Tardive dyskinesia: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

With prolonged use of drugs for various kinds of mental disorders, tardive dyskinesia may appear. This disease, affecting the central nervous system, manifests itself in the form of uncontrolled movements of any parts of the human body. It is important to seek medical help at the first signs of the disease, because the lack of treatment can be fatal.

Causes

The main cause of tardive dyskinesia is the use of antipsychotics - drugs intended for the treatment of mental illness. With prolonged use, they tend to destroy brain cells and the nervous system. Tardive dyskinesia is considered a dangerous consequence requiring constant monitoring - the probability of death is extremely high, especially in patients older than 50 years.

Any antipsychotic drugs should be taken in a strict manner. In the event of the first signs of dyskinesia, drug withdrawal will not stop the development of the disease - neurolytics have a cumulative effect and are found in the body even several months after the medication is completely stopped. The starting factor for the development of the disease is even the minimum dose of drugs.

Medicines that often cause complications include:

• "Aminazine";
• Tizercin;
• "Triftazine";
• "Perphenazine";
• "Haloperidol";
• Trifluperidol;
• "Droperidol."

These drugs are typical antipsychotics that can cause serious consequences.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the gender and age of the patient, the duration of the use of antipsychotic drugs and the presence of other pathologies, tardive dyskinesia can take the following forms:

• reversible;
• irreversible;
• persistent (when symptoms persist for a long time).

Symptoms

There is a widespread belief that tardive dyskinesia is dementia. In fact, it is a consequence in the absence of therapy. This disease is characterized by the occurrence of uncontrolled movements.

Symptoms of tardive dyskinesia include:

1. Tremor - rapid involuntary muscle contractions of various parts of the body. Trembling can occur both at rest, and when making conscious movements.
2. Nerve tic - a quick, uniform muscle contraction that has a short-term character.
3. Akathisia is a condition accompanied by anxiety and a desire to constantly be in motion. The patient cannot stand or sit still, often activity remains in a dream.

Symptoms of tardive dyskinesia are pronounced and appear immediately. They may be accompanied by signs of deterioration in the general condition of the body: fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness.

With untimely treatment, the course of the disease is complicated:

• it becomes difficult for the patient to speak, speech loses clarity, it is impossible to pronounce some letters;
• gait changes, balance is lost;
• intermittent respiratory arrest;
• muscle tissue becomes weak, body weight decreases sharply;
• the mood often changes - from joyful to aggressive.

According to statistics, every tenth person over 50 who is taking antipsychotics is at risk.

Treatment

The duration of treatment for tardive dyskinesia is about 2 years. It requires considerable effort and strict adherence to all doctor's recommendations.

First of all, the cause of the disease is determined - the drug that provoked its appearance. If drug withdrawal is not possible, the patient continues to take it in the minimum dose. At the same time, a search is conducted for analogues that have the same effect, but do not affect the structure of brain cells and the nervous system. As a rule, the symptoms of the disease after changing the drug are less pronounced, provided that the patient turned to a medical institution at the first sign of tardive dyskinesia. After this, a treatment plan is drawn up, its effectiveness is evaluated regularly.

To date, there is no such treatment regimen that would guarantee getting rid of a dangerous ailment. Doctors noted that at the initial stage, patients up to 35-40 years of age help to reduce the severity of symptoms of vitamin E, taken in high doses.

It is important to understand that therapy may not bring improvements. In this regard, special attention should be paid to preventive measures.

Prevention

To avoid the appearance of tardive dyskinesia twice a year, it is necessary to visit a neurologist. The specialist’s task is to qualitatively assess the neurological status of a person when taking medications for mental disorders, as well as to predict possible changes if the dosage of the drug is increased.

Tardive dyskinesia is an extremely dangerous disease, which is often irreversible. In the absence of treatment or untimely treatment to the doctor, disability or death can occur.