Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2024 Jan 10;17(1):e255427.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2023-255427.

Agony of akathisia: a case of sodium valproate-induced akathisia

Gareth Lim  1 , Aaron Tang  2 , Tracey Wing  2 , Jonathan Lai  3   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Agony of akathisia: a case of sodium valproate-induced akathisia

Gareth Lim et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

Akathisia is a subjective feeling of restlessness that often results in a compulsion to move. Drug-related causes are the most common aetiologies. It can often be confused with restless legs syndrome (RLS). We describe a case of valproate-induced akathisia that improved with drug cessation. This case reports a rare but treatable adverse effect of sodium valproate and highlights the importance of differentiating akathisia from RLS.

Keywords: Movement disorders (other than Parkinsons); Neurology (drugs and medicines); Psychiatry; Psychiatry (drugs and medicines).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

    1. Jankovic J, Hallett M, Okun M, et al. . Stereotypies. In: Principles and Practice of Movement Disorders. 3rd ed. Elsevier, 2021: 459.
    1. Zareifopoulos N, Katsaraki M, Stratos P, et al. . Pathophysiology and management of akathisia 70 years after the introduction of the chlorpromazine, the first antipsychotic. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2021;25:4746–56. 10.26355/eurrev_202101_26386 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lohr JB, Eidt CA, Abdulrazzaq Alfaraj A, et al. . The clinical challenges of akathisia. CNS Spectr 2015;20 Suppl 1:1–14. 10.1017/S1092852915000838 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sachdev P. Research diagnostic criteria for drug-induced akathisia: conceptualization, rationale and proposal. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1994;114:181–6. 10.1007/BF02245462 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Salem H, Nagpal C, Pigott T, et al. . Revisiting antipsychotic-induced akathisia: Current issues and prospective challenges. Curr Neuropharmacol 2017;15:789–98. 10.2174/1570159X14666161208153644 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources