Strange Withdrawal reboot symptoms

Fappy987

Member
Male 37. Been at it with porn since 17. Decided to reboot. I have the typical depression, headaches, low libido etc... But I also get skin sensitivity on my back and torso without a rash. It gets very painful even just to have your clothes brushing over the skin. It always goes away until I relapse, then it comes back. Made it 47 days on my longest streak and then i relapsed, binged, and boom skin sensitivity. Sometimes it takes a couple weeks to go away. I have heard of hypersensitivity to sounds, vision, etc... (And I do have all of that too, including floaters, flashes and some visual snow ) but i haven't heard of anyone with the skin sensitivity. I thought it may be a different medical condition, but I've been checked for everything including auto immune and brain tumors, shingles and all negative. The correlation with it happening after a binge makes think it's anxiety/hypersensitivity/withdrawal related. Anyone else experience this???
 

saneagain

Member
Yes, me. I am hypersensitive to everything. Sounds, touch. Light. I even have aftervision effects. My head has also been checked with mri for inflammation and Tumors. Bloodwork has been done everything came back normal.

I have a ton of other symptoms. I sm 8 months clean. I have floaters and visual snow too.
 

Fappy987

Member
Saneagain,

Thanks for replying. Glad I'm not the only one, but definitely sucks doesn't it. I have the aftervision effects too. Light trails and other weird visual phenomena. Most of that was gone (except the floaters) by day 47, then I messed up. On day 11 now and goal is 90 or more. Here's to a normal life post reboot!
 

saneagain

Member
Fappy987 said:
Saneagain,

Thanks for replying. Glad I'm not the only one, but definitely sucks doesn't it. I have the aftervision effects too. Light trails and other weird visual phenomena. Most of that was gone (except the floaters) by day 47, then I messed up. On day 11 now and goal is 90 or more. Here's to a normal life post reboot!

Nice to hear that it works for you so fast. Unfortunately I am going through hell already for 8 months: Depersonalization, dizziness, lightheadedness, aftervision, blurry vision, eye floaters, no memory, no concentration, burning and sensitive skin, pain in mouth, whole body hurts when I lay down, severe fatigue, insomnia, no arousal or sex drive, wet dreams.

Been checked by doctors and everything came back normal. Not sure I will ever recover.
 
W

William

Guest
I think you will recover.  It took Gabe 9 months, and though I preach the hard 90, I think 4-5 months before I quit fearing a relapse.  Let me ask, how hardmode are you?  You are not peeking or playing with P subs, are you, because that really stretches the recovery out. If you are using artificial sexual stimulation to ride a dopamine high, even it is not P, that will delay recovery. 
 

saneagain

Member
William said:
I think you will recover.  It took Gabe 9 months, and though I preach the hard 90, I think 4-5 months before I quit fearing a relapse.  Let me ask, how hardmode are you?  You are not peeking or playing with P subs, are you, because that really stretches the recovery out. If you are using artificial sexual stimulation to ride a dopamine high, even it is not P, that will delay recovery.

I MOd twice around day 100 and had sex with a prostitute at about this time. This was a desperate try to alleviate the horrible symptoms. But it didn't change anything. So I went more than 5 months complete hard mode.

2 days ago I MOd once at day 256 of no porn. MO to sensation, no porn, no fantasy, very slowly. But again it didn't change much - to the negative or positive. No chaser effect. So I will just continue doing hard mode for at least a few months again I think.

I peeked once intentionally to see if it provokes anything but I guess my brain is completely shut down. I don't have urges to look at porn, I don't feel aroused seeking semi naked women on screens. Just walking around like a zombie with these horrible symptoms.

I do feel somewhat aroused by the presence of real women though sometimes.

Concerning p-subs I can tell that I don't use them. Even if I unintentionally see nudity or kissing, sex etc. I don't feel aroused or triggered AT ALL.

You may remember my post from a few months ago, where I described my symptoms. Some things changed since then. I was not able to run for 5 minutes back than. Now I have a bit more physical energy. I work out 2 times a week and jog 2 times a week for 40 minutes now. So there is improvement on this level but it is still pretty bad with the symptoms. Especially the mental ones. I had extreme palpitations just going from one room to another. These have also reduced somewhat.
 

Fappy987

Member
Keep at it man. Do you have any other addictions? Internet, food, video games? Cut it all out completely. Eat only real food. Meat fruit veggies rice potatoes. Take a zinc and magnesium supplement. It could take up to 9 months from when you last pmo. You can do it
 

saneagain

Member
Fappy987 said:
Keep at it man. Do you have any other addictions? Internet, food, video games? Cut it all out completely. Eat only real food. Meat fruit veggies rice potatoes. Take a zinc and magnesium supplement. It could take up to 9 months from when you last pmo. You can do it

I try to distract myself with internet yes. But I am not addicted. No food addiction. I am in fairly good shape. I work out and jog. I have a very good diet and tried all possible supplements. I still have wet dreams and nightmares which started when I quit PMO. For some people withdrawals can last very long. I had conversations with people who have them for 1 year or who had them for 14 months.

The symptoms I experience can not be caused by internet addiction. Prior to this ordeal I was very intelligent, had good memory, was working out regularly. Within 2 weeks my memory vanished, no concentration, depersonalization, sex drive disappeared completely, dizzy 24/7, insomnia, frequent urination, bloating. After 1 month sex dreams and nightmares started. I had extreme depression with very very strong suicidal thoughts. Been checked by several doctors who found nothing. I am permanently fatigued. After waking up I feel like I didn't sleep at all. My teeth hurt and I have nerve pain in my mouth. Numb and tingling feet and hands.

For some this shit seems to last a very long time. I experienced withdrawals in the past but the lasted maximum 2-3 weeks. I shoould have stayed away from porn but I came back.
 

