Posted by JohnX2 on February 23, 2002, at 22:59:59
In reply to post zyprexa hand twitching and clenching????, posted by JohnX2 on February 23, 2002, at 14:37:54
FYI,
I've been taking Zanaflex (tizanidine), which
is basically a Clonidine dirivative, a partial
alpha-2 noradrenergic agonist. The Zanaflex was
prescribed to help with myofacial pain a while
back. I subsequently got Topamax which worked
much better, but when I got down to tapering
the last few crums of Klonopin I restared the
Zanflex (shitty halflife requires multiple dosing)
and I noticed a substantial amerlioration of
the dystonia. clenching and twitching/tremor
virtually disappeared.I since read that Clonidine is a decent treatment
for TD and that there are thoughts that TD
can cause toxic incread turnover in catecholimines.
The Zanaflex being an Alpha-2 agonist decreases/stabilizes
catacholinergic transmission. I wish there was a
patch sustained release version of the medicine
like clonidine. It had no hypotensive side effects.-John
>
> I picked up this hand clenching and twitching
> while manic and drinking lots of caffeine and
> clenching my fist driving my car a lot and
> playing a lot of golf all last month. I was also
> taking a whopper dose of Zyprexa to battle the
> mania. After a while I started to get bad spasms
> in my left hand while I was having these bad manias
> and I got cramps in my hand concurrent with the activities
> (holding my steering wheel or golf club).
>
> This problem seemed to come and go with the mania
> and stimulant abuse and clenching motions and I
> discussed it with my pdoc. We felt it was probably
> just some sort of Klonopin withdrawl seizures. Well
> now I stopped Zyprexa and I am getting off/on
> clenching and twitching in my hands. Mostly off.
> Like 95% of the day I am Ok. If I drink some caffeine
> and do some clenching motions it may start up again
> and I freak out. I have gotton twitches in my face
> that have persisted for months and then vanished. Is this
> just some sort of tardive dystonia like thingy that
> is likely to go poof over a few months like my other
> little twitches normally would? This one is much
> bigger, my whole hand is involved, fortunately not
> my dominant hand, but I'm still nervous.
>
> -John
poster:JohnX2
thread:95227
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020222/msgs/95280.html