Neuromuscular symptoms: muscle tics, twitches, fasciculations, spasms, cramps, restless legs

[eiledon20]

Maybe a small dose of fish oil???

 

Seems to calm my muscle/nerves.

[bluebalu86]

I don't have pain, but I have weird sensations and a lot of twitching and jerking of all my muscles, mostly my legs. It's especially bad when I lie down and try to fall asleep - that's when the worst twitching happens. When I cut the Flupentixol dose I couldn't sleep for a couple of days because of the twitching in my legs. It has subsided since I reinstated the full dose. I think it's definitely a symptom of withdrawal. 

[Mikey1975]

Why do my muscles keep twitching all the time and my stomach and chest feel like they are constantly vibrating inside

[DLB]

Short answer, you are in W/D. Been through all of that and it will get better. Hang in there....

[katieb]

I have those sympton. ????

[bluebalu86]

My muscles twitch and jerk too.

[Mikey1975]

Does it feel like your insides are moving and vibrating almost like a palpitation feeling in different parts of your body

[a99]

Mikey : I can relate to the palpitation feeling almost all over my body and I always feel horrible stifness in my muscles after that .

[Mikey1975]

It feels like my insides are moving and jumping around this WD symptom has gone on for ages now , ive had a guts full of it

[lanah]

My joints are extremely loose, for over two months now. I wonder if anyone has this as either a side effect or withdrawal effect from trazodone? I'm bed ridden because of it. I had pre existing problems, but I was healed, so I am very scared I damaged something or it has come back. 

[Toulouse]

I had that for a few days last week after i cut my paxil from 5mg to 2.5mg.  Forearm muscles, bicep, and something around my left side under the ribs, little vibrations. They ended after a few days and now are gone.

[Darwin]

been off A/D's for about 3months now after 2 years of use. still have these muscle twitching it's annoying , but imo is the least of my problems compared from the restlessness,mental fog, and fatigue

[bluebalu86]

I have a sort of tip for the twitching. If you get it mostly in the legs like I do, you can take a pillow and put it between your legs and lie down on your side, so that the pillow is between your legs. I surround my whole body with pillows and it seems to help somewhat. Also a heavy blanket helps, but it can't be used right now when the weather is so hot. 

[Petunia]

Several similar topics merged

[katieb]

Hi Toulouse.I can sympathise with you.weaning from paroxatine I have had terrible pain in my neck ,shoulders, arms and legs along with sensitive almost feel g bruised skin and burning skin.It had been 14 months now with no let up.I really hope this goes away.

[Europa]

Please can anyone tell me if they have had muscle and shoulder pain as a withdrawal symptoms. IT is a painful burning and aching pain with muscle tightness also across my neck.THis keeps me away at night to the point of no sleep and then exhausted in the day only to be kept awake all night the next night.I have had this now for a month with no relief.I am currently on 3 mg of paroxatine (very long and slow withdrawl)Also I have a strange feeling g as if all my muscles in my body are moving all the time from my feet to my head.Im hoping that this will go away.

Katieb

[Europa]

Hi katieb

 

You had mentioned muscle movement all over your body quite a few months ago. Has that ceased at all for you? I have similar thing going on and was wondering where you might be with that?

[katieb]

Europe. ...The muscle movement is still happening all over my body.Twitching all over it comes and goes.I think I am currently in a wave.For the past week (3 weeks ) after my last drop I am experiencing dizziness not vertigo but more unbalancing feeling .Like if I move my eyes it seems to take ages for them to refocus again.its not nice and makes me extremely tired and head achy. Reading and watching TV are almost impossible as is writing this post. I Have had this before but way way back in the early part of my wd and it has surprised me this far down the line.I hope it clears soon.

How are you doing?

[Europa]

I totally understand the eyes refocusing.  I really struggled with that a few months ago, but seems to have gotten better.  I do get twitches as well, which is annoying but bearable for the most part.  Underneath all the surface twitching is a sustained muscular contraction that puts my body in a weird posture and does not let up.  This has been the most disturbing aspect of my recovery by far.  I'm hoping that just as the eyes refocusing having improved, that the body posture will correct itself over time.  Thanks for taking the time to update, I know how taxing it is to do anything.

