Fluoxetine-Induced Akathisia Does Not Reappear After Switch to Paroxetine

Letter to the Editor

Sir: The serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
such as fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine, have been repeatedly
reported to produce akathisia that responded well to
treatment with the ן-adrenergic antagonist propranolol, dose reduction,
or both. We report two cases of patients with refractory
major depression who suffered from severe fluoxetine-induced
akathisia that disappeared completely after fluoxetine withdrawal
and did not reappear after administration of an equivalent
dose of paroxetine, another SSRI antidepressant.