Tardive dyskinesia is a disorder caused by certain medications, characterized by repetitive involuntary movements, often mistaken for mental illness. Symptoms include movements of the mouth and hands, impaired speech and writing skills, and muscle twitching. Early diagnosis is important for prevention.
Tardive dyskinesia, which is a disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements, is often caused by the use of certain medications, such as antipsychotics. Since this disorder is often mistaken for a form of mental illness, anyone who is at increased risk of developing this disorder should be well informed of all possible symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. Although the disorder is difficult to treat, if symptoms such as grimacing or pursing of the lips are caught early, it is usually possible to prevent a debilitating case from developing. Most of the symptoms are related to movement of the face and hands, although some variants of this disorder have different symptoms.
Almost always, the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia involve involuntary movements of some sort. In variants of tardive dyskinesia, a person may feel driven to move but may be able to control movement for a while. Symptoms of tardive dyskinesia usually include movements of the mouth and hands, although limbs can move as well.
Making faces, such as grimacing or pursing your lips, is common. A distinctive movement is the constant chewing associated with this disorder. The tongue may also stick out or move in unusual ways. Finger movements are common, and arm and leg movements also occur. Often, these tardive dyskinesia symptoms are repetitive and noticeable, although they may not be constant.
One symptom that arises from these primary symptoms is impaired speech and writing skills. When the mouth cannot be controlled, speech becomes more difficult. Similarly, the hands may not be able to write when subjected to involuntary movements. These symptoms of tardive dyskinesia can frustrate a person in the extent to which they act, increasing the chances of being misdiagnosed as having a mental illness.
Variants of tardive dyskinesia include the appearance of muscle twitching, twisting, or vocal tics. These are usually classified under a different name, but may have the same causes. It is also possible that the symptoms of these variants occur together and make diagnosis more difficult.
The most important distinguishing indicator when it comes to tardive dyskinesia is the cause. Sometimes similar symptoms may occur but without the essential drug-related cause. This disorder is caused almost exclusively by neuroleptic drugs in adults, making it fairly easy to determine if a person is at risk of developing the disorder. If a person is taking these drugs in large doses or for a long time, close monitoring by others is almost always helpful in getting the disorder early. Not all cases of tardive dyskinesia can be prevented, but they can be stopped if properly diagnosed early.
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