Tardive dyskinesia, dyskinesia, dystonia, extrapyramidal, or involuntary movements

[RealMe]

Hi Gardenlady,

I have tardive dystonia, like a no-no head and neck tremor but more jerky and erratic.  I have heard people who had good results with botox, but I've been habituating to the movements and don't want to put any more chemicals or foreign substances into my body or nervous system.  I also have tightening of my jaw.  Hope you get some help and relief from your TD symptoms.  My first drug from a psychiatrist was valium when I was 19 years old.  The withdrawal from that years later was horrible.  I didn't know that AD's would be just as dangerous since the doctor said they were "non-addictive, non habit-forming and blocked panic attacks by treating chemical imbalance."

[gardenlady]

Thanks, RealMe, for the reply!  Any idea what drug caused your tardive dystonia?  Have you seen a neurologist?  Do you have it all the time or just sometimes, and, if the latter, what triggers it?  How long have you had it and has it gotten any better or worse?  Sorry for so many questions!

[RealMe]

No worries.  I'm happy to answer any questions and hope I have something helpful to share.  I believe the drug that caused it is Abilify, but the psychiatrist says he does not think so.  I saw a neurologist, and he said he could not be sure of the cause.  He gave me Propranolol which helped the hands a little, but not the dystonia.  All I know is that I didn't have anything like that before Abilify, and now I do.  I think I forgot to mention I also have tremors in my hands, but I attributed that to age.  Again, I can't be sure of the cause.  I didn't have it before Abilify, but now I do.  In fact, the psychiatrist told me to stop taking Abilify when I showed him the tremors and dystonia.  I was also on Trintillex at the same time.  I had been taking both for 2 and a half years.  I stopped taking them in August, and the dystonia got worse after I stopped, but it has leveled off.  There are certain positions that will bring it on, and certain positions that I don't feel it that much.  I don't feel it when I am laying down, for example.  When I am driving, it is more severe and has nothing to do with nerves.  It has to do with trying to keep my head straight.  I can't say it has gotten better, but it hasn't gotten worse.  I can say it doesn't make me despondent anymore.  After I stopped the Abilify and Trintillex, I was on Seroquel, then Wellbutrin and Prozac.  When I increased the Wellbutrin from 150 to 300 mg., I developed tinnitus almost immediately -- which was so god-awful I thought the dystonia was a walk in the park by comparison.  When I told the psychiatrist about the tinnitus, he said he had never heard of that reaction from Wellbutrin.  He offered me Valium, and I refused.  I am trying to habituate to both conditions by trying not to let them scare me and by using a lot of suggestions I find on this forum.  Do not hesitate to ask questions on this forum.  You will find people here only want to help and recover.

[Risilox]

On 12/12/2017 at 2:17 AM, gardenlady said:

I'm nearing the end of a benzo taper and am having episodes of tardive dyskinesia (TD) that started in 2014 when a psychiatrist poly drugged me with Seroquel and Trazadone because she was clueless that I was in benzo withdrawal for 2 mg clonazepan she prescribed for insomnia.  I rapid tapered of the clonazepam when I realized it was equivalent to 40 mg valium. The TD started when I took Trazadone & Seroquel during benzo withdrawal, although I was on them only for a few months.   I've had it episodically since then and would like to know if it's something that ever goes away.  Anxiety and extreme emotional distress triggers it and, of course, when we are in benzo and/or AD withdrawal, we are in a constant state of PTSD and so are prone to conditions like TD that are triggered by stress.  

 

It's a horrific condition and I'd like to know if there is a treatment for it.  And, I'd like to hear of others' experiences with it.  There was someone on this forum awhile back named Wiglet (I think)  who had a terrible time with it and it never did resolve, even years after being off of the offending meds.  Other than that, I can't find much about this condition on this forum.  I'd appreciate any help the moderators could provide.  Thanks!

 

Hello gardenlady,

 

I'm sorry for what they did to you.

 

What are the symptoms of your TD? How often do you have it?

 

It is very important that you make yourself be seen by a movement disorder specialist.

 

What was your dose of quetiapine? Rarely low dose of quetiapine or trazodone can cause TD but elderly women are more at risk.

