Escitalopram-induced severe akathisia leading to suicide attempt

Akathisia, a distressing adverse reaction, is usually underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in patients, who are treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Escitalopram-induced akathisia is rarely reported in the literature. We report a case of severe akathisia leading to a suicide attempt in a 25-year-old male induced by 5 mg of escitalopram, that remitted completely after discontinuation of escitalopram and did not reappear later. Patient and their caretakers should be warned of symptoms of akathisia even when a very low dose of SSRI is prescribed.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA

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