Abilify Discmelt and Tardive dyskinesia

Neuroleptic agents may precipitate symptoms of tardive dyskinesia (TD), a syndrome consisting of rhythmic involuntary movements variously involving the tongue, face, mouth, lips, jaw, and/or trunk and extremities, following chronic use of at least several months but often years. Elderly patients, particularly women, are most susceptible. Both the risk of developing the syndrome and the likelihood that it will become irreversible increase with the duration and total cumulative dose of neuroleptic therapy administered. However, patients may infrequently develop symptoms after relatively brief treatment periods at low dosages. If TD occurs during neuroleptic therapy, prompt withdrawal of the offending agent or at least a lowering of the dosage should be considered. TD symptoms may become more severe after drug discontinuation or a dosage reduction, but may gradually improve over months to years. In patients with preexisting drug-induced TD, initiating or increasing the dosage of neuroleptic therapy may temporarily mask the symptoms of TD but could eventually worsen the condition. The newer, atypical neuroleptic agents (e.g., risperidone, quetiapine, olanzapine) tend to be associated with a substantially reduced risk of inducing TD and are considered the drugs of choice in patients being treated for psychosis.