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

[Toulouse]

On top of my current wave of anxiety, I'm also getting occasional tingling sensations in my lower spine. Not sure if it's WD or if it's due to my sitting at my desk all day / posture but it is worrying me. Anyone ever get this sort of feeling?

[btdt]

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.

I had them too they would go from my head down to my feet some were so strong I felt like I was electrocuted... they can dance around all over don't get too excited they will go in time but they can come back if your sick... I still have jerks and twitches shaking of one arm and one leg at times 

[btdt]

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.

You did a good job as I know it exactly and I am having a recurrence of it now. I am trying to sort out why it is back as it was gone for a bit. I am wondering it is a reaction to pain meds or melatonin or a combination of those two... not sure. 

[Yogagirl38]

Hi! I have a very long post on this forum under the introductory part but I would like to run a poll.

Have you experienced muscle twitching called benign fasiculations?

Tremors at rest?

Facial grimacing?

Any other dyskinesia/dystopia/ or tic?

 

The next part:

What medications were you on?

Did this start shortly after starting the medication?

Or did it start within a 2 month period after you stopped the medication?

 

The purpose of this poll is for my own curiosity. Thank you for your time!

[AR2003]

Hi Yogagirl

 

This is a great post. Thank you.

 

I'll try and fill you in as best as I can.

 

Muscle twitching ( really bad ) Seroxat (Paxil) , when I was ct from it (2004) . Put back on it , twitching stopped.

Cymbalta (2013) - started whilst on it and slowly stopped when off.

 

Facial Grimacing : First ever noticed on Cymbalta (2013) - it started when I was first on it , family tell me it got worse before it got better. When off the drug it slowly stopped.

 

Tics : Cymbalta (2013) stopped after discontinuing it.

 

Akathisia : Abilify (2013) I was on this for 3 weeks. Came on within days. Eased off within the week . I had terrible inner restlessness and walkes /paced so much.

 

January 2014 : I developed muscle and nerve pain practically overnight unlike anything I have ever experienced.

 

I was after doing a Lithium withdrawal (2013) , Cymbalta withdrawal (2013) , had been on Seroquel for a few weeks at 75 mgs,

Abilify (3 weeks). Then put on Xanax 3mgs , cross tapered to Valium 9 mgs to get off this. (2014/5).

 

Tremors : Lithium (maybe other drugs) but I could not distinguishe .

This is no longer a problem.

 

I am off all of the above meds.

 

Finally placed on Seroquel 25mgs (2015). Tapered down to 6.25 mgs.

 

The physical pain has continued to this day.

 

Muscle twitching continues everyday. Especially lower limbs but can be anywhere.

No facial grimacing.

Sharp electric shocks whilst tapering ( easing up but feels as if it may shock anytime - this is so hard to explain)

Spinal and muscle stiffness continues daily (horrible) .

 

Yogagirl - I am honestly sure this is all related to Seroquel withdrawal still. Is it ? .....

I'm have tapered to a low dose now and it persists and never lets up.

 

? Parkinsonism

? EPS

 

I am not sure about Dystonia. I find this hard to understand.

 

Hopefully you can understand my outline and it is not confusing.

 

I see you are ready struggling too. Have you pain ?

 

My very best wishes.

 

P.S. My doctor is aware of this condition but really gives it all little regard.

(2014) She does admit , however that I was misdiagnosed bipolar.

[RachelSusan]

Hi Yogagirl,

 

Yes,  I have what I call internal tremors now. Arms and legs. What that means to me is I feel them but no one sees them.  Some external tremors in my hands and jerky movements when I reach for things. I never had these problems until I went on Zoloft back in February and got up to 100 mg.  Went off of Zoloft and they got worse in withdrawal. I also had muscle twitching during withdrawal.  Back on 50 mg and still have all symptoms but they are a little less severe and muscle twitching has stopped.  Will do a slow taper when I stabilize and hope they go away.

[Yogagirl38]

Hi guys! I am saying (in my opinion) this is all caused be these medications. I have been diagnosed with blepharospasm, benign fasiculation syndrome, and hemifacial spasm. Am i better since quitting zoloft 6 weeks ago? Hell yeah. Do any of the doctors i saw want to admit zoloft caused this? NO. Do i think they don't want to admit it for liability reasons? YES.

 

I am basing this on the fact that i am getting better. Blepharospasm and Hemifacial Spasm does not get better on it's own without treatment and being that I am better, i think i am justified in saying the zoloft was the cause. Because why else would i get better.

 

I also think the neurological and neuromuscular side effects are reported as "rare" because doctors are not willing to admit that these drugs cause this. Therefore, it cannot be reported. Therefore, it is not studied, well documented, or known.

