A father-of-three has spoken out after a routine switch in his antidepressant medication left him with severe tremors and sudden freezing episodes.

Christoph Muth, 52, saw his health collapse within days of changing his prescription in late 2022.

'I want my life back,' Muth said. 'I feel as though I'm being destroyed alive.'

The Sun reports that Muth had previously taken escitalopram for years to manage a mild panic disorder. Following an arm injury, his GP recommended switching to duloxetine, an antidepressant that also works as a treatment for nerve pain.

While Muth links his physical decline to the medication swap, doctors emphasise that the drug change is not conclusively to blame. Specialists note that an undiagnosed neurological condition may have lain dormant before being triggered.

Debilitating Tremors and Sudden Freezing Episodes

Within days of starting the new tablets, Muth developed balance problems, prickling skin, numbness, and uncontrollable tremors. Doctors helped him safely stop the medication, but his nervous system never recovered.

'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,' Muth explained.

The condition also causes sudden freezing episodes that halt him mid-stride.

'At times, I experience freezing episodes in which I remain standing as if frozen,' Muth said. 'For a moment, I can no longer continue walking. My body just won't let me.'

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Asymmetric Nerve Damage and Physical Decline

Muth experiences profound disruption to his autonomic nervous system, the network regulating involuntary functions like heart rate and blood pressure. The symptoms display a striking physical asymmetry across his body.

'One side of my body can react completely differently from the other,' Muth noted. 'For example, goosebumps can sometimes occur on only one side of my body.'

The nerve damage also impairs his facial control, vision, and speech.

'I cry almost each day, as I am so desperate for a cure,' Muth added. 'But I'll keep fighting as I know that it's out there.'

Search for Specialist Care and Clinical Risks

Muth had extensive neurological tests in Germany in 2023, before seeing specialists in Israel in late 2025. He later moved to Thailand for advanced scans and hospital care in a desperate bid to stabilise his health.

The distance has taken a heavy emotional toll on his family.

'It's very difficult to be away from my family,' Muth said. 'It's a race against time to be admitted to a highly specialised clinical centre before this takes everything away from me.'

According to the NHS, antidepressants work by altering brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, including serotonin and noradrenaline. Common side effects include agitation, shakiness, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. These symptoms usually ease as the body adjusts.

A 2020 study of 508 patients found that antidepressant side effects often disrupt daily life. Researchers noted that tremors, sweating, sleep problems, and stomach issues linked closely to how long patients took the drugs.

Severe nerve complications after switching medications remain rare. However, doctors warn patients never to change their antidepressant doses without medical supervision. Anyone experiencing unusual neurological symptoms should contact their GP or a specialist immediately.

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