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

[Avrgejane]

Looking for reassurance that this isn’t something terrible. I QT in Sept 2019, muscle twitches started in January 2020. Now here it is May and I still have muscle twitching but it seems to be more and now it’s turning into jerks. The other night I tried to sleep and I jerked all night. Foot, arm, leg, hand, body, chin...just jerking. And now since then I’m still having the jerks! No pain, I don’t have any rigidity or anything (I hope it never comes) and I don’t notice it if I’m moving around. I don’t think it does it when I’m moving? I do have inner vibrations too. I’ve had twitching in my eyes and eyebrow too, my nose too and my tongue! Seriously this has got to be a result of the withdrawal right especially if I never had anything like this before? Has anyone had it like this before? Does it/did it go away? I’ve read the posts and people have experienced it but no one really has said if it has gone or not. I’m a little scared that this amplification has suddenly started almost 8 months off! Can someone provide some hope? I have a neurologist appointment on May 28th too. Any suggestions as to how to speak with him so he doesn’t think I’m crazy? Also any particular tests I should ask for? I was thinking eeg and mri with no dye. 
 

tia

[UnfoldingSky]

Hi Avrgejane,

 

I had what you describe due to withdrawing from pills.  I can't say for sure that's what's caused yours but yes, this can happen in withdrawal.  In my case it did clear up.  I had a "mild" case where I had jerking in arms and legs, also some mouth issues, eyes, fingers and toes.  I'm sorry you are experiencing this as I know how scary it is.  As far as tests go they should know what to order.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wellbutrinsucks]

I’ve had muscle twitching since October 2017 and continue to have it everyday since almost 2.5 years later. This really sucks and hasn’t abated at all.

[Hellbutrin]

On 6/24/2020 at 5:34 PM, Wellbutrinsucks said:

I’ve had muscle twitching since October 2017 and continue to have it everyday since almost 2.5 years later. This really sucks and hasn’t abated at all.

Have you had this ever since you started into withdrawal? Or did it occur later into your withdrawal as a new symptom? I'm going crazy with dizziness that I've had since October 2019. I've been in withdrawal since June of 2017, but this dizziness has started getting very disruptive. 

[Altostrata]

You've had some elective surgeries since then, haven't you, Hellbutrin?

[Wellbutrinsucks]

On 6/30/2020 at 2:00 PM, Hellbutrin said:

Have you had this ever since you started into withdrawal? Or did it occur later into your withdrawal as a new symptom? I'm going crazy with dizziness that I've had since October 2019. I've been in withdrawal since June of 2017, but this dizziness has started getting very disruptive. 

I had numbness and tingling for almost two months (June-July 2017) and then all of my strange symptoms went away for about a month (August 2017) before I got unexplainably sick throughout late August-early October 2017. The twitching began in late October 2017 and is still present almost three years later.

[Hellbutrin]

On 6/30/2020 at 2:41 PM, Altostrata said:

You've had some elective surgeries since then, haven't you, Hellbutrin?

I had an out patient procedure to reset my dislocated jaw that I’d been living with for three years without pain meds. 

[SandCastle]

I’ve had twitching since going off in April, but when I reinstated for a few weeks in May, the twitching temporarily went away until I quit cold turkey again, so I’m positive it has to do with withdrawal. I get it all over my body (back, shoulders, stomach, calves, thighs, arms, lips, eyes, even places I didn’t know I had muscles like the tip of my chin??) but I’ve been off Sertraline for 4.5 months and in the last 6 weeks, I’ve had a few small breaks from the twitching. I maybe get a one or two day break per week, and one week I think I had about 5 days without it. I also get this buzzing feeling that I think might be extremely rapid twitching? I rarely get muscle cramps these days, had them for about three months, but I still have muscle pain/soreness all over pretty frequently. I’ve also been in that frame of mind where i thought it was a terrible disease. I never had my muscles analyzed, but I did have an mri on my brain to rule out tumors and ms, and the results came back normal. At this point, I’m finding it hard to justify spending money on medical tests to find out what’s wrong since it’s starting to be pretty apparent, but every once in a while those intrusive thoughts creep in and I think the worst. The post from yogagirl38 about bfs really talked me off a ledge of despair when I first started reading posts on this site.

