Has anyone else got or had medication induced akathisia?

I am so very sorry this happened to your son. It's criminal. Absolutely criminal.

I'm assuming your son is now off all psychiatric drugs, except Lorazepam? How often does he take the lorazapam and does he ever take it more than once a day? You know benzos can be a double edged sword. They can initial help with the akathisia but can also cause it in withdrawal or keep it going. Your son may be getting interdosr withdrawal from it.

I took lorazepam at Christmas and it really helped with the akathisia. I took it prn. I was taking 1mg maybe once a week, once a fortnight, sometimes twice a week. 2 or 3 times I took it 3 days in a row. I took it like this for about 4 months. That was enough for me to hit tolerance. The lorazepam lost it's efficacy.

ive had severe akathisia for a year. It started on citalopram last year, further drugs were thrown at me which made it worse and added new terrible side effects (sertraline and quetiapine). I came off everything on march. I've been having severe withdrawal syndrome since then. I took my last ever lorazepam almost 3 months ago & it turned on me. When it wore off I was the sickest I've ever been.

I can't give advice on what your son should or shouldn't take. What I will say is that the way to recover from akathisia is to get off and stay off all psychiatric drugs and that includes benzos. All can result in horrific withdrawal syndromes so need to be titrated off very slowly and carefully. There are websites for that.

have you seen Angie's akathisia blog? She says everyone she's has helped has got better. It really gives me hope.

He's off all psych. drugs except Lorazepam 1mg tab. p.r.n..  My son's care staff collect 10 tabs. per month from the GP surgery.  So far, he's kept within that limit, usually less, but I'm worried that even that small amount seems to be making his akathisia worse even though it calms him down within half an hour.   He only has a tablet if his behaviour becomes really out of control, and never more than 1 tab. within 24 hrs..  His autism makes it impossible for him to have any behaviour boundaries when he feels like this from the akathisia.  When he's given a p.r.n. Lorazepam tablet there really seems to be no option because his stress becomes so extreme from the akathisia.  Some days he moves his feet for hours on end, walking endlessly round and round and backwards and forwards but going nowhere.  When he's like this he usually doesn't need a tablet because the behaviour is continuous for most of the day but still within manageable limits.  I take him for very ong walks but he can't stop and stand still.  On other days, the pointless walking is less marked but he makes constant soft snorting, sniffing, coughing sounds at the back of his throat for hours on end, wherever he goes.  Some days he hardly does these things and looks much happier and behaves almost as normally as he used to in his pre-psych. drug days (that was 20 yrs. ago when he was 22 and autism was his only problem).  I know about the dangers of benzos, but thanks for warning me.  Lorazepam is the fastest-acting tranquillizer that I know of, and when he has a major outburst he really needs to be given something fast.  There is no option.  He's a strong, fit 6ft. man.  

I haven't seen's Angie's akathisia blog yet, but will look it up.  I'm new to these forums.  Thanks for your advice!

Hi meteor... the Angie blog is very good... 

I was wondering how are you doing... did you got better from akathisia? 

Angie's blog is very good.

Er, I don't want to scare you but I'm not better yet. I was on various meds though and have only been med free for five months. I had an immediate reaction to citalopram last year and was given various other meds which all made me worse then when I came off everything, I got sever withdrawal on top. So I'm very sick but, like I say, I was very ill from the start and it was exacerbated by more toxic meds.

i would say maybe come off your seroquel very gradual and give yourself a chance to stabilise at each drop.

Where can I find An it's akathesia blog

Are you in the living with akathisia group on Facebook?

Are you better now? I have this horrific condition...had it now 21 mos with no lessening. I'm totally devastated; I can't work, am bed ridden and completely reliant upon my mother for care. I so need help. I'm 11 mos off a cold turkey off Klonopin and Prozac...

Hey, I can finally sit at peace. I'm not on any anti pyschotics and suffer daily from schizophrenia. But as I've stated before, akasthia is relentless and it's worse than any mental illness.I've tried all second generation anti pyschotics and they all gave me akasthia. I wouldn't wish it in my worse enemy. I hope your doing well?

I only took several pills (16) of Prozac. I had akathisia on it. I stopped and I still have it very bad. No mental history, no other drugs.

I could not sleep for 5 months after Prozac.

Then, I could sleep but akathisia became worse. Could not drive, eat, take care of myself, horrible pacing all the time, horrible pain and agitation.

Now, at 8 months after Prozac, I had one week with almost no symptoms. And some weeks of survivable symptoms. Then back to horror.

I have been diagnosed with Protracted Withdrawal from Prozac, namely iatrogenic syndrome. With akathisia.

I am taking ultra low doses of:

Lamotrigine 0.7mg

Diazepam 1mg

Propanolol 20mg

Clonidine 0.075mg

Melatonin 3mg

Very rarely Cyproheptadine 1-2mg. It knocks me out.

I wonder how meteor63 is doing...

I was the exact same.. I couldn't sit, drive and eating became a problem. I had to walk around eating my dinner.I couldn't sit watch tv. I had to take zopiclone to get some sleep. My life was devastated. I ended up trying to take my own life because of the severity of my illness. I now refuse medical treatment for pyschosis and I've been hospitalized twice. I was given lorezepam to stabilize. ITried propanalol and similar meds to you with no success. That's when I decided to stop my meds. I know how horrendus akasthia is, and even typing can cause distress. I pray you recover

Thank you Gordon. I'm not sure how I will handle life with this. I just pray it heals at some point and stops, like it did for 1 week.

You are so lucky akathisia stopped when you stopped the meds

Yes, my doctor has said as much. Life is challenging at the best of times.akasthia is the worst illness I have ever experienced. My doctor diagnosed me with agitation originally and prescribed more meds, which made the condition worse.. That inner torture of needing to be in constant motion. I lost my job,my fiance and eveyrhing. Only someone who has experiences akasthia understands it's impact. I really hope you can recover.

You seem to have lost quite alot too, gordon. I am very sorry.

I lost everything. But nobody understood. That's the problem. I couldn't leave the house. I paced up and Down in my kitchen from first thing in the morning until last thing at night. I hated waking up everyday. My psychiatrst said I had developed severe akasthia. My family thought it was my psychosis and schizophrenia to blame. But when i actually broke down crying they finally listened. That was weeks after my suicide attempt. Please don't let this ware you down.

Are you better Adrian?did it go away?