# Srri's and hallucinations



## Forza Italia (Oct 30, 2009)

Hi, I'm taking zoloft and since week 4 i have had small visual hallucinations, especially in the dark (if i concentrate enough, i can see it also in daytime). I probably think this is caused by the srri's since it says so on the side effects. What i want to know if anyone else had this with their srri's and if other srri's don't cause this hallucination. It's becoming quite irritating for me, it's making me exhaustive because it attracks my attention a lot and i can't concentrate enough to relevant stimuli.

Thx in advance.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

Paxil was the first med I tried & along with mild hallucinations it got me high. The feeling reminded me very much of smoking pot so I just went back to my doc & said I need something else which is what I recommend. The highs were interesting but that's not what I got it for, I would just continue smoking if that's what I want


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Forza Italia said:


> Hi, I'm taking zoloft and since week 4 i have had small visual hallucinations, especially in the dark (if i concentrate enough, i can see it also in daytime). I probably think this is caused by the srri's since it says so on the side effects. What i want to know if anyone else had this with their srri's and if other srri's don't cause this hallucination. It's becoming quite irritating for me, it's making me exhaustive because it attracks my attention a lot and i can't concentrate enough to relevant stimuli.
> 
> Thx in advance.


Wow, I had no idea SSRI's caused hallucinations! I'm on paxil and have never experienced any. I have noticed my dreams have been more vivid... or at least a tendency to remember them more.

If you don't mind sharing, what do they look like? Colors? Shapes?


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## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

What kind of visual hallucinations are you having? Are you seeing objects or people that aren't there or are you seeing real objects being distorted in some way (length, shape, motion, etc.). In the latter case, they are called illusions and aren't generally considered as serious. I'm mainly asking because full-blown visual hallucinations are relatively rare and when they occur, they are often perceived as being very real (ie you might not know you were hallucinating). 

SSRI's occasionally cause hallucinations but it seems odd that you would be having them 4 weeks in. I had an experience with some possible auditory hallucinations (I can't confirm them but there seemed to be some inconsistencies in reality, I was also a little hypomanic, and had some uncontrollable laughter... I just wasn't quite right). However, it was the first or second day after I started taking celexa that this happened (before I switched to something else). SSRI's are known to cause hypomania or mania in some people which can cause hallucinations, so I guess it is possible even four weeks in for you to be having them.

Is your mood a little "better than good" or are you talking fast or anything? SSRI's sometimes trigger hypomania in people, especially if you have undiagnosed bipolar.

Also, Do you ever smoke weed? I've noticed that weed can sometimes cause visual illusions, even the day after if there is a hangover. An antidepressant could intensify those effects possibly (?) 

If your mood is normal, it seems odd to me that you would have hallucinations or illusions, but I'm no expert. It's certainly possible.


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## Forza Italia (Oct 30, 2009)

Neptunus said:


> Wow, I had no idea SSRI's caused hallucinations! I'm on paxil and have never experienced any. I have noticed my dreams have been more vivid... or at least a tendency to remember them more.
> 
> If you don't mind sharing, what do they look like? Colors? Shapes?


It does cause hallucinations, but they are listed under 'sometimes' ( i hope i translate this right. it means, between 1/100 and 1/1000 people). I'm not sure if other srri's cause it, but it's listed in zoloft, that i'm sure of.

It's pretty funny what i see, it's nothing bad at all, i feel stupid for saying it actually. I see the eyesocket of my bird (an agapornis, small perrot). I see a small shade of his red head, but mostly his eyes and it blinks a lot. It's not a mental picture, i'm seeing it before my eyes in the dark! It is as if i could' grab it! It's nothing scary, but it does attract my attention a lot and it's getting exhausting to see it every time for the past 2 weeks.


