Myoclonus during psychedelic intoxication?

[AA357]

Recently I've noticed I twitch quite a lot when I'm tripping. It happens mostly when I'm very relaxed. I have had hypnic jerks before but these are much different... they don't feel like shocks and they happen when I am fully awake. Sometimes I can even feel when they are about to happen. Are these seizures? Should I be worried?

 

[CrypticArc]

Do they feel something like post-pee shivers, more comparable to some other experience, or are they just random twitches that come without much warning or sensation?

 

[jammin83]

AA you may want to take a break for a bit. Do what you do man but your body might be telling you to slow down. Going at 2C-E a few times a week can't be good for you. Do what you want, but there isn't a lot of studies done on some of these substances and what types of long-term effects they have. Twitching/seizures doesn't sound too great. Maybe just chill and smoke some herb for a week or two?

 

[AA357]

Do they feel something like post-pee shivers, more comparable to some other experience, or are they just random twitches that come without much warning or sensation?

No... it's nothing like a shiver or a tremor. The closest thing I can compare it to is a hypnic jerk, except it's not startling like a hypnic jerk and it occurs when I'm fully awake (relaxed but not in a hypnagogic state). I'll be lying there listening to music and all of a sudden experience a single rapid involuntary muscle twitch. Occasionally I can sense when it's about to happen. It doesn't feel unpleasant or scary - it's just strange and I'm just curious as to why this happens. I don't have a history of seizures but I did experience something similar for a few minutes after coming round from general anesthesia... my feet were twitching and I couldn't keep the oximeter on my finger. Myoclonus seems like the most likely explanation.

AA you may want to take a break for a bit. Do what you do man but your body might be telling you to slow down. Going at 2C-E a few times a week can't be good for you. Do what you want, but there isn't a lot of studies done on some of these substances and what types of long-term effects they have. Twitching/seizures doesn't sound too great. Maybe just chill and smoke some herb for a week or two?

Thanks for your concern. Recently I've cut down to taking 2C-E once a week, sometimes twice. Taking it 4x per week like I was gets boring after a while.
On a side note I am going for an echocardiogram in a couple of weeks. I know a test sample of one person isn't much but I'm hoping nothing will have changed (in a bad way) since my last echo 5 years ago despite my heavy psychedelic use. Since then I have become an athlete and quit cigarette smoking and cocaine use so I'm hoping my heart will be stronger if anything. I am skeptical of the notion that classical 5HT psychedelics are powerful enough agonists at 2B receptors to cause MDMA/fenfluramine-like valvulopathies. I actually had a doctor listen to my heart earlier on today... she said it sounded perfectly fine, just a bit slow (this is normal in athletes).

I have always noticed occasional twitching as a side effect of psychedelic drugs, even before I started using them heavily. It's something I never really gave any thought to until recently.
Not all seizures are dangerous - a hiccup is an example of a myoclonic seizure. As long as I'm not at risk of tonic-clonic seizures, epilepsy or brain damage then these little twitches really don't bother me.

 

[CrypticArc]

The only thing I can really think of is that serotonin can cause muscle responses. Twitches are one of the most common symptoms of SS so my guess is your serotonin saturated brain is responding with accidental signals. No way to be sure as far as I can tell.

 

[perpetualdawn]

Is it a single muscle that twitches, or is it like a full body twitch?

 

[jammin83]

Low magnesium levels can cause muscle twitching, a supplement can ease muscle tension too.

 

[AA357]

One thing I forgot to mention is that the twitches happen more often when I get those flashing, strobing CEVs (possible photogenic cause?).

The only thing I can really think of is that serotonin can cause muscle responses. Twitches are one of the most common symptoms of SS so my guess is your serotonin saturated brain is responding with accidental signals. No way to be sure as far as I can tell.

Makes sense. 5HT psychedelics also increase glutamate so I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it.
http://www.bluelight.org/vb/archive/index.php/t-230544.html
This study explains how LSD and DOI increase glutamate levels. Interestingly it mentions that these drugs are not 'pro-convulsant'.

Is it a single muscle that twitches, or is it like a full body twitch?

It's almost always a single muscle or a particular group of nearby/related muscles. Most often I get them in my core muscles and lower body but occasionally I get them in my upper body.
They are always unilateral... sometimes my right leg will jerk and other times my left leg will jerk, but never both at the same time. It's quite amusing sometimes.

Low magnesium levels can cause muscle twitching, a supplement can ease muscle tension too.

This is stellar advice... I actually supplement with magnesium citrate and I recommend it to a lot of people.
I used to get hellish jaw tension on LSD and 2C-E but since I started taking magnesium, I stopped getting it.
The twitches seem to have nothing to do with muscle tension. The last time I took 2C-E I combined it with 700mg Soma. My muscles felt very relaxed, but I still experienced twitching.
Next time I might take Valium with my 2C-E. It's a powerful anticonvulsant so it'll be interesting to see if it has any effect on the twitching.

 

[SteamboatBillJr]

I experience mild dyskinesia if I'm blindingly stressed. I also get mild dyskinesia if I am to tired. Have you experimented with temperature? Perhaps you may want to get some warmer clothes on, maybe a sweater. Or, you could find a way to decrease the temperature several degrees. With me this if effective and now you know.