Tardive dyskinesia (TD)

Explains what tardive dyskinesia is, what causes it and what you can do to manage it.

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What is tardive dyskinesia?

Tardive dyskinesia (TD): Key Facts

TD is a possible side effect of antipsychotic medication.
It causes your face and/or body make sudden, jerky or slow twisting movements which you can’t control.
Anyone taking antipsychotics drugs may develop TD, but some people may be more at risk than others.
For some people TD may continue indefinitely, even after stopping or changing medication.
If you notice any signs of TD, talk to your doctor right away. Spotting it early gives you the best chance of managing or getting rid of it.
If you live with TD, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself cope day-to-day. There's also a lot friends and family can do to support you.
Our pages on coping with side effects and coming off medication can help you manage your choices around medication safely.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a condition where your face and/or body make sudden, jerky or slow twisting movements which you can’t control. It can develop as a side effect of medication, most commonly antipsychotic drugs.

‘Tardive’ means delayed or appearing late (because it usually only develops after you’ve been taking medication for at least a few months and sometimes years).
‘Dyskinesia’ means abnormal or unusual movements.

Awareness of TD has improved over the years, but unfortunately doctors don’t always remember to tell people about this risk when they prescribe antipsychotics.

"It started with uncontrollably blinking and stretching my nose/top lip. I remember myself and my close family being quite confused as to why I was doing it!"

Experiencing signs and symptoms of TD may make it hard to do day-to-day activities. It can also be very stressful or upsetting. For example, you may:

feel self-conscious about movements caused by TD
feel upset that you can’t control what your body is doing
find it very hard or impossible to predict when you will experience symptoms.

"Having TD has made me very socially anxious and shy. I am constantly aware of my twitches and I wonder if people notice and, if so, what they are thinking..."

What’s it like taking antipsychotics?

In this video you can watch Ziaul, Joe, Steve and Laura talk about their experiences of taking antipsychotics, side effects, and making choices about medication:

(For more information about these drugs, see our pages about psychiatric medication, and about antipsychotics.)

"It is very scary to have pieces of your body doing their own thing and it affects your sense of self. You are no longer in control of your basic human boundaries."