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Tardive dyskinesia occurs in individuals who have taken medications prescribed for the treatment of mental, stomach, or nervous system disorders.
Signs of tardive dyskinesia involve the involuntary movement of the limbs, torso, face, jaw, or fingers, including:
Many tardive dyskinesia symptoms closely resemble the symptoms of other movement disorders, making it somewhat difficult for tardive dyskinesia symptoms to be accurately diagnosed, unless the doctor is familiar with the patient’s medical/movement history. Once diagnosed, there may still be little that doctors can do, since in most cases, tardive dyskinesia symptoms stem from the use of medicines the patient needs to treat a serious underlying condition. Tardive dyskinesia symptoms may remain even if the drug that causes them can be replaced. Careful treatment of symptoms may cause improvement over time, with an alternate form of treatment for the underlying condition.
Tardive dyskinesia is caused by the use of certain medications, including neuroleptics and other types of antipsychotics. The longer the particular medication was used and/or the larger the dose, the higher the risk of this condition appearing. Due to limited research, the condition is largely misunderstood. It is believed to be a hypersensitivity to the dopamine in neuroleptic drugs.
A variety of drugs have been identified as the cause this condition, including:
Since they have similar symptoms, tardive dyskinesia is often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia. This is dangerous because antipsychotics are prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Due to the link between antipsychotic drugs and tardive dyskinesia, an increase in the dosage of these drugs creates a high risk situation in which existing symptoms worsen while new ones surface.
Anyone who has taken the drugs listed above for a long time or in high doses is at risk. Those with a higher risk than others include:
Other factors include:
There are several treatments available for tardive dyskinesia, though no cure. Reducing or stopping medication once a diagnosis is given can make symptoms lessen or disappear. If it's not possible to stop taking the medication, short-term use at the lowest possible dosage can help alleviate some symptoms.
The following drugs have been used to treat the condition:
In addition, adequate rest and exercise have been shown to minimize symptoms.
Patients who are suffering from tardive dyskinesia symptoms may be entitled to recover financially if their conditions resulted from negligence. An attorney representing persons with tardive dyskinesia symptoms may be able to help you determine if you have a case. For more information about this defective drug contact a Tardive Dyskinesia attorney today. If you’ve developed the disorder as a result of a prescription medication, you may qualify to recover compensation for your losses.
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