Anxiety and Restlessness as Side Effect from Medication

Anxiety and Restlessness as Side Effect from Medication

Anxiety and restlessness may be a side effect from medication. As a general rule, medications are there to alleviate one’s symptoms and make one feel better. However, most medications come with some side effects. For example, let’s take risperidone, an antypsychothic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Among other things and side effects, risperidone may cause severe restlessness and anxiety. Not only can one feel impending doom under the medicated influence, but the restlessness may drive a person to being unable to do virtually anything.

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For instance, a person feeling such restlessness is uncomfortable doing virtually anything. Unable to read, unable to write, to focus, to walk, to sit still, to watch TV, to play computer games… no matter the activity a person overwhelmed with restlessness and anxiety, just wants to stop and do something else, only the cycle continues once they have changed activity. Certain medications may alleviate such side effects, and perhaps also coping skills, such as taking hot showers, exercising, participating in group therapy, but mostly if one feels uncomfortable doing virtually anything, then switching to another medication may seem like the only, and wisest, choice one is left with.