tardive dyskinesia

Tardive Dyskinesia

What Is It?

Tardive Dyskinesia is a syndrome that often includes Rhythmic involuntary movements of the tongue, face, mouth, or jaw (e.g. frequent poking out of the tongue, chewing, puckering, or blowing out of the cheeks).

Sometimes this is accompanied by involuntary twitching or tremors in the hands or feet.

What Causes It?

Antipsychotic (Neuroleptic) Medication.

Who Is Most At Risk?

People that have been on antipsychotic medication for a long time, people on high doses of antipsychotics (particularly older people), and people who have recently stopped taking antipsychotic medication.

Women seem more likely to get it than men.

Can You Treat It?

No, There is no known effective treatment for Tardive Dyskinesia. In some people it is irreversible.

If it begins to appear, possibly with involuntary tongue movements one of the first indicators, the medication should be immediately stopped. This may mean that the syndrome goes away, in any case, the person should be closely monitored.

* RECOMMENDED BOOKS *

If you are interested in going into even more depth, the following book(s), sold by Amazon.co.uk, are recommended by us. Each is followed by a rating for ease of reading (1-3).

1=Simple and Easy to comprehend.
2=More Complex but still a good read.
3=Very Complex, only for professionals/those studying to degree level.

Understanding & Treating Tardive Dyskinesia (Jeste & Jeste)

RATING SCORE = 3 One for the Professionals.

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