Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

An estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people in the United States suffer from Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and disabling involuntary movement disorder. The condition was first linked to use of anti-psychotic medications but most recently has been linked to a common heartburn, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) and gastroparesis medication known as Reglan (metoclopramide). How the medications cause Tardive Dyskinesia is debatable, but studies show that long-term use of medications leave users at higher risk of developing the condition.

Some studies show that patients who take the medications for more than 12 weeks, as well as the elderly, are as much as 20 to 70 percent at risk for developing Tardive Dyskinesia. Medications like Reglan (metoclopramide) may mask the symptoms, which can become more prevalent after the medication is discontinued. Even after patients stop taking the drugs, symptoms may persist.

Symptoms include involuntary lip smacking, blinking, raising eyebrows, tongue twitching and protrusion, toe tapping, and jerking, repetitive, involuntary motions of the fingers, hands, arms, legs and/or torso. For some, the movements are slight and hardly noticeable. For others, the involuntary movements are severe and debilitating.

Unfortunately, there is no way to predict who will suffer the symptoms of Tardive Dyskinesia, which makes it even more important that patients understand the risks of their medication. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a black box warning, its most serious warning, on Reglan (metoclopramide) because of the risk of Tardive Dyskinesia especially with long-term use of the medication. An estimated two million people take some form of Reglan (metoclopramide), and may be at risk for developing the movement disorder.

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• Dopamine-blocking medications linked to tardive dyskinesia

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