Akathisia is a disorder consisting of difficulty in staying still and a subjective sense of restlessness. It is an adverse effect of antipsychotic, antiemetic and antidepressant drugs. It is difficult to diagnose and is often mistaken for a psychiatric problem. This leads to increase medications doses that augment the symptoms. It accounts for 26% of Antipsychotic drugs adverse effects and in patients under chemotherapy treatments, 50% meet the akathisia criteria.
The mechanisms by which these drugs cause Akathisia are not very well know. In some patients supplementation with Iron, Fish Oil, Vitamin E and Vitamin C shows promise. Vitamin B6 has been found particularly helpful and eating foods high in Vitamin B6 might prevent these adverse effects. Below is the recommended dietary allowances for Vitamin B6.
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 0.1 mg* | 0.1 mg* | ||
| 7–12 months | 0.3 mg* | 0.3 mg* | ||
| 1–3 years | 0.5 mg | 0.5 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 0.6 mg | 0.6 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 1.0 mg | 1.0 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 1.3 mg | 1.2 mg | 1.9 mg | 2.0 mg |
| 19–50 years | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg | 1.9 mg | 2.0 mg |
| 51+ years | 1.7 mg | 1.5 mg |
* Adequate Intake (AI)
Good sources for Vitamin B6 are shown in the table below. Although 1 cup of chickpeas is shown with the largest amount, keep in mind that one banana can provide a healthy dose of B6. It is important to eat from different sources in order to meet daily intake. Additional supplementation is necessary to support recovery from akathisia.
| Food | Milligrams (mg) per serving | Percent DV* |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas, canned, 1 cup | 1.1 | 55 |
| Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces | 0.9 | 45 |
| Tuna, yellowfin, fresh, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.9 | 45 |
| Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.6 | 30 |
| Chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces | 0.5 | 25 |
| Potatoes, boiled, 1 cup | 0.4 | 20 |
| Turkey, meat only, roasted, 3 ounces | 0.4 | 20 |
| Banana, 1 medium | 0.4 | 20 |
| Marinara (spaghetti) sauce, ready to serve, 1 cup | 0.4 | 20 |
| Ground beef, patty, 85% lean, broiled, 3 ounces | 0.3 | 15 |
| Bulgur, cooked, 1 cup | 0.2 | 10 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% low-fat, 1 cup | 0.2 | 10 |
| Squash, winter, baked, ½ cup | 0.2 | 10 |
| Rice, white, long-grain, enriched, cooked, 1 cup | 0.1 | 5 |
| Nuts, mixed, dry-roasted, 1 ounce | 0.1 | 5 |
| Raisins, seedless, ½ cup | 0.1 | 5 |
| Onions, chopped, ½ cup | 0.1 | 5 |
| Spinach, frozen, chopped, boiled, ½ cup | 0.1 | 5 |
| Watermelon, raw, 1 cup | 0.1 | 5 |
References
Akagi H, Kumar TM. Akathisia: overlooked at a cost. BMJ : British Medical Journal. 2002;324(7352):1506-1507.
Cotter PE, O’Keeffe ST. Improvement in neuroleptic‐induced akathisia with intravenous iron treatment in a patient with iron deficiency. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2007;78(5):548.
Lerner V, Bergman J, Statsenko N, Miodownik C. Vitamin B6 treatment in acute neuroleptic-induced akathisia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2004 Nov;65(11):1550-4.
Munetz MR, Cornes CL. Distinguishing akathisia and tardive dyskinesia: a review of the literature. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 1983 Dec;3(6):343-50.
E.Y. Sivrioglua, , , S. Kirlia, D. Sipahioglua, B. Gursoya, E. Sarandöl. Impact of ω-3 fatty acids, vitamins E and C supplementation on treatment outcome and side effects in schizophrenia patients treated with haloperidol: An open-label pilot study. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2007 Oct; 31(7):1493–1499
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/
