can anyone help! - Mental Health Message Board

motther10cat · 07-19-2008, 11:48 AM

i am 31 years old i have been taking aripirozole for 3 three years and mirtazipine for 6 years about 8 months ago i started having muscles tremors and twitching in limbs and hand/fingers, i went to g.p. and he refered me to a neurologist, when i went to the neurologist he examined me and said he felt that i was suffering aripiprozole motor restlessness and he also said that i had some cognitive ridigty in my upper limbs, he refered me back to my pyschitrist on the instruction he modifys my aripiprozole medication. when i went to the pyshcitrist he said he is going to take me off them and reduced my miligram i am on, i have now been taking 10mg aripiprozole instead of 35mg, the pyshcitrist also recomend i have ct scan on brain. i am waiting for results i am getting anxious about this and comming off the medication isn't really helping matters. i have several other issues going on in my life at the moment and i am under alot of stress, i cannot relax because i am contiunally twiching and jumping. What does the neurologist mean when he says i have some cognitive ridigty in my limbs is this related to the aripiprozole side effects or is it something else? How can i stop worrying myself, i would love to be able to relax and forget about these things but it is contiuously on my mind. aAny advice i would be grateful.

AnnD · 07-19-2008, 12:15 PM

I can tell you what it means but after this many years I'm not so sure it is going away. The problem with these types of drugs is that the side effects are pretty significant and there are side effect drugs to combat these side effects but maybe you were never started on them and not sure what they are called in your country. At any rate they(your mental health people) are suppose to check for these side effects while you are on the drug so they don't become chronic and irreversible. The side effects are just what your are experiencing jerking of muscles ...you can't do anything smoothly there is always a jerk to it...with the arms it is like a ratcheting effect when you bed your arm at he elbow. The oldest anti psychotic medicine on the market is Thorazine and the side effects from that was what is called the 'Thorazine shuffle' the patient can't pick up their feet when they walk so it appears they are shuffling along. Other side effects is constant/uncontrollable drooling. For at least the past 20 years there are side effect drugs to combat those terrible side effects so either you were on them and they didn't work or they never put you on them?