaline, and even (rarely) patients on weed alone, or Ritalin. But LSD leads the pack as the most common cause of HPPD at this point in time.

Dr. A

Thanks for your complex and personal post. I’m sorry to hear of your difficulties. The path of living with HPPD varies widely, but there is nothing that should stand in your way toward living a long and happy life with such a diagnosis. I say this having treated many patients over the last thirty plus years.

I am not sure about the role of persistent migraine aura in your case. The use of a hallucinogen preceding the onset of symptoms, in the absence of classical migraine headaches, points more to the former than the latter. But it makes sense that there are many bad things that can happen to the brain to lead to an HPPD-like visual disorder without a person ever taking hallucinogens. For example, temporal lobe seizures can look like HPPD at times. Clearly, a consultation to review your case history with a doctor in your area knowledgeable about HPPD may be helpful.

Sincerely,

Dr. A.

I underwent many tests to find and cure the problem, but it was not detectable and everything checked out normal. These symptoms cleared up 4 times over the past 20 years for a minute or 2 each time. Then everything returned back to distorted again.

At the time, 1994, no one heard of this so there was no information available about it. A few years ago an eye doctor I was suggested palinopsia, so I did more research and found out about HPPD, Palinopsia, and Depersonalization, and I have them all to a T! I also found a few articles in the J. Clin Psychiatry Journal that a few patients had the same symptoms and found cures using tegretol and Neurontin. I have tried these and they didn’t help me, except to relax.

I’m so happy to at least know that someone out there knows about what it is and can describe it so perfectly. I used to try to explain to doctors, and still do, what I was experiencing and no one understand it.

I also found an article on the Internet written by a Dr. Evans, from Texas I think, about Migraine Aura. This was the first to describe the symptoms of a millions dots, sensitivity to light, halos around objects, fluidity in static objects, visual snow, and grainy vision.

I then found out about Migraine-aura.org online and read a case about a man named Victor in an article by Klaus Podoll, which described exactly the same things that happened to me and what I’m experiencing.

So, now I’m writing to Mr. Abraham.

If anyone can help me or knows of any cure. Please contact me at jamesphilliard@yahoo.com

Best Regards everyone,

James P. Hilliard