Alcoholic not by choice but by necessity.

Ok so here's my problem. About three months ago I smoked K2 Summit, which is a legal "incense" designed be very similar to marijuana. I was with a friend who could not smoke marijuana, and had some K2 he purchased from a head shop, and we both smoked it. He got all giggly and I felt like I was going to die and it felt as though my brain was liquefying inside my skull. I did not smoke anymore. About a week later I began to have terrible headaches that never stopped, and varied in intensity, but at the worst times felt somewhat like the K2 made me feel like. About a month later I had to go to the ER my brain hurt so bad and I could not think or function at all, and now 3 months after all of this, with wicked headaches every single day, I have been seeing a neurologist to fix this "headache". This pain I feel does not feel like a normal headache or even migraine, it's like someone is trying to squeeze my brain and I feel on the verge of death, and every single category of migraines might have one or two similar characteristics but overall it doesn't fit the scheme. I have had CAT scans and MRIs done and my brain seems to be in order. I have been given a lot of different medications to relieve headaches, and none of them have worked. Since this happened three months ago I cannot smoke marijuana, or I can't stand being alive for the following three hours if I do. The same happens with hydrocodone, which I was given for my headaches, and sugar triggers it as well. I cannot eat any sugar at all. I've been trying to figure out what could possibly be wrong with me because I cannot go on living like this and I think I may have discovered the answer. First off, I have a dopamine disorder I believe, which causes me to have a decline in neurocognitive functions, especially with memory, attention, and problem solving, all of which I have a lot of trouble with, and are the major aspects of attention deficit disorder. I think when I smoked the K2 it had an adverse reaction with dopamine receptors in my brain, so that instead of feeling pleasure or suppressing pain when I should be feeling pleasure, I feel pain. Can you imagine how horrible that is? I have an adderall prescription which is the only chemical that had helped with my "headaches" at all. I also have drank alcohol which is basically a miracle drug and the only "medication" that has been able to successfully take away all of the pain I am experiencing almost every minute of every day. But of course alcohol is not a drug you want to consume on an every day basis, and I try not to. Adderall and Alcohol cause a decrease in dopamine 2 receptor quantity, and the only other drugs I am aware of that do this are cocaine and heroine, which I will never do. This theory that my dopamine receptor has been altered explains why sugar, Ritalin, opioids, and THC all give me such excruciating pain in my brain, and why alcohol removes it completely and amphetamines mask it. My question is what prescription medications decrease the quantity of dopamine receptors like alcohol? Or can anybody offer any kind of help at all, because I feel like I am in uncharted territory, and a frightening one at that.

Did you tell the doctors who have been treating you - nuerologists, ER doc, etc. - that you smoked this K2 stuff? (I've never heard of it) Did you give them your complete history, including drug history (legal or otherwise) if applicable? That's all I can think of; that the dr's need to have all this information in order to treat you. Truly this is very unfamiliar ground to me.
Hope you can get rid of the headaches soon.

Geez, to be honest it seems like you have a lot of information going for you. I have NO CLUE what K2 is but I'm going to look it up for ya. If you havent already, I'd be completely honest with your physicians and tell them your theories. It won't hurt to open up and explain everything to them so they can work with you instead of against you. They will have a better idea than any of us about what drugs will decrease dopamine.

From what I understand about this is if you raise serotonin levels, your dopamine levels will drop. You might want to talk to your doctor about serotonin deficiancy as well as dopamine deficiancy as these two are closely related and I do know illegal/mind-altering drugs can effect your serotonin levels directly. If you are into recreational drugs (you do not have to comment, but it is something to be aware of) especially MDMA, also known as ecstasy, you have a pretty good chance of using up your serotonin and should really take this into concideration.

I do wish you luck, and please don't drink alcohol excessively. I know it helps you and I can only imagine the pain you feel but I personally struggle with migraines on a constant basis and the only thing that helps me is narcotics but I restrict my use to avoid dependence and other side effects even though it causes me terrible pain on the days I do not take them. It is important because you don't want to end up worse off than now as alcohol effects the brain in so many harmful ways.

You seem so brilliant about research, I do hope you find the answers you are looking for. Please post back on how you are doing. I am very interested in seeing how this all works out and I'd like to make sure your doing alright.

Also, please do our hurtin' heads a favor by breaking up your text a little bit. If you can make a few different paragraphs instead of one large block we can read your post much easier because a lot of us have constant head pain and it becomes difficult to read a constant flow of text. Thanks, and welcome to the forum! Hope you get some relief very soon!

sorry to hear your situation voodoo , i think it would be best to tell the doctors what you smoked and what exactly was in it.

i doubt your receptors were altered from smoking that. with any drug it takes months to alter receptors like is the case with antidepressants etc.

it maybe something far more simple and nothing to do with the drug or receptors at all.

try lots of exercise and see if that helps

If this link is true and the K2 is made of a few herbs and two different synthetically made cannabanoids, I would HIGHLY doubt that is good for you. Anybody trying to take something natural and then replicating that in a lab is kind of silly. There is not a whole lot of research out there on what it does to your body.

Here is a link of personal experiences and theories of what is in the stuff and a little information on synthetic cannabanoids.