 

TD is caused by the neurodegenerative action of these drugs in your basal ganglia and is often permanent. The spontaneus reversibility of TD after the discontinuation of the offending drug is 2% (Tardive Syndromes are Rarely Reversible after Discontinuing Dopamine Receptor Blocking Agents: Experience from a University-based Movement Disorder Clinic).

 

Valbenazine is the only approved drug for the treatment of TD but is a very expensive and dangerous drug with high rate of depression and suicide.

 

There are also a very large amount of articles that say TD involves cognitive impairments.

In rats korean ginseng, quercetin and ashwagandha significantly reverse TD related cognitive dysfunction.

 

I have continouos muscle twitching throughout the body that persist 8 months after misprescribed olanzapine and I think I have TD.

 

On 12/12/2017 at 5:38 AM, RealMe said:

No worries.  I'm happy to answer any questions and hope I have something helpful to share.  I believe the drug that caused it is Abilify, but the psychiatrist says he does not think so.  I saw a neurologist, and he said he could not be sure of the cause.  He gave me Propranolol which helped the hands a little, but not the dystonia.  All I know is that I didn't have anything like that before Abilify, and now I do.  I think I forgot to mention I also have tremors in my hands, but I attributed that to age.  Again, I can't be sure of the cause.  I didn't have it before Abilify, but now I do.  In fact, the psychiatrist told me to stop taking Abilify when I showed him the tremors and dystonia.  I was also on Trintillex at the same time.  I had been taking both for 2 and a half years.  I stopped taking them in August, and the dystonia got worse after I stopped, but it has leveled off.  There are certain positions that will bring it on, and certain positions that I don't feel it that much.  I don't feel it when I am laying down, for example.  When I am driving, it is more severe and has nothing to do with nerves.  It has to do with trying to keep my head straight.  I can't say it has gotten better, but it hasn't gotten worse.  I can say it doesn't make me despondent anymore.  After I stopped the Abilify and Trintillex, I was on Seroquel, then Wellbutrin and Prozac.  When I increased the Wellbutrin from 150 to 300 mg., I developed tinnitus almost immediately -- which was so god-awful I thought the dystonia was a walk in the park by comparison.  When I told the psychiatrist about the tinnitus, he said he had never heard of that reaction from Wellbutrin.  He offered me Valium, and I refused.  I am trying to habituate to both conditions by trying not to let them scare me and by using a lot of suggestions I find on this forum.  Do not hesitate to ask questions on this forum.  You will find people here only want to help and recover.

 

Hi RealMe,

 

what they did to you is terrible.

 

For me your tardive dystonia was certainly caused by aripiprazole.

Also your tremor is probably drug induced.

 

Tardive dystonia progresses over time and remains focal only in a minority of patients.

I read that high dose of Vitamin E can stop the deterioration of symptoms.

 

 

 

 

 

[gardenlady]

9 hours ago, Risilox said:

What are the symptoms of your TD? How often do you have it?

The episodes are frequent when having a lot of anxiety in benzo withdrawal.  They can last all day or a few hours.  I am able to stop them if I want, but they start up again.  Right now, I'm more depressed than anxious, so I'm not having the episodes.  

 

When they occur, I drum my foot against the floor in a hard and rapid motion so that my whole leg goes up and down.  My hands make a swatting like motion.  My mouth & eyes make a grimacing expression and I turn my head to the left and down, a bit.  It's not altogether involuntary....I can stop it if I think about it.  My psychologist says that if it were TD, I wouldn't be able to stop and it would be ongoing.  He thinks it's temporary akathisia and will completely disappear when I'm off the meds and healed.

 

9 hours ago, Risilox said:

What was your dose of quetiapine? Rarely low dose of quetiapine or trazodone can cause TD but elderly women are more at risk.

I was on 300 of Seroquel for a month or so and before and after that, was on between 150 - 200 mg.  I was on it for a total of about 5 months.  I'm 65, so I guess that means I'm elderly.  

[Risilox]

9 hours ago, gardenlady said:

19 hours ago, Risilox said:

What was your dose of quetiapine? Rarely low dose of quetiapine or trazodone can cause TD but elderly women are more at risk.

