I am hallucinating

[KateHW]

Let me preface this by saying I have several medical issues lately and, as a consequence, am on several medicines. Just in the past few days, though, I have noticed that instead of objects twitching out of the corner of my eyes as they usually do when I'm say, sleep deprived or anxious, I've been seeing things of more substance. This is going to sound crazy, but right now I'm listening to music and watching the television (which is off) perform videos to the music I'm listening to. Interestingly enough, there is one character who keeps seeming to want to break out of the video and into 'real life and when he does this I'll see a shadow emerge from behind the television. At first I was beginnint to try to make sense of all of this but now I see it's just clearly an out and out hallucination and I should enjoy it. I mean, what's the harm in tv people dancing, eh? Also, I'm kind of embarrassed about what to tell my doctors. And I just leaned in to get a good look at a character who had been just out of view and where my reflection should have been there was a girl who kind of looked like me but was frizzy haired and pimpled.

Oh, mind. I thought you were supposed to be my best friend. If they tell me I have a tumor I'm replacing you with liver and that's not just a threat this time. Hmph. =/

[Cainkane1]

Good luck.

[KateHW]

The hallucinating is, at least, kinda cool and nothing ominous. :)

[NeilC]

I wouldn't worry about embarassment in talking to the doctor. Could be the medicines. Only one way to find out.

[calebprime]

Let me preface this by saying I have several medical issues lately and, as a consequence, am on several medicines. Just in the past few days, though, I have noticed that instead of objects twitching out of the corner of my eyes as they usually do when I'm say, sleep deprived or anxious, I've been seeing things of more substance. This is going to sound crazy, but right now I'm listening to music and watching the television (which is off) perform videos to the music I'm listening to. Interestingly enough, there is one character who keeps seeming to want to break out of the video and into 'real life and when he does this I'll see a shadow emerge from behind the television. At first I was beginnint to try to make sense of all of this but now I see it's just clearly an out and out hallucination and I should enjoy it. I mean, what's the harm in tv people dancing, eh? Also, I'm kind of embarrassed about what to tell my doctors. And I just leaned in to get a good look at a character who had been just out of view and where my reflection should have been there was a girl who kind of looked like me but was frizzy haired and pimpled.

Oh, mind. I thought you were supposed to be my best friend. If they tell me I have a tumor I'm replacing you with liver and that's not just a threat this time. Hmph. =/


Don't worry! Peripheral vision is weird anyway! I've noticed marijuana does weird things with peripheral vision. I suspect the brain is actively filling in for missing information.

For a bizarre result, try having someone you know stand beside you, but stare straight ahead, keeping your eyes fixed, while paying attention to your peripheral vision. Straight or baked, you will see all kinds of weird changes out of the corner of your eye. It's a rapid parade of different guesses.

Your brain isn't malfunctioning, you're just noticing something you've never noticed before--(I think).

eta: I once spoke to a neurologist-psychiatrist about this very thing. She said: "Don't worry. Peripheral vision is weird anyway."

eta2: actually, baked produces a dependable result. not sure about straight. going to test right now.

eta3: It doesn't happen for me, um, sober, but my 9-year old kid sees it when I asked him to do it--he said I looked like an Alien from Star Wars, and kept changing. So there you go.

[KateHW]

Heh. I'll have to try that with friends next time I see them in the right circumstances.

But no, this time I was seeing things dead on. It was kind of fabulous. While out walking last night at 2.30 I saw a khaki-clad lady instructing a bull-dozer where to strike. I thought it was real for ages. My first clue was that I couldn't hear them. My second clue was that they disappeared about 10 feet away from me in a kind of miragey fashion.

[calebprime]

Heh. I'll have to try that with friends next time I see them in the right circumstances.

But no, this time I was seeing things dead on. It was kind of fabulous. While out walking last night at 2.30 I saw a khaki-clad lady instructing a bull-dozer where to strike. I thought it was real for ages. My first clue was that I couldn't hear them. My second clue was that they disappeared about 10 feet away from me in a kind of miragey fashion.

Oh. That, I would worry about--things should be stable when you're looking right at them. You sound extremely sane, but the meds are doing something weird. Talk to the doc.

[NoZed Avenger]

Doctor.

I know a doctor is a poor second choice compared to unqualified internet posters, but . . .





Seriously, it could easily be the medication interactions, and easily remedied. By a doctor.


And by doctor, I don't mean Phil on these forums. He may claim to have a "basic medical training," but don't let him fool you. His "exam room" is way too cold, too.




But perhaps I have said too much.

[calebprime]

Doctor.


And by doctor, I don't mean Phil on these forums. He may claim to have a "basic medical training," but don't let him fool you. His "exam room" is way too cold, too.






(cp looks at members list)

Master Satyr?

I agree with NoZed, and I apologize for passing on second-hand advice from a neurologist.

[KateHW]

Oh, I'm going, don't worry. My internist has Fridays off, though so it sort of puts me in a bind. I have an ophthalmology appointment later today for some other stuff that's going on but this is the first time I've seen him and he's a friend of my dad so I don't really want to spring that on him. "Oh hey guess what I made my own music video today only not with a video recorder but can you guess? No? Hallucinations in the television set! Ahahaha I thought it was clever, too! Wait, quit running away. :("

[mhaze]

Let us know what the doc says next week. Odd things happen sometimes, this is curious.

