Severe restlessness / akathisia - neuroinflammation post covid?

[Broken.butterfly]

Does anyone or has anyone ever experienced a bout of akathisia / severe restlessness without taking any meds?

I have had ME for nearly 10 years, mild to severe and everything in-between. I know suffering, vertigo, gastroparesis, hemiplegic migraine, restless legs, dysautonomia, the list goes on. But since covid my life has been torture.

Feb - covid
March - Hypnic Jerks / insomnia
April - anxiety / derealisation. Took 4 mirtazipine pills for sleep
May - things worsened and then developed akathisia

Akathisia symptoms - severe restlessness, burning skin, adrenaline dumps, want to crawl out of body and run away, panic, pain everywhere, agony everywhere, blurred vision, can't sleep, can't eat, can't relax, can't focus, can't think.

Akathisia is usually as a result of pharmaceuticals, worst offenders being SSRI's and anti nausea meds. There didn't seem to be a correlation with my taking mirtazipine as the restlessness developed over a week later.

I am considering my symptoms as being a result of neuroinflammation post covid, But what do I do? Will it go away by itself? Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions? anything at all, honestly.. i'm so desperate.

 

[Judee]

This may be a bunch of "bandaid for a gaping wound" suggestions but I find that Cordyceps calms me and it is noted for lowering brain inflammation per this SITE.

Also Ken Lassessen says boswellia is neuroprotective and EBV antiviral as well as calling it the "poor man's heparin." Anyway, I do notice it makes my swollen brain feeling go down about 40-60% when I take it.

Lastly, niacinamide is suppose to have some benzo type properties and this SITE says, "All the way back in 1979 we knew that niacinamide was able to relax animals and had “Benzodiazepine-like actions” (benzodiazepines are drugs such as Xanax and Valium commonly used to treat anxiety).(3) In fact, it was later shown that niacinamide actually binds to an atypical part of the benzodiazepine receptor.

I'm not on any prescription medications but I did find that niacinamide (not niacin) helps me on my absolutely necessary errand days. Otherwise, I'm almost completely housebound by this disease now.

I don't have a lot of issues with panic attacks and anxiety like I used to but I do feel restless and OCD/ADHD a lot.

One thing that calms that (in addition to the cordyceps) is caffeine. which is one of the reason's why I think I am ADHD (among other things).

Of course, for a lot of people caffeine can cause hyperness and feeling too wired so please use extreme caution with this and/or any of the things I mentioned.

**Please clear everything and anything with your doctor and pharmacist.**

One thread recently speculated that caffeine may help with OI (orthostatic intolerance) issues and low bp. Both of which I have.

I believe it was Dr Chaney who first made the connection between OI/POTS and panic attacks.

Anyway, I hope you can find something that helps. I do remember my severe panic attacks in my 20s and 30s and they were horrendous. I'm sorry you're going through that.

Edit: Don't forget liver detox things like artichoke and milk thistle. I even had artichoke take away a migraine once.

 

[Irat]

Does anyone or has anyone ever experienced a bout of akathisia / severe restlessness without taking any meds?

I have had ME for nearly 10 years, mild to severe and everything in-between. I know suffering, vertigo, gastroparesis, hemiplegic migraine, restless legs, dysautonomia, the list goes on. But since covid my life has been torture.

Feb - covid
March - Hypnic Jerks / insomnia
April - anxiety / derealisation. Took 4 mirtazipine pills for sleep
May - things worsened and then developed akathisia

Akathisia symptoms - severe restlessness, burning skin, adrenaline dumps, want to crawl out of body and run away, panic, pain everywhere, agony everywhere, blurred vision, can't sleep, can't eat, can't relax, can't focus, can't think.

Akathisia is usually as a result of pharmaceuticals, worst offenders being SSRI's and anti nausea meds. There didn't seem to be a correlation with my taking mirtazipine as the restlessness developed over a week later.

I am considering my symptoms as being a result of neuroinflammation post covid, But what do I do? Will it go away by itself? Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions? anything at all, honestly.. i'm so desperate.

Akathesia can start weeks after stopping a psych drug,even when taken only few days ,so it could be the mirtazepine.but could be covid alone too .

 

[Broken.butterfly]

Akathesia can start weeks after stopping a psych drug,even when taken only few days ,so it could be the mirtazepine.but could be covid alone too .

Thank you for your comment. What can I do? Is there any testing I should get? Is there anything I can do to help myself recover? Thank you.

 

[Crux]

It looks like mirtazapine is also an anticholinergic drug:

https://www.beingpatient.com/anticholinergic-medications-increase-dementia-risk

List of Anticholinergic Drugs
Some of the strongest anticholinergic drugs include antihistamines, sleeping pills, tricyclic antidepressants, and drugs to treat an overactive bladder.
Common anticholinergic drugs include Benadryl, Dimetapp, Sinequan (doxepin), Paxil (paroxetine), Desyrel (trazodone), Remeron (mirtazapine), Enablex (darifenacin), Toviaz (fesoterodine), Urispas (flavoxate), Ditropan (oxybutynin).

I've done poorly with anticholinergics. Had a full blown manic episode with mirtazapine.

Now I've increased choline with food and citicoline supplement, and am stable.

I see there are various opinions about mirtazapine being an anticholinergic. All I know is I had that manic episode from it .

 

[Irat]

Thank you for your comment. What can I do? Is there any testing I should get? Is there anything I can do to help myself recover? Thank you.

I m (had been) severly damaged from an SSRI 12 years ago and had akathesia for more than 2 years..,.,you can join "surviving antidepressant forum"......but if you want my opinion: never ever in your life touch any psychopharmaka again,....no there are no test,you waste your time...if it's the mirtazepin you will recover from akathesia...but I can t tell you how long it will last and what else follows.it took me more than 6 years to recover .leave your nervous system alone in this acute state,you could kindle with everything you try ,.or have a paradox reaction ...t will get better.....if it's from covid ,well I don t know ,just be very very careful taking any supplements,whatsoever.i would not touch anything.