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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Nanter1 on July 30, 2003, at 9:56:51
Hello everyone. First post. Glad to find this site and hope that you guys have some input for me.
I've played piano for many years, and after a 5 year break from it, I've decided to start again. I've started going to lessons again, and I've started experiencing some problems I've never had before.
I have been taking antidepressants of the SSRI variety for many years now (probably 8 years), and have had numerous side effects that are not commonly listed, including memory problems, muscle spasms, muscle rigidity, extremity pain (especially in my hands), tics, and others. After going to numerous doctors, including a neurologist, other medical conditions were ruled out and the consensus is now that these problems are a result of the SSRIs (currently Celexa).
I practice piano frequently, and whenever I do, my left hand gives me consistent pain and I find I have trouble with coordinating movements in it consistently (this also occurs in my right hand, but to a lesser extent). I feel there are subtle tics that reduce my ability to hit the chords properly and sometimes cause me to double hit or miss the correct rhythym.
Has any other musician on these drugs noticed these sorts of effects? I'll be darned if this medication is going to prevent me from playing again! I've long considered finding an alternative and getting off these poisons, but unfortunately every time I've stopped I've had serious relapses of my OCD (I am starting to believe that the severity of the relapses is exacerbated by the drug itself!), and have thusfar been unsuccessful. I have tried CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), but I have had a difficult time seeing benefit and have not lasted at the different therapists I've seen.
Can anyone provide any insight into this? What do I need to do? Do I need to commit myself to finding a way to permanently getting off this poison?
Thanks in advance for any input/help you might have!
-Luke
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 30, 2003, at 13:04:50
In reply to Celexa / muscle pain / piano playing, posted by Nanter1 on July 30, 2003, at 9:56:51
Welcome to the board from a fellow musician (guitar, bass, piano, and drums here)! :-)
You might just try a simple muscle relaxer to take as-needed... Soma, Flexeril, and high doses of Valium work extremely well. I was prescribed something yesterday by my GP called Skelaxin (for whiplash from getting rear-ended at a stop-sign the other day... grrr...) which is a centrally-acting muscle relaxant, and it also works great. I've tried the other muscle relaxants--Zanaflex, Robaxin, and Parafon--and found they did nothing for me.
The OTC supplement SAMe is also said to help with fibromyalgia, which is chronic muscle pain and stiffness, so maybe you could give it a try? Glucosamine-chondroitin also works very well for some people.
Best of luck!
Posted by linkadge on July 31, 2003, at 15:20:59
In reply to Re: Celexa / muscle pain / piano playing » Nanter1, posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 30, 2003, at 13:04:50
Yeah, I know where you're coming from.
I got my grade 10 on Celexa. Its kind of
a mixed bag, cause I never could've pulled
it together to practice in my depressed
state, yet the celexa did make it somewhat
harder.You see whenever you raised Serotonin there
is a corresponding drop in dopamine. Dopamine
is responsibe for fine muscle control, spatial memory and music apreciation.You could *try* the following which worked for me when I took my exam. Try taking 2mg of periactin the night before. This is an antihistamine with serotonin receptor blocking properties.
It blocks the 5ht2a receptor which when stimulated can cause muscle rigidity etc.
Note, if you were suffering from any OCD
tendancies this may make them worse but
if it was straigt depression, you may be
fine. Periactin is over the counter here
in Canada, I think it is perscription in
the states.
Linkadge
Posted by jflange on August 1, 2003, at 10:01:50
In reply to Celexa / muscle pain / piano playing, posted by Nanter1 on July 30, 2003, at 9:56:51
Hi!
I have the same kind of muscle rigidity from SSRIs (notice it when typing, especially), and when it is bad, I take the supplement Lecithin, which increases dopamine receptivity (see above post on dopamine and muscle rigidity).
feel better,
jflange
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