PS ache, I doubt doctors would be able to help in this situation as we all have prior suggested, although it is REALLY important to tell them about it. There is ZERO studies on the K2 blend. Nada info on synthetic blend cannabanoids, even the manufacturer is keeping their proprietary ingredients "secret". This needs to be made public before anything can be done. Judging by the fact that they are screwing with things in labs and selling it to people in bags that say "not for human consumption" I would only guess that, yes there is a chance that this stuff can screw you up.

Every time I have researched and used my own skills to determine my problem, my doctor was easily to show me where I was wrong and why. I believe that self doctoring and self lawyering are mistakes. Except for this caveat:

I would definitely sit down with your neurologist and discuss what you have written here. You deserve relief. You may want to add a pain manager to your healthcare team. there are many pain relievers - you have yet to scratch the surface.

As to alcohol taking away the pain - oh yes! I remember the feeling well. Had my last drink on November 11, 1996. Within weeks I was in the hospital with my "first" major migraine episode. I am told by many doctors that my alcoholism was self medication for my disease. At the end of my disease of alcoholism, I believe this to be true.

But I will swear to you on any holy book of your choice, alcohol is a REALLY REALLY BAD pain reliever.

I would prefer to have the worst episode of my migraine life than ever go back to the hell of active alcoholism.

You may NOT be an alcoholic. I am NOT saying you are. I am simply sharing my experience and my hope with you.

Tell your doctor(s) your theaory. See if maybe you are correct. Stranger things have happened.

Consider adding a pain manager - Board Certified - to your healthcare team.

And really, reconsider the use fo alcohol for pain medication. Really, may friend.

Voodoo,
first off, drop the do-it-yourself at least till when a good diagnosis is made by a neuro and with the support of well done tests and exams.

Typical Migraine is normally diagnosed by exclusion and at that point it's treated with the right measures. I say by exclusion because sometimes migraine can be a secondary condition to other diseases (tumors, auto-immune disorders, celiac disease, diabetis....).

Once you are sure that no other disease can be the cause of migraine, you can then start a pattern to treat migraine. This will involve prevention (life style, meds, supplements) and abortive plan (drugs that will treat any single attack).

The causes of migraine (real migraine, not secondary condition to other illnesses) are still unknown, so trying to find at all costs an explanation by ourselves can be pretty dangerous.

If you decide to stay on this boar and read our posts you will find many interesting clues and suggestions and of course a lot of human support and sympathy

Take care

Thanks everyone for all of the info!

I'm am definitely drinking less beer, only when I'm on the brink of what feels like a brain aneurism, and am seeing the neurologist pretty soon.

I definitely regret ever smoking that stuff, and it may not be related to my condition at all, but it's so frustrating that I can't find any information about anything similar happening to anybody else. Though I have a friend, who I just found out smoked it for 3 months, every single day, and now he has swelling in his brain and has to have brain surgery next week - very scary

I'm going to tell my neuro about it, and how beer is a cure, and see if she may have a better idea about it- will just be awkward, I've never talked about something illegal to a doctor, but oh well

Wish me luck, hopefully I'll find some relief soon

Good luck!!!

I am so suprised, sure it may be just luck of the cards but man...this K2 stuff should be investigated!! I researched it and got a lot of hits regarding "trip reports" and kids/people who wanted to try and where to buy it. I really think this has to be addressed and soon before it causes more problems especially in young people trying new things.

I would hate to see kids trying this stuff and thinking it is safe because it is "natural", doesn't show in urine tests but gives you the same high as pot. Geez, this is terrible. I wish there was something we can all do..

Plus the last thing the medical marijuana front needs is more bad publicity because of synthetically made cannabanoids. It would cause so much pain and suffering for the MMU in many different states if it was outlawed because of this K2 blowing up and causing brain damage in many many people. Everyone who is against medicinal use would jump on this and fast. Imagine finding a med that works for your migraines and BAM...having it taken away just like that. (BTW Cannabis is said to help migraines if you have the right type. If your interested do some research, it is illegal in my state.)

Best wishes to you Voodoo, please keep us informed on how your appointment goes.

lovegia wrote:Good luck!!!

I am so suprised, sure it may be just luck of the cards but man...this K2 stuff should be investigated!! I researched it and got a lot of hits regarding "trip reports" and kids/people who wanted to try and where to buy it. I really think this has to be addressed and soon before it causes more problems especially in young people trying new things.

I would hate to see kids trying this stuff and thinking it is safe because it is "natural", doesn't show in urine tests but gives you the same high as pot. Geez, this is terrible. I wish there was something we can all do..

Plus the last thing the medical marijuana front needs is more bad publicity because of synthetically made cannabanoids. It would cause so much pain and suffering for the MMU in many different states if it was outlawed because of this K2 blowing up and causing brain damage in many many people. Everyone who is against medicinal use would jump on this and fast. Imagine finding a med that works for your migraines and BAM...having it taken away just like that. (BTW Cannabis is said to help migraines if you have the right type. If your interested do some research, it is illegal in my state.)

Best wishes to you Voodoo, please keep us informed on how your appointment goes.

Ya, I can't believe this product even exists. That is just bizarre to me.