[MrMiyagi]

On 5/18/2020 at 10:58 PM, Avrgejane said:

Looking for reassurance that this isn’t something terrible. I QT in Sept 2019, muscle twitches started in January 2020. Now here it is May and I still have muscle twitching but it seems to be more and now it’s turning into jerks. The other night I tried to sleep and I jerked all night. Foot, arm, leg, hand, body, chin...just jerking. And now since then I’m still having the jerks! No pain, I don’t have any rigidity or anything (I hope it never comes) and I don’t notice it if I’m moving around. I don’t think it does it when I’m moving? I do have inner vibrations too. I’ve had twitching in my eyes and eyebrow too, my nose too and my tongue! Seriously this has got to be a result of the withdrawal right especially if I never had anything like this before? Has anyone had it like this before? Does it/did it go away? I’ve read the posts and people have experienced it but no one really has said if it has gone or not. I’m a little scared that this amplification has suddenly started almost 8 months off! Can someone provide some hope? I have a neurologist appointment on May 28th too. Any suggestions as to how to speak with him so he doesn’t think I’m crazy? Also any particular tests I should ask for? I was thinking eeg and mri with no dye. 
 

tia

I'm at 8 months and am experiencing the exact same symptoms after adverse reaction from zoloft. Hopefully you are better now. I'll also have to read yoga girls post as well because it can be very annoying to have health related anxiety added to withdrawl everyday. 

 

 

[MrMiyagi]

On 8/14/2016 at 8:05 AM, Yogagirl38 said:

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.

Had developed parkinsonism on July 15th  just a few months into treatment with Zoloft. Just dropped the Zoloft and added Paxil 20mg. But may end up CT Paxil as well. I still have twitching in calf muscles and one toe that has been persistent. It might have increased since discontinuing Zoloft a week ago. I'm hoping it gets better 🤞 

[HealthHopeHappiness]

I often re-read this thread for reassurance since wide spread muscle twitching has been, and continues to be, my worst symptom since I started taking SSRIs with it worsening significantly when I stopped. I am almost 11 months on from CT Sertraline. I just wondered if there’s a reason why the thread is called ‘Occasional Neuromuscular Symptoms’ since mine, and other stories I have read, are persistent rather than occasional. Or am I just reading too much into the thread title?! It’s just always played on my mind.  

[libre]

spasms and ticks generalizing to organ tissue

 

Hi everyone,

One of the most worrying withdrawal-effects of trying to come off quetiapine have been and are intense spasms, shocks and ticks. They used to mostly be 'just' very uncomfortable and scary, but lately it feels as if they are starting to generalize to muscle-tissue around / related to my organs, for example my diaphragm / area around my airways, making me worry at some point spasms will start to make it hard / impossible to breathe. I also worry that they might at some point generalize to my heart.

Does anyone know of anything that can / could possibly help to ameliorate these symptoms? This just feels plain dangerous.
 

Edited November 6, 2021 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with existing topic

[jonah2001]

Muscle cramps and pain

 

Hello, are here any people also having muscle cramps and muscle pain like me.

 

This is so sever, i can't sometimes type on my keyboard because my fingers are so stiff. 

The only good is that the cramps changed the muscles where the are.. 

Few month ago they where in my legs.

Now they are in my neck, chest, fingers, arms,calfs and neck. 

 

Before all this **** startet i was a guy making sport and working on my motorcycle. This all is impossible.. it's sometimes hard to take a shower..

 

Are here any people with the same symptoms? 

 

And what do you do against the pain? 

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with existing topic

[ChessieCat]

3 hours ago, jonah2001 said:

Are here any people with the same symptoms? 

 

And what do you do against the pain? 

 

Yes I've had this issue as have many others.

 

Non-drug techniques for dealing with physical pain

 

Acupuncture - Posts #6 & #8 (not detox or stimulation)

 

Gentle stretching and movement and massage might help.  For the hands, compression gloves might help, the ones with no finger tips.  Might help to wear them at night if you get stiffness then.    Using a heated wheat bag.  Caution:  when I used a heated wheat bag at night, I noticed that instead of cooling down it would start getting warmer - possibly leading to it becoming a fire.

 

You might find it helpful to see a physical therapist / physiotherapist.  They will give you the correct exercises/stretches to do.  Hydrotherapy is another option.

[jonah2001]

Thank you so much for your answer. The problem is not the pain. 

I can't sometimes walk, or work with my hands because they are shaking so much.. 

My muscles are so stiff, and when i lift something.. i can't sometimes walk for one week and my muscles are so stiff that it's sometimes hard to talk.. I'm 20 years old. Idk how i should go on or if this will get better..

 Sometimes i'm not able to brush my teeth. 

[ChessieCat]

Check out this current topic from the beginning.  I moved your post here because it is about the same/similar issue/s.

 

SA keeps similar information in one place so it is easier for members to find.

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by ChessieCat

[gdsequoia]

The blog linked in the initial post no longer exists (I checked The Wayback Machine too - it's not archived there either). If anyone has a mirror anywhere, a link would be appreciated!

(I tried googling some sentences from the quoted blog to find a mirror, to no avail, but still, worth a try to ask)

[gdsequoia]

Found the article from the first post, archived in Archive.org:

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20160326211715/http://willspirit.com/2011/05/27/body-armor/

 

(for anyone who wants to read it in its entirety)

[RobertZ]

I can totally relate to the neuromuscular issues some of you have described. Movement disorders - also known in the field as "extrapyramidal symptoms" - are common side/withdrawal effects of psychotropic drugs. Mine are body-wide muscle jerks happening mostly at rest, especially when I'm about to fall asleep. They started a year ago and show little signs of abating, despite discontinuing antidepressants. Now I'm tapering quetiapine and experiencing twitches in my trunk, neck, face, limbs, so these must be antipsychotic withdrawals.

