One day I will get around to introducing myself, but for now I have a concern about my 36 yr old daughter who has been pacing all day everyday for 18 months. She has been on Invega for the past year and a half.
Also she has a need to constantly move her arm. Its so frustrating for her that she cant sit still for longer than 5 minutes at a time. She says if it wasnt for this she could live a normal life. For now she cant work or be in the car too long, etc
Do all the psych medications cause this constant pacing?
I’m really sorry she’s dealing with this!
Many antipsychotics cause akathisia to a degree but some are worse than others and the higher the dose the more likely the symptoms. Invega cause more akathisia than some other antipsychotics. I believe the treatment is to decrease the med if possible or switch to another med less likely to cause akathisia or sometimes take another med ( propranolol or b6 or other) that helps alongside the antipsychotic. Her doctor should be made aware that this is a big problem for her and I hope there are some options that can decrease or eliminate the akathisia.
You might find this useful. Akathisia: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
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Thanks for your reply. She is on 3mg oral a day for the past 6 months or so… Was on a monthly injection. The doctor’s remedy for the akathisia was to add yet another med (with a black box warning) which hasnt done anything. I cant get to the bottle at the moment to get the name of it…
Hi
My mom used to pace for almost 15 years, everyday when she was on Perphenazin and then Risperidon. But after changing to Quetiapine she stopped pacing, but Quetiapine gave her panics. she is on Olanzapine and Abilify and she doesn’t pace. Yet she moves constantly her arm.
I think 3 mg is the lowest dose of oral invega. 6mg is the starting dose for schizophrenia and doses up to 12 are used.
Amantadine is an antidyskinetic medicine: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/amantadine-oral-route/description/drg-20061695 300 mg helps my son sleep at night.
Amantadine does have some kidney concerns. My son has developed mild chronic kidney disease, possibly from all of the years of taking lithium. Or maybe from the APs – I don’t know. I hope the CKD is reversible.
Do you think she has ADD, ADHD? maybe, I did and I used to ride my bike 13 miles a day and run 5 miles. And not be exhausted, but had to release
energy. My mom used to pace, had bi polar. also never excercized, also vitamins and minerals, probably need more.