Is Tardive Dyskinesia A Side Effect Of Geodon?
It could be tardive dyskinesia
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for using Healthcaremagic.
I read your query and understand your concerns.
From the available description there is fair possibility of tardive dyskinesia. It is long term side effect of most antipsychotics including geodon although I must acknowledge that it is very uncommon side effect of geodon.
Regarding the treatment there are following options.
1. Treatment of TD with use of vitamin E, and tetrabenazine.
2. Use of clozaril as antipsychotic as well as treatment of Tardive dyskinesia.
Regarding your upcoming consultation I feel neurologist Will either confirm or refute the diagnosis as they are better trained in regard to movement disorders as experienced by you.
I hope this answers you.
Feel free to write back to me if you have more questions.
Thanks and regards.
Early TD is reversible to a great extent
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for follow up.
I completely agree that TD is difficult to treat but after a certain time. In the initial stage there is good hope for recovery.
Among the options Clozaril is better option as chances of complete elimination is high in compare to use of tetrabenazine and vitamin E which are largely symptomatic treatment.
The reason for clozaril lies with fact that you have resistant symptoms to almost all antipsychotics and clozaril is indicated for both resistant psychosis as well as TD.
Although you need to follow up with your psychiatrist but neurologist opinion is important because your psychiatrist says it is not related to geodon while there is good possibility that abnormal movements are related to geodon. The use of benadryl is another indication to support above claim as anticholinergics help for some time in TD and that could be reason you are responding to benadryl which have anticholinergics properties.
I hope this answers you further.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for my future patients.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/doctors/dr-ashok-kumar/67386
Thanks and regards
Follow up
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for reverting back to me.
Although I have no knowledge about pricing in USA but I feel Ingrezza and latuda must be more expensive than Clozaril. The reason being the clozaril is out of patent and generics are available. For example in my country Clozaril 100 mg is available for Rs 7 (10 cent) while latuda 40 mg costs around Rs. 18 (26 cent). Ingrezza is recently approved by USFDA and not yet available in my country.
Theoretically speaking Ingrezza is good option but I do believe that there is always difference between research findings and clinical experience so I will prefer not to comment about usefulness of Ingrezza before I get either the personal experience or the clinical opinion from other colleagues who used it for some of their patients.
Decision should be made only after through discussion and I feel giving a chance to latuda and ingrezza is worth as they do not require strict monitoring alike clozaril. In case there is inadequate response or some other problem clozaril can be explored as next option.
I hope this helps you further.
Thanks again.