Discussion Akathesia

[AnneBoleyn]

Has anyone else experienced akathesia?

I haven't slept in 30+ hours because of this restless feeling. I feel like I want to peel my skin off. I feel like I have bugs crawling under my skin and my bones are itchy. My muscles are tensing painfully and I feel like I'm in the wrong body. Everything is uncomfortable, unsettling and wrong. I'm going mad. It's most often caused by medication like SSRIs and antipsychotics. It usually only lasts 12-24 hours for me, but this time I don't know if I am strong enough to wait it out. There's tiktoks of people describing it and saying it makes them want to end it all. I don't know what to do.

Here's a quick google overview for those that don't know about it -
Akathisia is a distressing, drug-induced movement disorder characterized by an uncontrollable, intense need to move, usually manifesting as pacing, marching in place, or constant shifting of legs.
Symptoms
- Subjective feeling of severe inner restlessness.
- Inability to sit or stand still, often appearing as rocking, pacing, or shifting weight.
- Repetitive movements, such as tapping feet or crossing/uncrossing legs.
- Mental distress, agitation, and, in severe cases, suicidal thoughts or aggressive behavior.

 

[prelapsarian]

Are you taking a medication known to cause it? It goes away for most people after discontinuation. Abilify (not saying this med in particular is bad, my specific body/brainjust reacted poorly to it) was so brutal in side effects I only made it a week before going off of it.