I was on 300 of Seroquel for a month or so and before and after that, was on between 150 - 200 mg.  I was on it for a total of about 5 months.  I'm 65, so I guess that means I'm elderly.

 

300 mg is not a low dose. Probably your TD was caused by quetiapine.

 

9 hours ago, gardenlady said:

19 hours ago, Risilox said:

What are the symptoms of your TD? How often do you have it?

The episodes are frequent when having a lot of anxiety in benzo withdrawal.  They can last all day or a few hours.  I am able to stop them if I want, but they start up again.  Right now, I'm more depressed than anxious, so I'm not having the episodes.  

 

When they occur, I drum my foot against the floor in a hard and rapid motion so that my whole leg goes up and down.  My hands make a swatting like motion.  My mouth & eyes make a grimacing expression and I turn my head to the left and down, a bit.  It's not altogether involuntary....I can stop it if I think about it.  My psychologist says that if it were TD, I wouldn't be able to stop and it would be ongoing.  He thinks it's temporary akathisia and will completely disappear when I'm off the meds and healed.

 

Akathisia is characterized by a feeling of inner restlessness and inability to stay still while TD is stereotyped, repetitive and involuntary movements like facial grimacing, shake your hands and stamp your feet.

 

Symptoms of TD can fluctuate and are triggered by stress.

 

Patients with TD can stop the movements if they want to but these start again when they are distracted.

 

It seems to me TD not akathisia.

 

I'm sorry this is happening to you.

 

Regarding TD related dementia I found a research that says it clears partially with the discontinuation of the offending agent (Pseudodementia in tardive dyskinesia).

[Seamus]

I have just been diagnosed with tardive dyskinesia 😞

 

And I am absolutely devastated.  I have a 3 and 4 year old who need their mom 😭😭😭😭

Has anyone been diagnosed with this and got any better?  I've been told it will get worse as I taper before and if it ever gets better.  This is such a huge blow.  I knew what it was but was hoping to be proven wrong like my family insisted I was.

 

Edited November 12, 2018 by ChessieCat
added topic title to post then moved to TD topic

[UnfoldingSky]

Hi Seamus, I'm not here much anymore but, I was basically diagnosed (saw a doc write it down but they refused to tell me probably because they were protecting those who caused it.)  In my case it was "mild" and now has fully resolved (or, at least, I'm in a long term remission.)

 

It had for a while simply diminished to the point I'd get the odd twitch here or there, but I realized the other day I don't get any at all anymore and haven't for some time. 

 

 

 

[carefulprayerful]

Seamus,

 

I began tapering in April by cutting my dose by 25%, and I developed mild facial movements over the summer while doing a long hold (this concerned my doctor, tho she did not tell me I was formally diagnosed).  Now in the fall, it has mostly gone away.  I'm microtapering now, and I'm a long way from being off the drug.  

 

I hope you get relief from your symptoms.  

 

This is what I have found out about TD:

 

I read that a drug that causes TD can also "mask" it in the early stages, and the TD becomes apparent once a person reduces or comes off the drug (read this in Your Drug May Be Your Problem by Breggin). 

 

I have also read that sometimes TD flares up during withdrawal (read this in articles online).  

 

"333.85 (G24.01) Tardive Dyskinesia...In some patients, movements of this type may appear after discontinuation, or after change or reduction in dosage, of neuroleptic medications, in which case the condition is called neuroleptic withdrawal-emergent dyskinesia.  Because withdrawal-emergent dyskinesia is usually time-limited, lasting less than 4-8 weeks, dyskinesia that persists beyond this window is considered to be tardive dyskinesia" (from the DSM-5, the psychiatry manual).

 

"If you identify the signs of TD early and are able to stop or change your medication, it might eventually go away completely. TD symptoms do improve in about half of people who stop taking antipsychotics – although they might not improve right away, and may take up to five years to go...Sometimes, withdrawal can cause involuntary muscle movements or movement disorders that look like TD, but this often gets better with time" (copied from: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/tardive-dyskinesia-td/getting-rid-of-td/#.W-osefZFzIU).

