A DAD has shared how a change in his antidepressants has left him experiencing “freezing episodes” and uncontrollable vibrating.
It was towards the end of 2022 when Christoph Muth’s suggested he switch his and not thinking much of it, the dad agreed.
But within days of starting the new , his life dramatically changed.
The 52-year-old started experiencing uncontrollable tremors, prickling of the skin, issues with balance and sometimes even complete numbness.
Due to his reaction, doctors helped Christoph to come off the antidepressant but unfortunately, his nervous system has never reverted back to ‘normal’.
Christoph now says it’s a against time to find a cure. He said: “I want my life back. I feel as though I’m being destroyed alive.”
Before the medication switch, the dad-of-three had taken escitalopram for years to help manage his mild .
But after he was involved in an accident and injured his arm in 2022, his doctor suggested that he switch to duloxetine – an that also doubles as a pain medication.
It was following this switch that all of Christoph’s symptoms started and while he blames the drug, it’s not conclusive that that medication change is to blame.
It’s possible that the neurological condition – which hasn’t yet been formally diagnosed – lay dormant for years and was simply triggered by the swap.
Antidepressants are a type of medicine used to treat , as well as anxiety and certain other mental conditions.
According to the , it’s thought they work by affecting the activity of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.
Common side effects of antidepressants include mood changes, feeling agitated, difficulty sleeping, , headaches, feeling dizzy, loss of appetite, sweating more than usual and problems with sex.
But in Christoph’s case, his side effects have been much worse.
Speaking about the effect it’s had, he said: “This illness determines almost every hour of my life.
“Emotionally, I’m filled with fear and anger. Physically, my body refuses to calm down.
“There is hardly such a thing as a truly normal day anymore. I’m living in survival mode.”
The dad says he suffers from sensory disturbances, issues with his heart rate and and body vibrations and reduced mobility.
And with things only worsening, he says he’s been “forced” to move to as a last-ditch effort to find a treatment that works.
He said: “At times, I experience freezing episodes in which I remain standing as if frozen.
“For a moment, I can no longer continue walking. My body just won’t let me.
“One of the most striking of my condition is the pronounced asymmetry of my autonomic nervous system.
“One side of my body can react completely differently from the other.
“For example, goosebumps can sometimes occur on only one side of my body.”
The dad added: “There can also be clear differences between the two sides of my face.
“At times, one eye deviates clearly outwards, or to the side, while the two eyes no longer react synchronously.
“My vision is becoming increasingly impaired and my speech is also affected at times.
“Particularly unusual is the fact that certain movements of my head or body can trigger or intensify neurological and autonomic reactions; such as spasms.
“I cry almost each day, as I am so desperate for a cure. But I’ll keep fighting as I know that it’s out there.”
In October 2023, Christoph went back to , his home country, for extensive neurological exams and then at the end of 2025, he was referred to a specialist clinic in Israel.
Following this, he was recommended a hospital in Thailand and desperate to find some answers, he moved there to give it a shot.
Since being in Thailand he’s undergone numerous tests, scans and treatments, but unfortunately nothing has helped to stabilise him.
Speaking about his experience, he said: “It’s very difficult to be away from my family. My wife and three kids are the most important people in my life.
“I want to be more of a father and husband again – not spend almost every hour of my life primarily being a patient.
“I miss normal family life and the completely ordinary things I hardly thought about before.
Christoph says he’s now sharing his story in the hopes that “leading neurological centres” will read about his struggle and be able to help.
He said: “It would mean everything to my family and me. Even stabilisation would be a major success for us.“Improvement would of course mean even more.
“There are so many clues here, and individual pieces of the puzzle, but no final solution.
“This illness has taught me a great deal about life; nothing can be taken for granted.
“When you are healthy, you hardly think about that. I understand, now, how valuable a single quiet hour can be, or being able to hold someone I love, such as my daughter, in my arms.
“It’s a race against time to be admitted to a highly specialised clinical centre before this takes everything away from me.”