 

I think the whole entire healthcare industry sucks and I want no part of it.

 

Muscle twitching appears to be, in fact, a HUGE repercussion of the usage of these drugs.

[genlady]

Has anyone experienced cranial neuropathy with withdrawal?  Most of my burning/tingling is located on my head, sometimes going down my back, arms and legs.  I have had it for over five years when I first started tapering Seroquel.  I'm starting to think there is something wrong with the nerves in my brain, as I've never seen anyone else experiencing the burning sensation in their head.  It helps to know if anyone else has had this kind of Neuropathy.

[ChessieCat]

See post #8 and other comments after this post:  migraines-headaches-neck-ache-and-head-pressure

[Junglechicken]

Currently experiencing upper body pains that migrate between centre of the chest between the ribs, under the boobs and arms, shoulders, neck and then also sides of my body.

 

I occasionally get the feeling that I have a stitch in my left side - small sharp pains.

 

Hubby reckons its tension.  Its been going on for about 5 days now.  We have been camping indoors for over 6 weeks now.  Also, I haven't had a good nights sleep in over a week.

 

Am I being paranoid, or is my wonderful hubby right again??

[Toulouse]

I've been 14 months off of Paxil now and just last week started getting muscle cramps in my legs. My calves, buttocks. Not extreme cramping, except for on the first day it started, but it's been really worrying me now that it's something really screwed up like ALS or MS. 
I coincidentally had been taking a new Magnesium Glycinate supplement that I started a week prior and have taken daily up to this point.  I had a physical only a month ago and I even had my Magnesium levels checked.  All my blood work came out excellent.   I am thinking I have thrown my electrolytes off by adding it to my system (which is likely still over-sensitized from the 14yrs of Paxil use).  I am seeing a doctor to see what he says.  I have also read anxiety can cause muscle spasms (and twitches which I also have been getting).

I had the twitching a year ago and that stopped after a month or so and only now started back up to go along with the cramping muscles.

 

On the plus side, I think the magnesiusm glycinate helped my insomnia a lot.  But I will have to stop taking it if turns out to be what's throwing my body off.  I am trying to contain my health anxiety and hope that this is just another passing wave of symptoms.

[Junglechicken]

BeatAnxiety - what was the outcome of your referral regarding your muscle pain?

 

I have been experiencing similar issues, its scaring me as I have had it for just over a week now, never had it before.

 

Thank you,

JC

[IDK]

Did anyone experience tongue thrust after taking antipsychotics?

[grandmaD]

Anyone else experienced severe muscle spasms?  I call them that but not sure if it is a pinched nerve or what.  I also have sciatica and shooting nerve type pain in feet, toes and one thumb.   I did have back problems in the past and that is why I was put on Paxil in the first place.

 

Could it be that the Paxil covered up all those pains and the aching and cramps I also experience and now I am on a low dose, they are all back – in fact never had gone, just covered by the Paxil???

 

I wish there was a way to know what is wrong with me.  I have family telling me it is my old back problem acting up again, friends and doctor saying it is osteoarthritis (fracture) and old age, which frightens me, so does that mean this will keep happening?  I also read that w/d can mimic these symptoms too. 

 

It is very confusing.  If I knew the cause I would know what to do.    If it is osteo and going to keep happening, then I might as well switch to another a/d which might help with the pain.

If it is just w/d then I just have to keep on the painkillers and wait it out.

 

[doggiemama]

Hi I have back pain most days but only on the right side. It also moves around sometimes more at the top but moves up and down. I get muscle twitching also only on the right weird I've never had this before.

[grandmaD]

It would just be good to know if it was w/d or what.  After some reseafch, I found it could be what the doc said, osteo, which can cause the spine to fracture and pinch a nerve.  it could also be a rupture of the disc which also puts pressure on the nerve and causes pain.  The acute pain is okay now, but the aching is terrible.

 

I found post but not sure where from now, where another person on paxil experienced severe muscle spasms, cramps and nerve pain.  She went to a neurologist and all they could offer her was something called "neuro something or other "  in other words, it was all a result of stress.  This person was w/d from Paxil also.

[grandmaD]

doggie, do you have other spinal issues that could be causing it?  It appears no repsonses (apart from yours) to muscle spasms might mean it is not w/d but other things going on.

[doggiemama]

I've never had any sort of back problems . I'm a hairdresser so standing long hours should have shown up before this . I have not been to Drs for check it out but I'm to scared anyway. As for the spasms also something I never had before stopping ADs. The last 2 days I been taking Natura mag phos and I have felt much less back pain. Will let you know later how it goes

[doggiemama]

I've never had any sort of back problems . I'm a hairdresser so standing long hours should have shown up before this . I have not been to Drs for check it out but I'm to scared anyway. As for the spasms also something I never had before stopping ADs. The last 2 days I been taking Natura mag phos and I have felt much less back pain. Will let you know later how it goes

[grandmaD]

That is interesting.  I think that's why I get confused because I did have back problems before going on a/d and never know what is causing what.  I agree, if you had back problems it would show up by now from standing long periods.

