Propranolol treatment of akathesia in Tourette's syndrome.

Akathesia is a common side effect of neuroleptic medication and has been reported to occur in patients with Tourette's Syndrome (TS). In TS, the differentiation between untreated hyperactivity and akathesia can be difficult. A case of neuroleptic treated TS with hyperactivity versus akathesia is presented in which propranolol was successfully used to treat the akathesia. The akathesia reappeared when the propranolol was withdrawn. This case illustrates an alternative to neuroleptic dose reduction in the management of akathesia in TS.