Tardive Dyskinesia Side Effects

Tardive Dyskinesia side effects are sometimes permanent and can occur after just a few months after beginning neuroleptics, a thought previously mistaken. The neuroleptic Tardive Dyskinesia link was initially thought to be a risk after patients had been using the neuroleptics for years. Unfortunately, this was incorrect and neuroleptic patients began reporting cases of Tardive Dyskinesia and Tardive Dyskinesia side effects.

Most antipsychotic patients were not aware of Tardive Dyskinesia risks and would fail to then notice any Tardive Dyskinesia side effects indicating the movement disorder was developing. The prevalence of Tardive Dyskinesia in neuroleptic patients is estimated to develop in 15 – 20% of antipsychotic (neuroleptic) patients using the drugs for several years. There are estimates that Tardive Dyskinesia affects around 1 million Americans, though many believe the Tardive Dyskinesia side effects are present in far more people than that.

Originally, Tardive Dyskinesia was believed to be a greater risk in older antipsychotics and the newer drugs provided beneficial results with lesser chance of side effects. As more studies have been performed on newer antipsychotics, in addition to the present risk of Tardive Dyskinesia that still exists, things like pancreatitis, hyperglycemia, and diabetes has also been added to the dangerous effects.

Tardive Dyskinesia side effects include uncontrollable movements of the body, trunk, legs, arms, fingers, mouth, lips, and tongue. Some Tardive Dyskinesia side effects will not be as obvious as others, but most Tardive Dyskinesia patients will not even be conscious of the involuntary movements unless told by someone witnessing them. Many critics have attributed the push from a highly competitive drug industry and the lack of emphasis psychiatric facilities place on more traditional forms of treatment instead of just drug therapy on increase in Tardive Dyskinesia side effects.

Claiming neuroleptics were able to empty out U.S. mental hospitals, antipsychotics have had financial success. The leading six antipsychotic sales in the U.S. totaled $5.4 billion in the 12-month period ending August 31, 2003, with 22.7 million prescriptions written. Controlled studies have shown that patients diagnosed with acute schizophrenia improve better without medications like antipsychotics and instead with small home-like settings with non-professional staff that take the time to listen and care. Some people can claim this form of treatment can have high financial implications, however it was at no greater cost because non-professional salaries are lower while patients do not risk suffering Tardive Dyskinesia side effects (Mosher and Burti, 1989).

The challenge of Tardive Dyskinesia side effects is there is yet to be an effective treatment method for Tardive Dyskinesia side effects. There is an absence of a standard treatment because the lack of options as well as because Tardive Dyskinesia treatment is very individual on Tardive Dyskinesia side effects. Especially when doctors do not wish for the neuroleptics to be discontinued, Tardive Dyskinesia treatment can be an extremely difficult method to find.

For more information on Tardive Dyskinesia side effects, please contact us to confer with a Tardive Dyskinesia side effects lawyer.