 

How would you describe your spasms?  How frequent and how intense are they?

 

I would encourage you to go to the doctor in case it is treatable!  They will do an x-ray or mri to find out what is wrong.  If they find NOTHING then we will ALL know that w/d CAN CAUSE SPASMS!

 

I stumbled on an old diary from 2009 the other day that said I stopped (CT) the tablet and had 5 muscle spasms!  I went back to 1/2 tablet but went downhill fast and ended up back on full dose.

 

I have tried 1/4 magnesium tablet crushed and added to 2L water and supped over 2-3 days but it seemed to make things worse.  The weird thing is every time I have done that I have also got muscle spasms, maybe co-incidence, but not willing to try it again!

I also had my magnesium level tested (blood test) and it is within the normal parameters.

[ShakeyJerr]

I also get terrible back pain. Part of it is just having a bad back. But these days, the back pain is more because the withdrawal just keeps my body tense all of the time.

 

Also, I just discovered online that adrenal fatigue (which is something that happens in w/d because we are constantly stressed and our cortisol is almost always "on") can present as back pain. Usually lower back.

 

SJ

[grandmaD]

SJ that is helpful to know, thanks.  That could be right too, that it is pain that originates with us, but that the withdrawal exaggerates it like it does with everything else.  I hadn't heard about the cortisol causing backache, so thanks for doing that research.

 

I noticed today I have the wheeze back in my chest, but I don't have any congestion.  I have had that on and off for quite a while now, and now am beginning to realise about the stress/tension aspect so that could be affecting my lungs, causing the wheeze.

 

It could also be the stress/tension affecting my hip, because at times I cannot put my foot down to walk, so I massaged the top of my leg today and where my leg joins body and found it was all very, very tight and sore.  Hubby and I were beginning to think I may need a hip operation, but it could just be muscle tension.

 

Do you know of any ways to lower/lessen/prevent the cortisol problem???

[FeralUrban]

At points during my 13 month withdrawal --  now down to 9.6 mg, I've had rather dramatic moment issues that come as "attacks." 

 

• Uncontrollable wobbling and jerking of my torso. I look like I'm hula hooping, or like a large muscle slow oscillation tremor. 
• I have to think about moving to move
• I move very slowly
• My facial muscles loose tone and I can't keep my eyes open, I slur my speech
• Muscle freeze. I'm doing something - say reaching for a jar -- and the body just freezes, until I work hard at telling it to move. 

 

I've currently had a flare of these after some speedier than usual reductions which were going fairly well for a while, until they weren't.  I've gone back to a hold and feel it may be a while before I can move downward. The good news is that the reduced amount of venlafaxine is finally, I think, relieving the toxic effects -- see below about Central Pain Syndrome. 

 

I would like to know if anyone else has had this type of movement  problem. I'm trying to sort out the withdrawal symptoms from the Central Pain Syndrome (CPS). CPS is brain damage caused by the evil effexor and is basically a body wide severe phantom pain syndrome and dysautonomia. It is usually caused by strokes, spinal cord injuries, and in some cases like mine, toxic exposure to the brain.

I know that the CPS may sound like withdrawal, but it started 3 years before I began my withdrawal and just got worse and worse till someone figured out it was the Vfux and I began my odesey of withdrawal. It does get worse when my withdrawal gets worse, generally. However the CPS is driven by autonomic system over-reactivity of the Sympathetic (fight, flight, freeze) response. 

 

I'd like to show you a movie of my movement issues. But I need to work out the technical details of attaching a movie file - I think it's too large.  I posted it on the Venlfaxine Facebook page.

[grandmaD]

Here is the link that I found most informative about cortisol and spasms|

http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/signs/muscle-spasms

[grandmaD]

I found this link very helpful for me to explain how the anxiety causes muscle aches, pains and spasms.  I notice some people call a spasm a stitch or a tic, but when I say muscle spasm, I mean an excruciating sharp, sudden pain that is immobilising.

 

http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/signs/muscle-spasms

[Wellbutrinsucks]

Have any of you had muscle twitches that went away? I’ve had mine on and off, for most of the last year from October 2017 until now. I’m so afraid it could be something worse as it has been the most enduring symptom of this whole ordeal. 

[Wellbutrinsucks]

How long did muscle twitching last for those of you that had it?

[Galmond10]

That's a great question I would love to know the answer to also. I know I've had muscle spasms for 7 months now with no ease.