Fappy987

Member
You may have adrenal fatigue. Have you read about it? Porn addiction can put you into adrenal fatigue. Do a search. It's hard to get out of but can be done.
 

saneagain

Member
Fappy987 said:
You may have adrenal fatigue. Have you read about it? Porn addiction can put you into adrenal fatigue. Do a search. It's hard to get out of but can be done.

I don't think it has to do with my adrenals.

Nightmares, sex dreams, light- sound- and touch sensitivity, burning skin, sensitive teeth, blurry vision, visual snow, aftervision effects, lightheadedness, depersonalization are all signs of an overly active central nervous system. Google these symtpoms in combination with "benzo withdrawal" and you will find them ALL, and I mean every single of them, beeing symtoms of protracted withdrwal or post acute withdrawal. WIth the exception of sex dreams which is just another specific sign of porn withdrawal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-acute-withdrawal_syndrome
 
F

Finw?

Guest
Saneagain,

Interesting. Have you found that stress is a trigger for these things, as the article says?
 
D

Dellingr

Guest
saneagain said:
Fappy987 said:
You may have adrenal fatigue. Have you read about it? Porn addiction can put you into adrenal fatigue. Do a search. It's hard to get out of but can be done.

I don't think it has to do with my adrenals.

Nightmares, sex dreams, light- sound- and touch sensitivity, burning skin, sensitive teeth, blurry vision, visual snow, aftervision effects, lightheadedness, depersonalization are all signs of an overly active central nervous system. Google these symtpoms in combination with "benzo withdrawal" and you will find them ALL, and I mean every single of them, beeing symtoms of protracted withdrwal or post acute withdrawal. WIth the exception of sex dreams which is just another specific sign of porn withdrawal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-acute-withdrawal_syndrome

Do you have a journal? I have essentially the exact same thing going on.
 

screwedup40

Active Member
@saneagain, Everything you're describing sounds like textbook withdrawal.  I had most of those symptoms as well.  It took about a year to a year and a half for me to get back to feeling fairly normal. 
 
D

Dellingr

Guest
screwedup40 said:
@saneagain, Everything you're describing sounds like textbook withdrawal.  I had most of those symptoms as well.  It took about a year to a year and a half for me to get back to feeling fairly normal.

Another glimmer of hope. To be honest, it's rare I find recovered individuals who dealt with such extreme withdrawals discuss them.

Besides you I've only read this story: https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/age-22-visual-snow-and-brain-fog-99-gone-energy-confidence-way

Tell me something.. Do you feel more intelligent? I mean I understand IQ measures are unlikely to move, but ability to understand things, focus, attention, articulation of speech when talking to others? This is probably the symptom that bothers me the most, I just feel incredibly dumb, almost all of the time.
 

saneagain

Member
Finw? said:
Saneagain,

Interesting. Have you found that stress is a trigger for these things, as the article says?

Yes. I would not say it is a trigger but things get worse when I am in stressful situations. I am very irritable all the time and get annoyed by minor stuff like people talking. I want to shout at them to shut up sometimes. Typical withdrawal as far as I know.

Dellingr said:
Do you have a journal? I have essentially the exact same thing going on.

http://www.yourbrainrebalanced.com/forum/threads/the-way-out-of-hell.37461/

But I didn't post anything for 2 months or so. I am currently about 8.5 months PMO-free.

For how long do you experience the symptoms now?

screwedup40 said:
@saneagain, Everything you're describing sounds like textbook withdrawal.  I had most of those symptoms as well.  It took about a year to a year and a half for me to get back to feeling fairly normal. 

So after more than 2 years you feel normal like you did before? Is your memory, concentration back to normal again? I had to stop working for university because of my brain fog. This is the most difficult shit I have ever dealt with in my life.

Dellingr said:
Tell me something.. Do you feel more intelligent? I mean I understand IQ measures are unlikely to move, but ability to understand things, focus, attention, articulation of speech when talking to others? This is probably the symptom that bothers me the most, I just feel incredibly dumb, almost all of the time.

I have seen some succes stories on yourbrainrebelanced.com. Most people say it takes 1-2 years, like screwedup40. I have all the symptoms you listed. And in addition I sneeze a lot and have often a runny nose, which coincidentially is a typical withdrawal symptom of heroin. Some symptoms come in waves, some are present all the time. I don't know if you do this stuff but I would advise you to do the following things:

1. clean diet
2. cold showers every morning
3. working out / cardio, as much as your body lets you. Don't overdo. Start slowly.
4. meditation
5. spend time in the sun or outside in general.
6. get checked by doctors for peace of mind, if you have not done it already. Get some bloodwork done. I had a very low vitamine D3 value so I started supplementing and spent more time in the sun. Now it is OK. Maybe take some supplements like herbs and aminoacids like tyrosin or tryptophan, but this is not essential I think. You may or may not want to experiment with this.
 

screwedup40

Active Member
Saneagain and dellingr, I did have moments of brain fog.  I remember a friend was talking to me at one point and I realized I wasn't comprehending much of what he was saying.  This actually cleared up for me after a few months.  Anxiety, muscle tightness, frequent urination, and insomnia stuck with me for a LONG time. However, now after two years I can say things are good.  Most days I'm 100%.  Calm, sharp, and feeling pretty good. Even my PIED has been MIA lately. It's just taken a long time to get to this point.  A lot longer than I thought it would.
 
F

Finw?

Guest
Interesting about the overactive CNS theory. I've also had visual snow and other such things. I've also had recurring airway reflux, acid reflux into the throat. It's totally messed with my voice. There's no apparent dietary cause or anything like that. But I've heard that nervous system dysfunction could be the cause.
 
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