Tardive Dyskinesia Cure

Living with tardive dyskinesia (TD) is debilitating, uncomfortable, and embarrassing. The movement order, characterized by uncontrollable tics and other involuntary body movements, makes it difficult to carry on with everyday living, and many victims of the disease note that their life has drastically changed since their diagnosis.

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for tardive dyskinesia. In some cases, involuntary movements do subside when the patient stops taking certain drugs that cause the disorder, such as metoclopramide drugs (Reglan) and certain neuroleptic medications used to treat schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions. However, in some cases, stopping treatment with these drugs may not relieve the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia.

Treating Dyskinesia

Most doctors who treat tardive dyskinesia will take patients off of the medication that is believed to have caused the disorder and its symptoms, and a substitute medication with less risk of tardive dyskinesia is prescribed.

There are some drugs - both prescription and non-prescription - that have shown promise in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia. Many of the drugs are still being studied, and others may cause other unfortunate side effects. Drugs often prescribed to treat or relieve symptoms of tardive dyskinesia include:

Clozapine – An atypical antipsychotic drug that has shown some benefit in improving cases of TD, particularly those with dystonic features.
Benzodiazepines – These drugs have been used mostly to treat TD caused by antipsychotic drugs, and treatment for those who have TD due to metoclopramide has not been as successful.
Reserpine – This hypertension drug has been helpful in reducing the symptoms of TD, but it is associated with many other side effects, including low blood pressure, depression, and a disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease.
Propanolol – Also a high blood pressure medication, propranolol has been shown to decrease symptoms of TD within two months of starting treatment.
Tetrabenazine – Available in the U.S. as an “orphan” drug, tetrabenazine is used as a symptomatic treatment for the tics that accompany TD. Because it is similar to an antipsychotic, tetrabenazine causes some of the same serious side effects.
Vitamin E – Some patients have noted improvement of symptoms after taking certain amounts of vitamin E, though there is no scientific proof that this is a real treatment for TD.
Other drugs – Several medications have been used to relieve the symptoms of TD, including Levodopa (typically used for Parkinson’s disease), calcium channel blockers, lithium carbonate, amino acids, and insulin.

Not enough studies have been completed in regards to the use of many of these medications to treat the disease, so no definitive answers as to their success in halting TD and its symptoms are available. Scientists continue to research both existing and new drugs to determine which will best help control the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia and perhaps, someday, offer a cure.

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