 

So you said "last drop", does that mean you are completely off paroxetine?

[katieb]

Hi Europa. Oh how I wish this was my last ever drop of paroxatine but sadly no.It was the last reduction I did.I am currently on 1.45ml which is 2.9mg .I am tapering very very slowly as I feel every drop .I roughly calculate that it will be approx 5 years withdrawing from this stuff.Iam not the only one who has chosen to do it this way although it can be very tempting to try and speed things up sometimes.I wouldn't of course but it is a very long and drawn out process, but I'll get thare in the end.

I wish you a non stressful time over the Christmas period and hope you feel some relief soon.

[Europa]

I am sure you will be strong to see it through, however long it takes. Wish you the best and a happy holidays to you as well Katieb

[dgreen97]

Hey guys,

 

Any tips on dealing with the increased muscle tension symptom from paxil withdrawal? Im coming down on a microtaper right now, started at 20mg and cutting down slowly by weight once a day. I came down a little too fast in the last month so I'm slowing it down a lot more now, but I dont know if its from being kind of sick with a cold or if its the paxil withdrawal but my muscle tension symptoms have increased pretty significantly in the last week. Right now Im not exactly sure where I am but probably around 13 mg or something.

[KarenB]

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6504-tension-pain-twitches-spasms-in-muscles-and-joints/ *topics merged

 

I'll eventually merge these threads. 

 

Personally, I use the following for some relief:  epsom salts baths, magnesium, learning to meditate, yoga-nidra, breathing exercises, guided meditation.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Petunia
updated

[SkyBlue]

It does sound like it's related to Paxil withdrawal. Could be a good reason to get a professional massage? 

I agree with KarenB that magnesium can be very powerful.

[Traveller]

Those who experienced extreme muscle tension and/or head pressure during withdrawal (I believe the two may be related), did it ever get better?  I've tried magnesium, epsom salt baths, deep tissue massage, etc.  Nothing seems to help.

[Cressida]

Those who experienced extreme muscle tension and/or head pressure during withdrawal (I believe the two may be related), did it ever get better? I've tried magnesium, epsom salt baths, deep tissue massage, etc. Nothing seems to help.

The only thing to make a significant difference was a dental mouth guard. WD causes bruxism, teeth/jaw clenching /grinding. This causes tension in head neck and shoulders and below. Apparently the majority of top tennis /golf players use them for this reason. Teeth/crowns are often a casualty in WD for this reason. It has made a big difference but the only cure is time

[KarenB]

My very tense jaw muscles got better when I learned exercises for relaxing them, and started doing them lots during the day.  Now I do them automatically when I feel tense, and I suspect that keeps the issue away.

 

I just googled you-tube for TMJ jaw relaxing exercises. 

[Cressida]

80%of bruxism occurs subconciously at night.

I also do jaw relaxing exercises , made very little difference to mine. The mouthguard did. I guess it depends on whether your symptoms are major or minor

[reachingforthestars]

What do you mean by muscle tension? Do you mean you have the urge to flex or tighten your muscles? I have that... first i had muscle weakness all autumn and then it changed to this weird urge to flex my muscles and it seams to move from one certain muscle group to another. It started from my stomach it was like there were butterflies in my stomach the feeling when you get when you are excited then it moved to my legs and then to my buttocks( i had to squeeze my buttocks together) then it moved to my ****** and now i have some sort of PGAD... Is this akathisia moving around my body?

[Traveller]

I mean everything from my nipples to the top of my scalp hurts.  Chest, upper back, neck, face, sinuses, forehead.  Like a tension headache times a thousand.  I could handle a few days of this, but this has been going on for months now with no signs of stopping.  NSAIDs do nothing.  I believe it was this muscle tension/head pressure that caused Phil Lawrence ("Numb") to go back on an SSRI, knowing full well what they do to people.  He just couldn't take the physical agony anymore.

