Left pectoral muscle twitches 😭

Hey all,

I’m Michael, GAD and Obsessive thoughts. Was on 20mg Lexapro for about 2 and a half years. Felt I was on time come off. My dr and I worked out a slow weaning off schedule. This was in maybe March last year. All was well until about December. Took my last dose end of May. But boom, it all came back recently out of nowhere.

Went back to my doc. We started me on 10mg lexapro again and maybe go up to 20 if needed.

Recently, and even before going back on the lexapro, I’ve had the annoying and worrisome twitches and spasm in my left breast muscle. Of course it freaks me out cause it’d on the left side. It doesn’t twitch at the same rate as my heart, like on a different rhythm. And it’s not like my hearts racing or pounding hard. I read that lexapro really doesn’t cause this, not in the pectoral muscles at least.
So of course I go down the rabbit hole and start googling. And everything I’m seeing it throwing me into a panic. Stuff like arteries being hardened and clogging, causing the muscles to contract. Also read that if this twitching/spasms continue long enough it can’t result in a heart attack.

Sound familiar? Is this just on if our normal twitches from the world of someone with anxiety or could this really be something way more serious?

Thanks in advance.

Thank you theHTreturns. And yea I’ve gotta all types of twitches before, especially in the eye lids lol and normally I just chalk it up to stress. But it’s being really driving up my panic because it’s only just been like my left breast.

Me eyes too! HT

Hi

Good advice above.

I would just like to welcome you to the forum you will find good support here so keep us posted.

Hibee

Waking up to all these responses felt great. Thank you all.

If it were twitching elsewhere I know (or don’t think) I would worry as much. The fact that it’s my left breast muscle of course I’m like oh jeez here it goes.

I’m definitely trying to stay off google when it comes to stuff like this. This was something I battled with before I first got help a few years ago. Once I got on my meds, the urge to look up symptoms disappeared. It started coming back recently. Hopefully it’ll subside once the lexapro starts to kick back in after being off for a while
Thank you all.

(This same response by Tim Tam to Michael85's question about Lexicpro side effects is on both threads:
1. “Lexipro (or other SSRI’s) and Muscle Twitching”
2. and “Left pectoral muscle twitches”
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Michael85 is on two Anxiety forum threads (“Lexipro (or other SSRI’s) and Muscle Twitching” and “Left pectoral muscle twitches”).

I’ve had muscle twitching also and did not connect it to medicine for 5 years. But the twitching was connected to a medicine I was taking (Mirtazapine anti-depressant).

Net says Mirtazapine is an SSRI which “stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. SSRI antidepressants are a type of antidepressant that work by increasing levels of serotonin within the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is often referred to as the `feel good hormone'”.

So when the question arises, does (“Lexipro (or other SSRI’s) [cause] Muscle Twitching” I found the answer to be, yes, Lexipro and other SSRI’s can cause muscle twitching.
This is of interest to me because I take an SSRI (Mirtazapine) and I have muscle twitching.

I have taken that medicine for five years. For the first 3 years (taking 15 mg.), I made no connection between taking the Mirtazapine at 12 midinight, and by toes starting to twitch 30-45 minutes later, plus my appetite increasing to where I had to get up and have a snack.

Due to circumstances, the connection dawned on me and my psychiatrist reduced the med to 7.5 from 15 mg and I thought all was taken care of.

For the last 2 years on 7.5 mg, I would have occasional toe twitching but it has increased, followed by getting up and having another snack. So I get to bed at 12 midnight, and at 5 a.m. I have yet to get to sleep.

Two days ago for the first time, I connected all of that, so I took my Mirtazapine not at midnight, but 5 hours earlier at 7 p.m., hoping the side effects would wear off at midnight, and they did and I slept from 12 midnight to 8 a.m..

about the SSRI Lexapro (treats anxiety and depression net says), Webmd.com says under rare side effects:

A Feeling Of Restlessness With Inability To Sit Still
Muscle Tremors
Cramps

And under “Side Effects, 5th paragraph:
“twitching muscles”.

By clicking on “twitching muscles” in the 5th paragraph of Side Effects, it said:
"Twitches. Unlike tics, the majority of muscle twitches are isolated occurrences, not repeated actions. Muscle twitches are also known as myoclonic jerks. They are entirely involuntary and cannot be controlled or suppressed."

So I would say SSRI’s can cause twitching muscles.

You also said, “Recently, and even before going back on the Lexapro (after being off of that for 8 months), I’ve had the annoying and worrisome twitches and spasm in my left breast muscle.”

Trying to figure out what to do after finding out the SSRI’s can cause muscle twitching I’m finding to also be a problem. I’m trying to take my Mirtazapine 5 hours early. But the twitching toes starts only about an hour or two after taking the medicine, so I maybe I can take it 2 hours before bedtime.

You might also use a heating pad as a combination approach to working on this issue of muscle twitching.

Anyway, that’s the situation as I see it.