Phoenix Rising - Psychiatric Survivor Archives of Toronto

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The Tardive
Dyskinesia Epidemic
by Don Weitz
The many "side effects" ofthe
major tranquillizers, also known as
"antipsychotic" drugs, neuroleptics
and phenothiazines, have reached
epidemic proportions. The most
serious and widespread "side
effect" is tardive dyskinesia (TD), a
disorder of the central nervous
system caused by such drugs as Thorazine
(chlorpromazine), Stelazine,
Mellaril, Moditen (also known as
Modecate and, in the US, as Prolixin).
"Antiparkinsonian" drugs
like Cogentin and Artane, almost
always administered with major
tranquillizers to disguise their
effects, aggravate the disorder. TD
indicates brain damage and is generally
permanent: treatment is limited
to temporarily masking its
symptoms. It is safe to assume that
hundreds of thousands of people in
North America are currently suffering
from this disorder; it is estimated
that as many as half the people
given major tranquillizers develop
TD.
Tardive means "late-appearing"
and dyskinesia means "abnormal
muscular movement." TD was first
identified and described in the early
1960s, shortly after Thorazine-type
drugs were introduced in psychiatric
institutions. But the medical/psychiatric
profession has largely ignored
its existence.
TD is a grotesque and disfiguring
disorder. As described by J. Horowitz
in a 1978journal called Human
Behavior, "The symptoms ...
include slow, rhythmic and involuntary
movements of the face and
limbs; cheek-puffing; lip-smacking
or lip-pursing; chomping of the
tongue or repeated tongue thrusts in
a 'fly-catcher' movement; occasional
stiffening of the neck and
arms, difficulty in swallowing or
speaking; in severe cases, rotation
of the ankles or toes, or wrist and
finger movements .... " Serious
respiratory problems and persistent
vomiting or retching have also been
reported as indications ofTD. People
with any of these bizarre symp-
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toms are extremely vulnerable to
being socially ostracized.
Symptoms usually appear within
six months to two years after the
start of "treatment" with major
tranquillizers, but have been known
to appear within three weeks of continuous
drug use. Some people suddenly
develop the disorder a few
days after the drug is stopped.
Your likelihood of developing TD
increases with increased dosage and
duration of "antipsychotic" drugging.
You are also at high risk if you
get long-acting injections of the
drugs or have bad muscle reactions
to them, or if you already have
brain damage or neurological problems.
Women appear to be more
susceptible than men.
Of course, the best way not to get
TD is never to take major tranquillizers.
The second-best way is to take
as Iowa dosage of them, and for as
short a time, as possible. But if you
are taking them now and want to
stop, you should do so gradually,
under the supervision of a physician
if possible. "Cold turkey" withdrawal
from these drugs can be very
dangerous.
Although TD results in permanent
brain damage unless it is detected
in its earliest stage and the use of
all major tranquillizers immediately
discontinued, the American Psychiatric
Association has minimized its
seriousness: " ... an alarmist view
is unwarranted, especially since
many cases are detected early and
improve spontarieously."
Most doctors prescribing major
tranquillizers don't bother telling
their patients about TD and other
dangerous effects. It's time they
did, so that people can decide whether
they want to play Russian Roulette
with brain-damaging psychiatric
drugs.
(Vol. 3 No.2: Phoenix Pharmacy)