Margaret Berry, a 69-year-old sign language interpreter from Harker Heights, Texas, was diagnosed with tardive dyskinesia (TD) in late 2024. In this article, she shares her experience of getting a diagnosis, the challenges she faced, and how medication has helped manage her symptoms.
The first early symptoms of my TD were very subtle. Initially, I noticed that my feet would just go, go, go when I sat in my living room recliner or lie in bed at night.
After about a 30-minute casual conversation with my neurologist, he told me that he thought I had TD. He explained to me what the condition was and how it was most likely caused by the mental health medications I’d been taking since my 50s to treat bipolar disorder.
I’m currently on a type of drug called a VMAT2 inhibitor. It blocks a substance called the VMAT2 protein, which helps lower the amount of dopamine in your brain and decreases involuntary movements.
After about three months, I saw a big improvement in my symptoms. While my feet still move around when I sit or lie down, my hands have stopped. To be honest, it’s helped me manage my TD much more than I expected.
Diagnosis is a key part of the puzzle, but so is treatment. Both will make a real difference in your life.
If you’re on medication that raises your risk of developing TD, like some mental health medications, make sure you, your primary care provider, and your psychiatrist are all monitoring you for symptoms.
Contact Michoes Medical Centre at 555-1234 or visit our website for more information on managing tardive dyskinesia.
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