View Full Version : Please talk me off the ledge
Long story short: I have GAD and horrible HA. It has been fine for a couple years, but recently, about 3 months ago, my anxiety was pretty bad.
Went to my doctor and asked to be put back on Citalopram 20mg. Had horrible aide effects this time around. While going back on cit my wife and I lost our baby at 38 weeks and has a still birth.
While on citalopram it did help my anxiety a little, but after 2 months I had to come off of it. I can't even list all the side effects I had.
Currently 5 days completely off, but what's really bugging me is I have had muscle twitching since getting on it. Arms, shoulder, legs.
Currently my left ankle, not even so much my calf muscle, has been twitching non stop since I've been on and still is.
Obvi I can't stop thinking about ALS. I also have some aching pain in that leg and it's really starting to freak me out and I can't stop obsessing over it.
I also feel like my leg is getting 'week.
I am a 31 yr old male and work out all the time, but my HA has taken over and I've convince myself I have A LS.
Please someone tell me this is all in my head. How rare is it to get ALS? If this twitching was in both legs I would my be as concerned but it's just my left ankle/calf.
Does ALS cause any sort of aching pain?
I know this sounds ridiculous, but someone please give me some reassurance.
ALS is very rare... Here in the US there are fewer then 20,000 cases yearly.
Can these muscle twitches possibly have something to do with coming off the Citalopram?
ALS doesn't present as twitching.
ALS doesn't present as pain.
A lot of HA sufferers worry themselves over a fictionalised version of ALS that simply doesn't resemble the real disease.
ALS is very rare... Here in the US there are fewer then 20,000 cases yearly.
Can these muscle twitches possibly have something to do with coming off the Citalopram?
Thats the thing. I know its from that. But with my HA it doesnt matter.
Seldom I would have muscle twitches on occasion, but since starting Citalopram it's been horrible. First in my tricep, then hand, then shoulder, now in my ankle where it has stayed and has not let up for about a couple weeks now. Just really freaking me out. Thanks so much for your reply. Hopefully i'll be back to normal eventually. I just really needed some reassurance, i've been driving myself crazy.
---------- Post added at 12:32 ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 ----------
ALS doesn't present as twitching.
ALS doesn't present as pain.
A lot of HA sufferers worry themselves over a fictionalised version of ALS that simply doesn't resemble the real disease.
Thank you so much for your reply! I did see some things online where its daily things that become very difficult (like buttoning you shirt for example) that could be a sign of ALS.
I know it has to be from the meds i was on, i've never had twitching like this before and its not letting up. Did read about how certain SSRI's not only cause twitching, but that twitching can last for a while. I was concerned because I am starting to develop pain in that ankle/calf as well.
I also saw many people develop restless legs while on SSRI's, and that condition does have pain accompanied with it, so may be thats what it is?
However, I do still see on almost everything that i read that a sing of ALS is muscle twitching which is why im so freaked out. Is that actually not the case?
Thats the thing. I know its from that. But with my HA it doesnt matter.
Seldom I would have muscle twitches on occasion, but since starting Citalopram it's been horrible. First in my tricep, then hand, then shoulder, now in my ankle where it has stayed and has not let up for about a couple weeks now. Just really freaking me out. Thanks so much for your reply. Hopefully i'll be back to normal eventually. I just really needed some reassurance, i've been driving myself crazy.
---------- Post added at 12:32 ---------- Previous post was at 12:28 ----------
Thank you so much for your reply! I did see some things online where its daily things that become very difficult (like buttoning you shirt for example) that could be a sign of ALS.
I know it has to be from the meds i was on, i've never had twitching like this before and its not letting up. Did read about how certain SSRI's not only cause twitching, but that twitching can last for a while. I was concerned because I am starting to develop pain in that ankle/calf as well.
I also saw many people develop restless legs while on SSRI's, and that condition does have pain accompanied with it, so may be thats what it is?
However, I do still see on almost everything that i read that a sing of ALS is muscle twitching which is why im so freaked out. Is that actually not the case?
My (non-medical) understanding is twitching from ALS is due to atrophy of muscles, which would be long after debilitating and unambiguous signs you had the disease.
But even if twitching was a sign of ALS, it wouldn't change what's going on here, which is jumping to million-to-one scary conclusions based on vague symptoms and a layman's understanding* of a disease, due to "symptoms" you have a clear explanation for.
