any one using abilify experiencing Tardive dyskinesia? I am on it for about 6 months now and have started getting some jerks in my neck,legs and arms at night(happens during sleep time only and wakes me up).
any one else having similar experience? If about 20 % long time users develop Tardive Dyskinesia then we should have many members who have experienced/managed this condtion.
does it go away (please share your experience)?when and how do we know.
Thank you ever hopeful for your quick reply. I did but she seems to ignore the topic. Trying to find what other options do I have that I can discuss with her.
Tardive dyskinesia occurs commonly naturally in schizophrenics. It is called spontaneous dyskinesia. Antipsychotics can also cause it. The antipsychotics with the lowest risk of tardive dyskinesia should be Clozapine and Seroquel. Other atypicals are supposed to have a reduced risk.
I have come across some examples of Abilify causing tardive dyskinesia online. I used to be very worried about getting TD, but I just don’t worry about it anymore. The only antipsychotic I am on is Seroquel.
The new drug Ingrezza also called valbenazine is probably the best treatment. Possibly change to another antipsychotic.
Tardive dyskinesia is bad. Yes Abilify can cause it.
What dosage are you on @NewHope. I’m on 25mg and sometimes get this finger twitching that can sometimes last for a few days. I have gone to 30mg in the past because of relapse but then te side effects get really bad… Middle fingers and thumbs twitching, facial ticks and muscle contractions in my back etc.
Thank you for replies folks.@anon18305065, I am on 5 mg. so how do you all manage your TD if I may ask.
It looks really bad, I really do not want to get it.
@Prophet, thank you for info on spontaneous dyskinesia. Is that treatable or be cured any how? how do you find Seroquel? have you tried abilify any time?
I’ve had miserable dystonia from multiple drugs but definitely was worse on typicals. There are things you can take with the meds that can potentially stop the TD. Cogentin is what I have been on and am still on despite being off of APs because I have some residual TD. Last week I had my first round of Botox shots (7 shots directly into neck muscles) to treat the tardive dystonia I’m still dealing with 3+ years off of antipsychotics. It seems to be helping but it’s not a perfect fix.
It’s been my experience that docs will downplay the TD symptoms. It can get scary and acute reactions are traumatic because they require IV drugs to stop so you end in up in an ER.
I would really press your doctor and see if they will agree to Rx you something to manage the side effects. I usually took a dose when I took my Meds and carried more on me at all times in case I needed something right away. It took years to learn how to manage though so trying to stop it before it escalates is ideal. I know a lot of people aren’t in a position where discontinuing antipsychotics is an option but it’s really your best bet if you get bad symptoms. I made my peace with it when I made my decision to quit. I didn’t think I was benefiting from the meds and the TD was ruling my life 24/7. While I was confident I could maintain my wellness without meds I told myself that I’d rather be batshit crazy than be in the prison dystonia had me in. I don’t think TD is something we talk about enough. It’s not taken seriously by docs and my guess is that’s because they are fed info that downplays what the symptoms are like. If they knew what acute TD episodes were like they would not Rx how they do.
The only thing I know of over the counter that is similar to what you would get in an Rx is Benadryl. I would keep some around just in case things escalate before someone can help you. It starts working in about fifteen minutes. Extreme acute reactions do require an ER visit though so you have to gauge what the severity is.
It always come and go for me. It last for a few days then dissapear for a couple of weeks. Atm I’m okay. I don’t use meds for it. My pdoc once prescribed Disipal for me but I never used it.
Spontaneous dsykinesia is pretty much indistinguishable to tardive dyskinesia. There isn’t really a cure. I’ve only been on two antipsychotics. Clopixol injection and now Seroquel. I haven’t taken abilify and I want to avoid it because I think it can be bad at causing akathisia, which is one of the main side effects I worry about.
Seroquel is OK. However, because I am prone to getting akathisia, at one point I was experiencing akathisia for 30 to 40 minutes each night when I took 400mg in one go. I now take 300mg at night. 100mg at 7pm, 100mg at 8pm and 100mg at 9pm. I don’t get any akathisia taking it like that.
The main side effect I get from Seroquel lately is feeling tired after I take it. It has also increased heart rate at times in the past. Seroquel and Clozapine are the antipsychotics with the lowest risk of tardive dyskinesia.
I have tardive dyskinesia from taking Saphris for the last 2 years. It is in my neck, hands, and mouth. It is worse in the evening, and my mouth gets worse when I am doing something with my face, like putting on makeup. It is scary stuff. I hope it is reversible, but I have been having symptoms in my mouth for about a year and a half. It is very embarrassing because I look like a bobble head figurine. My pdoc has reduced my Saphris and put me on benztropine. She wants to put me on clozapine, but I am scared of the side effects. She wants to put on on another med for it, but she wants clearance from my movement specialist first (I see him for essential tremors).
my pdoc asked to go off off abilify for now. so currently am on drug holiday. Not sure which drug we start next. my symtoms of TD started getting milder as I reduced and then got off medication. Still get mild jerks and mild blinking of eyes especially when I get stressed but nothing major. Hopefully it will go away and new drug would be even better. Hope this helps someone looking for info on TD.