Rare state that may be connected with AS?

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Hi all,

Im new here, just learning about AS and a lot of it sounds like me, except for a few things.

I don't have a lot of social anxiety, I get a long with people usually, Im told I have a quick sense of humor and make people laugh and I am charming, but this was learned, as a child I was bullied and didn't speak much and had to change high schools, but other traits of AS sound like me. Like being obsessed with one thing or a few things, learning lots of things by heart. Also repeating the same things, and as a child I experience echolalia (I think it is called) when you repeat or echo something you have just said. I did that a lot as a child and people told me to stop, so I did.

But occasionally since childhood I experience something that I can only describe thusly:
Time around me seems to slow down, yet stimulus seems to take place at a much faster rate.
I feel slow, but sounds and movements seem too fast.
Also, my fingers and extremities seems very light and brittle, I feel a little lightheaded and I feel a slight pressure in my head. I THINK my heart rate goes up and I feel disoriented.

This has only happened about twenty times in my entire life, but they have been getting progressively worse and last longer, usually between 5 and 25 minutes. I've brought this up to a couple of doctors, but they've dismissed it.

Has anyone else ever experience anything similar to this at all?

I recognize that state, but it's hard to find words to talk about it. I think it's what some people mean when they say the world went into slow motion, yet they were moving very fast. Mostly I do that in an emergency, which happens often enough because I have panic attacks.

Really? So I'm not insane?

Seriously, this is the first time I've ever ventured to discuss this with anyone else except the doctors that rebuffed me.

Please tell me all you can if you will.

The feeling, etc... that you mentioned could ALSO be caused by a heart valve defect. A slight defect in the mitral valve, or a hole in the heart(ALL people had this, but it usually seals up when you are VERY young) could cause blood to be improperly oxygenated. If that happens, your heart rate can go up, you can become disoriented, you could feel pressure, and disoriented. Such defects are FAR from rare, and most doctors/hospitals would find them near IMPOSSIBLE to spot without looking. To find it, you would need specialized equipment, or a GOOD doctor with a GOOD ear listening MANUALLY for it. To many hopsitals use machines to do it, and too many doctors AREN'T good. I had a bad valve for possibly YEARS and it was never spotted.

BTW social anxiety is not really a prerequisite. AS people often DON'T speak much, and are bullied. So you didn't really say anything contrary to AS!

Steve

Is that Mitral Valve Prolapse? I had an employee with that. She went to a heart doctor who diagnosed it and gave her medication. I think she also has to take something before going to the doctor. Might want to get that checked out. I was wondering if it was some type of non-convulsive seizure. Anyway, whatever it is, for any of you that have it, if a doctor rebuffed you, see another one! No doctor should ever blow you off for symptoms like that. That is unacceptable!

I've experienced something similar, although it was in a very positive context. I was out clubbing in Tel Aviv, Israel. Right before I went out, I had a couple of shots of Absinthe (a mild hallucinogen), plus drank a few beers in the club. Then I hit the dance floor, and started approaching the hot local girls. Most of the ones I asked actually danced with me for at least five minutes. A few even tried to talk to me, but unfortunately, I don't speak Hebrew. Oh well.

Anyway, the Absinthe must have reached the brain by then, 'cause I got this weird sensation coming over me. There were so many things I had to process in this new environment: colored lights flashing, a Euro-style techno song playing in Hebrew, an cozy-looking club like I've never seen in the US, and a girl I was dancing with almost pressing up against me. I was enjoying every moment of this whole thing. But as all those stimulations were hitting my brain almost simultaneously, the time seemed to drag really slowly, as Giosue pointed out; a minute seemed like ten minutes.

I don't know if this "time stretching" was related to my AS or just a drug trip brought on by Absinthe, but I can honestly say it was a pleasant experience.

Last edited by Aspie1 on 20 Feb 2007, 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My hands are very brittle, but I also have terrible motor-skills.

Giosue, you are not insane. My experience at WP is that I keep saying, 'You mean I'm not insane?' No we're not! We're AS! All my terrible dark secrets are old news around here. What a relief!

The feeling is temporary and usually I'm very well with my motor skills, I used to be a professional ballroom dancer, but while the time slows down, it still passes by quickly. I can barely explain it.

I know those statements sound contradictory, but that's the only way I can express it. It is as if my obersvational skills are so hyper-sensitive that stimulus seems faster than normal, and yet my observational capacity are so amped that it seems to happen quite slowly as well.

I don't think I can explain it any more than that, but it's become more and more frightening as I've gotten older.

This is what stupid egotistical DRs say when they dont have an easier answer....

"There is nothing wrong with you"...."It's all in your head"......The more insecure or egotistical they are ....the more gruff and demeaning/dismissive their response to your questions.If you are getting a feeling of dismissiveness from them....try and find a new DR.

What kind of tests have they done to see of there is a physiological cause of your symptoms?Have you had blood tests for thyroid,blood suger,possible hormone balance?If you have the insurence,I would go see a neuorlogist.My boyfirend has MS and has the oddest cognitive issues from it.In some areas he is brilliant but on some tests he is almost infantile in his cognition.Perhaps you are experiencing some form of seizures,which is not uncommon is AS.

I am still trying to find a "cause" of my feelings of ....what I call "dissociation" for lack of a better term.The best description I can give is some existential writing that describe a constant "feeling" that the world is not real.I am aware of it when ever I am not actively engrossed in some interest or activity.If feels very uncomfortable...so I try to always be engaged in either doing something or thinking about something to avoid this "nagging" thought/sensation.

The valve is supposed to shut, and the reverse pressure is supposed to force it CLOSED! If it buckles under the pressure, and leaks, that is prolapse. I was talking about problems in general, but prolapse is one of them.

My point is that such a problem because of pressure, exertion, or just dumb LUCK could cause the problem I spoke of. NORMALLY, with such a minor problem, things would seem FINE!

Steve

Having had Absinthe in Europe I can tell you...it was the Absinthe.

Also meant to mention that as far as childhood verses how you function now...My Psych stressed childhood issues as more important to DX .As adults,we have learned was to function around our traits,so many are less severe then in childhood.

Also,the feelings you described did remind me a little of panic attacks....when addreneline dumps into our system it can get similar physiological effects.I had similar feelings when my thyroid was low and was told that my adrenal gland was trying to compensate and dumping into my system to try and balance the low thyroid...other DR said this was complete crap,so I am not sure which to believe.I do know that the sensation went away after getting correct dose of Synthroid but still have some effects when driving in new area......panic.

It sounds like "depersonalization disorder" or "derealization disorder," neither of which are rare.