Family asks, 'Is this Tardive Dyskinesia?'
May 28th, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
Karter’s parents want to know if their infant son has Tardive Dyskinesia (TD). The little guy thrusts his body around and cries constantly for several minutes as his family watches helplessly. They posted this video, called Is this Tardive Dyskinesia, just four weeks ago on YouTube seeking answers.
“He has been sick ever since he was born,” writes Sam Weber. Karter was diagnosed with infantile spasms when he was just two months old, and has been on the medication Reglan for digestive problems since he was just two days old. He was recently taken off Reglan, and tested for West Syndrome, a seizure disorder, but the tests came out negative. “I have a feeling that he may have TD,” Sam Weber writes. “He continues to spasm and cry and stiffen up like he is in pain.”
The Weber’s concerns about Tardive Dyskinesia may be warranted. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a black box warning on Reglan and its generic metoclopramide after receiving reports that long-term use of the medication has been linked to an increased risk of Tardive Dyskinesia. Individuals with Tardive Dyskinesia develop involuntary movements of their muscles. Those movements include lip smacking, tongue thrusting, head jerking, facial grimacing, and involuntary movements of the fingers.
There is no known cure for Tardive Dyskinesia, and symptoms may persist even after the medication is discontinued.