This article reports a case of a 72-year-old-man who developed severe akathisia while on fluoxetine & neuoleptics in a setting of benzodiazepine withdrawal associated with a 1st-time violent suicide attempt. This case, discussed in the context of akathisia induced by psychotropics, illustrates difficulties in attributing mechanisms to emergence of side effects. A literature review suggests akathisia as a variable in a minority of fluoxetine-treated patients with suicidal ideation. (14 Refs.)