 

carefulprayerful

 

[WiggleIt]

On 11/12/2018 at 3:51 PM, UnfoldingSky said:

I realized the other day I don't get any at all anymore and haven't for some time. 

 

 

 

YAY!!!!  UnfoldingSky, that is GREAT news!!!  I hope you remember me   You were my savior many times on this forum.  I haven't posted in a while, but am making it a point to come back and help others the way that I was helped.  All my love to you! 

[UnfoldingSky]

9 hours ago, WiggleIt said:

YAY!!!!  UnfoldingSky, that is GREAT news!!!  I hope you remember me   You were my savior many times on this forum.  I haven't posted in a while, but am making it a point to come back and help others the way that I was helped.  All my love to you! 

 

Hi Wiggle, so glad to hear from you, of course I remember you!  I was just thinking of you actually when you popped in here! So good of you to come back and help out... I will come check out your thread.  See you in a few minutes!

 

Lots of love back at ya,

 

US🙂

[Wellbutrinsucks]

Please see:  vitamin-b12-essential-for-mood-nervous-system

 

Guys please help, I’m so scared right now! I started getting muscle twitching about four months after I had an adverse reaction to Wellbutrin, Adderall, and a high blood pressure medication in June 2017.

The twitching started later in October. I’ve had all sorts of movements, from the internal tremors, actual tremors, jerks upon waking and then twitches that started in my legs and thighs and toes. The twitches went away after the first month of having them, then came back for 3.5 months and stopped, and then came back 1.5 months later in May 2018 and have continued since then. I got a B12 shot a few weeks ago and everything has since gotten worse. The jerks upon waking have come back, and I now have little jerks while awake, as well as twitching everywhere, including my face, none of which happened before the B12 shot. What should I do at this point? I’m so scared this is something I won’t heal from.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by ChessieCat
added link

[WiggleIt]

Dear Wellbutrinsucks,

You have no idea how heartbroken I am to hear that this is happening to you.  But I do have good news for you, although I know the good news will be hard for you to believe right now: You CAN get better from this.  The reason I know is because I was there.  Quite literally everything you described happened to my body, from the twitches to the tremors to the facial movements, upon waking, during the day, when trying to sleep... ALL of it happened to me.  Badly.  And guess what?  I'M STILL HERE!  Not only did I survive, but I IMPROVED.  When I joined, there were only a few people on this forum who had suffered with twitching/tremors/movements/dystonia/dyskinesia, and those few people were saviors to me.  What I needed to hear the most was that improvement was possible, and those people were right.

Even though you've had phases where your movements have come back, the important thing to remember is that they've also GONE AWAY for periods, which means they CAN go away again.  There were certainly things that caused my movements to re-flare, and I was scared every time, but they'd eventually fade away again.  

You asked specifically what you should do at this point and, in my opinion, you might want to avoid vitamin shots or supplements completely.  The few times I have tried a vitamin or supplement have been bad news and have re-flared my dystonia.  For me, the best course of action has been to make sure to rest and eat healthy, but not to take supplements or vitamin injections.  As long as I stick to real food and drinks, I don't have troubles.  

I have faith that this flare-up of movements will fade away for you, just like flare-ups faded away for me.  I do know how scary it is, though, and it's okay to cry and be scared, just as long as you hold on at the same time!

Was your shot given because you have a verifiable B12 deficiency?  Or was it given for a different reason?   

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Wellbutrinsucks]

I’ve had my B12 levels checked several times and it’s always come up normal. The doctor thought that the B12 shot would improve my twitches, but as soon as I got it, it made the issue worse, and added other problems I hadn’t had. I just want to be normal again. I’m just so distraught. I want to be able to live my life again and not think about how this one particular problem has ravaged my life. It’s like someone chose my biggest fear and has hit me over the head with it again and again.

[WiggleIt]

I am SO sorry that the doctor advised you to take B12!  I'm sure the doctor had good intentions and probably thought B12 is a good thing, because it usually is.  For person who has NOT been damaged by psych meds, a B12 shot would normally be a terrific idea.  Sadly, though, the psych meds really make it a gamble for how our bodies will react to things afterward.

