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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
now i have bad akathisia.
and i know this sounds weird, i've said it before but at night when im trying to go to sleep i get it in my head... last night was bad. drank 4 beers and 900mg gabapentin finally did it.mood goes down with gabapentin, which lowers anxiety. so is my low mood related to the gabapentin, or is it that once the anxiety lowers my true mood comes out??
how does one treat this? work on med to fix mood? or adjust meds to treat mood?
Posted by SLS on June 15, 2012, at 12:20:34
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
> now i have bad akathisia.
What symptoms do you have that indicate akathisia?
What drug(s) do you attribute this to?
- Scott
Posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 12:34:43
In reply to Re: Akathisia » B2chica, posted by SLS on June 15, 2012, at 12:20:34
cant stop moving. lower half of body. need to have knee bouncing just to sit still. i've gone on three walks outside work today.
last night i get it in my head. where i have to move my head left to right cuz i feel thjis weird sensation in my head and the only thing that helps it is doing that...i know its weird but it helps. also if i listen to radiohead's spinning plates it helps...i think because the music is dense and goes left to right a lot.so my eyes and head follow.
i know again weird.at least i'm just saying its akathisia cuz i've described it as restless leg syndrom in my head. and today my irritability is VERY high. my anxiety is high. im at 1200 mg of gabapentin and its reigning it in but still there in stomach. and throughout under my skin. into my arms and finger.
now my mood sucks, im guessing because of the gabapentin...or maybe not.. who f-ing knows with me. my mood is down but its more irritable like i want to slam my car into a wall. stuff.i need to leave work now.
b2
Posted by SLS on June 15, 2012, at 14:12:47
In reply to Re: Akathisia » SLS, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 12:34:43
Hi.
What drug do you suppose is causing the akathisia?
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on June 15, 2012, at 16:32:00
In reply to Re: Akathisia » B2chica, posted by SLS on June 15, 2012, at 14:12:47
Is it the gabapentin? Are you thinking dose may be high. Or this is what eliminates it? Phillipa
Posted by novelagent on June 15, 2012, at 17:05:49
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
40 mg of Inderal 2x/day works.
Or you can try amphetamine-- that's what I do. It works by decreasing dopamine blockade caused by antipsychotics.
> now i have bad akathisia.
> and i know this sounds weird, i've said it before but at night when im trying to go to sleep i get it in my head... last night was bad. drank 4 beers and 900mg gabapentin finally did it.
>
> mood goes down with gabapentin, which lowers anxiety. so is my low mood related to the gabapentin, or is it that once the anxiety lowers my true mood comes out??
> how does one treat this? work on med to fix mood? or adjust meds to treat mood?
>
>
Posted by Zyprexa on June 16, 2012, at 1:12:59
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
I think you need to go back on perphenazine before you lose your job early. Going off APs which work for me was a bad thing. Even worse is trying to get on new ones that don't work at the same time.
Posted by Zyprexa on June 16, 2012, at 1:15:58
In reply to Re: Akathisia » SLS, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 12:34:43
Just a guess, but I think the akathisia is from comeing off perphenazine.
Posted by bleauberry on June 16, 2012, at 6:07:01
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
I tend to agree with what others have already noticed....discontinuation of AP. Bizarre stuff can come from that, such as akathisia, mood issues, anxiety, restless legs syndrome, etc. The problems might resolve on their own, and probably will, but most likely talking weeks or months not days.
With such good plant medicines available to us to deal with those sorts of bizarre symptoms there are a lot better choices than beer or gabapentin. imo. For the short term it might be considered to get back on the AP at its lowest dose and then continue with the weaning process except this time in smaller steps and longer time.
Posted by B2chica on June 18, 2012, at 8:06:13
In reply to Re: Akathisia, posted by Zyprexa on June 16, 2012, at 1:15:58
i think you are Exactly Right on Zyprexa.
its getting better. not Nearly as bad now.
