r/Akathisia

Got IV reglan 2 days ago and its left me with side effects. Seen it can take a while to go away 😢

thankyou

Sorry post might be to long, Im on day 35 of akathisia due to a migraine mocktail of benadryl and reglan. It's been the hardest time of my life with insomnia, intense doom, panic, anxiety restlessness, diarrhea stomach problems and so on. I have not been to work and im also a mom and not been able to be myself has been killing me of the guilt. I am constantly crying. I have been having waves and windows of feeling sorta "normal". Like 2 days out of 7 im okay. I feel like im not myself like im in a bubble. I've been to several medical professionals and they all say its not possible. I feel like im alone. There is no help for me out there. I dont want to take medication and that's all the doctors do more medication here its just anxiety here is more medication! Has anyone gone this long and did they get better?

The name of this drug has never made sense to me since it causes me to have extreme paranoia, intense anxiety, racing thoughts and repeated panic attacks. I also can’t stop moving so I pace around aimlessly, from 4am/5am onward. The inability to be able to sit still can feel like torture. They make me sleep less too. I go from 8-10 hrs of sleep every night to about 5-7 hrs of sleep. Anti psychotics also cause me to have unhealthy weight loss. Both times I was on them, I dropped to 98lbs. My face looked gaunt.

Has anyone else experienced these side effects?

I don't usually post about things like this, but I'm having a really difficult time lately and I want to hear from people who might have gone through something similar.

I have ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder, and I've had quite a few medication changes recently.

My current medications are:

Atomoxetine 80 mg

Venlafaxine (Effexor) 75 mg

Quetiapine 25 mg

Before this, I was taking atomoxetine 60 mg and venlafaxine 225 mg/day. I was also taking risperidone (Psychodal) 1 mg.

My psychiatrist then wanted to switch me from risperidone to brexpiprazole (Neuropression) 10 mg. I accidentally took both because I didn't realize I was supposed to stop the risperidone. My doctor told me to stop the risperidone, and later the brexpiprazole was also stopped and replaced with quetiapine 25 mg.

Around all these changes, I went through a period where I could barely sleep for about a week.

Now, over the last few days, I'm feeling something that I honestly can't describe very well.

I feel extremely restless. It's like there is this huge amount of energy inside me that I can't get rid of. I can't properly relax. I can't just sit down and feel comfortable. I constantly feel like I need to move or do something.

It's not just normal nervousness. It feels physical, like my body won't let me rest.

And the worst part is that the feeling itself makes me anxious, and then the anxiety makes the restlessness even worse. It's becoming a horrible cycle.

I've also been feeling more depressed and sad lately, and there have been moments where I've thought, "I just want this to end" meaning I desperately want this feeling to stop. It's honestly exhausting.

I've been reading about akathisia, and a lot of the descriptions sound frighteningly similar to what I'm experiencing.

I don't know if this is actually akathisia, severe anxiety, medication activation, venlafaxine withdrawal from dropping from 225 mg to 75 mg, or some combination of everything.

I have messaged my psychiatrist and he told me to stop atomoxetine until I have the chance to visit him

I'm in another wave. I thought this was stopping but that's the relentless thing about it it tricks you lulls you into a sense of security and then BAM you're freaking out, chills, burning, panic all of it all again. I'm supposed to be doing this leader thing at my church in the next couple weeks and I have no idea how I'll do this. I still cant even get out of the house.

Uhg thanks for listening.

Omg I had another stomach virus and my nervous system blew up again. I honestly don’t know how much of it is aka, dystonia, neuropathy and other nervous system damage but my legs feel cramped up and like they will explode, like I get this physical pressure that makes my legs move into positions involuntarily but this comes with insane pressure sensations and I feel like my legs will physically explode. I have felt all of that but to a much much more lower level and it came and went, allowing me to live omg, now it’s insane. I don’t feel anxious or panicked though with this. Its like my leg muscles are trying to rip me apart. They spasm continuously, buzz, pull me. I have been through a few flares that also presented like extreme increased pressure tension cramping in the legs but damn, I think it’s the worst it’s been and u seriously doubt it will go down like it did previously… Just a week ago I was „healed” enough I was looking after my daughter full time and actually having a life, doing things. Now I am stuck in bed/on the couch with almost no sleep in sooo much discomfort. I What the hell is that…

For people that got akathisia from tapering benzos, how long did it last? I got it from the beginning of my tapering and I'm trying to slowly push through the taper.

Was on trazodone from April 2024-Feb 2026. Also had tapered Prozac from April 2024-Jan 2025. I had been off traz for 6 months. Had terrible insomnia and reinstated and developed burning limbs, prickly energy and anxiety in my chest, impending panic and doom. I don’t have the urge to move constantly but I’m constantly touching my hair and glued to my phone all day to dissociate. The trazodone still helps me sleep. I sleep for 5-6 hours, wake up and then struggle but rest for other couple hours. What do I do? Do I try to get off the trazodone? Do I stay on it? Been on it since end of June. And dealt with the side effects because at least I was getting some sleep. Please someone advise. This is all new to me.

I have taken medications for over a decade, and this is by far the most distressing side effect I have ever experienced. adding the generic name aripiprazole for visibility

I’m really struggling and would appreciate advice from anyone who has experienced akathisia, especially medication-induced akathisia.

My akathisia and severe insomnia started about 3 months ago while I was taking Seroquel (quetiapine). I ended up quitting Seroquel cold turkey, and I’m wondering if that may have contributed to or worsened what I’m experiencing.

Since then, I’ve been having a constant feeling of needing to move and an inability to physically relax or sleep normally.

I switched doctors and was prescribed benztropine and clonidine, but unfortunately neither has been giving me much relief. I’ve also tried magnesium, vitamin B6, propranolol, and cannabis edibles. So far, nothing has really helped.

