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What Causes Muscle Pains Before Withdrawal Of Paxil?
Question: Hi Doctor,
I am under treatment for panic disorder and GAD since last August. I am doing CBT with an excellent therapist and I am also taking pills. I take Paxil 35 mg, Clonazepam 2 mg and Lyrica 300 mg per day. I started tapering the Paxil 2 weeks ago. I was at 50 and now I am at 35. The goal is to reduce it to 25 and stay there for a long period of time. The reason we started tapering it is because I have improved a lot but I was having sexual problems with that Paxil dose. So, the doctor decided to start tapering the Paxil and then we are going to follow with the Clonazepam. I stayed 5 months with Paxil at 50 mg and I have been taking Clonazepam at 2 mg for 5.5 months.
I can say that most of the symptoms have disappeared, however, there is one symptom that has been bothering me for several months: I feel muscle pain in my arms, my chest and my lateral torso. It is hard to describe. It is like a mixture between pain, crams and electric chills. This symptom distresses me deeply. I feel pain in my shoulder joints as well. In the past, when it was intense, I felt pain in my jaw and teeth as well, and literally made me cry, that is why I started taking Lyrica. At the beginning I started with 75 mg per day, then we went to 150 and then to 300 mg. At the beginning it was like a miracle, the next day I started Lyrica, my pain disappeared! I could not believe my mind! I was so excited! But now I'm start feeling the pain again. It is not intense as before but is there all the time, however, for instance I don't feel the pain in my jaw and teeth anymore. I have been at 300 mg for 4 weeks.
At the beginning I thought that the muscle pain was a withdraw effect from Paxil, but looking at my diary, I discovered that I had muscle pain a couple of weeks before starting withdrawing the Paxil. So, Im really confused and discouraged. Maybe I need to increase the Lyrica? I know Lyrica is used for both pain and anxiety. Or maybe the pain will disappeared in the next few days? (my family doctor wants me to stay with Paxil at 35 for one month before we go to 25 mg/day). How long does it take to alleviate from withdraw effects from Paxil? The muscle pain could it be still a symptom of PD or GAD? Or it could be a side effect of the Clonzepam? I found in internet that muscle and joint pain can be a common side effect of Clonazepam. Is this true?
Please, can you give me some advice and clarity? and what to do in the next weeks?
Kind Regards,
XXXXXXX
I am under treatment for panic disorder and GAD since last August. I am doing CBT with an excellent therapist and I am also taking pills. I take Paxil 35 mg, Clonazepam 2 mg and Lyrica 300 mg per day. I started tapering the Paxil 2 weeks ago. I was at 50 and now I am at 35. The goal is to reduce it to 25 and stay there for a long period of time. The reason we started tapering it is because I have improved a lot but I was having sexual problems with that Paxil dose. So, the doctor decided to start tapering the Paxil and then we are going to follow with the Clonazepam. I stayed 5 months with Paxil at 50 mg and I have been taking Clonazepam at 2 mg for 5.5 months.
I can say that most of the symptoms have disappeared, however, there is one symptom that has been bothering me for several months: I feel muscle pain in my arms, my chest and my lateral torso. It is hard to describe. It is like a mixture between pain, crams and electric chills. This symptom distresses me deeply. I feel pain in my shoulder joints as well. In the past, when it was intense, I felt pain in my jaw and teeth as well, and literally made me cry, that is why I started taking Lyrica. At the beginning I started with 75 mg per day, then we went to 150 and then to 300 mg. At the beginning it was like a miracle, the next day I started Lyrica, my pain disappeared! I could not believe my mind! I was so excited! But now I'm start feeling the pain again. It is not intense as before but is there all the time, however, for instance I don't feel the pain in my jaw and teeth anymore. I have been at 300 mg for 4 weeks.
At the beginning I thought that the muscle pain was a withdraw effect from Paxil, but looking at my diary, I discovered that I had muscle pain a couple of weeks before starting withdrawing the Paxil. So, Im really confused and discouraged. Maybe I need to increase the Lyrica? I know Lyrica is used for both pain and anxiety. Or maybe the pain will disappeared in the next few days? (my family doctor wants me to stay with Paxil at 35 for one month before we go to 25 mg/day). How long does it take to alleviate from withdraw effects from Paxil? The muscle pain could it be still a symptom of PD or GAD? Or it could be a side effect of the Clonzepam? I found in internet that muscle and joint pain can be a common side effect of Clonazepam. Is this true?
Please, can you give me some advice and clarity? and what to do in the next weeks?
Kind Regards,
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
please follow what your doctor says
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for choosing wwwhealthcaremagic
If you were on Controlled Release form of Paxil, there should be hardly any withdrawal symptoms because the rate of reduction of serum level of drug is very slow so rebound symptoms are unlikely. Since you had pains before withdrawal of Paxil, it means your pain symptoms were not fully cured. so these are probably due to anxiety . Time to recover from withdrawal may vary from 5 days to up to 1 week, varies from person to person.
Clonazepam generally will not cause muscle pain as side effect .
I think you can follow the following plan
1- Either stop Paxil completely very slowly over 1-2 months and more or reduce till your sexual issue are resolved
2- if your pain symptoms don't go, add yoga ,exercise and taking shower with warm water for muscle pains
3- You may consider switching you medicine from Paroxetine (SSRI) to Duloxetine or Desvenlafaxine ( SNRI) .They have specific effect for alleviation of pains.
4- Lyrica can be increased further, if you can tolerate the possible side effects
There can be many more options but I don't want to confuse you further. Presently, follow what you doctor says, these may disappear altogether . If they don't, we have to consider other options.
Dr Saatiish Jhuntrraa
please follow what your doctor says
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for choosing wwwhealthcaremagic
If you were on Controlled Release form of Paxil, there should be hardly any withdrawal symptoms because the rate of reduction of serum level of drug is very slow so rebound symptoms are unlikely. Since you had pains before withdrawal of Paxil, it means your pain symptoms were not fully cured. so these are probably due to anxiety . Time to recover from withdrawal may vary from 5 days to up to 1 week, varies from person to person.
Clonazepam generally will not cause muscle pain as side effect .
I think you can follow the following plan
1- Either stop Paxil completely very slowly over 1-2 months and more or reduce till your sexual issue are resolved
2- if your pain symptoms don't go, add yoga ,exercise and taking shower with warm water for muscle pains
3- You may consider switching you medicine from Paroxetine (SSRI) to Duloxetine or Desvenlafaxine ( SNRI) .They have specific effect for alleviation of pains.
4- Lyrica can be increased further, if you can tolerate the possible side effects
There can be many more options but I don't want to confuse you further. Presently, follow what you doctor says, these may disappear altogether . If they don't, we have to consider other options.
Dr Saatiish Jhuntrraa
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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