Find information on what tardive dyskinesia is, what causes it and what you can do to manage it.
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Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a side effect of medication, most commonly from antipsychotic drugs. These drugs may be part of your treatment if you have a diagnosis of:
TD can also be a side effect of other drugs used for treating physical conditions.
It is thought that TD develops because of the way these medications change levels of the chemical dopamine in your brain.
Anyone taking antipsychotic drugs is at risk of developing TD. It's listed as a common or very common side effect for antipsychotic medication. All drugs affect people differently, so it's not possible to tell whether you will get a particular side effect. But the main risk factors are:
Once you have TD, stopping and starting antipsychotics can also increase the risk of it becoming more severe. It's very important to talk to a doctor before deciding to come off medication. It is also possible to develop TD after you stop taking medication.
Some research suggests that you may be more likely to develop TD if you:
The risk may be greater if more than one of these applies to you.
For more information about antipsychotics, side effects and what to know before starting medication, see our pages on psychiatric medication and antipsychotics.
This information was published in December 2021. We will revise it in 2024.
References and bibliography available on request.
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