u/ESAhelp_throwaway

I’m a paramedic on the 911 ambulance system. A few days ago I asked a coworker to give me a dose of droperidol after gastroparesis made me unable to keep liquids down for two days. They stopped by my house to give me a small dose of drope as well as some fluids, then left. Within minutes I got the “something is wrong” feeling I’m sure all of you know too well. Then the horrible itchiness started. I was writhing and crying for hours with absolutely no idea of what was happening to me. The only saving grace was that I somehow remembered that Benadryl is used to manage other bad reactions to droperidol, so I took a literal handful and was able to get a few hours of sleep. It took two days to get back to something resembling normal - I know I got lucky compared to some of you poor folks. But now I’m thinking about all the patients I’ve inadvertently condemned to suffer the way I did, or even worse. I give droperidol pretty often, it’s in our protocols to use as a sedative or an antiemetic. I feel absolutely heartsick at the thought that any of the people I’ve given it to had this reaction. I could have caused someone to endure this torture for days or months or years.

I consider myself pretty informed about medicine but I had zero idea what akathisia was before I experienced it. It’s horrifying that we’re given the ability to administer a drug with this potential effect, and not taught about it. Needless to say, I’m never giving droperidol again and I’m telling all my coworkers about the risks. I might even ask my supervisors if we even need droperidol; we have meds that work more effectively for sedation and vomiting, while unpleasant, is far better than akathisia.

I sincerely hope anyone I’ve caused to suffer in this way is able to find relief.