Acute drug-induced akathisia is not associated with low serum iron status.

The iron status of 50 consecutively admitted psychiatric patients due to be started on neuroleptic medication was examined. Fifteen of the patients developed akathisia in the 2 weeks of follow-up. The patients did not differ significantly from the 35 non-akathisic patients in serum iron and transferrin levels and haemoglobin values. The findings do not support the postulated association between low serum iron status and acute neuroleptic-induced akathisia.