Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuits (Neuroleptic Drug Reactions)
Tardive dyskinesia is a neurological disorder that exhibits itself through repetitive, involuntary, & purposeless movements like grimacing; tongue protrusion; lip smacking, puckering & pursing; and rapid eye blinking. Victims of tardive dyskinesia also can exhibit rapid & involuntary movements of the arms and legs. The neurological disorder is usually caused by the long-term and/or high-dose use of dopamine antagonists, usually antipsychotics and among them especially the typical antipsychotics. These neuroleptic drugs are generally prescribed for psychiatric disorders by psychiatrists.
If you or someone you love has been given high doses of neuroleptic drugs by a psychiatrist and has exhibited Tardive Dyskinesia symptoms, mkae sure that you get this person to a proper medical doctor, then feel free to submit an inquiry or send an e-mail to Texas Tardive Dyskinesia lawyer Jason Coomer. He may be able to help you recover your damages.
Reglan and GERD Tardive Dyskinesia Lawyer (Drug Reactions)
The symptoms a person can experience from Tardive Dyskinesia can vary from mild barely noticeable facial ticks and involuntary movements to severe problems. Severe cases of Tardive Dyskinesia can have a significant impact on a person's life disabling them from normal functioning. Severe facial ticks and involuntary body movements can be extremely embarrassing cause a person to withdraw from social interactions.
Older typical antipsychotics appear to cause tardive dyskinesia more often than the newer atypical antipsychotics. Haldol® is an older typical antipsycotic and has been linked to tardive dyskinesia. Other dopamine antagonists that can cause tardive dyskinesia are drugs for gastrointestinal disorders ( metoclopramide ) and neurological disorders. In addition to the dopamine antagonists that cause tardive dyskinesia other drugs that are not intended to affect dopamine, such as SSRI antidepressants, may also cause tardive dyskinesia. Newer atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine and risperidone appear to also cause tardive dyskinesia, but somewhat less frequently.
FDA Requires Boxed Warning for Reglan and other Metoclopramide Containing Drugs (Tardive Dyskinesia GER and GERD Lawsuits)
On February 26, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that manufacturers of metoclopramide, a drug used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, must add a boxed warning to their drug labels about the risk of its long-term or high-dose use. Chronic use of metoclopramide has been linked to tardive dyskinesia, which may include involuntary and repetitive movements of the body, even after the drugs are no longer taken.
Manufacturers are required to implement a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, or REMS, to ensure patients are provided with a medication guide that discusses this risk.
The FDA wants patients and health care professionals to know about this risk so they can make informed decisions about treatment, said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The chronic use of metoclopramide therapy should be avoided in all but rare cases where the benefit is believed to outweigh the risk.
Current product labeling warns of the risk of tardive dyskinesia with chronic metoclopramide treatment. The development of this condition is directly related to the length of time a patient is taking metoclopramide and the number of doses taken. Those at greatest risk include the elderly, especially older women, and people who have been on the drug for a long time.
Tardive dyskinesia is characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements of the extremities, or lip smacking, grimacing, tongue protrusion, rapid eye movements or blinking, puckering and pursing of the lips, or impaired movement of the fingers. These symptoms are rarely reversible and there is no known treatment. However, in some patients, symptoms may lessen or resolve after metoclopramide treatment is stopped.
Metoclopramide works by speeding up the movement of the stomach muscles, thus increasing the rate at which the stomach empties into the intestines. It is used as a short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients who have not responded to other therapies, and to treat diabetic gastroparesis (slowed emptying of the stomach's contents into the intestines). It is recommended that treatment not exceed three months.
Metoclopramide is available in a variety of formulations including tablets, syrups and injections. Names of metoclopramide-containing products include Reglan Tablets, Reglan Oral Disintegrating Tablets, Metoclopramide Oral Solution, and Reglan Injection. More than two million Americans use these products.
