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Q: Movement Problems & Meds
Dear Dr Phelps, In the past I have been prescribed Chlorpromazine and
later Thoridazine. I took a very small dosage of
Thoridazine, at a guess 5mg, for over 5 years. I have developed a painful
problem with my neck during that time and after I stopped taking
Thoridazine. My neck gets very painful at night, jerking from side to
side, and can be rigid during the day time. Some nights my legs get
painful and jerk. Is this a form of Parkinson's that I have developed
through medication, and will this remain with me or fade away now that I haven't
been taking Thoridazine for about four years. I have had Bi Polar Disorder
since I was 14 years old, have been in and out of hospital with acute psychoses
ever since then, and am now 33 years old. Thank you for reading my e-mail.
Yours sincerely,
Simon.
Dear Simon --
Sounds like you're describing a movement problem that these medications can
cause called tardive dyskinesia. Ask your doc' about that.
Stimulated by your question, as I don't use these medications much anymore so
haven't been watching the latest developments, I searched "tardive
dyskinesia treatment" on Google. Since you might do the same, let me
just caution you: this is a pretty common problem so there are folks out
there trying to make a buck off people with such problems. Here's an
example, I think:
Symmetry
.
On the other hand, here are other treatments that are
worth looking into more closely, as there is some science behind them:
So, there's lots to learn (and I'm not a specialist in
this area). Finally, you should know that clozapine, a medication somewhat
like Thioridazine except much more effective, and very specifically effective in
bipolar disorder conditions, has also been tried as a "treatment" for
tardive dyskinesia -- so that's worth keeping in mind as you learn your way
along. Of course, I could be wrong about this being tardive dyskinesia;
but that's a good place to start.
Dr. Phelps
Published February, 2003
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