Muscle and joint stiffness, aches, pain or weakness

[gigi63]

1 hour ago, RealMe said:

Thank you, Hellbutrin.  I wake up with dread and deep sadness that I am still in a pained condition.  I guess that is a cortisol spike.  Does it include both restless, anxious agitation at one end and exhaustion and dread at the other?

I can't believe I was updosed from 150 bupropion to 300 after only one week.  Such insanity.

Indeed it dose feel like all that!!!  Yes, it is insanity!!!!

[Shiva]

Hi Dave

How are things progressing with your joint pain?

Yes, I too have had a lot of problems with pain. I finished tapering about 18 months ago and since then pain and joint problems have been steadily getting worse. It started mildly before I started tapering in my hands and wrists, along with pins and needles. Now I have bad pain and loss of mobility in my shoulders too, my back (which has always been weak from an old injury) has got massively worse. In the last 6 months I have developed constant pain in my hips and over the last week I have also been having shooting pains from my knees to my hips. All the pain and issues are getting worse alI the time. I wondered about arthritis too. I am hobbling around like an old woman and finding it increasingly difficult to do any activities and I sleep very poorly as the pain wakes me up constantly. 

[emmabee]

Shiva

What you described sounds a lot like what I went through.  I had aches and joints pains during my taper, but the worst of my pain didn't start until a few months after I took the last pill.  It began in my hands and wrists, then my knees and hips, and then shoulder and neck.  I also had a different kind of pain in my back that felt like hot electricity running through my muscles.

 

But the worst of it lasted only about 6 or 7 months.  In the past two months or so, the pain in my hands and wrists has mostly disappeared.  The rest remains, but is not nearly as bad.  And the "sick thighs" that DLB described, that has been there all along...I think that was the first pain symptom to show up early on.  But now is infrequent, only surges up on the worst days.  Same with the electric tingling pain in my back, which has been the most excruciating part.  

 

The weakness, the fatigue, all still there but may be getting slowly better.   It depends on the day.  

 

Yoga helps.  I started daily yoga during my taper, and was getting a lot stronger and more flexible, but as the symptoms got worse I got weaker and struggled with balance.  I can't do as much as I could a year ago, but it's the one thing I make myself do every day because I really think it makes a difference.  

 

I have noticed that the less stress I feel, the less pain I have, so have been doing everything I can to keep my mind and body calm, even if it means waiting on the sidelines of life for a while.

[LadyBlonde]

Hey guys, I had this hunch today that this new weird joint stiffness and pain would be due to withdrawal.. and here we are! 

I have done yoga nearly every day for the past year. I was a dancer so I would make a point to practice my splits often as well. This is not the case anymore.

After completely withdrawing from Sertraline in November 2017, I didn't notice any changes in the physical body right away. The first time I really noticed anything different was mid December when I was doing regular stretches and getting into the splits, which all of a sudden one day were no longer accessible due to this stiffness. 

Now, there are these events I volunteer at a few times a year that require being on your feet all day long. This last time, the most recent one in January, at the end of the event I had this horrible swelling under my knee cap that hurt to touch and lasted for a couple days following. 

Even the regular yoga I was doing became too much unless I did modifications. 

The only thing I can contribute is since I noticed this stiffness and weakness, I've added Pilates to my routine and I feel as though it is helping so far. Focusing on the muscles that surround the weakened joints and hoping one day they will grow back to normal. 

 

[JanCarol]

My pain doctor told me to quit gluten.  All of it.  He said, "even a crumb can set off inflammation."

There are other inflammatory foods, like dairy.

[dbc2471]

Hi Dave, how is your joint pain? I'm having the same issues. I quit sertraline 2.5 mths ago.

[Altostrata]

Hello, dbc. Please start a topic for yourself in the Introductions forum.

[Fightingawar]

Does anyone else have body aches especially in your legs? I’m almost 10 weeks off and I know laying in the bed a lot doesn’t help but they hurt so bad that just walking a short distance I have to sit down.

[katieb]

Hi. I. Am 6months off paxil. I have the most awful body aches and cramps and have had so all through my withdrawal of 5and half years. I was hoping things were going to get better but as of yet no sign. My legs are cramping so bad I don't sleep very much. I was wondering if these pills could cause fibromyalgia? 

[Fightingawar]

I was wondering the same thing about fibromyalgia, I hurt all over it doesn’t help that I don’t get out of bed a lot but I feel so bad. Did you have high anxiety and depression too in withdrawal? So you have been off 6 months? Has any of your symptoms gotten better?

