Zoloft muscle twitches

Hi,

I have OCD and GAD. I've been off and on Zoloft for 4 years.  1 year ago, after getting back on SSRI's after being off for 1 year, my Dr. put me on Lexapro. I started to freak out because I had leg muscle twitching. MInd you, I never had muscle twitches before while I was on Zoloft the pervious years. Anyway, the twitching made me more anxious and fueled my OCD. I started obsessing that I had ALS and would spend all day on the internet reading about ALS and thinking I was going to die a slow death.  Then my Dr. took me off Lexapro and put me back on 100 MG of Zoloft with a little Klonopin to help with the transition.  For 2-3 months, the twitches stopped. Now for the past month, my leg muscles are twitching a lot, especially at work in front of a computer.  I'm now freaking out again.  Muscle twitching is listed as an uncommon serious side effect on some sites.  I told my Dr., and he told me to take some magnesium, take 100MG 1 day, and then 50 MG the next day and keep alternating -and don't worry about it.  My Dr. did not give me any reason as to why the Zoloft makes my leg muscles twitch, or if it's a normal/harmless side effect.  My question is:  Is this muscle twitching experienced by other Zoloft users, and will this be permanent?  Why does it happen? And what usually stops it, lowering or raising the dosage?

Thanks

[RobertCo]

I seem to have twitching that is at least in part related to Zoloft (Sertraline).  Upon visiting urgent care when the twitching became really disruptive due to its frequency, the doctor first eliminated any neurological disorders by a panel of six or seven blood tests.   You may wish to ask your doctor about these tests, to eliminate your concerns about ALS and other neurological disorders.  I was taking 200 mg per day of sertraline -- the maximum dose.  I cut that back to 100 mg per day.  I also began to take Flexeril (which I already had on hand for muscle tightness in my upper back from computer use.  I took two 10mg doses, one in the afternoon and one at bedtime.  This seemed to relieve the twitching considerably, and I finally got a good night's sleep. I believe that the most important factor is the too-large dose of sertraline.  Cutting back to 100mg has not seemed to increase depression or anxiety.  I figure, the lower the dose of anything, the better.  It is difficult to find much certainty from any information source about Zoloft and twitching, but it has not gone without being noted here and there.  Check with your medical professional -- of course -- before changing anything in any way.  I am only telling you what I have experienced.  My observation is that reducing the sertraline dose eliminated the problem by 80% and that Flexeril, taken as prescribed, only, brought the reduction in twitching, at this early point, to 90%.  

[RobertCo]

I seem to have twitching that is at least in part related to Zoloft (Sertraline).  Upon visiting urgent care when the twitching became really disruptive due to its frequency, the doctor first eliminated any neurological disorders by a panel of six or seven blood tests.   You may wish to ask your doctor about these tests, to eliminate your concerns about ALS and other neurological disorders.  I was taking 200 mg per day of sertraline -- the maximum dose.  I cut that back to 100 mg per day.  I also began to take Flexeril (which I already had on hand for muscle tightness in my upper back from computer use.  I took two 10mg doses, one in the afternoon and one at bedtime.  This seemed to relieve the twitching considerably, and I finally got a good night's sleep. I believe that the most important factor is the too-large dose of sertraline.  Cutting back to 100mg has not seemed to increase depression or anxiety.  I figure, the lower the dose of anything, the better.  It is difficult to find much certainty from any information source about Zoloft and twitching, but it has not gone without being noted here and there.  Check with your medical professional -- of course -- before changing anything in any way.  I am only telling you what I have experienced.  My observation is that reducing the sertraline dose eliminated the problem by 80% and that Flexeril, taken as prescribed, only, brought the reduction in twitching, at this early point, to 90%.  

[happyone123]

Hi , just letting you know that the best treatment I have found for OCD after being a Zoloft user is Efexor.  You do not go into any "zones" or tiredness, you just feel good with energy. Of course you have your good and bad days, but things don't seem too extreme. It was recommended to me by a friend who has OCD then another friend I knew who had OCD as well.  I have helped one of my friends who changed to it and it has changed her life dramatically. Of course also to change onto this you need to slowly go off Zoloft and then slowly onto Efexor, under the guidance of your doctor. I have worked up to taking 225 mls a day, but my friend only needs less.  I would not go back to Zoloft.

[happyone123]

Hi , just letting you know that the best treatment I have found for OCD after being a Zoloft user is Efexor.  You do not go into any "zones" or tiredness, you just feel good with energy. Of course you have your good and bad days, but things don't seem too extreme. It was recommended to me by a friend who has OCD then another friend I knew who had OCD as well.  I have helped one of my friends who changed to it and it has changed her life dramatically. Of course also to change onto this you need to slowly go off Zoloft and then slowly onto Efexor, under the guidance of your doctor. I have worked up to taking 225 mls a day, but my friend only needs less.  I would not go back to Zoloft.