Aa
Was it a stroke?
Last year, I decided to take an LSD-analogue called ETH-LAD with a couple of friends. It's a designer drug, not much research has been made about it. Some people have reported nausea on higher doses, but I took a standard dose of 100ug. I took LSD before but never had any physical problems. I took the ETH-LAD and drank lots of beer together with it, and also smoked cigarettes. After 2 hours or so, I could see mild vision changes and felt a slight euphoria. We took a walk, I had not special physical or psychological symptoms until from one second to another I was hit with the worst headache of my life on the right side of the head. While this happened I heard a voice repeating over and over a word that doesn't exist and which sounded a bit like if you'd play a vinyl in reverse mode. This lasted for about 1 minute, then only remained a numb feeling on my right side of the head. I attributed this to the drug. ETH-LAD is known to produce vivid auditory hallucinations but I've never encountered anything like that before. I thought the headache was to be attributed to a side-effect of the drug. We went back home and I decided to go to sleep as I felt very tired from this event.
Next day I woke up, and my head was still feeling funny on the right side. Like if there was some cramp in it or alike. My face was numb on the right side, too. I thought this would go away sooner or later.
In the next days I always felt like throwing up when waking up in the morning, having constant headache on right side, always most in the right temple. I felt dizzy, had trouble concentrating. It was hard to just get on with everyday life. The headache I had was like no headache I ever had before, but more localized, like some kind of small area was pinching inside my head.
Then I noticed that smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee would worsen this headache very much. It's been a year ago, and even now, I cannot smoke 3 cigarettes anymore without having literally days of headache and a tinnitus. The high-pitched tinnitus started appearing a few months after this event. It becomes worse when I drink alcohol (a bit), smoke cigarettes (very much) or drink coffee (very much). I have to stress out that before this event I could smoke as many cigarettes as I wanted or drink as much coffee as I wanted without ever getting any tinnitus.
I had an MRI scan done 6 months after the event, they found no sign of stroke. I was told my brain looked normal in all regards. Yesterday, I read that mild strokes can go unnoticed on a MRI if it's done too late (6 months obviously being too late).
Extra information:
- I have a feeling that my right ear is clogged since about 4 years. I have the feeling that sometimes I don't hear well on it. It seems to be going up and down together with the headache. Could it be a problem with the inner ear? 2 years ago I went to a doctor because of this. He looked into my ear and said there was nothing suspicious.
- I have had a constant stiff neck for about 2 years now. The headache becomes stronger when the neck is more stiff. Working a lot on the computer makes my neck stiffen and so also the headache becomes worse. However, it has no effect on the tinnitus.
I have seen a neurologist and a doctor. Nobody could tell me what is going on. Since both cigarettes and coffeine are vasoconstrictors, I do believe that the aggravated headache comes from some blood flow being limited after smoking or drinking coffee. However, this is just an assumption. Since I have the symptoms 24/24h, I believe that migraine can be excluded?
PS: I strongly recommend to anybody not using ETH-LAD. It really has destroyed my old life.
Next day I woke up, and my head was still feeling funny on the right side. Like if there was some cramp in it or alike. My face was numb on the right side, too. I thought this would go away sooner or later.
In the next days I always felt like throwing up when waking up in the morning, having constant headache on right side, always most in the right temple. I felt dizzy, had trouble concentrating. It was hard to just get on with everyday life. The headache I had was like no headache I ever had before, but more localized, like some kind of small area was pinching inside my head.
Then I noticed that smoking cigarettes or drinking coffee would worsen this headache very much. It's been a year ago, and even now, I cannot smoke 3 cigarettes anymore without having literally days of headache and a tinnitus. The high-pitched tinnitus started appearing a few months after this event. It becomes worse when I drink alcohol (a bit), smoke cigarettes (very much) or drink coffee (very much). I have to stress out that before this event I could smoke as many cigarettes as I wanted or drink as much coffee as I wanted without ever getting any tinnitus.
I had an MRI scan done 6 months after the event, they found no sign of stroke. I was told my brain looked normal in all regards. Yesterday, I read that mild strokes can go unnoticed on a MRI if it's done too late (6 months obviously being too late).
Extra information:
- I have a feeling that my right ear is clogged since about 4 years. I have the feeling that sometimes I don't hear well on it. It seems to be going up and down together with the headache. Could it be a problem with the inner ear? 2 years ago I went to a doctor because of this. He looked into my ear and said there was nothing suspicious.
- I have had a constant stiff neck for about 2 years now. The headache becomes stronger when the neck is more stiff. Working a lot on the computer makes my neck stiffen and so also the headache becomes worse. However, it has no effect on the tinnitus.
I have seen a neurologist and a doctor. Nobody could tell me what is going on. Since both cigarettes and coffeine are vasoconstrictors, I do believe that the aggravated headache comes from some blood flow being limited after smoking or drinking coffee. However, this is just an assumption. Since I have the symptoms 24/24h, I believe that migraine can be excluded?
PS: I strongly recommend to anybody not using ETH-LAD. It really has destroyed my old life.
I'm so sorry, User404040.
Have your symptoms gotten any better? Have you found any treatments or therapies that lighten the burden on you?
Have your symptoms gotten any better? Have you found any treatments or therapies that lighten the burden on you?
1 Comments
Do you have a similar experience?
Hello and welcome to the forum. Thanks for your question. It appears you didn't have a stroke but after affects most likely from the drug you took. The dangers of elicit drugs is not knowing what you are getting for sure (among other things).
Muffled hearing could be inner ear problems, yes. Or even a build up of wax. Debrox can be used to try to help clear that to see if it improves. Tinnitus can also be due to either of those. Here is information on tinnitus https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156. The pain you describe could be related simply to stress and tension and anxiety. This is a very common trouble spot for people with tension. Is it relieved by a non steroidal, gentle stretching or an ice pack? Those are all things to try. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/tension-headaches#1
Do you have a history of anxiety? Unfortunately that can cause a host of physical symptoms we are left to deal with.
Muffled hearing could be inner ear problems, yes. Or even a build up of wax. Debrox can be used to try to help clear that to see if it improves. Tinnitus can also be due to either of those. Here is information on tinnitus https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/symptoms-causes/syc-20350156. The pain you describe could be related simply to stress and tension and anxiety. This is a very common trouble spot for people with tension. Is it relieved by a non steroidal, gentle stretching or an ice pack? Those are all things to try. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/tension-headaches#1
Do you have a history of anxiety? Unfortunately that can cause a host of physical symptoms we are left to deal with.
4 Comments
Thanks for your reply. The ETH-LAD was legit, that's for sure. It was (back then) sold 100% legally in Germany from a reputable vendor. I am not stressed, nor anxious. I don't take any medications either and never did. Neither gentle stretching nor ice packs nor heat nor anything relieve the neck pain. How do you explain that I am not able to smoke 3 cigarettes ever since that event without feeling headache/nausea/dizzyness for days? This surely can't be explained by psychological factors nor tension (headaches) alone? I'll visit an ear/throat doctor to get my inner ear checked.
How are you doing now? Has this issue improved?
No it hasn't.. It has been going on for one year now! Do you have any idea about the 3 cigarettes question?
PS: Neither Paracetamol nor Ibuprofen nor Aspirin help - but Aspirin lets flare up by tinnitus very badly!
PS: Neither Paracetamol nor Ibuprofen nor Aspirin help - but Aspirin lets flare up by tinnitus very badly!
I'm not sure why you can't smoke three cigarettes but the remedy for that is easy of not smoking. You do seem to be extremely sensitive to chemicals or substances introduced into your system. Continue to work with your doctor and let us know any updates.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Stroke Community
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
