Akathisia from medications like antipsychotics is often mistaken for anxiety, leading to dangerous treatment errors. Learn how to recognize the difference from restless legs syndrome and what treatments actually work.
Medication-Induced Akathisia: Signs, Causes, and What to Do
When you start a new medication and suddenly feel like you can’t sit still—like your nerves are buzzing under your skin—that’s not just stress. It could be medication-induced akathisia, a movement disorder triggered by drugs that affects the brain’s dopamine system. Also known as drug-induced restlessness, it’s not rare, but it’s often missed. Doctors might call it anxiety or agitation, but if you’re pacing, shifting weight constantly, or rocking back and forth without knowing why, this is likely the real cause.
This isn’t just discomfort—it’s a serious side effect that can lead to suicidal thoughts, worsened mental health, or even dangerous drug changes. It shows up most often with SSRIs, antidepressants like fluoxetine and sertraline that alter serotonin and dopamine balance, and antipsychotics, medications used for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder that block dopamine receptors too strongly. Even some anti-nausea drugs and older antihistamines can trigger it. The key is timing: symptoms usually start within days or weeks of starting or increasing a dose. If you’ve been on a new med and now feel like you’re wired but can’t move, it’s not in your head—it’s in your neurochemistry.
What makes it worse is that many people don’t tell their doctors because they think they’re just "nervous" or "overreacting." But akathisia is real, measurable, and treatable. Reducing the dose, switching meds, or adding a low-dose beta-blocker like propranolol can help fast. Some patients find relief with vitamin B6 or benztropine, but only under medical supervision. The longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to reverse—and the more likely you are to stop taking a medication you actually need, thinking it’s making you worse. You’re not imagining it. You’re not weak. You’re experiencing a documented neurological reaction to a drug.
In the posts below, you’ll find real stories and clinical insights from people who’ve lived through this. You’ll learn which drugs carry the highest risk, how to tell the difference between akathisia and panic attacks, what your doctor should do when you bring it up, and how to avoid getting stuck in a cycle of misdiagnosis. These aren’t theoretical guides—they’re based on patient experiences and current medical data. If you’re struggling with restlessness after starting a new pill, what you find here could change everything.