[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm currently on 2 APs, one atypical and one typical. Either the prescence of the typical or the combination of the 2 is causing me to have some muscle rigidity. It hurts! I saw my pdoc Monday and she put me on Cogentin and gave me 2 doses I could choose; I'm on the higher one already. She also wants me to change to valium at bedtime instead of klonopin as the valium will help with the EPS. I haven't been able to do that because I will be very sleepy and need to have some time to recover from the adjustment and this week I had all these obligations. I took valium this morning to try to get a break and just wound up sleeping and just as sore because I took a tiny dose. Last time it took a full 5 mg dose to stop most of the pain for a few days until my loxapine dose had to increase.

When the loxapine stabilizes I'll lower my Seroquel dose, hopefully next month. And hopefully the combination of the 2 meds is causing this and that will decrease the symptoms. I don't know if I'll have to increase the loxapine once more; it depends how my body reacts to getting my AD back to the normal dose this week or next and whether I can use valium to sleep successfully. I'm getting close to a stable dose though and should be good at this dose or one more up. I like loxapine; aside from some sedation there are no lingering side effects. I have to eat enough when I take it or I get nauseous but that's easy and I'm losing weight slowly. The Seroquel carb cravings are drastically decreased.

But for now this hurts. Just curious if anyone else has been through this and what helped you.

I have to call the dr Monday because I need to go up on cogentin or something to control this better. It's really sore and covers a bigger area of my body every day. By the time I figured it out on the last dose even my feet were in pain.

My AD is used to control muscle rigidity in Parkinson's patients at a much lower dose than I get through my patch so I'd think it should help too but so far if it helps I can't imagine what it would be like if it weren't.

At least my jaws are spasming anymore. That was the worst and the cogentin seems to have helped that. That was keeping me awake at night. This is just uncomfortable all the time. I keep wondering if a massage would help but I have a feeling not enough to spend the money on it. I'll have to see what they cost here. I don't really like being touched but if they could help I'd deal with the PTSD.

[BipolaRNurse]

This is obviously not a good thing. I'm surprised your doctors haven't tried you on some anti-spasmodics like Baclofen or something like Requip, which works for restless-leg syndrome but also works for Parkinson's-type symptoms. Yours sound horrible. I hope they get it fixed so the rigidity doesn't become permanent.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

It actually tested as not that bad. I imagine I'll either go on more cogentin or get something like bacolofen Monday when I call. I'm on selegeline at a higher concentration than a Parkinson's patient would get it so that should help. The 5 mg of valium nearly cleared it completely in one dose but I've not been able to get 5 mg in since. I took 2.5 tonight and it's helping a tiny bit but there's still a lot of tightness.

If she can't give me something else then I'm going to ask to decrease my Seroquel now. That's risky but this hurts.

I'm also going to try to squeak out money for a massage from my budget. This is a 5 week between SSDI checks month which is always tough but I want to play with things and see. I have no idea if it will help but it can't make it worse. I hate being touched generally but for this cause I'll put the PTSD aside for an hour.

When she tested me there wasn't any concern that it would turn into TD because it just wasn't that bad. I'd broken up the really bad with valium and PRN klonopin and I didn't pass the test completely but I didn't fail badly either. IT was something to watch. Then my dose increased and it's repeating the last time; neck, shoulders and arms hurt. If it is like before it will spread to my legs and feet in the next few days if the valium doesn't kick it.

I know my dr will help. I could email her tonight and might get an answer but I hate doing that when she is off for a weekend. So I'll wait for tomorrow night and then call and leave a message that I have an urgent email for her. I think she's trying to not add too many drugs since I'm on so many psych drugs already and the goal is to reduce the number. There is a lot of room to go up on the cogentin which has helped with movement disorders in the past. TOo much of it has its' own side effects though, some of which I was fighting when I was on more Seroquel before starting loxapine. I just want to be ok on loxapine; I don't want to give up on it. I've lost weight! It works fast! It isn't really sedating except the first few days after an increase! After Seroquel for 8 years this is all huge.

The valium at least is finally making me sleepy I think. Now I need everything to wear off by mid-morning/early afternoon. It's too complicated.

I think my pdoc thought that if I could control it before the dose increase this way that it wouldn't get worse with the increase and I'd be ok. I don't know if it is worse or my tolerance is lower but I really want to be done with this.

Just one more day.......

[tanto]

I always have very bad muscle tension, so much so I have pain, and my jaw clenches and grinds hard, 24/7... is this a normal sort of thing for bipolar? I haven't mentioned this to my doctor, I don't know if I should... I don't want to just be complaining about everything... I kinda always assumed it was normal

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Mine is a side effect of my anti-psychotics called extra-pyramidal syndrome (EPS). EPS has to be carefully watched because it has the potential to turn into problems that can be permanent. This is pretty rare, especially on atypicals (I'm on an atypical and an older med). On typicals it is fairly common and just needs treatment both because it is quite painful and to prevent worsening (tardive dyskinesia). So if you are on an AP then definitely mention it to your pdoc. If you aren't you still should mention it because it sounds like your body is holding onto a lot of anxiety and it is manifesting this way. A med tweak might help. I've also had meds cause toothgrinding. I know wellbutrin did and I think something else but I forget what now. My guess would be all SSRIs and effexor.

[wiretwister]

Originally Posted by tanto

I always have very bad muscle tension, so much so I have pain, and my jaw clenches and grinds hard, 24/7... is this a normal sort of thing for bipolar? I haven't mentioned this to my doctor, I don't know if I should... I don't want to just be complaining about everything... I kinda always assumed it was normal

used to have this grinding it was all stress not bp, treating the stress has eased it ... of course I believe stress leads to bp ...

[Capriciousness]

Oh my gosh BTR how awful! I'm so sorry. I really hope they get it figured out. Hugs to you

[tanto]

Thanks for the info. I hope they can figure subserving out for you soon. Recovery is so hard when you are in pain that's beyond your control.

Sent from my C6530N using Tapatalk

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I called my dr's office and left a message for her to please check the email I sent. I had to call anyway because a pharmacist decided after a year of being on valium and klonopin for different things that she doesn't like the concurrent use. I don't think anyone does but it's the way things are and if she knew the situation that led to using them she'd think differently. But of course she doesn't and won't and I understand her concern, I just wish she'd called me to tell me she was holding up the script because she thought I was doing something bad filling the 2 scripts. So I had to let my dr's office know what that was about and then I just said to please check the email because I'm having a lot of trouble with a side effect.

I asked her if she can't give me anything to reduce the pain if we can start tapering the Seroquel even though the timing isn't ideal. I doubt she'd do that, I haven't hit stable yet, but something has to give.

I can't even sit on the couch and use my laptop or read a book comfortably.

Tomorrow I see my therapist and then I'll start valium at night instead of klonopin. If that doesn't help I'll schedule a massage soon. Something has to help and stretching, ibuproferon, aleve, hot showers, changing positions doesn't help. And my jaw is getting tight and that was the worst part on the lower dose.

I was so sure if I had a problem it would be akathesia. I've had it a number of times. I didn't prepare for anything like this. Bad idea on my part.

[Crazy Hitch]

I'm sorry that you're experiencing this.

I hope you find some comfort soon