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## Forza Italia (Oct 30, 2009)

kev said:


> What kind of visual hallucinations are you having? Are you seeing objects or people that aren't there or are you seeing real objects being distorted in some way (length, shape, motion, etc.). In the latter case, they are called illusions and aren't generally considered as serious. I'm mainly asking because full-blown visual hallucinations are relatively rare and when they occur, they are often perceived as being very real (ie you might not know you were hallucinating).
> 
> SSRI's occasionally cause hallucinations but it seems odd that you would be having them 4 weeks in. I had an experience with some possible auditory hallucinations (I can't confirm them but there seemed to be some inconsistencies in reality, I was also a little hypomanic, and had some uncontrollable laughter... I just wasn't quite right). However, it was the first or second day after I started taking celexa that this happened (before I switched to something else). SSRI's are known to cause hypomania or mania in some people which can cause hallucinations, so I guess it is possible even four weeks in for you to be having them.
> 
> ...


My mood is certainly better and i was diagnosed with both depression (not bipolar) and social anxiety, so i'm taking zoloft for both symptoms. It works for my depression, but so so for my anxiety. I know the symptoms of hypomania and mania, and i don't think i have them. (ive had academic classes in psychiatry). Offcourse, i'm not sure if i have it or not, i will certainly adress my hallucination to my psychiatrist. Do you think i should do it immediately ?

I smoked weed some couple of times(not more than 10 times and not so much either, just couple of smokes) way back like 5 years ago.

I've never had visual hallucinations before. I know depression can sometimes cause hallucnations (i was told by my psychiatrist teacher in class), but since i use zoloft i'm thinking it is caused by the product and not by the depression.

I don't think i'm chizophrenia, but alas, you never know. Maybe these are my first symptoms of it :afr


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

^ Does it change at all... like different head shots of your bird? Or is it pretty much always the same one?

You should definitely bring this to your doc's attention.


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## Forza Italia (Oct 30, 2009)

It never changes, it's always the same picture. The eyes blink and it somewhat floates before my eyes


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## ecotec83 (Sep 7, 2009)

It's possible, wellbutrin gave me auditory and visual hallucinations on a 300mg dose.


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## Neptunus (Oct 29, 2007)

Forza Italia said:


> It never changes, it's always the same picture. The eyes blink and it somewhat floates before my eyes


Funny (and amazing) how the mind is. Well, at least it picked your beloved pet to focus on and not something more sinister.

Anyway, thanks for elaborating on the hallucinations. Keep us updated. I'm curious as to whether or not they go away once you've switched medications.


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## kev (Jan 28, 2005)

Forza Italia said:


> It does cause hallucinations, but they are listed under 'sometimes' ( i hope i translate this right. it means, between 1/100 and 1/1000 people). I'm not sure if other srri's cause it, but it's listed in zoloft, that i'm sure of.
> 
> It's pretty funny what i see, it's nothing bad at all, i feel stupid for saying it actually. I see the eyesocket of my bird (an agapornis, small perrot). I see a small shade of his red head, but mostly his eyes and it blinks a lot. It's not a mental picture, i'm seeing it before my eyes in the dark! It is as if i could' grab it! It's nothing scary, but it does attract my attention a lot and it's getting exhausting to see it every time for the past 2 weeks.


Wow, that's very interesting. I really don't know what to make of that, I've never experienced anything like it (have heard voices but never seen things that weren't there). On the one hand it sounds relatively harmless, since your insight is intact, but on the other hand, I can see how that could get annoying quickly, lol. To be responsible, I should tell you to see your psych as soon as possible, but I know that's easier said than done. If the hallucinations don't go away, you should probably wean off the meds, even if it is before you meet with your doctor. It just doesn't make sense for you to have to put up with that until the next appointment, unless you really feel you need to be on it for depression.

As you already said, depression can cause hallucinations. I have experienced this first-hand in the form of hearing malevolent voices but I was seriously depressed and paranoid at the time.

As far as smoking weed, I was just asking if you smoked very recently. I don't think smoking a few times 5 years ago would have any sudden effect on you now 5 hours later. That seems highly unlikely. Zoloft is the obvious suspect. I'd be surprised if it was anything else.


