Posted by Mitch on September 2, 2001, at 10:27:53
In reply to Re: Help - Could this be akathasia?, posted by Tony P on September 2, 2001, at 1:32:26
> I'm not familiar with the term akathasia (although I'm sure familiar with anxiety < bg >) - anyone care to enlighten me?
It just means "restlessness-unable to sit still".
Usually associated with a lot of pacing and shuffling about/agitation.>
> Chris A's description of "wanting to jump out of his skin" makes me think of my bad experience with Remeron. Although it did indeed sedate me, at the same time I felt incredibly restless - I would fall asleep for a minute or less, then wake with that intolerable sensation of just HAVING to move. I would kick and jerk about to try and get relief. It was like restless leg syndrome over my entire body, or an internal itch that there's no way to scratch.I think that is the drug (Remeron) blocking the alpha2-adrenoreceptor (associated with norepinephrine-not directly with dopamine). This can cause muscle weakness/dizziness in people (asthenia). I have also heard of people that are about to fall asleep on Remeron and also have this "sudden-wake-up episode" accompanied by racing heartbeat. That is really wild because when I was taking a TCA (doxepin) a long time ago the same thing happened to me. I can't tolerate more than a tiny dose of Remeron-but I like it for sleep. There is something that Remeron does that is unique with regard to levels of consciousness/dreaming. I can wake up and do things for up to an hour and misplace stuff and have total amnesia about what I did.
>
> Is this the same as, or related to "akathasia"? It would be nice to have a word for it, since it seemed to be quite an unusual side effect for this med., although I have since seen one other posting from someone who had a similar reaction.I suppose it is possible, but I think they are two different things. Remeron doesn't block dopamine receptors (which can result in a specific type of restlessness related to antipsychotics). I think the similarities have to do with the prominent antihistamine drowsiness draped on top of the med that make you so sedated while at the same time you have this norepi enhancement taking place at the same time-like you were on stimulants and depressants at the same time. Kind of like a "wired-foggy" feeling. Antipsychotics like Geodon, etc. also have prominent antihistamine effects as well.
> I also notice the product info now mentions "restless leg" as a posssible side effect. That, to me, rates as the understatement of the year! It would also be useful to have a word so that if I saw the term in the list of side effects of a med I could cross it instantly off my personal list.
Interesting how people can react so differently to meds.
>
> Tony P
poster:Mitch
thread:77187
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010902/msgs/77407.html