Paradisegirl: Akathisia advise needed

[ParadiseGirl]

I am currently suffering from akathisia that was caused by a low dose antipsychotic that I started in July. My doctor did not identify it at first. Akathisia started out slowly in August and kept getting worse. My doctor prescribed  lamotrigine in an attempt to treat it. It didn't work and I ended up titrating back off the lamotrigine and cold turkied the antipsychotic since it was a low dose anyway. I still have the akathisia. It has been about 4 or 5 months with this horrible condition. I have read that the best way to treat this is to remain med free. My doctor wanted to give me another antipsychotic, but I refused. Is it best to just wait this out while remaining drug free? Has anyone else healed from this after getting off their meds?

Edited January 8, 2021 by manymoretodays
moved from off topic and title added

[Shep]

Hi, ParadiseGirl.

 

What drug were you prescribed? Are you on any other drugs or supplements?

 

What do you mean by "akathisia"? How does it manifest for you? For example, some people feel it as "mental" akathisia and some have it as physical symptoms or a mix of both. 

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

• Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• This is a direct link to your signature:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

Please continue to use this thread to ask questions. 

 

[ParadiseGirl]

Hi Shep,

My akathisia is mostly mental. I experience extreme inner anxiety and fear.  Adrenaline type feelings with claustrophobia and panic attacks. When it's bad, I feel like I want to escape from within my own body. I have problems with getting comfortable. Can't sit still and when it's bad, I pace around and bounce up and down on the balls of my feet. I have developed phobias toward all sorts of things. Hard time eating. Just about everything makes me nervous. I am finding small tasks very difficult to perform, my concentration is very bad. Can't stand watching t.v. anymore. So uncomfortable with so much that it's hard to put into words. I am struggling just to survive from sun up till sun down. Complete wreck. I can barely cook, and can't function well enough to go anywhere. I could go on and on. I am not on any meds right now. I do take 50mg. of benadryl for sleep with 6mg of melatonin. The akathisia started a month after I started invega (3mg.) I started it on July 1st. My doctor tried upping the dose when symptoms appeared. It got worse. He lowered it back down, and added lamotrigine to it. I titrated the lamotrigine up to 100 mg. The akathisia was still going and I was taken off the invega. It did not help. So, I titrated off the lamotrigine two months ago. I have been off invega 3 months and lamotrigine for 2 months now. I am scared this will not go away. 

[Shep]

11 hours ago, ParadiseGirl said:

My akathisia is mostly mental. I experience extreme inner anxiety and fear.  

 

Please see:

 

Akathisia vs restlessness, anxiety, agitation

 

11 hours ago, ParadiseGirl said:

I am not on any meds right now. I do take 50mg. of benadryl for sleep with 6mg of melatonin.

 

That's a very high dose of melatonin. Please see:

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

Please have a careful read of that first post. You may need to reduce the melatonin and see if you feel better. 

 

Also, Benadryl can be problematic for people going through withdrawal. And it will need to be tapered if you've taken it for a month or longer. Please see:

 

Antihistamines for withdrawal insomnia (diphenhydramine, doxylamine, hydroxyzine)

 

11 hours ago, ParadiseGirl said:

The akathisia started a month after I started invega (3mg.) I started it on July 1st. My doctor tried upping the dose when symptoms appeared. It got worse. He lowered it back down, and added lamotrigine to it. I titrated the lamotrigine up to 100 mg. The akathisia was still going and I was taken off the invega. It did not help. So, I titrated off the lamotrigine two months ago. I have been off invega 3 months and lamotrigine for 2 months now.

 

Please add a signature with this information. Instructions are here:

 

Please summarize your withdrawal history in your signature

[saeed]

Hi Paradisegirl,

 

hope you’re doing well, I was taking invega shot for 5 months and went off last October it’s the same medicine but deferent form.

I am sure you’ll get better in time as AP is really strong medicine which requires patience.

 

how you doing right now, any progress ?!

Stay strong and calm.