|
_______________________________________________________________
Texas Tardive Dyskinesia Lawyer (Drug
Reactions)
Tardive
dyskinesia can be caused by medical negligence in
prescribing the wrong types of medication, the wrong dose or
duration of a drug, or in misdiagnosing a medical condition.
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 including Reglan by a medical doctor 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.
Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuits (Neurological Drug
Reactions)
It is believed that certain drugs can
cause Tardive Dyskinesia by affecting how nerve impulses are
transmitted across gaps between nerve cells (synapses). They
do this in part by blocking a chemical made by the body
called dopamine. After a while, the nerves seem to become
hypersensitive to dopamine. Stimulation by even a little bit
of dopamine may cause the abnormal movements.
The medicines most commonly associated
with Tardive Dyskinesia include:
-
Antipsychotic medicines used to treat
schizophrenia and other psychoses. These are also known
as neuroleptic medicines.
-
Levodopa or L-dopa, which is used to
treat Parkinson's disease (although high doses of L-dopa
may actually help control tardive dyskinesia).
-
Antiemetic medicines used to control
nausea and vomiting.
-
Tricyclic antidepressants used to
treat depression and other mood disorders.
-
Other medicines that block dopamine.
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.
Haldol Tardive Dyskinesia Lawsuits (Psychiatric
Malpractice)
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.
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 Medical
Malpractice Lawyers including Houston medical and psychiatrist
malpractice lawyers, Dallas Medical Malpractice
Lawyers, San Antonio Psychiatrist Malpractice Lawyers, and
other Austin Psychiatrist Negligence Lawyers on a variety of
medical malpractice claims.
|
