The risk of suffering SSRI-induced akathisia is increased when a person has previously suffered akathisia. Yet many prescribers remain unaware that giving out another SSRI brand can produce the same adverse outcome.

“He had suffered a bad reaction to Fluoxetine in 2011, an antidepressant that is in the same family as sertraline.”

Listen to Stephen’s story on our akathisia podcast at https://www.studiocchicago.com/akathisia-stories

Read the full article at https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/co-tyrone-familys-plea-after-21173837

The drug, sertraline, goes by different brand names depending upon where you live. But whether it’s called Zoloft or Lustral the serious psychiatric “side” effects it poses are the same. In our latest episode of Akathisia Stories, Colleen Bell discusses her late Uncle Stephen’s fatal reaction to sertraline and the her family’s organization, Stephen’s Voice, that works to ensure others are safer and better informed.

Listen at https://www.studiocchicago.com/akathisia-stories

Stephen O’Neill died an akathisia-induced death despite that he informed his prescribers that the product they gave him, Zoloft, was creating suicidal thoughts–thoughts he never experienced prior to prescription.

After Stephen died in Ireland, his family started Stephen’s Voice to help others be safer. Today is the first Prescribed Harm Awareness Day, sponsored by Stephen’s Voice. Regardless of where you live in the world, one thing is certain: nobody is immune to akathisia and other serious adverse drug effects.

Read Stephen’s story at https://davidhealy.org/the-death-of-stephen-oneill-and-you/ and visit Stephen’s Voice on Facebook.

When discontinuing certain prescription drugs, akathisia and other withdrawal symptoms can be serious and long lasting. Some doctors are still unaware of these serious adverse effects that can occur when stopping pharmaceutical products marketed as antidepressants.

A current survey aims to collect relevant data and publish a paper to inform UK doctors and other health care professionals about the process of coming off these drugs. The paper will be available internationally and may also help inform health care professionals around the world. 

Please consider taking and sharing this survey regardless of where you live: https://uelpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0AR9IsQ61jsiXBk

Williams was misdiagnosed and prescribed drugs that can cause medication-induced suicide. His son, Zak, said his dad was “very uncomfortable,” had focus issues, and “from a neurological perspective he didn’t feel great.”

Read the full article at https://people.com/health/robin-williams-son-zak-says-his-dad-was-very-uncomfortable-and-frustrated-misdiagnosis/

The award-winning documentary, “Medicating Normal,” will feature a Facebook live interview with MISSD Founder, Wendy Dolin, this Thursday at 2 EDT. Please join us and share the event link to help reduce medical harms: https://www.facebook.com/events/528657741590165/