Table of Contents
- Overview
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal (stirred up or excited), increased
Alternative Names
Restlessness
Considerations
Agitation can come on suddenly or over time. It can last for just a few minutes, or for weeks and even months. Pain, stress, and
Agitation by itself may not be a sign of a health problem. However, if other symptoms occur, it can be a sign of disease.
When agitation lasts for hours and there is a change in alertness (altered consciousness), doctors call this
Common Causes
There are many causes of agitation, some of which include:
- Alcohol intoxication or
withdrawal - Caffeine intoxication
- Intoxication or withdrawal from drugs of abuse (such as cocaine, marijuana, hallucinogens, PCP, or opiates)
- Hospitalization (older adults often have delirium while in the hospital)
-
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) - Infection (more often in elderly people)
- Medical tests that involve injecting a "contrast medium" into the patient
Nicotine withdrawal - Theophylline or other medicines
-
Vitamin B6 deficiency
Agitation can occur with brain and mental health disorders, such as:
- Anxiety
Bipolar disorder - Dementia (such as
Alzheimer's disease ) Depression Schizophrenia
Images
Review Date: 02/28/2010
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of
Medicine; and Michelle Benger Merrill, MD, Instructor in Clinical
Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical
Center, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA,
Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
