Christ, it just keeps piling up

[Droopy]

I went to my psychiatrist today for my regular three month check up and to get refills for my prescriptions. In the "Hallucinations" thread I wrote a little while back I said that I'd had a few scent hallucinations. I've had a few more since then. Well the doctor asked me if I'd had any hallucinations and I told about smelling things that weren't really there. Then he asked me if I'd had any seizures and I told him that I hadn't. He then said that those type of hallucinations were common with people who had a certain type of epilepsy that affected the frontal lobe of the brain. I thought, "Shit! Another fucking disease." He told me that if the hallucinations persisted that the next time I saw him he would set up an appointment for me to have an EEG.

I figure it could be one of three things:

1) I'm developing epilepsy.
2) About 6 months ago the doctor lowered the dosage of the anti-psychotic I was taking. I was taking the maximum recommended dosage and he thought it would be better to see if the drug would work at a lower level. I was taking 160 mg a day and he cut it to 120 mg a day which is still a hefty dose. I figured the less I had to take of that stuff the better. I'm thinking now that it might be possible that my symptoms might be coming back a little with this scent thing.
3) The hallucinations have been strawberries, oranges, rotten fruit and juicy fruit gum. See the pattern? I'm eating very little fruit now days and I'm wondering if these scent hallucinations could be my body's surreal way of telling me that I need to start consuming more fruit.

[EFerrari]

1. Hey, Droopy

I think that's a good guess. Whattabout, go get some fruit and call us in the morning :)

On the other hand, most neuroleptics kick in (or out) in a couple of weeks, don't they? So, I wonder if it's the lowered dosage or the lowered dosage in combo with some new stress?

I had my very first hallucination about three months ago. I'm on anti-deps and a smidge of tranqs to balance out that prozac hyperness. Well, I was stressed out really good, and started a new job. I got phobic for the first time in about 10 years on public transportation and when I got home, I kept smelling smoke! Honest, I was walking around looking for a smoldering fire.

It happened on and off for about three days, and scared the hell out of me. So, I went back to the meds doc and we just talked and figured it could be female hormones, new job, high stress home. Life, in other words. We didn't change the meds. It hasn't recurred.

One, I don't put anything past anxiety! It can be really creative.

Two, I tend to ignore my stress level until it won't ignore me. So, I've been trying to work on that, even if it's just a quiet "hmmmmm, my stress level is really hopping, better take a walk".

Fun with chemistry. :hi:

Beth

[Droopy]

2. It's possible that it could be stress

I'm under some stress now because I haven't been making enough money at my job and I've been looking for a new job. Between the thought of switching jobs and the financial strain it could be making me go a little loopy.

[jdots]

3. add in the situational crap thats going on and Bingo.

Maybe one of the things that is going on , we are all facing so much to be depressed about if we know what is going on,and we do because we are here. It is a cycle ,make the people depressed,then sell them happy pills.Now if you suffer depression and the big poop hits the fan like it has,wow it's really hard to deal with it all.
Were the smells at a certain time and place ? any other feelings like tingling hands ? I ask because strangely enough I went thru this smell thing about a week ago for a few days,no particular scents,but an acute awareness of odors which don't ussually bother me. It's pretty mystifying, did both of yours last a long time and was it over bearing ?

[Droopy]

4. The scents were not accompanied

by any other sensations or memories. They all occurred when I was driving in my semi, though. I've ruled out the cause as being from industrial sources. I was rolling down an interstate with fields all around me when the hallucinations occurred and it's winter time in Ohio. I didn't have any air fresheners or food in the truck.

Three of the odors (oranges, strawberries and juicy fruit gum) were like I was smelling a strawberrey pie, or sniffing an orange or chewing gum. They lasted for about a minute. The rotten fruit smell was the most intense. It was very strong and lasted 2-3 minutes.

[undergroundpanther]

5. medicine

I was on anti psychotics on too high of a dose,it caused me to have a grand mal seizure once. I found some medications can lower your seizure threshold by either being too high of a dose or by lowering the dose too fast.

You might not have real temporal lobe epilepsy. It might be due to the medicine or how it's dosed.Ask your doc.

I have had temporal lobe epilepsy symptoms before it wasen't all that awful you just kinda go out of it a few minutes. You Smell stuff or get weird sensations twiddle your hair or pick at your shirt aimlessly..and don't remember doing it.

I don't take the seizure meds anymore.'Cause I don't get seizures anymore.. Maybe it was for me, just the effects of the anti psychotic medicines I took ? I don't take any medicines now for psychosis or epilepsy,and I'm seizure free.Coincidence? I dunno. Ask your doc about it.
Getting an EEG is not a bad idea anyways. So even if it is the medicine he'll be able to monitor your progress better by seeing how your brain's bio chemical electrical system works clearer.

[Droopy]

7. Thanks for the insight, ugp

I will ask the doctor about the possibility of my medication causing the symptoms. I'm hoping that this stuff is over with and is just my body's weird way of telling me to eat an apple every once in a while.

[rockedthevoteinMA]

8. I know that wellbutrin can lower your seizure threshold

especially if you don't eat enough. They have problems with people who have eating "issues" (ie don't eat enough) who are on the med. It seems to cause seizures in many. There's a ton of research and info on the web about it. I don't know if this applies to you Droopy...

Best of luck taking care of this. :hi:

[EFerrari]

6. My stuff lasted for about 15 minutes during a 3 day period.

And, apparently my stress level was off the charts but like a good survivor, I wasn't noticing it as hard as possible.

It was accute, though. My thinking got really sort of rigid and my brain was telling me we were in danger; my nose said "fire". And all the time, some other part of me was just noticing that we were in no danger and there was no fire. Yuck.

[blue neen]

9. Hi Droopy!

As you know, I have epilepsy. My brain does conjure up strange smells, like cigars and tar. However, I experience physical symptoms along with this: severe headache, tiredness, cloudy thoughts. I know to go and take a nap, so a seizure episode does not come on.

It does seem like these episodes happen more often when I am under physical or emotional stress.

This does not necessarily mean that you have epilepsy. It's actually good that your doctor is looking out for your best interests.

One good thing, the meds they use for epilepsy are very likely the same ones that they use for mood stabilizers. I take Neurontin and have very few side effects from it.

Good luck, and please keep up posted. We're thinking about you! :hi:

[Droopy]

10. Thanks, blue neen

Everything has been well since I worte the original post. It's probably been a couple of weeks since I had a scent hallucination. I recently got some relief with my financial situation and that has taken the stress off of me. If I keep having the hallucinations, though, I'm going to tell the doc and get the EEG done. This is probably not something that you want to play around with.

[FloridaPat]

11. Do you drink many diet colas or things with Equal in it?

A lot of people believe it causes MS symptomsand other brain problems

[Droopy]

12. I do drink Diet Coke

I need the caffiene on the job. It's very important to stay alert when you are a truck driver. I guess I could experiment and start drinking water and coffee instead. But the symptoms haven't been regular. I've only experienced them four times in the space of a couple of months. If I have another hallucination I will go the coffee and water route and see if that puts an end to them.

[FloridaPat]

13. Drink caffiene stuff with real sugar. In coffee you can use stevia.

That's a natural non-caloric sweetner you can pick up at a health food store. Or even the supermarkets anymore. Good luck.