Side effects - Flupenthixol, constant needing to walk (Akathisia)

[doublezero]

The last time I was in the nuthouse they put me on a depot(injection in the ass cheek) of dipixel (maybe the wrong spelling).
Whilst on this drug I had to keep walking, i had to force myself to sit/lay down or even stand still. It was almost impssible to sleep, and as soon as I had to start walking.
Eating was almost impossible as well.
It was very hard to control my body as well, putting on clothes, especialy trousers and socks, playing guitar and even getting into bed was very hard. My feet used to get stuck on the sheets.
I put a walkometre on one day and by 8/9 pm I had walked over 17 miles I had spent most of the day indoors.
Thankfully they changed my meds after quite a few weeks and the nuroleptic side effects wore off. It was so good to just sit down without the feeling that i have to move.
The feeling of giving up Heroin with buzzy legs was very similar although very mild compared to the dipixel.
Valium helped a little but not much.
Has anyone ever been on this drug or had similar effects from something else.
Thanx

[Panthers007]

Umm...depakote perhaps? No clue regards 'dipixel.' Can you check the spelling with a doctor or other health care professional? Also please read the rules regards self-incrimination. Such is why you see SWIM everywhere around these parts. Rules are here:
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/announcement.php?f=184&a=1

[doublezero]

I forgot the old swim thing, thought it was ok when just talking about personal prescribed medication.
I will check about the spelling mate. It was an older type of antipsycotic.

[Jatelka]

Depixol is a depot preparation of Flunpenthixol, and old stylee anti-psychotic.

The sensation your monkey describes sounds like akathaesia (or akathisia if one is American). An unpleasant sensation of inner restlessness, which means you just can't sit still.

Akathaesia is a well recognised side effect of anti-psychotics

[doublezero]

thanks jatelka, worst few weeks of my life. Akathesia worst few weeks of my life

[anneg31]

When I was given Phenegran for nausea I could not sit or lay down I had I felt so antzie oh my gosh it was horrible sounds like you may of had an allergic reaction possibly, benadryl worked for me.

[doublezero]

no i didnt have an alergic reaction, is was a neuroleptic side effect. I was a complete psycho for weeks, i thought anti psycotics were supposed to do the opposite. Hence the ANTI. It was probably developed by the nazi's, like most drugs of today. War machines

[fiveleggedrat]

Phenergan is promethazine, an antihistimine, commonly in codeine mixtures and used solo for nausea. Nothing like the antipsychotic OP is talking about

[ConcertaXL]

Actually Promethazine is related to antipsychotics... It is 1/10 the potency of the classical "anti-schizo/madman" drug, Thorazine or Largactil (chlorpromazine) and it is in the same family of drugs, namely phenothiazines. Prochlorperazine( Buccastem, available OTC in the UK) is another phenothiazine drug- it is used both as anti-emetic/migraine and as a psych med. And it can indeed cause the neuroleptic symptoms but only in high doses, Haldol and Flupenthixol are the usual drugs to cause akathisia and Extrapyramidal symptoms.

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[Princess]

I went through something similar. When I was a teenager, I was put on Abilify for an off label use and got horrible akathisia. At the time I was a teenager and didn't know what was happening to my body. I remember I was at home and suddenly I could not stop moving. I felt this inner restlessness, this constant need to move. I would stand up, pace around the room and kept jumping up and feeling like I had to dance. I couldn't sit still for more than a minute. I couldn't sit down or sleep or do anything. I just had to keep walking and pacing. I missed many days of school, but eventually I had to show up and I remember kicking my legs under the desk. I remember how terrified I was. Since I was jsut a teenager and I did not manage my medicatio n, i thought this was a permannant condition and I had restless leg syndrome. Eventually, I was told by my mom that it was probably from the new medication I was taken. My psychiatrist advised to stay on it but my mom took me off it. The akathisia lasted for a few more weeks but it eventually went away and died down. It was the scariest thing ever. I remember feeling completely internally restless all the time, I had to keep moving, it was horrible. I even went to a medical doctor for it. Akathisia is scary stuff. During my pre-teen and teenage years I was put on lots of stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics as well as a mood stabolizer and a benzodiazepine. These were for off label sues. I was diagnosed at 3 years old with generalized anxiety disorder and ADD and put on medication since the 2nd grade and since none of the medications worked they added more and more. Akathisia was so terrifying. At the time I didn't know what it was, so I described ti as the jitters. I know exactly what you went through. A lot fo antipsychotics and antidepressants have this side effect.

[bryanbabylon]

I experience akathisia due to the medications I am prescribed for my schizophrenia. I take atypical antipsychotics, (Geodon (ziprasidone) and Prolixin (fluphenazine).) It makes my legs shake uncontrollably when I am in a sitting position, I get this horrible "buzzing" inside my body, I feerl like I am going to jump out of my skin, I have a hard time falling asleep, and I am constantly aware that something horrible and unbearable is just about to happen. That is the best I am able to describe this undescribable feeling. I am wondering if anyone elser who experiences akathisia is willing to try to put their experience with it into words. The mental health professionals define akathisia as an internal sense of unease and an inability to sit still. This is such an inadequite description that I thought there bshould be some discussion here about akathisia to help deter swiy from trying to utilize antipsychotics recreationally.

Please share your experience.

[Xavstar]

I have had my first depo injection and the side effects are awful. These are the worst weeks in my life. I think its dipexel. I feel restless. Cant concentrate on anything. I am constantly pacing about unable to relax. Yet my psychiatric team maintain its a good medication despite so much anguish i am going through.

This is a very tough time for me. I used to be on quietiapine i hope they let me go back on it.

[Amnesia]

Originally Posted by Xavstar

Yet my psychiatric team maintain its a good medication despite so much anguish i am going through.

SWIM hates this, she has heard it far too often - a medication is only 'good' if it works for the patient.

Is it SWIY's psychiatrist or care co-ordinator who decided to put SWIY on this?
If it is the latter, SWIY should make an appointment to see their psychiatrist and explain that they feel awful, restless etc. If the psychiatrist put SWIY on it ask for a second opinion, SWIY might even want to try their GP.

Nobody should, or can, be made to stay on a medication - especially when the side effects outweigh the benefits. They may tell SWIY that it is not up to SWIY, but SWIY is entitled to an opinion in their own care regimen and can not be forced to take a medication they do not want to.

SWIM hopes SWIY finds a resolution to this problem.

[MisterV]

SWIM had similar effects after his doc "odosed" him with haloperidol which is similar in antipsychotic potence to SWIYs med. It was so an awful feeling, so SWIM drove to hospital next day - but the guys there had no idea what to do. Now SWIM knows that giving Biperiden would have helped. If theres none aviable like in SWIMs situation, he took some benzos which only helped very little.

[Svala]

I would keep away from Flupenthixol, i was on quited few months ago after serious side effect, i see disturbances in everything after the use of it at first i thougt it would go away but it will be like that for the rest of my life and all i can do is just to live with it