I was a little constipated on Seroquel which I quit due to a worse side effect of akathisia but I still remembered being constipated and hating it. I am just not used to constipation. That was more than three years ago.

So several months ago when the new pdoc was prescribing abilify, which I ended up not taking, I recited my list of showstoppers to him, in other words, unacceptable side effects. I included constipation. He corrected me, explaining that GI side effects are common. But they also commonly go away after a couple of weeks as the body get adjusted. So constipation alone warrants a wait and see approach. Your neuromuscular side effects, by contrast, do not warrant wait and see. If you have them, you have them.

When I started Elavil I had one day of dry mouth and several days of increased appetite. Then my body adjusted and now I have no side effects. Also in the beginning had groggy mornings but not anymore. It is a perfect light sleep medicine now. It was definitely worth waiting for the body to adjust and not discontinuing immediately.

But, again, the jaw issue is different in that it will not go away by itself. It is a serios side effect which is here to stay.