Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Losingtheplot on July 26, 2023, 05:04:00 AM
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Hi everyone I have been taking a low dose of Fluoxetine to help alongside my HRT for anxiety the past few days my hubby has been complaining that I have been twitching alot on a night disturbing his sleep and that this it is getting worse. I know in past this has happened but mainly if I have increased my dose. I have only been on the Ads since may 1 x 20mg daily but have taken them in the past for many years. I had a break of a year from them but was put back on them by GP due to peri anxiety symptoms.
Does anyone else take these Ads and get same side effects.
My options are to try a diff Ad but again bound to be side effects and this Ad suits me although I am unsure if the HRT or other supplements I take are helping and the Ads are a placebo as when I started to take them again I didnt feel depressed but was having panic attacks and intense anxiety.
Thanks for reading ladies
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Hi Losingtheplot, I haven't tried that particular AD but, if you're not twitching during the day, could you possibly try taking at a different time? It may be something that only happens during sleep.
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Hi Penguin,
Thanks for replying I take the AD on a morning
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Just sending a :hug: xx
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Thank you Sarah T xxxx
I think I will need to make an appointment with my GP as this side effect is one that just gets worse over time and not better - I have done some research and muscles spasms are very common in SSRI's.
Its a shame as it helps me but maybe something else can too
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I take 20mg fluoxetine every morning and I get jerks and kicks of my legs at night that my husband tells me about and occassionally they wake me.
We actually thought it was a different cause, but it's currently the only tablet I'm taking orally, my HRT is transdermal and vaginal now, so maybe fluoxetine is the cause?
When I think of other times I've been on it, I think yes, there is a connection.
In my case it doesn't seem to go away in time.
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I have done some research and muscles spasms are very common in SSRI's.
My GP gives me baclofen to keep in the house, then when I get bad spasms I can take up to three a day. I don't know if that is an option, it depends how badly you need the prozac, I need it enough that treating the side effects is worth it even though the whites of my eyes go yellow on baclofen! (More often I just use certain herbs which do a good job against muscle spasms when smoked ;))
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Hey thanks for the reply i didnt want to ideally taken anymore pills but will discuss the pills you mention with my Gp I hope to wean off Ads in a few months and continue just taking some supplements which I feel are helping control the anxiety or the HRT is but time would tell if it when I stopped the Ads the awful symptoms returned but I will remain hopeful thanks again very useful info xx
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Hi losingtheplot,
If the prozac suits you I would stay on it as I remember how you were feeling before and it can be difficult to find one that suits you. Does the twitching bother you? Sending hugs x
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Hi Katherine
It bothers my hubby as it wakes him up. He said its got worse as weeks have gone on and some mornings I wake up exhausted as he shakes me awake during the night when its really bad.
So fed up. Not gonna take the Ads for a few days to see if that has any effect. Otherwise I have an appointment with GP next Wed. I told hubby if stopping the Ads stops the twitches and jerks I will have to come off them just hope my mental health doesnt nose dive other option is separate beds!
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My partner snores so we sleep in separate beds often, we have a snuggle before and after sleep so it works well as we both get a good sleep and then in a better mood the next day. You could try it, it’s no big deal, loads of people do it, you’re asleep anyway. It would be a shame to come off the ads when they are helping you so muchxxx
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I'd echo Katherine here, when my legs twitch my husband either puts up with it or goes and sleeps in one of the rooms vacated by our kids in recent years. He knows how poor my sleep has been in the past, I was driven into a poor mental state by lack of sleep when our kids were babies, I'd be on autopilot and take it out on him too. Thing is for those of us who suffer depression quite easily it's a vicious circle. A good night's sleep can even bring me out of my depression if lack of sleep was a contributing factor.
I've criticised my husband for many failings, but one thing he doesn't do is wake the dragon, me. To wake me from a sleep of any depth is to invite the fire breathing demons from hell into our bedroom. I will be absolutely furious. I sleep very well or not at all, but if he wakes me up, he's in trouble and I don't even know what I'm saying, I'll tell him to frick off forever etc ;D Luckily he loves me and after a day or two starts speaking to me again ::)
It has no effect on our sex life at all because that tends to be like yesterday, we were having morning coffee, got joking about and ended up at it. I hope that isn't tmi for here! My point is we don't do the "tired sex at the end of the day" anyway and we don't usually wake together, one will wake first and creep out of the bedroom.
The main thing I miss is having a warm body to cuddle after getting up for my 3am pee!
It's got to be said his snoring is so bad I wear headphones all night ;D
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I know ladies its just got me in a position where I feel I have to stop the Ads to see if that is the cause. Obv the single beds will have to be the option if needs be. We will need to go and buy some. I am stopping the Ad for next few days until my GP appointment on Wed so can then discuss options hopefully.
I just don't want to suffer bad anxiety like before as I feel in a good place at the min
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Maybe worth thinking a change of AD that doesn't have that side effect?
Sleep is vital, even with medication my sleep is very disturbed with the lovely hot\cold duvet on\ duvet off fight I have each night and join pain. The my husband's joint pain and snoring.... Mirtazapine I also me a lot sleep wise. Am on a tiny dose as I find it strong and my moods are a lot more stable so far too.
Like meno -mel my own husband knows I am nasty in The morns, so best left alone rather than risk a verbal lashing out. Rest of the day I am sweetness itself of course.... ;)
I know the AD does help support you, and you naturally have a fear of going backwards if you cease. I would definitely discuss this at your appt.
