Learn What Drugs Can Cause Akathisia
Akathisia has been most commonly linked to the use of antipsychotic drugs. Many other drugs, examples listed below, can also lead to akathisia.1,4,6 This condition does not occur for everyone who takes these medications. Studies suggest that antipsychotic medications pose the biggest risk for causing akathisia, but many other types of drugs can also cause the condition to occur.
Some examples of antipsychotic medications that can induce akathisia include:
- Zyprexa
- Loxapine
- Quetiapine
- Lurasidone
- Olanzapine
- Risperidone
Additional drugs and medications that can cause akathisia include:
- SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, Citalopram)
- SNRIs (duloxetine, paroxetine)
- MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants)
- Antibiotics
- Sodium channel blockers
- Stimulants (cocaine, methylphenidate, amphetamines)
- Antiemetics (anti-nausea drugs)
- Antiepileptics, anticonvulsive (Lamotrigine, Diazepam, Lorazepam)
About 20% of patients taking bipolar treatment drugs experience akathisia. Unfortunately, the risk of akathisia is often not discussed with patients before prescribing a medication.3
Find out more and learn about specific drugs and their side effects in the FDA’s information portal on drug side effects.6
What are the Symptoms? How does Akathisia Feel?
Akathisia is subjective. It is an intense, drug-induced reaction. The person is aware of, but unable to control involuntary and constant repetitive motions, muscle tensions, and an intense inner restlessness. Some describe the condition as torturous, to a degree that is beyond words. In severe cases, akathisia can be so debilitating as to lead to suicidal thoughts or actions in search of relief.
Some describe it as a feeling like they’re going to jump out of their skin. A person may get the uncontrollable urge to constantly move their arms, hands, legs or feet and some even make involuntary vocal sounds such as moans or grunts. Akathisia leaves the person in a state of extreme helplessness, hopelessness, and total lack of control. Many people are deeply embarrassed by their involuntary movements, and others may react by becoming aggressive or violent.5
Is Drug-Induced Akathisia Reversible?
According to clinical research, whether antipsychotic-induced, SSRI-induced, or induced by some other type of drug, early detection and the well-informed patient is critical. According to research, if akathisia develops within a few weeks of taking a medication, the condition will typically reverse if the dosage is reduced, or if the person is switched to a different type of medication.5
The symptoms of akathisia may mimic those seen in psychosis and mania, and can be confusing to properly diagnose. Misdiagnosis can lead to a catastrophic cascade of further problems.3
The mainstream medico’s arsenal is all about polypharmacy when it addresses challenges like akathisia. In polypharmacy, giving a new drug or multiple drugs aims to mask or dampen another drug’s side effects. However, other approaches have been developed by forward-thinking medical professionals who have found treatment success with a more holistic approach using natural medicine rather than polypharmacy.2,8-10
Antipsychotic Medications and Akathisia
It is easier to understand why akathisia occurs when we look at what antipsychotic medications are meant to do. The human central nervous system occupies the entire body, including the brain. Hundreds of thousands of nerve cells are there to distribute our natural chemicals throughout the body. Many types of natural chemicals are produced and distributed to keep the body functioning properly: including serotonin, glutamate, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Mental health medications are presumed to manipulate, hold back, or increase the distribution of these hormones and neurotransmitters. The do NOT create natural chemicals.
Antipsychotic medications are thought to primarily suppress dopamine which can turn down the characteristics of psychosis. Among uncountable other functions, dopamine is also critical for muscle movement and control. Low dopamine for example, is thought to be a precursor to the stiff muscle movements seen in parkinsonism. The theory reversed suggests that too much dopamine may induce symptoms such as akathisia. These are theories and in fact, the mechanics of the drugs used in psychiatric treatment are poorly understood. What is known, however, is that antipsychotics (and many other drugs) can induce akathisia.
Treating Akathisia with More Medications
Unfortunately, if you follow Western medical practices, the common solutions to Akathisia include either to reduce your medication dose, increase your medication dose, or switch your medication to multiple other medications. These are attempts to mitigate the effects of this condition limited to only using prescription medications. However, there are many natural ways to help treat this disorder.
Where the body is poorly nourished, a nutritional overhaul may be key to re-establishing overall health. An undernourished body is subject to many conditions it is simply not able to overcome, despite prescribing other and multiple drugs to mask symptoms. And simply tapering the drug which caused the condition in the first place, may not be a broad enough strategy to yield success.
Many forms of Western medicine do not take the time to diagnose and treat the root cause of a condition but rather provide a pill or medication that can mask or treat the symptoms. It’s true that many mental health medications provide a quick fix, which can be incredibly helpful in a crisis situation. However, when symptoms are masked, patients are not inspired to find the true cause of their issue. In many cases, the masking of symptoms can allow these negative factors to continue to develop, and the outcome may in fact worsen mental health issues and symptoms.
By using medication to cover up the symptoms, the root causes are never addressed, and so the problems remain. Many people with schizophrenia, for example, have increased levels of neurotoxins in their bodies and blood. Getting rid of toxins could greatly reduce symptoms without the side effects of medication, and could form an important piece in the foundation of a recovery template.
The Role of Properly Managed Medication Withdrawal
Find out more about proper antipsychotic withdrawal, and gain an in-depth understanding about Antipsychotic withdrawal methods. Find out more about antidepressant withdrawal methods, for SSRIs, SNRIs, and other classes of antidepressants. Stimulant drug withdrawal and coming off benzodiazepines will have their own best approaches for safety and tolerance. The proper approach is selected for each individual so it can be is as gentle as it is effective.
In general, withdrawal or tapering done too quickly, and without strong supports in place, can fail. Therefore, designing the correct therapeutic step-by-step process is critical.
Diagnoses Are Not Definitive
Many people believe that a mental health diagnosis is the end of the line and that they will suffer forever. While Western medicine has definitely encouraged this opinion, it is not necessarily the truth. For many people, holistic treatment provides a long-term and sustainable solution to their symptoms.7 After many years of feeling better, most of these patients would not be diagnosable with the conditions that they once thought would rule their lives. The reason that many people believe that their diagnosis defines their future is that medications ensure that you will remain chained to your illness.
The medicines mask the symptoms but do not cure them, and without further interventions, it is possible a person will suffer in the long term. Holistic and natural approaches target the root cause. Though it may take a little bit longer, in the end, your results are more permanent, and you can see a lasting change in your life. In this way, your diagnosis can become inaccurate or obsolete.
