As I feared, my latest antipsychotic is creeping more and more akathisia over time. It’s to the point where I walk circles around the kitchen and living room and watch tv standing up. I’m gonna need to drop the AP, wish I hadn’t just visited the pdoc 3 days ago. She gave me propranalol but it’s not touching it. Maybe I’ll try to contact her in the morning. Coming off medicine is not ideal but at a certain point, the akathisia becomes worse than the schizophrenia for me. I’m already on cogentin and propranalol.
I wish there was a way to take an AP without this happening.
Man, I’m sorry you have to deal with this. Choosing between physical rest and mental rest has got to be awful. I was wondering though, if you’ve tried any of the more sedating AP’s and if they’ve given you akathisia as well. I don’t really know how any of this works so I’m just spitballing ideas. I hope you can find a tolerable med soon.
Thanks for the reply it means a lot. I’m kind of up against a wall with this, it definitely is hard to choose between voices and not being able to sit down. The pattern is they switch me to a new med, everything goes okay for a few weeks, then I get the urge to move.
I’ve tried Seroquel, Latuda, Zyprexa, and Invega. All of them cause it, but Seroquel I was on for about 5 years (24-29) without any side effects, then it started shortly after sza diagnosis. I wasn’t schizophrenic before 30 but the doctor prescribed it for sleep, which is something I would definitely not have done. No reason to expose someone to side effects if the AP isn’t vital, and there are non-AP meds available for sleep.
If you do some research on akathisia you will find stories of normies saying it was the single worst experience of their lives. I simply put up with it because I’m so used to putting up with nightmare scenarios. A lot of what I think is anxiety or stress just ends up being related to the akathisia. When I come off an AP, the same thing happens in reverse, the akathisia fades and the voices start to come back.
I’d love a regimen without an antipsychotic. I’m not sure what recovery group I’m in so I don’t know if that’s realistic, but I don’t think I’ll fall prey to delusions again. I guess we’ll find out. I’ll be ready to go in if that happens. I’m gonna call doc tomorrow about it and make sure I have her go ahead before I do anything. I don’t know what else to do.
Yeah, I hate the whole prescribing a fu cking antipsychotic for sleep unless you’ve tried literally everything else and the AP is the only thing that helps.
I’ve noticed that you’ve only tried atypical AP’s. Perhaps an oldie would be better? Or, maybe you could find 2 AP’s that work well and alternate each month. I don’t know if that’s allowed, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.
I have some akathisia from Latuda. The propranolol doesn’t seem to help much. It has been reduced now that I am on a lower dosage though. I am sorry you have so much trouble with this. I hope your pdoc can figure out a way to get you some relief soon.