[katieb]

TvWhilst I was withdrawing I had so many symptoms it's so hard to remember them all. Pain in shoulders neck and back have been consistent and now it is also in my legs and buttocks and in my face. Anxiety pops up every now and again and sometimes dizziness. These are the most bothersome for me. How about you? 

[katieb]

Oh forgot to mention tinnitus. It's every day and very loud. 

[Fightingawar]

Right now I’m having some serious anxiety to the point I’m terrified and don’t know what to do. I’m nauseous with no appetite, insomnia, and body aches I really don’t know if I can keep suffering like this I got much worse over the weekend 😪 i guess I need to call my doctor but they are so clueless 

[JLex1981]

Hey Fighting... I would call your Dr... can't they reinstate you on a tricyclic ? There's no need to suffer like that... does the Ativan help? I think Alto mentioned taking a low dosage of a tricyclic would help. You pay the bill , you tell them what you think !! If not get another Dr. 

[Fightingawar]

I’m waiting on a call from my doctor now and see what they say and no I feel like the Ativan isn’t doing anything anymore. I have got to figure out which one had the least serotonin production since the doctors act clueless 😪

[Altostrata]

Fighting, I went to some trouble to find this information for you:

 

 

In the Symptoms forum, please use search and read and add to an existing topic before starting a new topic.

[Altostrata]

Merged similar topics.

 

Please note many body aches are due to muscle tension from withdrawal syndrome.

 

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

A lot of people find them helpful. Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

 

Magnesium in particular can help muscles relax.

[Fightingawar]

Thank you!!

[Melissa5000]

Here is another victim!

 

I hurt all over. I have severe musclepain, especially in my arms, hands, legs and feet. On top of that I feel burning pain in my fingers. And a storm of nervepain in my body around my muscles (under the skin deeper in my body). The storm of nerverpain begins when I move too much. But I can hardly move before it starts. When I move a little more my core starts to burn. And I feel my tea extra hot in my throat and stomach when I drink it. Also warm tap water feels hotter now on my hands. I can hardly walk. Even inside the house I can not walk unlimited. I suffer a lot since I tapered my last tablet of amitriptyline 22th september 2017. Before I had allready tapered a lot of course. But this last tablet made it unbearable. And I do have still anaother 100 mg lyrica to taper. Tapering is totally impossible now. So I have to do a very long hold now. I doubt if I should updose a little more or not. Difficult!

 

Does anyone recognize the storm of nervepain deep in the arms and legs and core around the muscles?  (It is different from pins and needles.) 

[Melissa5000]

On 5/13/2018 at 1:47 AM, Fightingawar said:

Does anyone else have body aches especially in your legs? I’m almost 10 weeks off and I know laying in the bed a lot doesn’t help but they hurt so bad that just walking a short distance I have to sit down.

 

Yes I have this too! I can walk around 800 meters. After that I have to sit down! My legs and feet hurt too much then from nervepain and musclepain which I got in withdrawal.

 

I suffer from widespread musclepain and nervepain. I have it especially in my hands/fingers/arms/legs/feet/toes. I feel burning nerve pains around my muscles and tendons. Whenever I move/exercise/cycle/do housekeeping/gardening/cycling/typing my hands/feet/arms/legs stat to hurt a lot!!! When my cns gets too tired (what happens quickly) I get on top of that a storm of nervepain through my entire body. 

[Junglechicken]

Hi Melissa and Fightingawar,

 

I have this too most particularly in my legs and feet...even worse in my right leg.

 

Was thinking it could be to do with surface veins but now I'm wondering whether it's WD relayed.  After my last taper 3 yrs ago I had to re-instate due to unbearable nerve pain in my arms, legs and lower back pain.

 

My hands also hurt, rather like arthritis every morning upon waking.

 

After exercise my leg muscles seize up.

 

 

 

[Melissa5000]

Hello Jungle chicken!

 

Those nervepains are definitely from withdrawal. I never had it before and it started in withdrawal a few days after I tapered my last capsule of amitriptyline. It got even worse when I tapered a capsule of lyrica 4 months later. I had to updose 2 capsules of lyrica unfortunatelly. The updose made the pains a little less intense. But I still suffer badly. 

 

JC did your hands and fingers hurt during typing? I can only type for a very short time. After it my fingers burn.

