Agitation

Alternative Names

Home Care

The following can reduce agitation:

• A calm environment
• Adequate lighting
• Plenty of sleep
• Stress-reducing measures

Don't restrain an overly-agitated person if possible. This usually worsens the problem.

Communicating your feelings is important.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Contact your health care provider if you have prolonged or severe agitation, especially if you also have other unexplained symptoms.

Your health care provider will take a medical history and do a physical examination.

To help better understand your agitation, your doctor may ask the following questions:

• Type
  • Are you more talkative than usual or do you feel pressure to keep talking?
  • Do you find yourself doing purposeless activities (e.g., pacing, hand wringing)?
  • Are you extremely restless?
  • Are you trembling or twitching?
• Time pattern
  • Was the agitation a short episode?
  • Is the agitation persistent?
    • How long did it last -- for how many day(s)?
• Aggravating factors
  • Does the agitation seem to be triggered by reminders of a traumatic event?
  • Did you notice anything else that may have triggered agitation?
  • Do you take any medications, especially steroids or thyroid medicine?
  • How much alcohol do you drink?
  • How much caffeine do you drink?
  • Do you use any drugs, such as cocaine, narcotics, or "speed" (amphetamines)?
• Other
  • What other symptoms do you have?
  • Is there confusion, memory loss, hyperactivity, or hostility (these symptoms can play an important role in diagnosis).

Diagnostic tests may include:

• Blood studies (such as CBC, blood differential, thyroid studies, drug screening)
• Head CT scan or cranial MRI (head)
• Lumbar puncture or spinal tap
• Vital signs (temperature, pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure)
• X-rays of the skull

References

Moore DP, Jefferson JW. Moore & Jefferson: Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby; 2004:chap 155.