*This is not a dig. This is something we all do with HA - when we're Googling we think we're in control and reassuring ourselves but our anxiety is guiding our searches and our reading so we seek out and cherry pick the bits that scare us out of context, ignoring the thousands of reassuring words we read on the way. We think of it as "research", but we are not in a clear, unbiased frame of mind to do actual research, let alone have the qualifications to understand much of what we're reading. The only way to stop the cycle is, despite what your anxious brain is screaming for you to do, to sit on your hands and not search the internet for symptoms.
My (non-medical) understanding is twitching from ALS is due to atrophy of muscles, which would be long after debilitating and unambiguous signs you had the disease.
But even if twitching was a sign of ALS, it wouldn't change what's going on here, which is jumping to million-to-one scary conclusions based on vague symptoms and a layman's understanding* of a disease, due to "symptoms" you have a clear explanation for.
*This is not a dig. This is something we all do with HA - when we're Googling we think we're in control and reassuring ourselves but our anxiety is guiding our searches and our reading so we seek out and cherry pick the bits that scare us out of context, ignoring the thousands of reassuring words we read on the way. We think of it as "research", but we are not in a clear, unbiased frame of mind to do actual research, let alone have the qualifications to understand much of what we're reading. The only way to stop the cycle is, despite what your anxious brain is screaming for you to do, to sit on your hands and not search the internet for symptoms.
Thank you so much. I really needed to hear that. Your are correct. I appreciate you telling me how it is, that's what I need most of the time and why I post here :blush:
You are incredibly stressed out given the situation with your baby and then your GAD and HA are coupling to make it worse. I had a health scare this week, I have HA and GAD as well. My ARNP only made it worse with her concern (was my worst fear coming true.) My muscles began to twitch, my left eye as well. My blood pressure was escalated when it normally is perfect. My pulse wa 125. When I got to the doctor who was going to say yay or nay on my fear, I was asked if I felt dizzy, had weakness in one side, or a headache due to my BP. I didn't, or not at the time. Later that day after and ALL CLEAR, my left side started to feel heavy. My face a little numb, was I having the heart attack they were so worried about early that day? NO...what I was feeling was anxiety symptoms, as I began to calm down using my grounding methods and CBT worksheets, distracting my mind in a good book, and a hot shower, my body also calmed down. I won't lie, it's scary. I thought, "Oh great, one fear is gone time to start another fear."
Anxiety has real side effects, twitching has always been one for me. I have to shove MS and ALS away and not even read about them so I don't have that fear. The less I know, the better my anxiety is, that's just me though.
I pray for comfort during his time for you and your wife and for your GAD and HA. Hang in there friend, you're going to be fine! ��
You are incredibly stressed out given the situation with your baby and then your GAD and HA are coupling to make it worse. I had a health scare this week, I have HA and GAD as well. My ARNP only made it worse with her concern (was my worst fear coming true.) My muscles began to twitch, my left eye as well. My blood pressure was escalated when it normally is perfect. My pulse wa 125. When I got to the doctor who was going to say yay or nay on my fear, I was asked if I felt dizzy, had weakness in one side, or a headache due to my BP. I didn't, or not at the time. Later that day after and ALL CLEAR, my left side started to feel heavy. My face a little numb, was I having the heart attack they were so worried about early that day? NO...what I was feeling was anxiety symptoms, as I began to calm down using my grounding methods and CBT worksheets, distracting my mind in a good book, and a hot shower, my body also calmed down. I won't lie, it's scary. I thought, "Oh great, one fear is gone time to start another fear."
Anxiety has real side effects, twitching has always been one for me. I have to shove MS and ALS away and not even read about them so I don't have that fear. The less I know, the better my anxiety is, that's just me though.
I pray for comfort during his time for you and your wife and for your GAD and HA. Hang in there friend, you're going to be fine! ��
What a nice reply, thank you so much! Your are right. This has been the hardest time of my entire life. I was already feeling super anxious before our baby passed.
That coupled with everything else has driven me crazy and I've just been scared of everything lately.
I google waayyyy too many symptoms, im making a promise to myself to stop that. Im also looking into going to see someone to talk to to hopefully help with my GAD as my experience this past time on Citalopram has been hell on earth and i never want to try another SSRI again.
Thanks you again!:D
als does not cause pain...twitching is not a first symptom
(these have been told to me by a neuro)
Please read THIS (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=196071)and please, under no circumstances visit or post on an ALS forum.
Positive thoughts
Thank you all for all of the replies! Each is what i needed to hear! Thats why i love this forum! Im so much calmer already:D
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