Btw if we had separate rooms to sleep I would use it. I adore the intimacy of simply being in bed together, but sleep is vital to both physical and mental health.
Take care lovely xx
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Maybe worth thinking a change of AD that doesn't have that side effect?
Sleep is vital, even with medication my sleep is very disturbed with the lovely hot\cold duvet on\ duvet off fight I have each night and join pain. The my husband's joint pain and snoring.... Mirtazapine I also me a lot sleep wise. Am on a tiny dose as I find it strong and my moods are a lot more stable so far too.
Like meno -mel my own husband knows I am nasty in The morns, so best left alone rather than risk a verbal lashing out. Rest of the day I am sweetness itself of course.... ;)
I know the AD does help support you, and you naturally have a fear of going backwards if you cease. I would definitely discuss this at your appt.
Btw if we had separate rooms to sleep I would use it. I adore the intimacy of simply being in bed together, but sleep is vital to both physical and mental health.
Take care lovely xx
Thanks hunni I think it has just got so bad now that I am being shook awake several times a night by hubby and then I nod back off again. He does snore but I plug ear plugs in there is isnt anything he can do to get away from me thrashing my legs etc. See what Gp says x
You take care too xxx
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Hi hunni yes I think your right x
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Just to reiterate I don't think your husband should be shaking you awake, it's unkind. You are taking the AD for your mental health. Surely he can sleep elsewhere for now. I imagine the twitching legs might settle down anyway. One thing you could try is magnesium at night time as this can help fidgety legs.x
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I think hubby has tried to cope with the twitching but it has got progressively worse its easier said than done trying to ignore as I wake myself up sometimes with severe jerks so I do sympathise with him. I suppose putting yourself in his shoes he starts to nod off and I then jerk violently and wake him up again several times during the night I think that would start to annoy even the most patient person over time. And at times I wake up so tired like I haven't slept due to thrashing about as my body isn't getting to rest. There is no where else for him to sleep as we only have 2 bedrooms and my son has the other room. Sofa isn't an option as we have 2 dogs and isn't a long term solution anyway. I have an appointment with GP on Wed and if nothing else helps me or my mental health dips then I will have to restart the meds again. As yes hubby will get a good nights sleep but have a wife with mental health issues that will spiral out of control! The problem is that this side effect does not settle in time with me it just gets worse as I have take Prozac for numerous years in the past - why is nothing ever straight forward!
The magnesium is a god suggestion I will look into that but I can move all over shoulders, arms etc not just legs :'( thank you x
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It does seem never ending doesn't it? One thing helped them something else is thrown into the mix to kick us back again.
Chin up sweetie, all I can offer is a well meant hug..we will get there, just a looong road some days x
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Thanks Sarah T xxxxx why does meds have such awful side effects! Anyway I am on some natural supplements that I feel have helped my anxiety and mood massively so things might work out ok x
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Hi losingtheplot, I just wanted to send you a hug, and hope you find a solution soon. I know from experience magnesium is fantastic for sleep, and feeling calmer and less anxious so it’s well worth trying. X
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Hi Losingtheplot, I hope you find a solution. It is so frustrating that every med is at least one step back for each couple of steps forward.
Magnesium, people are suggesting, I agree, forgot about that.
Sometimes a couple of cocodamol at bedtime can ease my sleep in general, makes me more restful in my sleep.
Zinc is another important menopause mineral for the brain, take at a different time from magnesium, they affect each other's absorption somehow.
I tried lithium a while back too and while I've not bothered to get more I keep meaning to, I think that benefitted my calm too. I twitch more if I'm stressed, don't know if you do that too.
I hope you are sound asleep now :)
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Hi Losingtheplot
I just wanted to add to the rest of the comments, that magnesium has an effect on the nervous system and it reduces symptoms of muscle spasms and twitches. It has a relaxing effect on muscles. it may be worth trying.
I think magnesium chloride is best at treating muscle spasms. I don't know if affects sleep or not, so might be worth checking and also that it doesn't interact with the AD that you're on.
I hope it gets sorted for you xx
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Hi losingtheplot, I just wanted to send you a hug, and hope you find a solution soon. I know from experience magnesium is fantastic for sleep, and feeling calmer and less anxious so it’s well worth trying. X
Thank you Katherine I will try this as a few people have said them same. Thanks again xxxx
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Hi Losingtheplot
I just wanted to add to the rest of the comments, that magnesium has an effect on the nervous system and it reduces symptoms of muscle spasms and twitches. It has a relaxing effect on muscles. it may be worth trying.
I think magnesium chloride is best at treating muscle spasms. I don't know if affects sleep or not, so might be worth checking and also that it doesn't interact with the AD that you're on.
I hope it gets sorted for you xx
Thank you hunni I hope you are well. I am looking into magnesium supplements as we speak :) Thanks everyone xx
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Ps- I’ve tried Betteryou magnesium spray and Carolyn dean’s Remag and they are both good. Good quality magnesium salts in the bath are also good. The Remag website has loads of info about magnesium too. I noticed cocodamol had been mentioned but anything with codeine is highly addictive, I take codeine only for period pain and have to be very careful not to take it for any other reason. There may be another ad that doesn’t cause twitching also. Xxx