Tardive dyskinesia maybe a permanent side effect of drugs used to control schizophrenia and other psychoses. This late-developing (tardy, or tar-dive) complication consists of annoying, mostly uncontrollable movements (dyskinesias).
Symptoms may include repetitive blinking or sucking, slow twisting of the hands, or
various movements of the face and limbs. It can cause serious social embarrassment to particularly vulnerable individuals.
Several different theories have been proposed for the development of tardive dyskinesia. According to one, long-term treatment with
anti-psychotic drugs causes the brain to become overly sensitive to the neurotransmitter dopamine, resulting in abnormal movements. According to
another theory, imbalances among different neurotransmitters can cause or aggravate symptoms.
And yet another theory states, the problem may arise in part from damage to the brain caused by free radicals
generated by schizophrenia treatments. All of these theories may contain some truth.
However, just discontinuing medication that caused TD normally does
nott help, and can even make the dyskinesia worse, as well as the underlying
schizophrenia. Drugs such as L-dopa and oxypertine may improve TD but present their own significant risk of side effects.
Nutrient /
Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful notes |
Multi-vitamin
& mineral supplement |
10 |
contains B vitamin
complex B6 and Niacin , vitamin E , vitamin
A, vitamin C , zinc, which all are helpful in
both the treatment and prevention of dyskinesia. A daily supplement
provides nutrition
required for general good health and well being. |
vitamin
E |
10 |
an antioxidant, works to
neutralize free radicals in the body. If the free-radical
theory of tardive dyskinesia is accurate, it makes sense that
vitamin E might help prevent or treat the condition. In the
early 1990s, |
Niacin |
9 |
vitamin B3 works
with other B vitamins for brain and nervous system health |
vitamin
C |
8 |
helps with general
health and healing |
Lecithin |
8 |
helps the body
produce choline that is a building block of the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine. |
vitamin
B6 |
9 |
helps with brain
function |
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
|