Tardive Dyskinesia is thought to be the result of prolonged treatment with neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) medicines. Tardive means "late"; dyskinesia means "movement disorder." The symptoms range from occasional to continuous, and from barely perceptible to blatant. Long term studies have determined that TD develops in 15 to 20 percent of the patients taking anti-psychotic drugs for several years.*

Diagnosis of dystonia is difficult. Ellen Frontis compiled an interesting survey for the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association (NSDA) that reported the following facts: patients had to consult an average of four doctors (and as many as 25 in one case) over an average of five years (and as many as 10 years) before receiving a diagnosis.
• 71% had difficulty in obtaining a correct diagnosis (70% reported that physicians who they consulted were unaware of the disorder)
• 75% reported they consulted general practitioners and only 4% of the respondents reported being correctly diagnosed by general practitioners
On the average, patients had to travel 160 miles for treatments
• 71% reported reduced social life
• 31% reported reduction in work hours
• 26% reported they could not work

Highest at risk include.

1) Elderly people.

2) Women.

3) People with brain disease, brain injury, mental retardation, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders.

4) Intermittent Therapy and high dose therapy.

5) People who show early signs of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS).

6) Concomitant use of antichoilinergics (Cogentin, etc.).

7) Diabetics.

8) Tobacco and alcohol users.*

*from www.guess-what.com

Video of an actual episode

Medications associated with TD