[Galmond10]

Hello

 

Just wanted to say I understand the pain symptoms that a lot of you are suffering from.  I'm not sure if it's a withdrawal symptom but I would like to think so, especially if you never had pain before Ads. I have had pain in both legs and arms for 1 year now. They started after the first day of tapering of cymbalta. The worst part is I didn't take the AD for that problem and now it's my biggest issue. I've even thought I might have fibromyalgia since I have all the symptoms. It has also given me chronic fatigue syndrome. I haven't much of anything that helps the pain. But I will say I've recently tried acupuncture and it appears to be promising.

[Junglechicken]

On 8/10/2018 at 3:26 AM, Melissa5000 said:

Hello Jungle chicken!

 

Those nervepains are definitely from withdrawal. I never had it before and it started in withdrawal a few days after I tapered my last capsule of amitriptyline. It got even worse when I tapered a capsule of lyrica 4 months later. I had to updose 2 capsules of lyrica unfortunatelly. The updose made the pains a little less intense. But I still suffer badly. 

 

JC did your hands and fingers hurt during typing? I can only type for a very short time. After it my fingers burn.

 

If I spend a lot of time on the computer, then my hands start to seize up and hurt 

 

My legs are still very painful after a light workout on Thurs evening.

 

Nerve and muscle pain flaring up which are just awful 😞

[Melissa5000]

@ Galmond and Junglechicken: I recognize all your symptoms! Before in withdrawal I had a short period of widespread pain. At the time I wondered if I had fybromyalgia. Later the pain went away. 3 months later after tapering I got these pains back a 100 times worse!!!!!!!! Now I was very sure it was from withdrawal. In the hospital they would probably call it fybromyalgia. But that is just a name. There is nothing they can do about it. They give you painkillers that cause the same symptoms in withdrawal! No real solution. My painspecialist has no other solution than offering me more meds. But because of the side effects and my wish to come of these meds one day we decided not to updose any more. 

 

I'm trying to get rid of these pains by a very gentle self created graded activity plan. I try to do very slowly more chores over time. Walking is very difficult for me now. I just walk around the living room with the kitchen timer. I walk slowly for 10 minutes now every day. I started at 5 minutes. So there is some improvement. I try to cycle a little further every now and then. I try to type every day for a few short moments. Those are my exercises. 

[Galmond10]

On 8/11/2018 at 5:29 PM, Melissa5000 said:

@ Galmond and Junglechicken: I recognize all your symptoms! Before in withdrawal I had a short period of widespread pain. At the time I wondered if I had fybromyalgia. Later the pain went away. 3 months later after tapering I got these pains back a 100 times worse!!!!!!!! Now I was very sure it was from withdrawal. In the hospital they would probably call it fybromyalgia. But that is just a name. There is nothing they can do about it. They give you painkillers that cause the same symptoms in withdrawal! No real solution. My painspecialist has no other solution than offering me more meds. But because of the side effects and my wish to come of these meds one day we decided not to updose any more. 

 

I'm trying to get rid of these pains by a very gentle self created graded activity plan. I try to do very slowly more chores over time. Walking is very difficult for me now. I just walk around the living room with the kitchen timer. I walk slowly for 10 minutes now every day. I started at 5 minutes. So there is some improvement. I try to cycle a little further every now and then. I try to type every day for a few short moments. Those are my exercises. 

Melissa

 

Hello. Just a thought which I'm sure has crossed your mind but have you considered acupuncture. I have gone to 4 sessions now today being my 4th. I have seen a great deal of pain reduction. I still have pain, but it is much more manageable. I'm not sure if it just a band-aid or if it helps long term. But I do know I was very sceptical about it working but for me it has.

[Junglechicken]

I'm back in the pain boat.

 

Feels like my body is turning to stone.

 

If I don't start doing yoga, it will turn to stone.

 

Contributing factors:

 

WD

Grieving loss of my father

Hormonal fluctuations / imbalances

 

The "perfect storm" for sending my body into pain.

[Melissa5000]

@ Galmond: I didn't try acupuncture. How long after the acupuncture you keep profiting from a session?

 

@ JC  having my period or pms makes my pain increase! 

Grieving and stress and mental problems are very famous for increasing pain, even for people who are not in withdrawal at all.''

 

My pains started in withdrawal. I wonder why they are persisting so long this time. It is almost a year ago now when it started with no breaks. 

I hope that increasing my activity can help over time. The problem is that my baseline is so low I can hardly move or do chores. But I keep trying!

Of couse I do have many setbacks. But I managed to increase my activity a little bit. 

