The asthma drug, Singular, can cause akathisia and precipitate medication-induced depression, violence, and suicide. Reports show these serious risks may be higher among children. The New York Attorney General is seeking stronger warnings on Singular.

Parent reports include a 14 year old who increasingly suffered neuropsychic and physical symptoms: “She spent increasing amounts of time in my bed due to nightmares, she became fearful that she would be murdered in her bed and she took to sleeping with a knife under her pillow.”

Another parent reported, “[f]or an entire year, my family was on suicide watch for a 10-year-old boy who screamed daily in fits of anger, sadness, and depression ‘I want to die,’ ‘just kill me,’ ‘I’m so stupid and I don’t want to live anymore,’ and ‘my brain is telling me I’m dumb and I don’t deserve to live.’ Kicking. Hitting. Screaming. Hiding under covers in fits of tears.” Read more at https://www.pharmexec.com/view/ny-ag-fda-safety-labeling-singulair.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ electronic health records system is putting veterans at risk of medication errors, according to testimony at a recent hearing. This finding is particularly troublesome given that many vets are prescribed SSRIs and other drugs that can cause akathisia-induced self harm, violence, and suicide. The risk of suffering akathisia is increased when medication dosage is changed and/or discontinued.

“At least one veteran wasn’t given critical medication they were prescribed because their records were incorrect, and the VA has not adequately notified patients their prescription records may be wrong,” the watchdog said. Another veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who wasn’t given the medication needed developed worsening symptoms over 5 days “and had to be transferred to a local emergency room for care, according to the testimony.”

Read the full article at https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/02/15/250000-va-patients-are-risk-of-receiving-wrong-medication-due-electronic-health-records-issue.html.

Family members of loved ones who died akathisa-induced deaths share their experiences on our Akathisia Stories podcast so that others can be safer and better informed. Kristina, who lost her daughter, Natalie, 11 years ago today, discusses the symptoms of akathisia that were missed, the importance of informed consent prior to prescribing, and the FDA Black Box suicide warning everyone should know, but few are ever told.

Listen at https://www.studiocchicago.com/kristina-gehrki-transcript.