What is tardive dyskinesia?!


Question:

What is tardive dyskinesia?

i heard this could be triggered by psychiatric drugs such as haloperidol


Answers:

Of course, a psychiatrist would be the best person to ask, but I'm willing to throw in my two cents :D
Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder caused by the long term use (months or years) of certain neuroleptic (also known as anti-psychotic) medications which are prescribed for psychiatric disorders (i.e. psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and other medications which are prescribed for certain gastrointestinal or neurological disorders. (Usually, it is caused by medication that works on the dopaminergic system in the brain, if you want that level of detail).
Obviously, not everyone who takes these medications will experience this problem, but it is not really known why some do and some do not. Some research suggests that other than prolonged exposure to older medications (like Haloperidol, also known as Haldol) it could be related to a combination of medication use and age (over 65), substance abuse, mental retardation or a particular sensitivity to these meds.
Basically, tardive dyskinesia results in involuntary muscle movements, commonly around the face and mouth, but they can occur in other places as well. Specifically, symptoms of the disorder can include facial grimaces, tongue and lip movements and rapid eye blinking. Involuntary and rapid movements of the fingers, arms, legs and trunk may also occur.
Generally, if these movements occur, the medication regime is adjusted, either by reducing, stopping, substituting or changing the medication. Sometimes, symptoms will improve or disappear once the medication has been discontinued, but in long-term users it is possible that the symptoms will remain long after the medication has been stopped. Anyone who is taking any psychiatric medication should inform a psychiatrist immediately if they are experiencing involuntary muscle movements, muscle rigidity or stiffness or other acute problems.
The problem of tardive dyskinesia has been significantly reduced with the advent and wide-spread use a newer generation of antispychotics, called 'atypical' antipsychotics, such as Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Geodon.




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