Recently published analyses suggest that metoclopramide is the most common cause of drug-induced movement disorders. Another analysis of study data by the FDA showed that about 20 percent of patients in that study who used metoclopramide took it for longer than three months. The FDA has also become aware of continued spontaneous reports of tardive dyskinesia in patients who used metoclopramide, the majority of whom had taken the drug for more than three months.
Reglan Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuits (GER and GERD Malpractice)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a more serious form of gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is common. GER occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) opens spontaneously, for varying periods of time, or does not close properly and stomach contents rise up into the esophagus. GER is also called acid reflux or acid regurgitation, because digestive juices—called acids—rise up with the food.
When acid reflux occurs, food or fluid can be tasted in the back of the mouth. When refluxed stomach acid touches the lining of the esophagus it may cause a burning sensation in the chest or throat called heartburn or acid indigestion. Occasional GER is common and does not necessarily mean one has GERD. Persistent reflux that occurs more than twice a week is considered GERD, and it can eventually lead to more serious health problems. People of all ages can have GERD.
An estimated two-thirds of all infants suffer from GER, though the pathological condition called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) affects approximately only one in 300 babies.
Reglan is a neuroleptic medication used to treat gastrointestinal problems that have had many cases of Tardive Dyskinesia reported in response to it. Reglan is supposed to increase the stomach and small intestine contractions to help the passage of food. As every medication, Reglan has side effects associated to it and some of them are very serious. In February 1996, the FDA warned that Reglan causes an increased risk of Parkinsonism.
Reglan is a dopamine antagonist that increases lower esophageal sphincter pressure and improves gastrointestinal emptying. The FDA approved Reglan, which is manufactured by Baxter Healthcare Corporation, for short-term treatment (between 4 and 12 weeks) of these conditions only after conservative methods of treatment have failed. However, it is common that patients are prescribed Reglan for longer than 12 weeks, which is against FDA recommendations.
This is problematic because prolonged use of Reglan can cause Tardive Dyskinesia, a serious and often irreversible movement disorder. Infants who are given Reglan appear to be at an even greater risk for this serious drug side effect.
The symptoms a person can experience from Tardive Dyskinesia can vary from mild barely noticeable facial ticks and involuntary movements to severe problems. Severe cases of Tardive Dyskinesia can have a significant impact on a person's life disabling them from normal functioning. Severe facial ticks and involuntary body movements can be extremely embarrassing cause a person to withdraw from social interactions.
Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuits (Drug Reaction Lawsuits)
Using neuroleptic or anti-psychotic medication is believed to be the leading cause of tardive dyskinesia. These drugs are typically prescribed to treat psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia by psychiatrists. The class of drugs known as first generation antipsychotics, including Haldol, is believed to pose the greatest risk of tardive dyskinesia. The newer atypical or second-generation antipsychotics, such as Risperdal or Geodon, appear to be safer but may still cause tardive dyskinesia. Additional medications that are prescribed to treat certain neurological and gastrointestinal disorders, such as Reglan, may also be linked to tardive dyskinesia.
There is no cure or customary treatment for tardive dyskinesia. Stopping the use of the medication or switching to another drug does not guarantee that the symptoms will improve or disappear. It can also be dangerous to immediately stop the use of the drug and advice of a medical doctor should be sought when making this determination. Even after discontinuing use of the offending drug, the damage may have already been done and tardive dyskinesia symptoms may remain well after use of the drug has ended.
Texas Tardive Dyskinesia Lawyer (Drug Reactions)
If you or someone you love is suffering from tardive dyskinesia, Austin Texas Tardive Dyskinesia lawyer, Jason S. Coomer, helps individuals that have been injured from high doses or long term use of neuroleptic medications. If you have a question about a anti-psychotic medication or other neurological or gastrointestinal medications that may have caused Tardive Dyskinesia, contact Austin Texas Tardive Dyskinesia Lawyer Jason Coomer.
He works with other Texas Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyers including Houston psychiatrist malpractice lawyers, Dallas Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyers, San Antonio Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyers, and other Austin Psychiatrist Negligence Lawyers on a variety of psychiatrist malpractice claims.