Posted by novelagent on June 18, 2012, at 23:30:51
In reply to Re: Akathisia » Zyprexa, posted by B2chica on June 18, 2012, at 8:06:13
> i think you are Exactly Right on Zyprexa.
> its getting better. not Nearly as bad now.
>It's called treatment onset akathisia. 7 days starting or stopping or adjusting dose of an antipsychotic or SSRI.
Posted by B2chica on June 19, 2012, at 8:30:21
In reply to Re: Akathisia, posted by novelagent on June 18, 2012, at 23:30:51
novelagent. i didnt realize that.
ive had this in the past, normally at the most only lasting a couple weeks.
now i know why...
thank you
Posted by novelagent on June 19, 2012, at 8:33:00
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
I know I've been pushing it lately, but Aricept has had some mentions in books that go akathisia, saying it worked in a few cases where it was tried on a patient, but that it hasn't been studied for akathisia.
So you don't need to go to amphetamine if you take aricept. Baclofen wouod likely work just as well, although I don't quite know anything about that drug. To me, aricept is safer, because it's been tried in so many people before...
I'm glad to hear you're doing better. If you're taking Inderal, I need 40mg-- 20 mg is what they gave me in the hospital, and it didn't work. But since I went off Effexor two months ago, Inderal doesn't work at all for some reason-- only amphetamine works. And even that, lately, seems to be working less (although it works). Hmmf.
What's that herb that has been studies for akathisia? I've heard good things.
> now i have bad akathisia.
> and i know this sounds weird, i've said it before but at night when im trying to go to sleep i get it in my head... last night was bad. drank 4 beers and 900mg gabapentin finally did it.
>
> mood goes down with gabapentin, which lowers anxiety. so is my low mood related to the gabapentin, or is it that once the anxiety lowers my true mood comes out??
> how does one treat this? work on med to fix mood? or adjust meds to treat mood?
>
>
Posted by phidippus on June 19, 2012, at 17:55:19
In reply to Akathisia, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 11:27:49
mood goes down with gabapentin, which lowers anxiety. so is my low mood related to the gabapentin, or is it that once the anxiety lowers my true mood comes out?
Are you bipolar? High moods in thee bipolar world can mean added anxiety. The gabapentine maybe stabilizing your mood a bit, in turn lessening your anxiety.
Get Propanalol for the akathisia, wherever that's coming from.
Eric
Posted by Zyprexa on June 19, 2012, at 23:25:45
In reply to Re: Akathisia » Zyprexa, posted by B2chica on June 18, 2012, at 8:06:13
So you are on brand name zyprexa now and every thing is good? I do see a bit of difference but going to stick with generic for now. I have some of both so I will be ok. I'm hoping the generic keeps working for me.
Posted by b2chica on June 21, 2012, at 11:05:47
In reply to Re: Akathisia » B2chica, posted by Zyprexa on June 19, 2012, at 23:25:45
Alas, my dear friend. i am not on zyprexa. and not all is well. but for right now i'm hoping its some psychological mess and i just saw T which next day i felt better, i see her again next thursday. if i feel better after again than im assuming this low lying down mood is in my head but not chemical.
otherwise. i'm going to ask pdoc to add desipramine instead of trying low cymbalta. im kinda scared of that. we'll see how it goes the next couple of miserable weeks.
thanks.
and yes life would be easier if i'd just take the zyprexa (at 10) but i never lost the weight from last time. and if i gain too much more it will effect my ability to do things.thanks dear Z.
Posted by creepy on June 26, 2012, at 11:14:52
In reply to Re: Akathisia » SLS, posted by B2chica on June 15, 2012, at 12:34:43
sounds like a mixed state. Are your thoughts so busy you have to move your body to unwind some of that energy?
If this is an episodic thing maybe you can ask for some AAP to take PRN? Zyprexa or something.
RLS is more like a physical sensation where you get an unbearable tickle or sensation in feet and legs that you have to move to get rid of. SSRIs can cause that, maybe through the roundabout way they lower dopamine?
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