Mathew M
Venlafaxine, a selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNRI) approved by FDA in 1983 for treatment of depression, lately approved for anxiety disorder is a popular medication all over the world. Though symptoms of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and insomnia are frequent with Venlafaxine, akathisia is reported rarely. A thorough search on the internet revealed only 6 case reports of Venlafaxine induced akathisia till now. This is a case report of a young adult male from India, known case of Major Depressive Disorder (not on treatment), who presented to the outpatient department with high-grade fever with chills, rigors, headache, body ache, and nausea. The patient was diagnosed with Plasmodium vivax malaria and started on the standard regimen of chloroquine [0 (10 mg/kg), 6, 24 and 36 hours (5 mg/kg)] followed by primaquine (30 mg, 14 days). Patient was started on Venlafaxine (75 mg/day), later increased to 225 mg/day]. The patient developed restlessness, irritability, uncontrollable urge to move around, and an inability to lay still on the bed. After ruling out other possible causes, a diagnosis of Venlafaxine induced akathisia was made. The symptoms started improving and subsided completely after venlafaxine was withdrawn.
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