Hallucinations

[haricot]

2 and a half months ago i took 40mg prozac over about a seven day period without tapering. ever since, i have been seeing things like shapes and words when i open my eyes. when closed, i just see a mass of shapes and a face and they swirl round and touch my body. i also see sparks. the psychiatrist i was under does not think that it is psychosis but it is obviously very scary for me so i have been referred for a second opinion. isn't this the sort of thing that anti psyhotics can effectively treat? i'm scared that this is how it is now and that it won't get better.

any advice and experiences are v much appreciated :s

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I'm a little confused: Are you saying you only took Prozac for 7 days and then stopped two and a half months ago?

What do you mean by "swirl around and touch my body"? Can you feel them as well as see them?

 

[haricot]

i took prozac from around jul 08 until april of this year because i developed mild hallucinations on it. after coming off for about two months i took it for seven days and ever since this has been happening. there are shapes touching my body and they do seem to swirl around and retreat and then come back towards me. it's also like really fast vibrating energy coming towards my body. it's really scary and i don't know what is happening to me :s

 

[David Baxter PhD]

So the "hallucinations" started in April 2010, after being on Prozac for 2 years, is that correct?

What were your symptoms before you started taking Prozac? Do you have a diagnosis?

 

[haricot]

i was depressed and had an eating disorder before taking the prozac. they have diagnosed me with borderline personality, but it doesn't change the fact that i am seeing all these things that are really scary. do you think an anti psychotic would treat this? i'm not sure why it is happening to me. i have a referral to a psychiatrist in 2-3 weeks but that is a long way away especially with what i am experiencing, the symptoms never let up it's 24/7 at the moment.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Sorry about all the questions but I need to clarify and rule out certain things.

A few more:

• is your eating disorder under control now? do you have a nutritious diet?
• have you had a recent physical that inlcuded blood tests for thryoid, iron, B12, glucose, etc.?
• are you taking any other prescribed medications?
• do you use any nonprescription drugs, including over-the-counter drugs and/or recreational drugs? (or have you in the recent past?)
• what is your sleep like currently?
• is there any family history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or other psychotic illness?
• do you have a history of trauma?

Also, other than discontinuing Prozac, did anything else unusual happen around the time you started experiencing thses symptoms?

 

[haricot]

i was using zopiclone to sleep around the same time as taking the prozac (15mg a night).
i don't take any vitamins and have had tests done and everything seems okay.
i used drugs and alcohol last year (cannabis, a little speed) but havent done any for a year.
i wasn't really sleeping at all until my friend gave me some of her olanzapine tablets and since i have caught up but they have nearly run out so i will be back to square one.
i do have a history of trauma, last year i was abused twice by my housemates and raped by a guy that i don't know
i don't really know what to do as my psychiatrist has said he has absolved himself of responsibility.
in the family my mum has a history of ocd, and my dad i suspect bipolar/depressive.
my sister is ok and well adjusted.
thank u for your reply

 

[David Baxter PhD]

First, olanzapine is an antipsychotic so you've answered your own question partly - you're taking an antipsychotic and still having the symptoms. What dose of olanzapine have you been taking?

Drugs like olanzapine (or really any psychotropic medications) are not things to fool around with. They should only be prescribed by a physician who knows your full medication history, since there are some risks and contraindications.

Also, taking this sort of medication for sleep problems is for most people like using a shotgun to kill a mosquito. There are better medications your doctor can prescribe to help you with insomnia.

You don't say how long you've been taking your friend's olanzapine or exactly what "caught up on your sleep" means. There are twin phenomena called hypnagogic illusions and hypnopompic illusionsthat occur in a state halfway between sleep and wake. They seem like hallucinations but are really more like "dreaming awake", and probably related to sleepwalking and so-called "sleep paralysis". One can experience these with prolonged sleep deprivation as well. If you have only recently begun to catch up on sleep after an extended period of time where you were significantly sleep deprived, this may be what you are experiencing.

It's also possible that you are experiencing the symptoms as a Traumatic Stress reaction or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the hypervigilance that can accompany this, especially if you have any tendencies toward OCD yourself.

Is your psychiatrist aware of all of your history, including the things you've mentioned here today? It's important that he know all of it.

I also wonder about your anxiety levels or whether you have an anxiety disorder.

In any case, we cannot diagnose you online but these are some possibilities to be considered. It may be worth discussing them with your psychiatrist while you wait for the "second opinion".

 

[haricot]

i don't know what to do. i'm still in the same way, colours coming at my body etc and this man i can see who i don't know. i don't know what to do anymore, i'm waiting for the app with the psychiatrist to come through but it's just torture all the time. do you think that the antipsychotics will work and i can get back to normal

 

[David Baxter PhD]

If what you are experiencing are hallucinations then yes - antipsychotic medications will stop them.

 

[haricot]

i saw the psychiatrist today and she has upped the dose of zyprexa to 10mg, to see whether that helps.
she said i should go to psychotherapy and that is what is going to fix things ultimately, because some people don't respond to medication.
i really hope the medication works i am tired of hallucinating and i want my life back

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Thank you for the update and good luck, haricot.

 

[haricot]

i've been on the olanzapine for 10 days now, do u know how long it will be before it will have an effect on the hallucinations?

haricot

 

[David Baxter PhD]

That's hard to say, haricot. Your doctors may be abe to give you an estimate.