Celexa . My dose was increased from 20 mgs to 30 mgs and later on in the week I started experiencing twitches from head to toe randomly. My doc told me to go back to my 20 mg dose and call in about a week if I am still twitching. It's very creepy feeling, especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. That's when I notice it the most. I was on 20 mgs for close to six weeks and then the extra 10 mgs for only about 3 days before I started noticing the twitches. I've been on this medication now for 7 weeks. I think it's helping a little, but I still have to take lorazepam in the morning (0.5 mgs) since I feel really anxious in the mornings especially. I also take 0.25 mgs of lorazepam at night before bed (I have tapered from 2-2.5 at night to the 0.25). I still have trouble sleeping. I have to take Melatonin or Hydroxyzine to help with sleep. I'm hoping this will get better with more time.
Citalopram- Have any of you ever experienced muscle twitches after a dose?
Question posted by HopeforHealing on 19 Nov 2011
Last updated on 30 July 2016 by shellybeans
7 Answers
HI Hopeforhealing! Yes I have experienced that! I couldn't take it or any SSRI classifications esp due to the increased anxiety and having to take extra stuff for that! Vitamin B12 is great for twitching and even restless leg, I take 1000-1500mg a day just for health reasons with my legs but some people it takes time with a new psych med, they tell us 7 to 21 days but if I'm experiencing worse symptoms because of the side effects that I don't need and learned through trials I can't be in any drug in the SSRI category myself. Chlorazepate 3.75mg is a lower dose and less potent Benzo. than Ativan that helps my anxiety as needed during the day and my doctor put me on just a low dose 25mg of Seroquel for sleep and anxiety and I take that 2 hours before bed and have yet to have a bad night of restless sleep since the first night without being groggy the next morning if this helps, good luck, keep in touch!
Hi, yes I had this when I tried to go up to 40mg so I had to reduce the dose slightly and it stopped. It was like my body was just randomly jolting out the blue. It wasn't nice but it seemed to be just a side effect.
the same things happened to me todays the first day of me taking 30 mg up from 20 mg and i keep twitching and like my concentration keeps going like ill be talking and then my mouth suddenly starts jerking and like i feel like i go into little day dreams and then its like i sorta jerk out of it its well wierd i feel really dizzy also these are the only meds im on so im guessing it must be that.
Hi, i get 'twitches' also, but i am other medications also so i can't really be sure which one causes this. I actually experience Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms. You can read more about it here: https://www.drugs.com/condition/tardive-dyskinesia.html
Sorry for coming late to this party, but I just recently (5 weeks ago) started on the citalopram. For the first month, I was fine. I refilled it and the twitching started 3 nights ago. On night one, it caused to me sleep about 2 hours total. Last night, it got slightly better. I took ZzzzQuil and AdvilPM and I got to sleep about 4 hours. Any improvements on this front?
I agree with pledge.I think it is odd that you experienced the twitches after such a short lived dosage change. The celexa is in a group of antidepressants that work on the seratonin side, effexor which I now take also works on that side as well as the norepinephrine gives me a good metabolic rate but can't sleep. While on Celexa and now that I am on effexor I have the twitches or tremors, sometimes almost amusing. I wish you good health.
Thanks for answering papasam! I thought it was odd too. I am disappointed that I had to have my dose decreased anyway since the reason it was increased in the first place was because my doc thought that it would help take an extra edge of my anxiety/panic/depression symptoms. Do your twitches happen all over your body? I feel mine mostly in my arms and legs. But I have felt them in my chin, neck, hands, feet, stomach, all over really! It is irritating and I hope it stops-SOON! I wish you good health as well! Thank you! :) -Hope
Arms, hand and legs mostly, although I have felt them on my face as well.
I really don't want to have my dose of Celexa decreased anymore and I don't want to switch antidepressants either. I think the Celexa is FINALLY starting to work for me now, not 100%, but I can tell I'm doing better. So, hopefully the twitches will stop so my doc won't want to change my meds. Best to you! Thank you! -Hope.
Hi hopeforhealing. Trmors and shaking are a more serious side effect to celexa. Twitching might be what I call a shake. I don't understand why you didn't feel the twitching for 5 weeks. You were on the 30 for only 3 days.You just cut back back to the 20mg of celexa. I was on celexa and at the time my other med was seroquel, and had no effects such as you've described. You're on a benzo (lorazepam) and take either one of the other two for sleep. Aside from sedation, because they all interact that way, theres no other side effect to suggest twitching. Well, best I might say is see how it goes. You'll know within another week if its the celexa. I don't honestly believe its the celexa causing the twitching. Though you might be having a very late reaction to the celexa. That happened to me on cymbalta after almost being on it for a year and a half. SSRIs can be unpredictable. Hopefully you'll find out shortly.Best to you,
Thank you for answering my question Pledge! My doc thinks that it could be a reaction from the dose increase since the twitching started really soon after that. The twitches kind of feel like popcorn popping in my body. I don't know how else to explain it. It's weird. I have been taking lorazepam for 2 1/2 months so I don't think that's causing my symptoms. I just hope the twitches stop since my dose has been decreased back to 20 mgs. I started having major sleep problems since the onset of anxiety/panic disorder back in August. I hope that will get better over time, but the twitching at night is definitely not helping me relax enough to sleep. It is a little scary to me. Like I said, I just hope it is something that will go away soon. Thank you :) -Hope
You're welcome and I hope so to. Thats its the celexa I mean. Just always, when I hear that a person has been on a drug for a given, fairly long period of time, and theres several other drugs being taken, I usually think of interactions. But as I said earlier, it happened to me with the cymbalta. I had to stop taking it altogether. Have yourself a super weekend, and be well hope, take care.
Thank you! You too! I'm hoping the Celexa does work for me. I would rather not have to wait weeks longer to find out if a different med works. But, I guess if the twitching doesn't stop, then my doc probably will have me try a different med. I'll have to keep you updated on what happens. By the way, do you know anything about Remeron? I've heard it has a sedative affect, which is nice since I've been having sleeping difficulties (trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep), but I also want to know if it is any good for anxiety/panic/depression? -Hope
Hi again Hope. Yes, in fact I take mirtazapine the generic (remeron). I use it solely for to help me sleep. I have depression, but its refractory meaning meds if they work, work very little, and for a short period of time. I'm an insomniac, my dose is high, its 135mg. 3 pills of 45mg, and still only manage 4 hours of broken sleep. For my anxiety I now take the paxil 30mg. Most people on remeron do well on say 25 mg. Theres a down side to both these meds and its weight gain. Terrible. I fill up on coffee and water as best I can but its a battle. A lot of people drop being on either drug because of the weight issues. Theres always drawbacks. Most every psychiatric drug has baggage of some sort. Top of the page is the search engine. If you like enter remeron, after that it will take you to a new page then click user reviews, you can read other peoples views. Or enter mirtazapine, either one will give you feed back.There you go :-)
Great. Thanks for the information! :)
Related topics
celexa, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, citalopram, anxiety and stress, muscle
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