Posted by Ken Blades on March 19, 2007, at 1:13:55
In reply to akathisia versus anxiety, the difference?, posted by johnnyj on March 18, 2007, at 16:39:36
Evidently lots of psychopharmaceuticals can cause it and it varies from person to person-just
because you might experience it within a
particular subset of medications doesn't mean
all of them will have that effect on you.Typical antipsychotics[chlorpromazine,haloperidol],
atypical antipsychotics[risperdal,olanzapine],
SSRIs[fluoxetine,paroxetine,venlafaxine]...there
may be others that someone may list that I've
missed.Difficult to explain the difference, but
when I had experienced it the first time
I didn't know what it was. It didn't feel
identical to anxiety as I was accustomed
to, but added to it. When I sat down, I
felt like I wanted to get right back up
again. When I resisted that desire to get up,
I had to tap both feet very rapidly as if
to discharge some hellish energy. When I
was standing, I would pace around the house,
looked for things to do, rearranged things
in my room, cleaned the bathroom. I would
get things done but it was out of some drive
that wouldn't quit. The Cogentin prescribed
to counteract it didn't help. It took days
after discontinuing my medication for the
akathisia to stop. I will admit that I had
suicidal thoughts, as this sensation on top
of my preexisting anxiety was unbearable.The following is a portion of an item written by a parent whose son committed suicide:
"Akathisia can be described as a neurological phenomenon characterized by extreme internal restlessness, agitation, and emotional turmoil that is drug induced. In fact, Pfizer’s own scientist, Dr. Roger Lane explained in his medical journal article that "most researchers agree that akathisia has a strong psychological (subjective) component," describing it as "subjective distress" and "unbearable discomfort." He also stated that "the subjective components of akathisia are distinct and
overwhelming." He went on to state in another peer reviewed-medical journal article (to which he referred when he admitted that Zoloft can cause this out-of-body feeling) that "it may be less of a question of patients experiencing [SSRI]-induced suicidal ideation, than patients feeling that death is a welcome result when the acutely discomforting symptoms of akathisia are experienced on top of already distressing disorders."In a past wrongful death lawsuit against Pfizer, one of Pfizer’s own expert witnesses, Dr. John Mann, testified that "akathisia has the potential, when it is severe, of contributing to suicidality and aggression." Another drug company expert testified: "I believe that what akathisia does is it creates a state of severe anxiety which can exacerbate pre-existing proclivities, tendencies, in an individual to engage in either suicide or violence."
To top it off, we personally heard the FDA’s Dr. Robert Temple state, “There isn’t any doubt that these drug cause akathisia. That’s not in doubt.”
Why then, when the FDA and drug companies have known that these drugs can cause akathisia and for some people suffering from akathisia find “death a welcome result“ to escape its symptoms, haven’t they warned the doctors, patients, parents and the public about this potentially deadly side effect?
We learned that these types of warnings already exist in other countries for the same drugs. However, they are just marketed under different names than in the United States. In fact, the BBC did an interesting documentary on the effects of „Seroxat“ and other SSRI drugs and warned of the serious, sometimes deadly side effects. Seroxat is known in the US as Paxil. Lustral is the same thing as Zoloft manufactured by Pfizer. Watch the BBC documentary"
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> Can someone explain the difference and what types of meds cause this? I didn't have any idea that ssri's could do this. Can Ambien cause this too? I have had a terrible two weeks ending with seroquel making me shake and feeling like I need to run 10 miles.
>
> thank you
>
> johnnyj
poster:Ken Blades
thread:741810
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070314/msgs/742059.html