I read through your posts. You are on Xanax and Lexapro. Xanax is a short acting benzodizepene (anti-anxiety drug) and it is generally not meant for long term use because of the potential for a person to build up a tolerance to it. Klonopin can be used for a longer time. I've been on it 10 years without a problem. Those medications actually would treat tardive dyskinesia (Klonopin helps me with dystonic spasms)
I have tardive dyskinesia in advanced form but from the use of past antipsychotics (I am currently on glycine, a glutamate antagonist, a new form of antipsychotic in Phase II FDA study that will not cause tardive dyskinesia or diabetes). Make sure you didn't take any past medications that can cause tardive dyskinesia (for more information google "patient education tardive dyskinesia"). As for Lexapro it commonly can cause temporary movement disorders such as akathesia which can be treated and if the medication is discontinued or changed (must be done under your doctor's supervision) it will go away. It did list dyskinesia as a rare side effect on the website of the medication. Its very hard to tell the difference. But in self diagnosing with rare disorders you are making yourself fearful. However, it is worth ruling out. Have your psychiatrist refer you to a movement disorders specialist and they will do some basic tests to see what's going on. If it is tardive dyskinesia the medication would be stopped (and replaced with something else) and treated. But if its some form of extra-pyramidal side effect (temporary movement disorder) then your psychiatrist could give you a side effect pill or change it. One good way to tell is whether it worsens when you take the medications and then disappates over the day as they wear off or if its random movements that occur continuously. But have a movement disorders specialist look into it. And they will make a factual determination.
hey there, two things about the speech. believe me, i have no real ideas especially with ur other symptoms, but you can try an ENT to look inside your throat, maybe spasmodic dysphonia, doubtful tho, there's other symptoms for it. and then, if the ENT finds stuff or doesnt, any of the speech stuff, if it's not neurological and the ENT cant treat it, a speech pathologist can prolly help you out. find someone who knows a lot about voice. k peace
Actually I have severe dysphagia from tardive dyskinesia. A visit with an ENT specialist as follow up is waranted but you should see a neurologist first:
"Spasmodic dysphonia may co-occur with other neurological movement disorders such as blepharospasm (excessive eye blinking and involuntary forced eye closure), tardive dyskinesia (involuntary and repetitious movement of muscles of the face, tongue, body, arms and legs), oromandibular dystonia (involuntary movements of the jaw muscles, lips and tongue), torticollis (involuntary movements of the neck muscles), or tremor (rhythmic, quivering muscle movements)."
That's a quote from a medical source.
I know that tardive dyskinesia is a rare side effect but one thing you described "the quivering motions of the tongue" is an early warning sign. My suggestion is obtain a consultation to a movement disorders specialist just to rule it out. If they realized its just extra pyramidal side effects then your psychiatrist can treat those or change or titrate your medications but this complex an amount of movement disorders some of which are similar to variants of tardive dyskinesia warrants a consult to a neurologist who is a movement disorders specialist. I still might be wrong but better that it be ruled out and its something to be concerned (but not hysterical) about than Lou Gherig's Disease (which is doubtful) so the earlier the medications are changed if this is diagnosed the more treatable it is and there is a potential it could reverse itself if it doesn't advance further.