When Side Effects Turn Deadly

In rare cases, antidepressants and other psychoactive drugs cause a condition called akathisia, which can drive people to end their lives

Illustration: Jon Han

With his retirement approaching, Joe Schiel was experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and stress. His doctor prescribed a generic version of Lexapro, an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), to ease a difficult transition. Nearly a month later, he jumped off a hotel’s fourth-floor balcony.

Stewart Dolin started taking paroxetine, a generic version of the SSRI Paxil, following the stress of increased responsibilities at his job. Just six days later, he leaped in front of a moving train.

The deaths of Dolin and Schiel, who were both in their fifties, stunned their families. Dolin had no history of mental illness. Schiel had an episode of sharply increased anxiety many years earlier. How could they have died by suicide so quickly following a commonly prescribed treatment for a relatively minor mental-health issue?

For both men, the brief period between starting the medication and their death was extremely suspicious. “It wasn’t the Joe I knew,” says Janet Schiel, Joe’s widow. “Just all of a sudden, he was a different person.” Almost…