 

It seems like once we've destabilized our nervous systems with these poisons, we're given a choice:  Be forever physically anxious or forever emotionally numb.

[Cressida]

I mean everything from my nipples to the top of my scalp hurts. Chest, upper back, neck, face, sinuses, forehead. Like a tension headache times a thousand. I could handle a few days of this, but this has been going on for months now with no signs of stopping. NSAIDs do nothing. I believe it was this muscle tension/head pressure that caused Phil Lawrence ("Numb") to go back on an SSRI, knowing full well what they do to people. He just couldn't take the physical agony anymore.

 

It seems like once we've destabilized our nervous systems with these poisons, we're given a choice: Be forever physically anxious or forever emotionally numb.

Get a mouthguard, go on a low histamine diet, go caffeine free and get through one day at a time. It will improve. It does get better . It is worth it. There is no guarantee of a happy outcome if you go back on the pills.

[btdt]

 

This article was taken from the blog:

 

http://willspirit.com/

 

Body Armor (May 27, 2011)

 

 

However, if tension persists, the muscle enters a state of spasm. High tissue pressure within tight muscle bands restricts capillary blood flow. With compromised circulation, a muscle’s oxygen supply gets depleted, so its cells cannot maintain proper ion balance. Calcium accumulates in the muscle fibers, and stimulates worsening contraction and spasm.

 

A vicious cycle occurs when spasm further increases tissue pressure, which worsens the circulatory compromise. Oxygen becomes even more depleted, more calcium accumulates, and the muscle grows ever tighter. Contracted muscle bands become self-perpetuating as a result. The affected areas no longer relax, even if neural stimuli for contraction cease.

 

I recently started taking a calcium/magnesium/D3 liquid (the dose calls for 2 tablespoons and I'm only taking 1 teaspoon per day) I haven't been able to tolerate a D vitamin, but this so far hasn't bothered me. I wonder if this is not a good idea after reading the above article regarding the calcium and muscle tension...muscle tension is one of my residuals.

 

Jan wrote something about taking supplements together being a bad idea... I can't recall where I read it but will see if I can get her to look at this... 

[btdt]

Take iron at least 2 hours away from calcium

 

Take magnesium at least 2 hours away from calcium

 

And, if you can -  take magnesium at least 2 hours away from iron.  

 

If you take calcium, also take K2 or nattokinase with it.

this is what she wrote about supplements....

 

I have had so many strange sensations some felt like death others just weird... one thing we need to guard against in wd is health anxiety but I have to great answer for it as I looked up everything google and still do... I had zaps in my spine like brain zaps only they did not end at my brain but it does not sound like what you have now.  

[FunkyBaboon]

Hey btdt, I used to get zaps that started in the centre of my chest and radiated out to my hands and feet.

 

I've had brain zaps too so I know what they feel like. The zaps I have had elsewhere in the body feel like the same kind of phenomenon as brain zaps and I guess they are - misfiring of the nervous system.

[FunkyBaboon]

I've constantly got muscle tension all over my body and I've had it for years (13 years) ever since the first time I cold turkeyed from paroxetine.

 

It never completely goes away but I can get it to manageable levels by doing daily yoga. If I don't do it every day it creeps right back in again. There are so many parts of my body I need to work on just to feel more normal. My neck and shoulders, intercostal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, legs, especially hamstrings.

[moonstoneblue]

Ever since discontinuing Prozac I've experienced really bad restless legs, and with that keeping me awake most of the time, when I do fall asleep I jolt awake (not like those falling sensations that jolt you awake ) but it's different, it feels like it comes from my chest and my legs also. It's as soon as I'm dropping off, when it happens I'm then up for a further hour. It frightens me so much I have to get up for a few minutes. It's like something breaking out of me. It's like my body just wants to twitch all over, like my whole body is alive. It's very odd. I can't explain it.