AI Article Synopsis
- * A 44-year-old man experienced severe, treatment-resistant akathisia from haloperidol, and standard treatments like benzodiazepines and benztropine were ineffective, leaving him in considerable distress.
- * Introducing mirtazapine at a low dose successfully improved his symptoms, as shown by a significant drop in the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale score, showcasing mirtazapine's potential as an effective treatment for resistant cases of akathisia.
Article Abstract
Antipsychotic-induced akathisia is a distressing movement disorder marked by intense internal restlessness and an urge to move. This report discusses a 44-year-old man with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who developed severe, treatment-resistant akathisia after taking haloperidol, a first-generation antipsychotic. Standard treatments for antipsychotic-induced akathisia, including benzodiazepines (Clonazepam) and benztropine, failed to alleviate the patient's persistent symptoms, causing considerable distress. However, the introduction of mirtazapine at a low dose of 15 mg led to substantial improvement, as indicated by a gradual reduction in the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale score from 8 to 0 and improvements in mood, mobility, and daily activity participation. This case highlights the potential efficacy of mirtazapine in treating severe, resistant akathisia, adding to its established use in antipsychotic-induced akathisia management and contributing to the limited literature on its application in patients unresponsive to other conventional treatments.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11605738 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2050313X241299947 | DOI Listing |
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