Sedation, somnolence, dizziness,
akathisia and nausea were the most commonly reported adverse events (reported with a frequency of 5% or greater and at least twice that of placebo).
Akathisia and parkinsonism were observed more frequently with aripiprazole than with placebo (
akathisia: 24 [26%] of 91 vs 11 [12%] of 90; parkinsonism: 15 [17%] of 86 vs 2 [2%] of 81).
Wendy Dolin soon became convinced that the drug her husband had started taking five days before his death - paroxetine, the generic form of Paxil - played a role in his suicide by triggering a side effect called
akathisia, a state of acute physical and psychological agitation.
Adverse reactions that have been associated with treatment with aripiprazole include weight gain,
akathisia, injection site pain, sedation, and certain compulsive behaviors.
Every patient was assessed by a clinical interview using a semi-structured interview schedule, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Simpson-Angus rating scale (SAS), Abnormal Involuntary Movements scale (AIMS), Barnes
Akathisia Rating Scale, Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia, Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) and Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence.
The drug has demonstrated an ability to improve psychotic symptoms, however its side effects can include
akathisia and Parkinsonism.
The researchers sought to assess the associations between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and four outcomes: mortality, suicidality, aggression, and
akathisia.
The most common side effect of the new drug is the feeling the need to move constantly, medically called
akathisia.
Extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) observed during the 6-week LATUDA monotherapy study included
akathisia (noted for 8%, 11%, and 2% of patients in the LATUDA 20-60 mg, LATUDA 80-120 mg, and placebo groups, respectively), dystonia (0%, 2%, and 0%), parkinsonism (5%, 8%, and 2%), and restlessness (0%, 3%, and <1%).
During the first week of treatment her dosage was increased to 10 mg/d but at this dose she experienced
akathisia and other extrapyramidal symptoms.
Adult patients with bipolar depression:
akathisia, extrapyramidal symptoms, and somnolence
Extrapyramidal symptoms were evaluated using the Simpson-Angus scale (Simpson and Angus 1979), Barnes
Akathisia scale (Barnes 1989), and abnormal involuntary movement scale (AIMS) (National Institute of Mental Health 1976b).
