I get akathisia - an everywhere sort of restlessness making me feel like I want to jump out of my body. My psychiatrist prescribed Benztropine. Anyone else try/use this? How long after ingesting it does it take to work? Does it work better over time?
Please remember to consider that everyone reacts differently to meds. One person’s experience will likely not match yours.
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True. Need to see what it will do “for me.” And I will. But I’m wondering over others’ experience with it because my doctor wrote it as a PRN med, but I read online that it takes seven hours to reach peak plasma levels in the body, which seems to indicate to me that it needs regular dosing to be effective.
My doctor prescribed cogentin when I was on prolixen to combat stiffness in my limbs. My current doctor discontinued it a couple of years ago because it made my mouth dry which was contributing to dental problems.
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I took it long term every day. I needed 3mg/day to control my akithisia.
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1mg twice a day. Yes it got better over time for me.
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I take this when haldol makes me restless. Im prescribed 3 mg a day but usually i would just take 1.5mg a day cause 3 makes my mouth dry. I think it helped some. I added b6 to it too cause b6 helps with the restlessness.
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When I was on Prolixen it helped my muscle stiffness but then it gave me pancreatitis so I had to stop it and go back on clozapine.
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I’ve pretty much taken cogentin since the beginning of my illness, about 14-15 years. I recently tried other meds and combinations, but ended back on cogentin. I was feeling awful recently until I started back on it. It kinda helped me relax and worry less and helps me feel less agitated. Also the world seems less harsh. What I’ve noticed though is I’m not as sharp cognitively, but that’s fine I guess. I take 1mg twice a day.
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Thank you to everyone who responded here. It is helpful for me to hear from others.
I was tried on this for tardive dyskinesia. It was ineffective. I don’t know doses, but I remember not even noticing that I was taking the stuff- no side effects, no changes.
Best of luck to you.
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I use a simular anti parkinson drug known as biperitin. I have been on that one for 30 years.
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From what I have read, it is known that it is not effective for tardive dyskinesia, only the extrapyramidal symptoms, so am somewhat surprised they even tried it for that.
Thank you for the good wishes. I return them to you 
So far, it appears to be helping me, though it does cause dry mouth. It helps that I already chew gum constantly and drink plenty of water.
Yep. I read the same thing.
I was also on Austedo and Ingrezza. Funny that my insurance would pay that much for a medicine but deny a lot of APs based on cost.
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It makes no sense!
I have taken artane. Anti parkinsons agents tend to give mild euphoria and reduce your cognitive abilities sometimes to a point of delirium.
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I felt like the medication made my TD worse, so after months of Ingrezza (which was after months of Austedo), I stopped taking it. My TD slowly got better, and I feel well enough to drive now. I never noticed side effects other than being convinced that the meds made things worse for me. I don’t know that they really did, of course. I just had that thought stuck in my head all the time. No euphoria, though.
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Good that the TD got better and you can drive. I have not noticed euphoria either.
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Tree Top I’ve been drinking plenty of water and been cheewing nicotin gum just like you
Nb. all of you must expect me to be of lot less helpfull in the future because I recieved a chemically lobotomia from the 800 mgs Qutiapine take now. So I hope you understand.