|
Q: Muscle Spasms & Stomach Pain-Med Related?
Dr. Phelps,
I am diagnosed with bp11 and ADHD. I have shown some improvement on the
Trileptal. Recently I have had a major depressive episode (most likely
related to seasonal changes). My doctor put me on a low dose of Wellbutrin
for the depresson and ADHD. The Wellburtin has helped some. I have
also noticed that I'm having muscel spasms, stomach pain, and sometimes feel
like people are looking at me. I'm wondering how much of it is the Wellbutrin
and how much of it could be me.
Dear Karen --
Well, yes, I think the Wellbutrin could do that. ("I think", because
it's not something we see with Wellbutrin often; but I saw a patient who had
gotten muscle spasms so severe it was thought perhaps to be a seizure, in this
case when Wellbutrin was added to Paxil).
Not sure what that stomach pain is, except that
in folks with "irritable bowel syndrome", which is common with bipolar
disorder, when anxiety/energy goes up, often the IBS gets worse too.
Similarly, the Wellbutrin could be doing something similar to muscle tone (IBS
for the gut muscles, "muscle spasms" for the skeletal muscles) and
thereby cause the spasms you've noted. Ask you doctor -- including maybe a
trial of tapering down to see what happens? Maybe substitute a trial of
light therapy if things get worse again?
Dr. Phelps
Published December, 2001
|