I tested low on B12 years ago when I was in acute WD.  My doctor recommended B12 supplements and shots, but after I pored over hours of stories from psych med victims on SA and Facebook, I decided against B12.  I did try other supplements, though, and those turned out to be bad news for me, but every time a supplement threw me into a wave, the wave DID end up disappearing—so that's the good news.  Setbacks happen, but we do keep moving forward overall.

In my opinion, give yourself time, time, and more time to get over this B12 reaction.  If you don't have an proven deficiencies, then you don't need supplements and you can just focus on eating well-balanced, healthy foods.

Unfortunately, doctors are NOT well-versed on how to help psych med victims, especially not those of us who develop movement disorders.  In addition to rest and good food, I was also helped over the years by neuro physical therapy of the type that's given to people with Parkinson's and MS.  Through very slow, gentle exposure to small, specialized PT movements, I was able to work back toward more normal motor function.  This kind of neuro PT is NOT the same as strength PT.  I was very relieved to find this, as it was a non-medicinal approach, and my physical therapist believed me when I told her what the meds had done to me.  She had me doing things like building puzzles while simultaneously quizzing me on vocab, and she had me stack pennies, and re-learn how to balance on each leg, etc.  Really small stuff, but I do feel it all cumulatively helped.

I should specify that I wasn't able to start neuro PT right away in acute WD.  I think it was maybe around month 7 or 8 that I was able to handle it.  

 

Edited February 1, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Wellbutrinsucks]

I can’t have a movement disorder! My career choice depends on me being able to use my hands and not have these problems. I can’t believe this has happened to me; I just want to not be here. I have to get better, I can’t continue to have no quality of life.

[icequeen]

Post SSRI tardive dystonia does get better but it can take a long time. When I quit Zoloft almost fifteen years ago I got a syndrome so bad that it resembled Huntingtons disease.  My right arm and leg were constantly making very big circular involuntary movements. I was more or less bedridden for about two years with all this kicking and waving, tongue movements, writhing arms and legs, dizziness, small parkinson-like shuffling steps, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, constant spasms and stiffness everywhere including my face, my head involuntary shaking from side to side, at times losing all muscle tone completely and couldn't stand up, hold my head up etc etc. All joints semi dislocated so I had to put elastic bandages around my knees. The joints were so unstable that my legs turned backwards at my hips, knees and ankles. I still have dyskinesia but it is a lot better. My legs are making unvoluntary kicks several times a day and my right arm keeps moving up and down now and then - like a wing of a big bird taking off.  And as if all this wasn't enough, I had and still have a glue-like substance oozing out of my skin. At times I was totally unable to move my legs. i was like nailed to the ground - the signals to move forward were simply lost - sometimes for hours, then minutes and then getting slowly better. 

 

I'm still constantly dizzy (I fainted again the other week), kicking, itching, losing muscle tone from time to time, thigh muscles pulling harder and harder with every step I take and the shortness of breath and flu like problems are still going on every day but at least I do get about three to four hours of sleep now and the absolute worst dyskinetic movements have improved slightly so those of you who experience comparatively mild symptoms - you will get better!  I am better but still very far from recovery.  

[Wellbutrinsucks]

That’s absolutely horrible. I just want to get better; what you’ve gone through is awful. Is there really any hope for us? Does anyone actually get better? Or is everyone on this site sick forever and just deals with their symptoms lessening to a degree? It’s so confusing and disheartening.

[ChessieCat]

Wellbutrinsucks.

 

49 minutes ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

Is there really any hope for us? Does anyone actually get better?

 

Did you read the response by Wiggleit?  Have you read Wiggleit's introduction topic and how desperate she felt?  And this is what she responded before you posted:

 

23 hours ago, WiggleIt said:

But I do have good news for you, although I know the good news will be hard for you to believe right now: You CAN get better from this.  The reason I know is because I was there.  Quite literally everything you described happened to my body, from the twitches to the tremors to the facial movements, upon waking, during the day, when trying to sleep... ALL of it happened to me.  Badly.  And guess what?  I'M STILL HERE!  Not only did I survive, but I IMPROVED.  

 

If you read her intro topic you will see that she is very honest and open about her symptoms and I think you will realise that she would not be saying that she has improved if she hadn't.

