Muscle tightness in neck and upper back; 6 mo paxil free ..

[daisy]

I'm six months paxil free - was on for 6 years prior. Put on for anxiety and had the took 7 months to go from 20 mgs. to 0. Experienced terrible withdrawal - now have lingering tightness in my neck and upper back. Keep thinking it will get better. Am stretching, using muscle relaxers ... not working. Anyone with success with this symptom? How many months did it take for the tightness to dissipate?

Hey. I just started a taper off program of my own. I have reduced my dosage from 25mg to 21mg. It has only been three days but my neck feels so stiff and I feel sore. My muscles in my upper back and neck feel tight like I slept wrong. I just started so...this may last a while. My husband is trying to help me go from 25 to 0 in about two months. I want to get off this crap as fast as possible. Just thought I would tell you I feel the same thing!

[dar7726]

I've just recently in the last week or 10 days bought a really good massager. It is one of those large hand held deals with several speeds and I use it up and down my spine, massage, my neck, head and face with it.

I've even laied down on the floor on my stomach, and this is difficult, laied it on my back around my spine and let it just vibrate there. Then move it a bit and let it set there awhile.

My thinking is due to what Dr. Tracy mentioned. That these drugs cause muscle tightness and it is good to keep the energy flowing throughout the spine.

I use it on my face and head to, around my ears. All of it. I'm guessing now. Put I slept pretty good the last couple of days. It might have something to do with it.

Just a thought,
Darlene

[hope]

I had that same tightness. It felt like my my chest and upper back had an ace bandage around it. It did go away. Now I have this lump in my throat that won't go away. I hope it does though.

I saw somewhere else on here that it is useful to take 5htp. Now, I had no idea what this stuff was so I went to my local herbal shop, and lo-and-behold, there it was. It is supposed to be a mood enhancer, an appetite supressant (which is good cause Paxil made me gain like, 25 pounds), and a natural boost for seratonin. I have only taken in for three days, but I have noticed a difference. Since I AM tapering off Paxil, I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it. The muscle tightness is not AS bad, but maybe thats because I'm feeling a little better and moving around. Try getting one of those socks filled with rocks or salt or something, and heat it up. Put it on your neck or back...I forgot what they are called but they feel great! I made my own once with salt and a sock.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by BonkersLady

My husband is trying to help me go from 25 to 0 in about two months. I want to get off this crap as fast as possible. Just thought I would tell you I feel the same thing!

you cannot set up a schedule beforehand.. if you do you're setting yourself up for failure when it doesn't happen as fast as you want it to. Keep in mind that with each cut you are that much closer and have that much less of the drug in you. But you have to listen to your body.. it knows nothing of your time schedules.

[silence4now]

Daisy,
I'm currently 2.5 months off and experiencing a lot of chest and back pain which includes constant aching, tightness and tingling. I've seen on other websites that this is a common side effect of Paxil and Paxil withdrawal. makes sense, since it effects the central nervous system. Mine started in my neck and move down my spine every few days. It's now in my lower back and gut. I'm also experiencing acid reflux and GI problems. Have you heard of costochondritis? It can be brought on by "bracing" or holding tension in your body. The only thing that can disspell this is "skilled relaxation" and exercises. There are several methods you can use. Some of the most effective self-help relaxation techniques are discussed in "The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook." 5 HTP helps me when I feel overly anxious, but it doesn't do much for the muscle tension. Aleve gives me the longest relief from the pain. I also take a tsp/day of freshly juiced ginger for the GI problems. It's also helping to regulate my heart rate.

To BonkersLady:
5 HTP can be helpful, but it can interact with the Paxil to screw up your serotonin levels even more. I've read warnings that it shouldn't be taken until 2 weeks off Paxil. The same gos for SAM-e and St. John's Wort.