Tardive dyskinesia Health Article

Definition

Tardive dyskinesia is a disorder that causes involuntary movements, especially of the lower face. Tardive means "delayed" and dyskinesia means "abnormal movement."

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Tardive dyskinesia is a serious side effect that occurs when you take medications called neuroleptics for a long time. The drugs that most commonly cause this disorder are older antipsychotic drugs, including:

• Haloperidol
• Fluphenazine
• Trifluoperazine

Other drugs, similar to antipsychotic drugs, that can cause tardive dyskinesia include:

• Cinnarizine
• Flunarizine (Silbelium)
• Metoclopramide

Symptoms

• Facial grimacing
• Jaw swinging
• Repetitive chewing
• Tongue thrusting

Expectations (prognosis)

If diagnosed early, the condition may be reversed by stopping the drug that caused the symptoms. Even if the antipsychotic drugs are stopped, the involuntary movements may become permanent and in some cases may become significantly worse.

References

Kompoliti K, Horn SS, eds. Drug-induced and iatrogenic neurological disorders. In: Goetz, CG, ed. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 55.

Tardive Dyskinesia. In: Moore DP, Jefferson JW, eds. Handbook of Medical Psychiatry. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2004: chap 148.