- Hi everyone, in today's video we are going to be
talking about what exactly akathisia is.
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and I make videos about what it's like
living with schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia.
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All right. So akathisia is usually a side effect
of anti-psychotic drugs.
It is a movement disorder that makes it hard to stay still
and causes kind of an urge to move
that you can't really control.
So I have experienced akathisia quite a number of times,
and it is truly dreadful.
The way I describe it is by equating it somewhat
to the feeling you get if you drank way too much coffee.
A friend of mine calls this sensation the feeling of doom.
And that is absolutely what akathisia feels like. Doom.
Basically what it can feel like
is just kind of wanting to just jump out of your skin.
You may need to fidget all the time, walk around,
or do things like crossing and uncrossing your legs.
It is possible for other drugs
to bring on akathisia as well.
These can include drugs to prevent vomiting and nausea,
some antidepressants, and calcium channel blockers.
Certain health conditions can also bring it on,
such as Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury,
or encephalitis, which is a type of brain inflammation.
So, doctors aren't quite sure why exactly
these drugs cause this effect.
A theory, though, is that these medications block dopamine,
which plays an important role in muscle control.
So diving more into the symptoms of akathisia,
the main sign of it is just kind of a general sense
of restlessness, or what I call the sense of doom,
and an intense need to just move around.
In order to relieve this feeling,
you kind of just need to stay in motion.
So people with akathisia are likely to do things such as
rocking back and forth, walking in place or pacing,
and shifting their weight from foot to foot,
crossing and uncrossing their legs, squirming or fidgeting,
and sometimes even grunting or moaning.
This inner restlessness can also cause feelings
of irritability, stress, impatience, or panic.
And again, the most apt description I can think of
is just feeling like you just need to jump out of your skin.
It's important to note that not everyone
taking an anti-psychotic medication gets akathisia.
Symptoms usually start within a few days
and it is more common with first-generation anti-psychotics.
But it can still happen with newer anti-psychotics too.
It can also be more likely to occur
if you start right off on a higher dose,
increase doses drastically and suddenly,
or if you stop medication suddenly without tapering.
So there are four different types of akathisia,
depending on when you get the condition.
So the first one is acute akathisia
and it develops soon after starting a medication
and lasts for anywhere less than six months.
The second one is chronic akathisia,
when it lasts for more than six months,
the third one is tardive akathisia,
which is when it develops months or years
after starting a medication,
and the fourth one is withdrawal akathisia,
which typically sets in within six weeks
after switching or stopping an anti-psychotic medication.
Treatment for akathisia is most commonly
simply switching your medication.
Your doctor may lower your dose or switch you
to a medication that is less likely to cause akathisia.
There are also medications that can be used to treat
akathisia, including beta blockers like propranolol,
which is usually the first treatment prescribed,
which I have used in the past,
benzodiazepines, which are anti-anxiety medications
used only for short-term use, I use these as needed,
anticholinergics, which are typically used
for movement disorders, such as muscle stiffness
or certain kinds of tremors
caused by anti-psychotic medications,
certain antidepressants, which at low doses
can help to relieve akathisia symptoms
drugs for Parkinson's disease, which can help to boost
your dopamine levels, potentially easing akathisia,
and vitamin B6, which high doses of can help
ease symptoms akathisia as well.
If you have this inner sense of doom
or inner restlessness as a result of medications,
it is very important to let your doctor know.
If left untreated akathisia can lead to
quite a bit of distress, disruptive behaviors,
or sometimes even suicidal thoughts.
Also, I just want to remind you
to not stop taking your medications
until you have consulted with your doctor
and figured out a safe way to do so,
or some other alternative.
It is possible for your doctor to adjust your dose
or to change your medication
to relieve your symptoms of akathisia.
So the outlook for akathisia is fairly good.
So typically once your doctor lowers your dose
or finds the right medication, akathisia will go away.
The only exception is tardive akathisia,
which only affects a small number of people.
The only way to prevent akathisia
or to lower the risk of it is for your doctor
to start you on a low dose of anti-psychotic medication,
and then to gradually increase the dose over time
until the right therapeutic dose is reached.
So thank you so much for watching this video.
I hope it was helpful in learning more about akathisia.
I would love to hear about any experiences you've had
with akathisia and how it's been managed, if it has,
in the comments below.
If you would like to see more videos from us like this one,
make sure to subscribe.
And also if you would like to help support us
in continuing to create educational content like this,
please consider becoming a patron through our Patreon page.
The link is in the description below.
Thanks so much again for watching and as always,
wishing you and your loved ones good health.
I'll see you in the next video. Bye.