Call Today: (800) 664-3381
Submit your Tardive Dyskinesia claim details for a free, no obligation case review
Get Started:
Like adults, children can suffer from tardive dyskinesia, a condition that can occur as a result of taking neuroleptic, or antipsychotic, drugs for mental, stomach, or nervous system disorders. In addition to treating the symptoms of these disorders, neuroleptic drugs can cause oversensitivity to dopamine in certain receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that helps regulate behavior, sleep, mood and attention, among other things.
Tardive dyskinesia is an irreversible, untreatable neurological disorder often characterized by involuntary movements. The controversy with tardive dyskinesia is that it occurs when using neuroleptic drugs. As the use of neuroleptics continued to increase, doctors assured patients that the drug treatment could be used as a permanent solution to treating symptoms in a safe manner. However, children with tardive dyskinesia were being observed.
The symptoms of tardive dyskinesia involve the involuntary movement of the limbs, torso, face, jaw, or fingers, including
While neuroleptics are prescribed to adults for specific conditions, children are prescribed them for a variety conditions, such as
In the 1980s, doctors first noticed symptoms associated with antipsychotic medications and children, but had no name for it. Since they didn’t realize a connection between these symptoms and the medications they were prescribing, they didn’t warn parents or the patients of the risks associated with the drugs.
Children with tardive dyskinesia often suffer more symptoms than they were initially prescribed drug treatment for. The adverse effects that children with tardive dyskinesia can suffer can include permanent behavioral and/or mental disorders because of the use of the neuroleptic drugs. Tardive dyskinesia can occur after just months of beginning neuroleptic treatment and it is not known how many people the disease has directly affected.
Undiagnosed, children can experience lasting behavioral and mental problems from tardive dyskinesia. This is probably because the systems connected to the dopamine receptors are still developing. It’s more difficult for doctors to diagnose the condition for several reasons:
A pediatric movement disorders specialist should be consulted if either the parent or the doctor of the patient suspect symptoms associated with tardive dyskinesia.
Studies have shown a connection between children treated for schizophrenia and tardive dyskinesia when they become adults, even when dosages are reduced or medication is stopped. Doctors are unsure whether taking short breaks from medications associated with tardive dyskinesia will help alleviate symptoms of the condition or make them worse. This is because sometimes symptoms become more noticeable when the patient has stopped taking their medication.
Regardless, antipsychotic medications should be avoided in children until studies have proven their safety.
If your child is diagnosed with tardive dyskinesia, contact a tardive dyskinesia attorney to learn about your legal rights. You may qualify to obtain compensation that can help with the treatment of the disorder.
Copyright © 2001 - 2009 Online Lawyer Source | Legal Marketing Site Designed by eJustice