 

Edited February 2, 2019 by ChessieCat
added link

[icequeen]

You will get better! There are so many factors involved in this and one of them is often age. I was fifty when I had to quit and getting hit that hardly at such a relatively advanced age makes it hard to recover. I forgot to mention that during the first two years I could barely read in my own language, I had problems remembering my name, address and phone number and I could't read, let alone write in English which is not my mother tongue. All that improved and by year three I spoke and wrote English fairly well. I still have problems concentrating and sleep is poor but otherwise my mental and cognitive symptoms have improved a lot. I still jump at every sound and am depressed but that's not so strange given what I have been through. As for the physical, my bloodwork is still off with hyponatremia, edema and anemia but getting slowly better. The neurological damage is the worst but even that has improved quite a bit although not in a linear way. I still get worse now and then and then some slight improvement but it's not at all as bad as during the first years. You will get better! Keep repeating that to yourself!

[Altostrata]

We wouldn't keep this site going if people didn't recover, there'd be no point to it, would there?

[WiggleIt]

On 2/1/2019 at 3:33 PM, Wellbutrinsucks said:

I can’t have a movement disorder! My career choice depends on me being able to use my hands and not have these problems. I can’t believe this has happened to me; I just want to not be here. I have to get better, I can’t continue to have no quality of life.

 

Dear Wellbutrinsucks,

I'm so sorry if my wording scared you.  I don't know if you technically have a movement disorder or not.  I used that phrase because I made an assumption.  My own movements were severe enough to be considered a movement disorder, but I can also tell you for a FACT that I did not lose use of my hands.  I regained large motor control AND small motor control of my hands.  I'm right back to applying liquid eyeliner with precise lines as if I were Cleo-freaking-patra.   

I've also met others online who developed movement disorders like mine, and they did recover 100%.  So yes, people DO recover.

[Wellbutrinsucks]

It’s just scary to see people on this site, especially with these types of problems, who seem to recover then actually get worse over time. I thought I was getting better and this is so confusing for me because these are essentially the “only” symptoms I have. So to see myself developing more symptoms along this same line really worries me. 

[WiggleIt]

11 hours ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

It’s just scary to see people on this site, especially with these types of problems, who seem to recover then actually get worse over time. I thought I was getting better and this is so confusing for me because these are essentially the “only” symptoms I have. So to see myself developing more symptoms along this same line really worries me. 

Yes, I know it's scary for sure, but the thing I've learned is that the progress is always overall moving forward.  It can seem to go two steps forward, then one step back.  Or two steps forward, and then one step sideways, which leaves us mystified (and, admittedly, terrified).  But our bodies overall are healing every minute.

[Wellbutrinsucks]

I hope so. I want to try B6 or Vitamin E,  as I’ve read around here that these have helped people with similar issues, but I’m still so afraid since the B12 shot nightmare. I like so many other people just want to get better and move on so that I can actually work and have a normal life. What these drugs have done to us are criminal and it’s insane how much damage these horrific pills can cause.

[Wellbutrinsucks]

And @WiggleIt, your story absolutely breaks my heart. How are you doing now? I know you still have a lot of issues dealing with withdrawal.

[WiggleIt]

5 hours ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

And @WiggleIt, your story absolutely breaks my heart. How are you doing now? I know you still have a lot of issues dealing with withdrawal.

Oh my goodness, I'm SO much better than I was years ago!  Even though I've not gone back to my pre-psych med level of physical health, the immense amount of recovering that my body has done is truly stunning.  My folks and I often stop in the middle of what we're doing and look at each other and honest-to-goodness say aloud, "Wow, can you believe we're doing this together?  It wouldn't even have been possible years ago!"  Sometimes we'll talk about how things were years ago, and we can't even believe everything we went through together was real.

I'm working on piles and piles of creative writing!  It's all terrible, but I don't even care  My mobility is so, so much better.  And I've just changed my life in small ways, you know?  Like something I make it a point to do every month now is give a donation to a different charity.  I used to donate every now and then, but after going through everything all these years with the meds and the healing, I'm trying to make it a point for giving to be a regular part of my life.  I don't know if I was selfish before or just unaware, but I really want to be a good person.  That's pretty much my foremost goal now.  I don't really care what I do or don't do, achieve or don't achieve.  I just want to be kind, and that's pretty much it. 

