Clonazepam may act on serotonergic systems, improving, enhancing, and augmenting transmission 17,18,51,67, thus promoting alleviation and a marked improvement 51,67. Clonazepam has been evaluated in three case reports and one open-label trial by Lerner 19,50,51. In the clinical trial, 16 HPPD patients were treated with a Clonazepam dosage of 2 mg/day 51. Their symptoms improved significantly after treatment initiation and the improvement persisted during a 6-month follow-up after treatment discontinuation 51. The same author reported two cases of cannabis-induced visual disturbances and correlated anxiety features. More recently, Clonazepam (6 mg/day) has been proved to be effective in improving cannabis-induced HPPD symptoms 50.

In contrast, HPPD visual disturbances are persistent and unrelated to mood changes. Bipolar disorder also involves significant mood swings, which are absent in HPPD. PTSD and HPPD share some overlapping symptoms, such as heightened anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and vivid flashbacks. However, PTSD flashbacks are typically tied to a specific traumatic event, while HPPD visual drug addiction disturbances are linked to past drug use.

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder

It is also not the result of current intoxication or by an amount of a drug staying in a person’s system. Nor is HPPD caused by a “bad trip.” These are all common beliefs about HPPD that are not true. Researchers do not fully understand how these conditions relate to HPPD, but many report that they experience them alongside visual disturbances. In conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), they can be particularly intense. All the information from your eyes, ears, and other senses tells you that you are living through an event for a second time. If you experience unexplained hallucinations, it’s important to see a doctor.

Lifestyle Quizzes

Antiseizure and epilepsy medications like clonazepam (Klonopin) and lamotrigine (Lamictal) are sometimes prescribed. If your doctor suspects another possible cause, such as side effects of a medication, they may request blood tests or imaging tests. These tests can help them eliminate other possible causes of your symptoms.

Signs of Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)

The alterations in brain activity may be due to shifts in levels of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA. Although many people will see a reduction in symptoms over time, HPDD is still likely to be long-lasting and persist for many years. If you’re at work, you may consider designating a quiet, private place to wait for visual distortions to pass. Being prepared as much as possible for how you’ll respond to HPPD symptoms could be helpful, especially with more intense episodes. According to a 2021 study, Ropinirole, a common Parkinson’s medication prescribed to help activate dopamine receptors, reduced symptoms of HPPD in a 20-year-old male.

• Abraham suggested that all three can arise from a broader mechanism of disinhibition in sensory perception, affect and sense-of-self occasioned by psychedelic experience.
• Research shows that if you live with depression (with or without anxiety), HPPD symptoms may last longer for you and treatment may not work as well.
• Like derealization, depersonalization can be distressing and may heighten anxiety.
• The interruption in your field of vision can be annoying, disturbing, and possibly debilitating.
• Researchers do not fully understand how these conditions relate to HPPD, but many report that they experience them alongside visual disturbances.
• This symptom is believed to result from abnormal activity in brain regions responsible for self-awareness and emotional processing.

Diagnosis

It is not uncommon for depersonalization-derealization to be the most distressing symptom of the condition. Benzodiazepines may be useful and effective in eliminating benign HPPD I and ameliorating, but not completely eradicating, pervasive HPPD II symptoms 18,67. The effectiveness of Benzodiazepines may be related to their activity on the cortical serotonergic-inhibitory inter-neurons with GABAergic outputs 2,4. Alprazolam (0.25–0.75 mg/day) has been prescribed with some success and Clonazepam (0.5–1.5 mg/day) appears to be the most reliable and effective benzodiazepine even at low doses 17,18,51,67. Higher doses (4 mg/day) have also been used with good outcomes 68.

Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder

Both schizophrenia and HPPD can involve visual hallucinations, but schizophrenia often includes auditory hallucinations (such as hearing voices) and delusions, which are uncommon in HPPD. Schizophrenia also affects thinking and behavior, leading to disorganized speech or difficulty completing tasks—symptoms not typically seen in HPPD. However, taking certain medications can worsen symptoms in some people. Maintaining close contact with a healthcare provider when determining an effective treatment plan is important.

• In HPPD, the filtering mechanism may remain switched off even after the drug has worn off.
• Perceptual changes may not be uncommon, but diagnostic HPPD is probably rare.
• Individuals with PTSD may avoid situations that remind them of the trauma and often struggle with sleep or concentration.

Drugs like LSD decrease, or ‘disinhibit’, the filters of the brain’s visual cortex. This means that ‘noise’ that would otherwise be filtered out may remain in the field of vision. HPPD occurs, then, when these filters do not return to their pre-drug state. As https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/prescription-drug-abuse-symptoms-and-treatment/ with patients who experience tinnitus, certain triggers may worsen symptoms.

The effects of taking larger doses of hallucinogens should wear off over the course of six to 15 hours. HPPD symptoms, however, persist long after the normal active life of the drug and can be either episodic or mostly continuous. These symptoms can last for weeks, months, and sometimes even years.