SO SCARED--muscle spasms--help!

To those of you who've seen me around before: HI AGAIN!!! and I really hope I haven't offended anyone by my long absence. The end of the school year always gets really nutty for me, and I am something of a fairweather forum-goer.

Anyway.... yes, this does have to do with anxiety, and I am absolutely freaked out. I started taking 10mg Lexapro for my anxiety a couple of weeks ago along with my regular 150mg Welbutrin. The first sign that something was a touch off was that my lows became lower, though shorter in duration, and my highs higher. I was experiencing symptoms of mild panic more frequently, if for shorter periods, and those symptoms/feelings solidified into something that was easily recognizable, not the more nebulous hodge-podge of symptoms I'd felt before.

And here's where it gets really scary. Last night I started feeling very off. At first I thought it was just cramps from my period, so I took some Ibuprofen and thought little of it. But my body started to feel almost like I had a fever: I couldn't stop moving my legs or rocking back and forth, and just felt generally bad, though I could master it for long periods in front of people. Eventually, though, I felt so off and weird that I had to excuse myself and just sat there while my muscles contracted extremely strongly all over my body, most notably in my hands, arms, legs, and jaw. Oddly, while it didn't feel out of my control, I couldn't really stop the convulsions--it was kind of like blinking in the sense that while you can hold off on it and control it, it must be done. This lasted for maybe ten to twenty minutes, I'm honestly not sure. But the same thing happened tonight for even longer. I also felt quite panicky, although not exactly panic-attack-ish.

Please help. If this happens every night... Lord. Also, feel free to move this topic if it's not in the right place. THANK YOU!!!

Hi there - try not to worry too much. Maybe a chat with your doc as you are only on lexapro a couple of weeks and it may need to be tailored better for you.
hope you feel ok today.
remember to breeathe.

i hope you have a better night. that sounds like quite an ordeal to me. could you try taking a warm bath if it starts again? xoxxo pat

Okay, so it happened again last night.... started at 6:25, approximately the same time as it did yesterday and the day before, but it lasted for almost an HOUR AND A HALF, and was SOOO much worse... I almost passed out three times because the muscles in my abdomen contracted so hard that they restricted blood flow to my brain--when they finally relaxed it surged back and I nearly fell down. I couldn't breathe during some of the contractions, and my whole body was flailing at some points.

Had to tell my parents, obviously. They called my P-doc, who took me off the 150mg Welbutrin and prescribed .5mg of Clonazepam (aka Klonopin) to relax my muscles, but by the time Dad got home with it I'd already fallen asleep. Never been so physically exhausted in my life. Today I'm still twitching a little and VERY shaken, and I still feel just as "off" as I ever have. Haven't taken the Clonazepam because A) it's not bad enough yet and B) I DO NOT want another drug in my system, as I was ranting about last night in the midst of my "sezure" (for lack of a better word).

Today the mild anxiety/panic has returned for no apparent reason, but last night things were SO bizzarre, mentally. My logical mind and the persona I associate with my "self" were very much present, but it was almost like that part of me was enclosed behind a sheen of total mental numbness; I was totally calm and didn't really mind what was going on, just felt I had to deal as it came. My actions were totally contrary to this; I was screaming, crying, making little to no sense at times, and couldn't seem to control that at all (or... didn't want to? I'm not sure). That, I felt totally detached from. It was SO strange.

I am still so incredibly scared. If anyone has ANY info on what this could be, tell me IMMEDIATELY. I don't know how bad things will get tonight...

Thank you all,
~muse

Update: Am taking the first .5mg does of Clonazepam now, as my "twitching" is getting worse and I feel like absolute crap all over; it's not getting any better, just worse, slowly but surely. I hope nothing bad happens.

Update 2: Still feeling bad, getting worse, though not as strong or overwhelming as last night. This isn't good. I dunno how long this stuff takes to work, but I THINK it's been at least half a hour--shouldn't I feel a little relief by now?

it's not working. Sorry for multi-posting, but @ this point I dont' care. I just want anybody to tell me anything that can make this stop. I can't stand thsi, it's awful. Please help. Called my P-doc and left a message, but I'm reluctant to call 911 (emergency servicecs) or use the "emergency" option on the phone when you call my P-docs office.

The meds aren't working. Really. At all. I dunno if I should take another one or what since the bottle only says one.

Do you think youre having seizures? if not maybe its a jittery side effect of one of your meds. and you should deff. tell your doc again, The Klonopin is prescribed for many different things. I have to take
.25Mg of klonopin for anxiety ( havent yet) maybe if you try it again Youll feel calmer and sleepy. It's worth another shot, but deff. tell your doc about these

Get better!!!

Went to a regular doctor today because of my symptoms and how freaked out I'm getting, and he basically just said everything that's going on is 100% voluntary (I'm doing it all myself) and I need to see a psychologist/therapist. This was by simply uncurling my clenched up toes and without doing a single test whatsoever. Temp, blood pressure, pulse, and NOPE, sorry, you're nuts, have a nice day. Charged my poor mother 80 bucks for that ********, too.

Fantastic. Like I didn't know THAT one before. Ugh. I'm sorry, but that just made me so depressed and pissed off. It would have been nice to have an issue that ISN'T my fault and is actually %#@&#! TREATABLE. Jeeze.

I hate this so incredibly much. I HATE THIS I HATE IT I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!
adios, and thanks much for all the help,
~muse

just doing some reading about clonazepam :

it is used to treat seizures

it is a benzodiazepine used in seizure disorders

tolerance to antiseizure effects develops with long-term use

abrupt withdrawal may precipitate seizure activity or status epilepticus

Withdrawal symptoms may be caused by the abrupt separation of benzodiazepine molecules from their receptor sites and the resulting acute decrease in GABA neurotransmission. Because GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, less GABA may produce a less inhibited CNS and therefore symptoms of hyperarousal or CNS stimulation. Common manifestations include increased anxiety, psychomotor agitation, insomnia, irritability, headache, tremor and palpitations. Less common but more serious manifestations include confusion, abnormal perception of movement, depersonalization, psychosis, and seizures.

Toxic effects of benzodiazepines include excessive sedation, respiratory depression, and coma.

Adverse effects of antianxiety medications include paradoxical excitement, anger, aggression, and hallucinations.

Some drug interactions occur when antianxiety medications are taken with alcohol or sedative-hypnotic drugs - these combinations are hazardous and can cause respiratory depression, coma, and convulsions.

Caffeine, nicotine can decrease the effects of antianxiety medications (CNS stimulants - also includes antiasthma drugs, appetite suppressants, bronchodilators, nasal decongestants).

Not sure if this is helpful re: the experience you are having.
Hope it is at least informative.

Huh.... kinda. I cannot thank you enough for all the info, Rose--you're a dear for looking all that up for me. But it still doesn't explain why I've had six days of panic/anxiety-induced physical and mental weirdness. Bleh, I dunno, I'll work it out as I go along. v.v

Sorry about the regular doc experience

I take wellbutrin and clonazepam as well as Lamictal...any I think it's time to use that emergency number at pdoc's office...

i don't really understand whats going on to you but all i know is how it feels to feel like crap and everyone tell you it's all in ur head perhaps sometimes it is but it does not help all i know is i use to take lexaro 20 mg and bupropion 100 mg generic for wellbuton and 1 mg of clonazepam and i was fine i also had very mild anxiety but it was livable before it i was living hell i still live in hell but i chose that i suggest speaking to ur pdoc about it all i know it takes like a month to get ur body use to it hope all is well love steph