[Sunstealer]

I am surprised that such a thread should be allowed to continue and isn't locked/deleted with a PM. This is clearly a case whereby the patient should see the doctor that prescribed the medication and explain the experience.

No one here is medically qualified to answer your question(s). I suggest you see someone who is.

Mods?

[TruthSeeker]

I hope you did tell the opthamologist afterall. There are eye related problems that can trigger hallucinations.

Please let us know how you are doing

[KateHW]

I am surprised that such a thread should be allowed to continue and isn't locked/deleted with a PM. This is clearly a case whereby the patient should see the doctor that prescribed the medication and explain the experience.

No one here is medically qualified to answer your question(s). I suggest you see someone who is.

Mods?Oh, hello there. I'm afraid you mistook me for seeking medical attention on the internet. In reality I specified that I was in contact with my doctor and that since I couldn't see my regular internist I was going to ask about it at my ophthalmologist appointment the next day. The post was just sort of an 'oh hey, this is interesting and freakish, anyone else ever experience the same?' sort of thing. I do commend you for your one man job of policing the internet, though. I'm not really sure, though, if you're so concerned, why you didn't PM a moderator or myself. I'd have been happy to clear the matter up. Oh, well.

In case any of you are still curious, my doctor believed the hallucinations were due to a combination of things, including the drug Lunesta, nearly two weeks with fewer than two nights of sleep, a very recent bout of pneumonia, and you get it. I'm just glad none of the images I saw were worrying. Just a middle aged lady directing a bulldozer and some kids rocking out in the television. :)

[Hydrogen Cyanide]

...The post was just sort of an 'oh hey, this is interesting and freakish, anyone else ever experience the same?' sort of thing. ...

I thought they were interesting, though I really had nothing to add. I sometimes check to see if my glasses are smudged, only to figure out it was a floater causing a small blurriness.

My husband and oldest son do get visual auras just before a migraine, not quite a hallucionation. My husband sees wavy lines, and the world gets a covered in a purple haze for my son. Makes a bit of sense since the one of the largest bit of neural real estate is devoted to vision.

I will sometimes get an aural hallucination early in the morning just before I am fully awake. Sometimes I hear my name, and once I did jump out of bed, throw on a robe and ran to the front door to see who rang to door bell.

Yeah, I can see how the last two weeks of your life can make you see things. When I was a kid I got influenza. It was a case of going to bed, and then not getting up for about two weeks. According to my brother it caused a great deal of concern, but being a teenager he did not pay much attention. I don't remember a thing, except one morning feeling a hand on my face and a voice telling me to get up. But no one was there. (as a kid I thought it was God waking me up, now as an adult I realize it was an aural hallucination that I sometimes still get)

Oh, and the other thing I remember was getting all my hair cut off. My hair was one massive knot in the back, it was serious bed head!

I hope you get better, especially the sleep bit. I hate weeks when I wake up three hours before the alarm, and then cannot get back to sleep. It makes me loopy for the whole day. I can't imagine more than a week!

[KateHW]

My only consolation is that I am a housewife. I had been on the path to nursing. I can just imagine trying to work under those conditions. I would have to go home before I hurt someone. =/

As it is, if I forget to give the dogs their lunch they let me know and all is remedied :)

[calebprime]

Oh, hello there. I'm afraid you mistook me for seeking medical attention on the internet. In reality I specified that I was in contact with my doctor and that since I couldn't see my regular internist I was going to ask about it at my ophthalmologist appointment the next day. The post was just sort of an 'oh hey, this is interesting and freakish, anyone else ever experience the same?' sort of thing. I do commend you for your one man job of policing the internet, though. I'm not really sure, though, if you're so concerned, why you didn't PM a moderator or myself. I'd have been happy to clear the matter up. Oh, well.

In case any of you are still curious, my doctor believed the hallucinations were due to a combination of things, including the drug Lunesta, nearly two weeks with fewer than two nights of sleep, a very recent bout of pneumonia, and you get it. I'm just glad none of the images I saw were worrying. Just a middle aged lady directing a bulldozer and some kids rocking out in the television. :)

Well said.

[Dancing David]

I hope it clears up, there are so many ways to get hallucinations. Lack of sleep is a good one.

Good health to you.

[soylent]

When I struggle to stay awake I sometimes see strange hallucinations for a split second when my head jerks back to upright position after nodding off. It's always a bunch of curves or line drawing with a green, glowing, randomly stippled line.

[KateHW]

I hope it clears up, there are so many ways to get hallucinations. Lack of sleep is a good one.

Good health to you.Thanks to you and everyone else! The major ones have absolutely cleared up, which may be due to the fact that I've slept the past two nights. I still see flashing lights and movement (from stationary objects) but that's something I can deal with. I still don't feel comfortable driving, though, as I don't want to swerve away from a hallucination and cause a wreck. This reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw that read "I brake for flashbacks."

[Deetee]

Hallucinations are a documented side effect of Lunesta, albeit infrequent. Still, your doctor seems to be well on the case, and I am glad you are better.