About Tardive Dyskinesia

Tardive Dyskinesia is a movement disorder associated to the use of neuroleptic medications. Initially, experts did not think that Tardive Dyskinesia could occur so close to beginning neuroleptic treatment, but within just months and up to years of beginning neuroleptics Tardive Dyskinesia has been suffered.

Characterized by involuntary movements, Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms can include facial tics, eye blinking, tongue thrusting, lip smacking, grimacing, as well as other common Tardive Dyskinesia movements. In many instances, Tardive Dyskinesia patients do not even realize that they may be displaying Tardive Dyskinesia movements unless notified by others witnessing them. Due to the serious adverse effects linked to neuroleptic use, it is advised by some doctors and experts to seek alternate management strategies when possible instead of using neuroleptic medication to avoid risk of suffering Tardive Dyskinesia.

Antipsychotic defenders in the psychiatric field have argued there are risks for every medication, and the risks of Tardive Dyskinesia were outweighed by the benefits neuroleptics provided some schizophrenia patients. Critics argue otherwise, believing that especially in cases of acute schizophrenia alternative psychosocial options may provide beneficial results without the risks of Tardive Dyskinesia and other drug induced disorders.

First brought to the attention of the medical community in 1973, a psychiatrist George Crane had been witnessing Tardive Dyskinesia cases in neuroleptic patients. These documentations were not further examined and neuroleptic drugs continued to flourish and was even credited with reducing the number of mental hospital inpatients. In fact, mental hospital numbers were not reduced until almost ten years after neuroleptic medications were being administered, right at the time the federal government began to provide disability insurance coverage for mental disorders.

The Tardive Dyskinesia and neuroleptic link has caused many to believe that its’ use should be seriously limited, especially in mild schizophrenics. Critics wonder why so few patients are still unaware of the Tardive Dyskinesia neuroleptic risk. In addition, there is an absence of significant research showing neuroleptics have a targeted effect on psychotic symptoms and in controlled studies neuroleptics performed no better in treating the acute phase of schizophrenia than sedatives, narcotics, and placebos (Keck et al., 1989).

Neuroleptics were initially seen as a safe long-term schizophrenia treatment. According to studies, Tardive Dyskinesia occurs in patients using long-term neuroleptic treatment in 20-30% of people. There are approximately 2 million people in the U.S. afflicted with schizophrenia, and there are estimated that Tardive Dyskinesia is affecting as many as 1 million Americans. Middle aged and elderly people tend to develop Tardive Dyskinesia more often. With significantly high Tardive Dyskinesia incidence, critics are baffled that so little is still known about Tardive Dyskinesia and antipsychotic use.

Many people in the psychiatric field have argued that while there are risks for every medication, the risks of Tardive Dyskinesia were outweighed by the benefits neuroleptics brought schizophrenia patients. Critics argue otherwise, believing that especially in patients with acute schizophrenia alternative psychosocial options may provide beneficial results without risks of Tardive Dyskinesia and other drug induced disorders.

The growing belief that there is a prescription drug to help cure any ailment has been in response to the competitive pharmaceutical industry according to critics. The increase in drug advertising has been attributed to the reduction of consumer awareness by under emphasizing the risks and possible side effects and over emphasizing the drugs benefits, regardless of how minimal they may be. Neuroleptics have dangerous effects like Tardive Dyskinesia but many patients are still unaware of the serious risks.

For more information on neuroleptics and Tardive Dyskinesia contact us to confer with a Tardive Dyskinesia lawyer.