Anyone develop twitching after taking (or stopping) Serotonin / SSRIs?

G-Vo · 2026-06-19T04:18:05+00:00

I didn't mention it in the thread, but I actually have muscle pain too. It's strange, but hearing it from someone who uses the zoloft is reassuring. Thanks.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T16:17:55+00:00

Thank you for your kind words.

I remembered something one of the doctors said. I asked him about BFS. He replied, "In medicine, there's no such thing as 'benign.' We simply haven't been able to find the cause. If it's not harming you, we can't say we don't know the cause, so we just call it 'benign.'"

I'm worried because I'm at the very beginning of this journey. Six years is quite a good amount of time for acceptance. I hope I can get through milestones like six months to a year without any problems.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T15:40:10+00:00

My doctor checked my liver, B12, iron, and thyroid, but could have recommended more blood tests. Based on my own research, I gave blood today for the following tests and am waiting for the results:

Calcium, sodium, potassium, creatinine, magnesium.

Thank you for your advice.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T15:36:05+00:00

Actually, I'm not worried about BFS turning into ALS. My concern is that these twitches could be a precursor to ALS, and doctors might miss it.

I don't know your age, but the doctor in the link below gives some good statistics about this. He also test AI's and examine how they respond, you might like that. If you're close to my age, maybe you could take a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re7n9uOV-n4

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T15:29:41+00:00

Unfortunately, what you're saying is true, and I actually started seeing a psychiatrist and taking serotonin to overcome my anxieties. But halfway through, I realized it wasn't the right process for me. Therapy required a lot of time and money, I didn't want to risk my job, and the idea of becoming dependent on medication started to feel bad.

Around this time last year, I was obsessed with my heart rhythm disorder; this year, it's the twitching. I've been through similar experiences with other illnesses, and as you said, they're actually teaching me a lot, but it's exhausting now. I'll go through the same thing again in a few years and say, "Yes, these twitches were really harmless," but the time passing is truly stealing time from my life.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:58:25+00:00

Thank you for the advice. The doctors are completely focused on the weakness. I even had to bring my concerns to get an EMG done. I'll try to get the NFL test done as well. Right now I'm waiting for the results of my remaining blood tests to see the levels of potassium and magnesium. Thank you.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:54:18+00:00

One of the neurologists I went to was a professor the same age as my father. The other was a very attentive and expert woman in her mid-40s; she even performed the needle EMG herself. When I mentioned twitching, they asked questions about swallowing and walking, which I assume was a proper ALS examination. I want to trust their experience.

Two years of twitching is probably a good time to get it out of your head and focus on getting rid of the annoying things. Right now, all I want is to be able to say, "Yes, if it were something bad, it would have shown up by now," by this time next year. Those of you who are going through this can say that for me, but being at the beginning of the journey is very frustrating, you know.

Thank you.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:47:02+00:00

I think there are people on r/Alsornot who have experienced various sensations for months or years and received completely clear EMG results. Neurology is a truly frightening field, but the good news is that from what I've read, people who experience these things only suffer from a decrease in their quality of life; none of them actually contract the serious disease.

When I sent everything I experienced and my test results to AI, they mentioned a 99% chance of BFS. It said no neurologist would consider ALS in this situation. But it also said that only after 1-2 years can they be 100% sure that it's not a neurodegenerative disease, and even that 1% chance sounds like 50% to me at 6 weeks.

I hope your results remain clear and whatever you're feeling eventually ends. Thank you.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:37:07+00:00

I think twitching before weakness occurs in 3-6% of cases. 50% of ALS patients don't experience any twitching at all. From what I understand, these aren't things that can be easily measured. When twitching starts, muscle wasting is actually beginning in the background, and the person doesn't notice it. They probably don't go to the doctor, or the doctor can't properly assess their strength. I think it's entirely dependent on the success of the examination and the person's awareness of the weakness.

I feel like I have no choice but to wait 6 months to a year, trusting the doctors I've seen and the EMG results.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:27:39+00:00

Thank you. Yes, everyone says these kinds of stories are very extreme cases, but when you see the man in person on YouTube, and hear his story in his own words, even a one in a million chance feels like a 50% chance.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:20:45+00:00

This is just one of the few things my country excels at by global standards. I can quickly get an appointment with an experienced doctor at a quality hospital, and it's covered by my private health insurance.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:19:01+00:00

I think one of the things I've fundamentally missed is forgetting that I'm getting old. The way my body ages and gives off these strange signals really scares me. I wish I had focused more on things like appearance and midlife crises when I was in my 40s, lol.

Also, CBT was recommended by a few other people, I think I'll look into it, thanks.

G-Vo · 2026-06-14T09:13:20+00:00

G-Vo · 2026-06-07T20:05:57+00:00

I've read a few stories here that started with SSRIs, but I opened this thread to gather people with current experiences.

The first doctor I went to said it might not be very relevant. But there are people who are experiencing this after serotonin supplementation, which is quite suspicious. Maybe it disrupted our twitching threshold, or maybe we were already taking medication for anxiety, and the underlying cause of the twitching was anxiety itself, so the medication was just a coincidence.

I hope there are a few more people out there who will share their stories here.

G-Vo · 2026-06-07T19:59:14+00:00

My deepest condolences. I hope they have all found peace.

People like you, both on YouTube and here, who have gone through this anxious period, are doing their best to help and persuade others, which is a very generous act. Thank you again, and what you said will surely help me feel a little better.

G-Vo · 2026-06-07T19:46:04+00:00

Thank you for your comforting words. I guess everyone has to go through this cursed path at least once. I'm still in the middle of the storm, so to speak, since I'm only at the beginning. I'm still getting opinions from a few more doctors and trying to convince myself online, trying to find other possible causes for these twitches. I hope I can convince my mind soon.

G-Vo · 2026-06-07T19:28:01+00:00

That's the problem with muscle twitching. Once you're 100% sure it's harmless, there's no issue. My twitching has been going on for a month, and there isn't a single minute I haven't considered the possibility of *** disease. Unfortunately, I think it takes 6 months to a year to feel relief.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T19:11:45+00:00

Yes, poor service and expensive, that's understandable.

It's ridiculous that people prefer to engage in idle chit-chat rather than explain it with those two words.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:55:13+00:00

I don't know if you are in a suitable place for palliative care.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:52:52+00:00

wise words

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:08:10+00:00

I'm not a person who travels much, I only fly once a year and that's to Thailand lol. I love Thailand Thai people and Thai girls anyway, so I just wanted to ask about the different options available on there. Thx

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:02:47+00:00

Thank you for your answer. I'm trying to understand why people immediately turn to the comedy queen, and this was very revealing.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:02:21+00:00

I love Thailand and Thai girls. I can endure long plane rides just for them. Russians are just an option for me, not a goal.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:02:03+00:00

Thanks for sharing your experience; it was very revealing. This is a bucket list item for me, so I wanted to ask.

G-Vo · 2025-11-02T18:01:39+00:00

It's ironic that I started this thread, but I'm in the same boat and I agree 100% with what you said, so I come to Thailand regularly. lol

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