The scary part is that alcohol is the only thing that seems to give me significant temporary relief, and I really don’t want to rely on alcohol to manage this or develop another problem because of it.

I’m exhausted from the insomnia and the constant restlessness. I’m looking for advice from people who have actually experienced akathisia:

What treatments or medications helped you?

Did anything help with the insomnia specifically?

How long did your akathisia last?

Did it eventually go away after stopping the medication that triggered it?

Is there anything I should ask my doctor about?

I’m not looking for a medical diagnosis from Reddit. I'm just hoping to hear from people who have been through this and found something that helped. I’m honestly desperate for some direction right now.

52F, been on multiple psychiatric medications: SSRIS/SNRIS, trazodone, mirtazapine, benzos, olanzapine, seroquel, clonidine, went to multiple doctors, all diagnosed with depression, but meds gave me no long-term relief.

No matter the medication, the quantity I take, my body does not shut off. The sedating ones worked for some time and lost efficacy soon after. I can not close the eyes. If I force them to stay shut, they start twitching very badly. This together with weak voice, like I'm whispering everything I say, speech deficit, low arm muscle mass, total lack of emotional reactivity.

Some say it's anxiety, some say it's depression, but I doubt I have anxiety after 30mg olanzapine.

Propranolol does not take the edge off, I tried from 10mg to 120mg.

Without propranolol my heart rate when standing up is in the 100s and high blood pressure. Feels like I'm always on the edge.

What could it be?

my withdrawal akathisia isn’t going away. i’m on week six and i’m not improving anymore.

i went from 100mg of pregabalin a day for 4 and a half years to 50mg a day in a quick 2 weeks, and then missed my dose alltogether for a day and the akathisia started.

ive immediately held at 75mg a day ever since , 25mg x3. idk if this the right thing to be doing and i don’t know why i’m not getting better but im desperate for literally any advice or help, this is unliveable.

no doctor i’ve spoken to has a clue how to help or has even heard of akathisia and im beyond terrified now.

ive tried propranolol , magnesium glycinate, lavender oil, valerian root, chamomile tea.

I genuinely didn’t know that ill be able to even write a sentence using a keyboard from the massive akathisia wave, this made me learn a critical lesson: IT IS TEMPORARY!!!.
Please know that.

Ppl with long term akathesia how did you manage to sleep ?

What medication can be safely used long term ?

Hi

I think I’ve suffered from akathesia or something very similar. It’s been a harrowing experience - one I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

I know it’s a bit irrational, but given how terrible the experience of akathesia can be, I’m now terrified of undergoing emergency surgery in the future and not being able to refuse D2 blocking meds since I’m unconcious.

Are they actually administered in a lot of cases as anti-emetics in emergency surgery? How many of you have gotten it that way? Is there anything you guys recommend to prevent this?

I first got aka (amongst so many other debilitating things) from Citalopram in 2018, then got it really bad after smoking weed for just a few days in 2021. Now small things like spray paints and super glues set it off so I've had to stop my crafting hobby. Had to completely stop drinking too. 2nd hand smoke has set it off too so I need to constantly be careful when I'm outside. Now for the past 2 years I've been pretty much aka-free. I dyed my hair (temporary black dye) and boom it came back within a few hours. It's been weeks and it's only getting worse (my typical pattern when triggered). I just wanted to dye my damn hair, seriously... hair dye?! I'm just so done. SSRIs completely ruined my life, the effects have taken everything from me already, but ffs, I can't even do such a simple basic thing now? Just needed to rant :(

EDITED:
Hello! Long time anxiety sufferer here. Was on Lexapro for 7 years. GAD and OCD compulsions. I stopped taking lexapro almost 3 years ago and was fine coming off it with no withdrawals. Anxiety and OCD compulsions reminded of course.

I suffered a very traumatic life experience with my 2 month old son passing away. About 7 months after he passed I stopped smoking cannabis after being a heavy user for 20 years. This withdrawals of that were awful. Started Caplyta 10.5mg just before I quit and was on it for about 6 months. During my time on it my anxiety improved but then worsened over time. I attributed it to Caplyta not really being for anxiety. Then during the 6th month I noticed this insane inner restlessness. Like anxiety on steroids. At the time I was experiencing a lot of firsts being off cannabis and also firsts without my aon(his bday/anniversary of his passing etc). I was only able to sleep until 3am and would wake up in panic unable to fall asleep and would toss and turn until morning.

I’ve been off Caplyta for 3 months now and did well coming off of it with basically no withdrawal symptoms. Because anxiety was still very much there and I wasn’t sleeping I started a low dose Buspar. Did well on it initially but not well enough to say my anxiety was/is gone or under control. And sleep remained an issue and still does. Onset and maintenance. Thankfully it’s largely improved but I still wake up with a lot of anxiety every morning around 6am. I take Quviviq for sleep and what also works is a combo of passion flower, lemon balm and apigenin.

What’s hard for me is to distinguish it from anxiety. I have all the classic anxiety symptoms. I ruminate like you wouldn’t believe and have anxiety about things I’ve always had anxiety about. Along with my OCD compulsion. So it could very well be untreated anxiety/OCD. I’m able to relax and watch tv without moving my legs or anything but when I am working and under stress I notice I am moving my legs slightly.

So is it Akathisia or just worsening/not properly treated anxiety? And how do I bring this up with my psychiatrist? Thank you all!!

Hello,

I have been taking Klonopin .5mg 2 days a week for about 8 months. There are some weeks where I don't take it at all and then rotate back into when insomnia is bad. Is it possible to experience a withdrawal from this even though I was taking it sporadically? I recently woke up one day with bad akathisia and cant break it.