So... it's weird, but I think I've actually made some positive changes that I feel are a very important part of answering the question of how I'm doing.  I'm certainly different now, but I'm content.

 

[WiggleIt]

5 hours ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

I hope so. I want to try B6 or Vitamin E,  as I’ve read around here that these have helped people with similar issues, but I’m still so afraid since the B12 shot nightmare. I like so many other people just want to get better and move on so that I can actually work and have a normal life. What these drugs have done to us are criminal and it’s insane how much damage these horrific pills can cause.

I'd advise giving your body a big, long rest before you try anything else.  And if you do try something else, maybe stick with an oral supplement so you can control the quantity.  If you do try something, try a small amount, like half or 1/4 of the recommended dosage.  Like I said elsewhere, if you don't have any proven deficiencies, then sticking with a healthy diet will carry you through just fine.

[Wellbutrinsucks]

How long do you think I should go before I try something else? That’s good that you’re feeling better @WiggleIt. I hope that I start to feel better at some point too.

[WiggleIt]

On 2/4/2019 at 3:40 AM, Wellbutrinsucks said:

How long do you think I should go before I try something else? That’s good that you’re feeling better @WiggleIt. I hope that I start to feel better at some point too.

Dear Wellbutrin, 

I am so sorry for my delayed response!  It's been about a week since I've had the chance to log on!

Well, in my personal opinion, I'm not convinced that you need to try anything else, especially since you have no proven deficiencies.  What I meant was that if you decide to try something, then I feel it's important you let your body recover.  In my experience, I used to give myself a good month if I had an odd reaction to something.

If it were me, I'd just concentrate on healthy food without worrying about vitamin supplements or vitamin shots.

[Wellbutrinsucks]

This is so distressing; twitching doesn’t seem to last this long in most people. 

[WiggleIt]

5 hours ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

This is so distressing; twitching doesn’t seem to last this long in most people. 

I know the twitching is completely terrifying, but it really does fade.  I wish I had a crystal ball to give you a timeframe, but in lieu of having supernatural powers, I nonetheless can assure you that I really have been there, and it truly did fade away.  

Is yours an internal sensation of muscle twitching, or is it visible?  I had all kinds, and it all improved.

Edited February 14, 2019 by WiggleIt

[Wellbutrinsucks]

Mine is both internal and external, but is way more internal twitching. Part of me wonders if this drug is still in my system somewhat. I just feel so ruined by these stupid drugs.

[WiggleIt]

14 minutes ago, Wellbutrinsucks said:

Mine is both internal and external, but is way more internal twitching. Part of me wonders if this drug is still in my system somewhat. I just feel so ruined by these stupid drugs.

It's totally understandable why you feel ruined by the drugs, but I promise you that people on SA have improved from internal and external twitching.  My case is one piece of proof of improvement, and @UnfoldingSky is another.  There are more than just the two of us who have improved from twitching, but I'm giving you me and UnfoldingSky's names because we happened to talk to each other a LOT when we were going through it.  UnfoldingSky read my posts all the time and never failed to encourage me.  There were so many times when I didn't believe USky, but I can now safely say that USky was right about my improvement.  Betterment definitely happened.

IMO, the best coping strategies when the twitches happen are to turn on the TV, get a small snack and a drink of water, and just lay back and rest.  That's how I dealt with it, and I don't even care that I was a bed-potato.

My heating pad would also soothe me!  

Edited February 14, 2019 by WiggleIt

[ChessieCat]

Not sure if this topic has been mentioned here:  weighted-blankets-bed-tents-for-restlessness-akathisia-insomnia-and-anxiety

 

[WiggleIt]

1 hour ago, ChessieCat said:

Not sure if this topic has been mentioned here:  weighted-blankets-bed-tents-for-restlessness-akathisia-insomnia-and-anxiety

 

That is a great idea!  I never got one, but used to want one.  It's a moot point now, because I don't need it anymore, but it would have been nice to try when I was in the thick of things.