 

Some days are better than others, the jerking goes away and I mange to fall asleep without taking a benzo. My hope is that some day they will go away for good and my nervous system will reset.

[Giuly88]

Hi,

 

I have spasms of my trunk too with belly dance movements of my abdomen.

 

Also when I cough, laugh or talk all my trunk, abdomen, gluteus even anal muscles engage! How could this be? Never experienced some thing like this in my entire life. It seems as if my muscles have a life of their own and just synchronise.

 

When I’m shacking or handle a pan or washing say fruit or vegetables using both hands or when brushing teeth my hips and buttock dance-swing too!

 

Very odd, it is a like a feast or dance of several muscle groups 😂☹️.

 

my abdomen muscles are always moving and therefore achy.

 

Does anybody relate to this at all?

 

[Chompoo]

@Giuly88 I also have twitching of my trunk and abdomen muscle. Never had this before my immediate adverse reaction to antidepressants.

[SlowVeil]

i need some thoughts on this:

 

in late october i had 2 nights where the common full body traveling muscle twitches will evolve something simialr to dystonia or tardive dyskinesia. limbs and trunk and head and kneck spasms everytime i am about to fall asleep and jolt me awake. now it's happening again, for 3 nights now. it's very hard for me to sleep for more than 5 hours due to this evolve of spasms. the muscle twitches did not improve at all and have always been 24/7, and its worsening really makes me scared, on top of disturbed sleep.

[gdsequoia]

@SlowVeil

I recommend taking magnesium glycinate/lysinate chelate. Two tablets before going to bed (or a hour earlier, to give it time to kick in). This particular form of magnesium has the property of strongly relaxing your tight/spasming muscles. If you have a magnesium deficiency, this form of magnesium will NOT correct that deficiency. However, regardless of whether you have a deficiency or not, this form of magnesium will relax your spasming muscles strongly.

 

Personally, my muscle problems are strongest in the morning and at noon, and therefore I take 2 tables in the morning and 2 tablets at noon, plus 1-2 additional tablets if an occasion arises where I need them.

 

I've tried other forms of magnesium, but they barely help me at all.

[SlowVeil]

@gdsequoia

 

Thank you for the advice. I am thinking about magnesium glycinate chelate. However last year when I was hospitalized, they did a blood test on my magnesium level and they actually found that my level is a bit above the standard range.

21 hours ago, gdsequoia said:

If you have a magnesium deficiency, this form of magnesium will NOT correct that deficiency.

 

you mentioned here that glycinate chelate will not correct the deficiency, but what if my last blood test shows I have a bit excess in magnesium?

[gdsequoia]

@SlowVeil

I believe your magnesium excess will NOT cause a problem with taking Mg glycinate lysinate chelate. Basically this form of magnesium doesn't get into your magnesium body "stores" at all. It gets directly utilized by your muscles.

 

How do I know this? Well, I've been taking a big dose (6 pills, providing 600mg magnesium) of that chelate daily for years and every time I measure my magnesium levels, they're in the normal range.

 

Btw you don't have to take this info on trust - just try taking the chelate for a week, then retest your blood magnesium. You'll see that it has stayed at the same level as before.
(do the blood test in the morning, without having taken the magnesium that day)

[Siga]

Preface: I know people here are not doctors. I am not asking for medical advice. I will discuss any suggestions with my doctor.

However, that is also the issue: My doctors have no idea what to do. So I have to do my own footwork.

 

I am having nerve stings and muscle spasms, that completely prevented me from sleeping. My doctor gave me Zolpiclone. It works, but I think it works because it is a muscle relaxant and anticonvulsant, and less because it is a hypnotic. 

(I also got various stuff that makes you drowsy, and they did make me tired but didn't touch the stings and spasms).

 

My doctor is stumped by my nerve stings and muscle spasms. It seems to be a complete mystery to them, and not something they have experience treating.

 

So they referred me to a psyciatrist who also seemed stumped by it, and whose unsure advice was benzos or buspiron. It seems to "physical" a symptom for them, when though it is likely a w/d symptom.

 

I am waiting for a consultation with a neurologist, but it is in several months because there is a lack of ones where I live. And now I think that they will probably say that it is psychiatric...🤥

 

Back and forth and everyone thinking that it is not their table.

 

I have googled and googled, and there seems to be quite a lot of meds for neuropathic pain (SNRIs, restless legs, anti-epilepsy and even another SSRI (Duloxetine) which could help.

Does anyone have experience with anything helping for this symptom?

 

(I reinstated to 25 mg Citalopram. Not sure if it really helped).