Tardive Dyskinesia

[swedishchef]

Background, about a year ago, my father-in-law who is 62 years old, suffered from severe panic attacks and depression that landed him in the phych ward twice. He would hyperventilate and tremble to the point that he could not function for hours at a time.  Although he could stop the symptoms when his mind was not on the thing that we agreed was causing the panic attacks.   The doctors in the ward treated him with several medications including Prozac and eventually Abilify and Respridol and those types of Anti-psychotics.  I'm not sure why they gave him the anti-psychotics but they did.  With drug and behavioral therapy, He finally improved to the point where and they sent him home after about 3 weeks the second time he was in.  He was getting back to a normal life until he started exhibiting an even more bizarre behavior.  

He is now suffering from a condition that is causing sever shaking and constant movement in his legs.  It is so bad that he can barely walk. Now he can't stop the behavior no matter how hard he tries. He is so debilitated that he can not even stand for enough time to make himself a sandwich to eat so he is now depending on others to prepare his food.  After he walks, well, shuffles he has to get down on all fours and crawl around in a vain attempt to stop the shaking and trembling.  He is completely lucent during this.  You can ask him questions and he responds, however he doesn't keep a conversation.  He does not feel depressed but is debilitated enough to want to not go on.

The psychiatrist has taken him off the Abilify and he is no longer on anti psychotics but is still on prozac.  

Can this be a severe form of TD or Akathesia caused by the drugs?  If so please tell me there is hope.  If not, what the heck could this be.

[ILADVOCATE]

This looked as if it would have the most comprehensive knowledge:
http://www.thecni.org/programs.htm

[swedishchef]

Any recommendations in the Denver Area?

[ILADVOCATE]

Well from a person who had advanced tardive dykinesia I can tell you there not only is hope there is treatment. What he may have is tardive akathesia and tardive dystonia as well as other rare variants as I do. What helps for me is the medication Zofran, the Catapres application (though the first two might not be able to be taken together for some as they both lower blood pressure) and the natural remedy rhodiola (as identified in clinical studies). Tetrabenzene has been FDA approved but that can sometimes cause depression or temporary movement disorders. However, for some people it can effective. Botox shots are used for focal dystonia but if its full body as in me then that's less than helpful. There are standard anti-Parkinsonian medications such as Requip, Aricept, Baclophen and Mirapex though I could not tolerate them but they work well for some people.
  Those are the options I would personally suggest but one thing that's certain is he needs to see a trained movement disorders specialist as I do. And the medications that are more unknown being used to help me have been identified in a clinical study that involves a trained movement disorders specialist and confirmed that they work and are worth asking about. But see an expert in the field as I do who would have this clinical knowledge.