Beth was prescribed Cipralex during a difficult time in her life but took it for over 4 years without any doctor reviewing the continued need. Soon she suffered akathisia and said she “started developing severe panic attacks, worsening anxiety and depression. I was also extremely emotionally numb and had no fear response.” Her doctors responded by increasing the drug dose which increased the severity of akathisia. Read more at https://www.antidepressantrisks.org/stolen-lives/bethany.

We were pleased to reach thousands of mental health professionals attending the Washington, DC Psychotherapy Networker Symposium. Every year the conference is the same time as National Adverse Drug Event Awareness Day–an appropriate opportunity to spotlight both. Read our press release at https://www.einpresswire.com/article/698433046/akathisia-awareness-can-improve-patient-safety-by-preventing-medication-harms.

MISSD is pleased to reach thousands of clinicians attending the annual Psychotherapy Networker Conference. Akathisia awareness is on the rise given that many attendees had some familiarity with the term compared to previous years when few had ever heard of this critical medication-induced disorder.

Katinka Newman, author of the “Pill that Steals Lives” has an excellent website, Antidepressantrisks.org, that provides general info and resources. There is also a “Stolen Lives” section where people can share their own stories of prescribed harm. Relatives of those who died antidepressant-induced deaths can also post stories. We can learn much from the lived experiences of others.

“Failing to de-prescribe a benzodiazepine like Klonopin or Ativan can be harmful because these drugs can have adverse, though reversible, cognitive effects, like impaired memory and focus. They can also slow reflexes and increase the risk of falling, which is potentially hazardous for older people,” said psychiatrist, Dr. Friedman, in a recent Washington Post article about stopping psychiatric drugs.

Read more at https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/03/07/deprescribing-stopping-psychiatric-medications/?carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3cfd8b2%2F65e9f6ed0fa79a3a2e7f89b2%2F654b257a4aedb46329a056a3%2F35%2F54%2F65e9f6ed0fa79a3a2e7f89b2&wpisrc=nl_most.

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.

Knowledge is power–and knowing the signs of akathisia can save lives. The families featured in our public health video share some symptoms they unknowingly witnessed prior to their loved ones’ demise. Listen & learn.

Bereaved parents in France have joined together to file complaints about the serious and sometimes fatal adverse effects of SSRIs. Vincent Schmitt and Yoko Motohama and Gilles and Giusiana Mannoni lost sons to sudden and out-of-character death shortly after the sons were prescribed SSRIs. One in ten French people are taking drugs marketed as antidepressants. “However, these medicines are known to act on the brain under construction in adolescents and young adults, which increases the risk of side effects.”

Read the full article at https://www.lepoint.fr/sante/antidepresseurs-deux-familles-portent-plainte-apres-le-suicide-de-leurs-fils-19-01-2024-2550189_40.php#11.