Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Psychopharmacology A case report: tardive dyskinesia with aripiprazole

Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology 2013; 23: Supplement S240-S240
Read: 560 Published: 17 March 2021

Aripiprazole is a second generation antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and depression. Because it is a partial agonist of dopamine receptors, It is called as dopamine stabilizer. It causes less extrapyramidal symptoms and metabolic side effects due to this property. Tardive dyskinesia is a side effect that is seen less than other side effects of antipsychotic drugs but is more serious because it is hard to treat and persistent. Mostly it emerges due to extended length of treatment period with first generation antipsychotic drugs. We present a case with tardive dyskinesia after use of aripiprazole. A 62-year-old female. She takes 60 mg duloxetine and 5 mg aripiprazole a day for the treatment of depression for 3 years. As a result of cessation of aripiprazole, she experienced involuntary movement of jaw like chewing or sliding in the right-left direction and involuntary tongue movement in her mouth. There was no pathologic finding in neurologic examination and analyses. The patient was diagnosed to have tardive dyskinesia. Aripiprazole treatment was started again, and stopped in a long period lowering the dose slowly. Physicians should keep tardive dyskinesia in mind as a serious side effect of antipsychotic medications, to avoid it. They should avoid unnecessary prescribing of antipsychotics and start the treatment at the lowest effective dose for the shortest effective time.

EISSN 2475-0581