[btdt]

Came and went for a time then just stayed.  Had some clamer times but it is more of jerking now and sporatic 

[Wellbutrinsucks]

@btdt so has it gotten better or worse overall? Also, how long have you had these symptoms?

[Wellbutrinsucks]

@btdt what kind of jerking have you had?

[btdt]

A lot of different kinds.  First it seemed to be when I was using the drugs... effexor and celexa mostly in my sleep I would jerk around a lot noticed by people who watched me sleep too...but it woke me up at times around the same time my one foot started to drag and I had head drops.  Seen a neurologist who checked me for ms said I did not have it took me off Effexor I had cut celexa then quit within the year before... he took me off effexor put me on cymbalta I could not handle the switch had to stop it tried to go back on effexor and from that time I could not keep it down no matter the dose it would come back up. Ended up cold turkey had a rigid body it was painful and torched... that is how it felt like all was pulled to one side... tried mirapex same doc and lyrica both were a no go neither helped but added side effects.  

Fast forward years of wd... all sort of distressing things went down too many to mention. 

all this was in 2006 ... wd was hard and bad.. still don't know how I made it 

Had a car accident in 2012 and surgery 2013 2014 -15 noticed I was shaking after using ventolin 

2014 movements disorder started when I was trying to exercise I would jerk around could not get up stair ect or control my arms but it came and went... then it got worse and I could not get out of bed... my gp said it looked like huntingtons... I had chemical sensitivity and chemicals made it worse so I started avoiding seriously avoiding all things chemical and did a coffee enema every day for a long time eventually I could get up and gradually started to do more things including supplementing and reading when i was able about chemical sensitivity... you may want to read this about histamine and how some drugs affect it... https://www.mthfrsupport.com.au/dao-deficiency-and-histamine-the-unlikely-connection/

 

since I had it open already just found it today. 

 

I gradually improved .. I can walk almost all the time can do what I need to most of the time... can't always move quickly if I do I will jerk my one leg will shake and tires easily I don't know how to say it is .. sometimes I just can't control my body it will jerk all over the place other times it seems better only have a fit and one leg will fly out or one arm.. or my head... it just happens.   If I am around chemicals it is more apt to happen that I know... I have more and more reactions to food all the time.  I try a lot of supplements to help some may like vitamin c but too much of that and I get other issues it causes. l

 

I have had it steady now for 3-4 years I quit effexor completely Nov 17 2007 had trouble with it since 2006 there were statin drugs too and few others on that list above If I have a good day without jerking around I will still have it at night... but nothing near what it was a few years ago before I started avoiding chemicals... I have video of me trying to sleep at that time and it was constant jerking to get 15 min jerk free was a good stretch... lack of sleep is a bad thing.  Nobody could sleep with that nonsense 

 

Now I sleep quite well most times but still jerk around I think I am use to it.. and it is not as bad as it once was... no 15 min intervals and I hope it never comes back that bad. 

I had a big apt with some movement specialist was told it was functional movement disorder... no treatment. end of story

[Wellbutrinsucks]

Well I’m glad it’s gotten better for you @btdt and hope you continue to get better with time. I think those movement disorder specialists are useless because they can tell you what’s wrong but not give you any real treatment. I was supposed to have an appointment with one but I don’t think I want to go because I don’t think it’s gonna be helpful.

[primekittycat]

Anyone have any feedback about getting carpal tunnel pain during withdrawal? Again, confused as to whether this is just me getting older and my wrist finally not tolerating my constant clicking at my job anymore, after 15 years of it. But it's gotten BAD as I've gotten down to these super low doses. My right hand is so inflamed that my fingers are swollen. The pain goes up my forearm and into my neck. I didn't think of this being part of withdrawal until I had read that SSRIs can help nerve pain. I am being treated, but the pain sucks.

[Melissa5000]

Yes I have those arm/hand/fingerpains a lot too. It is from withdrawal.

 

I can hardly type or use a computermouse. Only very slowly.

 

I have musclepain and burning nervepain. My fingers can get very hot.

 

It feels like bad RSI or carpale tunnel syndrome. 

 

I can't work in an office anymore for several years because of tapering and withdrawal. Everything I do with my arms and hands hurts. My legs/feet and toes hurt too.

I have also muscle pain and nerve pains on my torso and jaws and neck. 

 

It is all from withdrawal. It has to improve with time. 

 

 

[primekittycat]

I really hope so. I have gotten pain in my knee and toes as well.. this is all new. The pain from my wrist goes up into my forearm and neck, but my EMG test came back negative. Blood tested negative for arthritis and lupus, thyroid levels are normal, and I have very low levels of inflammation. I am a very active person who is very aware of their body and this is definitely not normal.