Anyone find anything that helps the myoclonic jerks?

I am ~ 3 months off and the myoclonic jerks (aka twitching) is one of my worst w/d sxs. It is most problematic in the morning since it often wakes me up and then I can't go back to sleep. I have them most when I am not moving around (not surprisingly) and they pick up in the evening and early morning.

 

This was one of my first tolerance w/d symptoms almost a year ago though I did not realize what is was at the time and it was typically just one jerk at night when I went to bed.

 

Some of this is cortisol related and I have been taking Seriphos which helps some (one capsule between 2 and 4 a.m.) and has pushed it back from 5 a.m. to 6ish. I have also recently added theanine at bedtime which seemed to help some with the sleeping the first night, but not so much last night. It also seems to increase the head pain so I may not be able to stick with it.

 

I take most of the usual supplements, magnesium glycinate (200 mg), vitamin C (buffered 500 mg), vitamin D 2000 IU, probiotics, DHA (could not tolerate fish oil). I also take flexeril, bentyl and citrucel for IBS and fibromyalgia, Imodium PRN and melatonin and/or benadryl if I have trouble falling asleep, but not every night. I took Cortisol Manager for a while, but it stopped helping and I was reluctant to take for a long time since the Ashwagandha and magnolia are likely to have GABA effects.

 

I am up for considering any medications and/or supplements that people have found help them (obviously not Klonipin  ) . If you don't want to post, please feel free to PM me.

 

Thanks. 

Time.  Healing takes time, and time is the healer. 

 

Yes, I know time will help. At least I hope so. But I am hoping to get this symptom a little better under control so that sleeping can help with healing 

 

But thanks for your encouragement Megan. Patience has never been one of my virtues; I am not sure it is going to start now 

You might try increasing the mag glycinate slowly to as much as you can tolerate.  I take at least 400mg/day.  Sometimes I follow that up with some mag citrate (Natural Calm) before bed if I want some added laxative effect. I had the myoclonic jerks as well and I think that the magnesium really helped during the first months post-withdrawal.  I'm about 9 months out now and I get still get some jerks, but infrequently.  And they're milder than they were months ago.

 

Hope this helps.

 

-b

 

Thanks bjl. I was thinking that myself and actually took another magnesium pill this afternoon when I was twitching too much. I can't do magnesium citrate; I have way too much GI motility as it is. Did you ever try magnesium malate? I see that recommended for people with fibromyalgia, but I don't know how it would affect the GI system.

No, I've never tried magnesium malate although I've also read that it's pretty effective.

 

-b

I had these for a bit, and it was so bad I ended up in an outpatient center for three days because I was sleep deprived and at my wits end. But, like everything else it got less and less. I noticed if I fought it and worried about them they were way worse. When I stopped fighting it, they went away. I know, strange. They will pass with time, try to read before bed- distractions. Good luck.

Actually, I have found that increasing the magnesium has helped. Bentyl also helps. Even though it is supposedly anti-spasmodic directed at smooth muscle, I find that it must have some effects on striatal muscle as well. If I take it before bed, it makes a real difference (and helps some with the GI issues).