[Galmond10]

On 8/22/2018 at 9:03 PM, Melissa5000 said:

@ Galmond: I didn't try acupuncture. How long after the acupuncture you keep profiting from a session?

 

@ JC  having my period or pms makes my pain increase! 

Grieving and stress and mental problems are very famous for increasing pain, even for people who are not in withdrawal at all.''

 

My pains started in withdrawal. I wonder why they are persisting so long this time. It is almost a year ago now when it started with no breaks. 

I hope that increasing my activity can help over time. The problem is that my baseline is so low I can hardly move or do chores. But I keep trying!

Of couse I do have many setbacks. But I managed to increase my activity a little bit. 

Melissa

 

When I go to my acupuncture sessions I usually get relief that entire day. I do go twice a week. I seem to to get relief for 2 or 3 days after a session. I've been to 5 total sessions at this point and it seems to just make my pain way more manageable. With that said I still have some bad moments where the pain is awful. 

[Galmond10]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced pain as a main symptom or as a long term symptom?

 

I have been off cymbalta for 13 months today and one of my most noticeable symptoms has been pain for me . And the pain is predominantly in my legs. It usually ranges in my calves and meaty part of my thighs front and back. The pain started immediately after the first drop in my taper and has not gone away. 

 

I want to add I never had pain before I took the cymbalta or took cymbalta for pain.

 

I have lived my life on a heating pad and aspercreme which is is a lidocaine creme from CVS for a year now. Just hoping this might catch someone's eye and they might have some tips on what is the cause and things that could help. Thanks to all in advance.

[Sionevar]

I've had terrible aches in my legs for the last six months, mostly in my hips in knees. It started around the time I completely came off my medication. That being said, I've always had knee problems - osteoarthritis runs in my family - and I've been told the joint pain might be a symptom of a hormonal problem I'm dealing with, so I don't know for sure what the trigger is. It's very frustrating, because I've always been a big walker, but now, even walking half a mile exhausts me. Aleve, jacuzzi baths and massages keep me going. 

[Galmond10]

2 hours ago, Sionevar said:

I've had terrible aches in my legs for the last six months, mostly in my hips in knees. It started around the time I completely came off my medication. That being said, I've always had knee problems - osteoarthritis runs in my family - and I've been told the joint pain might be a symptom of a hormonal problem I'm dealing with, so I don't know for sure what the trigger is. It's very frustrating, because I've always been a big walker, but now, even walking half a mile exhausts me. Aleve, jacuzzi baths and massages keep me going. 

I'm sorry to hear you also have pain. It really is the worst. I agree with the Jacuzzi I sit in one every day almost. Massages I haven't tried but will look into. I have been trying acupuncture and it seems to help some also. Its just crazy to me my pain has not gotten better in 1 years time. Well thanks for your input hope we both find relief soon.

[Sionevar]

Reading through some other posts and forums, this seems to be a common complaint from people who have come off or tapered down AD medication. Many of them do report the chronic pain eventually fading, but not quickly - sometimes as long as several years. I'm going to give acupuncture a try, see if that helps. Because I'm not ready to feel this old and worn out just yet. Stay strong, look after yourself, I hope you feel better soon.

[Galmond10]

22 minutes ago, Sionevar said:

Reading through some other posts and forums, this seems to be a common complaint from people who have come off or tapered down AD medication. Many of them do report the chronic pain eventually fading, but not quickly - sometimes as long as several years. I'm going to give acupuncture a try, see if that helps. Because I'm not ready to feel this old and worn out just yet. Stay strong, look after yourself, I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Galmond10]

25 minutes ago, Sionevar said:

Reading through some other posts and forums, this seems to be a common complaint from people who have come off or tapered down AD medication. Many of them do report the chronic pain eventually fading, but not quickly - sometimes as long as several years. I'm going to give acupuncture a try, see if that helps. Because I'm not ready to feel this old and worn out just yet. Stay strong, look after yourself, I hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the insight. I'm doing my best to stay strong, but it's tough when I can't do much and haven't for a year. Hope you have success with the acupuncture. 

[Melissa5000]

I have pain in my arms and legs and the rest of my body since 22th september 2017.

 

I also suffer from extreme burning pain in my fingers and hands. Does anyone have these finger/handpains for a long time? Are there cases on SA of people who overcame those pains? What did they do about it? I can't find cases about longterm fingerpains that later on disappeared. I would like to know about those threads on SA if there are any. Or cases elsewhere on the web where I can read about them.