Extrapyramidal side effects and suicidal ideation under fluoxetine treatment: a case report

BACKGROUND We present the case of a 52-year-old woman with depression who developed extrapyramidal symptoms (mainly parkinsonism) and suicidal ideation while on fluoxetine. METHODS The patient underwent neurological and neuroimaging examination. RESULTS The patient's neurological and neuroimaging examinations were normal and there was no other cause of extrapyramidal symptoms. The patient showed remission of the aforementioned symptomatology when fluoxetine was discontinued. CONCLUSIONS This case shows that fluoxetine can be associated with extrapyramidal symptoms, and this may have an aggravating affect on clinical depression progress and the emergence of suicidal ideation.