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## steve p. (Dec 3, 2008)

Forza Italia said:


> Hi, I'm taking zoloft and since week 4 i have had small visual hallucinations, especially in the dark (if i concentrate enough, i can see it also in daytime). I probably think this is caused by the srri's since it says so on the side effects. What i want to know if anyone else had this with their srri's and if other srri's don't cause this hallucination. It's becoming quite irritating for me, it's making me exhaustive because it attracks my attention a lot and i can't concentrate enough to relevant stimuli.
> 
> Thx in advance.


I've talked to many people about the side effects of anxiety medications, especially SSRIs. I certainly experienced exactly what you describe - very strange hallucinations especially when my eyes were closed.

Other times while on SSRIs I would feel like I was watching my life, not really living it. Everything seemed so surreal and make believe. After trying close to 10 different meds, I gave up on medication because I hated how it made me feel, and even worse, it never prevented or stopped me from having panic attacks!


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## Forza Italia (Oct 30, 2009)

I talked about my psychiatrist about this, but they didn't seem to invest heavily on this phenomena like I did.

My psychiatrist said for instance: hmm..that's strange because it's not common...but I think it's best if you would not quit.

I felt that he didn't have much to say about it and I didn't have the courage to extract more info out of him, I just let it slide and changed the subject.

I still have the hallucination and it's still completely harmless as far as I know.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Maybe it's because SSRIs increase effects of the 5-HT2 receptors and 5-HT1A autoreceptors, at least initially. It's the same way psychedelic drugs produce their effects, like LSD or psilocin/psilocybin (in magic mushrooms). Those receptors reduce in effect after the first weeks of SSRI use, but I don't know how that translates in terms of hallucinations (if it's even the cause). A lot of the newer antipsychotic drugs work in part by blocking the 5-HT2A receptors. If it becomes a problem, you could ask for aripiprazole -- combines well with SSRIs, and isn't like the other antipsychotics.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

euphoria said:


> Maybe it's because SSRIs increase effects of the 5-HT2 receptors and 5-HT1A autoreceptors, at least initially. It's the same way psychedelic drugs produce their effects, like LSD or psilocin/psilocybin (in magic mushrooms). Those receptors reduce in effect after the first weeks of SSRI use, but I don't know how that translates in terms of hallucinations (if it's even the cause). A lot of the newer antipsychotic drugs work in part by blocking the 5-HT2A receptors. If it becomes a problem, you could ask for aripiprazole -- combines well with SSRIs, and isn't like the other antipsychotics.


That's what I was thinking too, that increased availability of serotonin to the 5HT2 receptors could be the culprit. But after the initial period SSRI's actually downregulate the 5-HT2 receptors, and I've read several reports of SSRI's greatly blunting or reducing the effects of LSD and psilocybin, presumably this is caused similairly to the way that lsd causes rapid tolerance with repeated use by downregulation of 5HT2A receptors in the brain.

You can see here for more details; 
"*The Interactions between Hallucinogens and Antidepressants*

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/maois/maois_info4.shtml


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

jim_morrison said:


> That's what I was thinking too, that increased availability of serotonin to the 5HT2 receptors could be the culprit. But after the initial period SSRI's actually downregulate the 5-HT2 receptors


Yeah, but even after that period I reckon 5-HT2 effects will be above baseline. If 5-HT2C is causing SSRI apathy, it must be above baseline even if there is some downregulation. Also, I noticed goa/psy music sounded amazing at times when I was on just SSRIs, which to me indicates higher than normal functioning of the psychedelic 5-HT2 receptor(s).


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## thunderbird (Oct 6, 2013)

*Zoloft 2nd day @ 50mg...*

Last night was my second night taking Zoloft and I began to feel "trippy" first I saw swirls and vivid colors. I began feeling weird at work when I had to look at black lights and i could barely hear what people were saying to me. Then when I got home my partner and I were getting intimate and then I just could not feel my body and was all in my head. It just got really weird for me and I started seeing things from the corner of my eye. Then I just wanted to go to sleep and that is when I closed my eyes and the visions just got more and more intense. After a while I opened my eyes and then everything around me started swirling and it looked as though everything was breathing. I had a really bad panic attack and cried for an hour. I stayed up with my boyfriend and told him everything. He was really supportive and made me feel a lot better, but I was seriously scared and thought it would not end.


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