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Faculty Q&A

Treating Patients With Long-term Tardive Dyskinesia

JainIn this occasional feature, members of the Psych Congress Steering Committee and faculty answer questions asked by attendees at Psych Congress meetings.

QUESTION: Is there benefit in treating a patient with a VMAT2 inhibitor if they have already had severe tardive dyskinesia for several years?

ANSWER: We are fortunate to have two FDA-approved medications, Ingrezza (valbenazine) and Austedo (deutetrabenazine), for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia. Both of these medications are VMAT2 inhibitors. Based on rigorously conducted, double-blind studies, it is quite clear that even patients who have severe tardive dyskinesia for multiple decades do respond to these medications. So I would recommend that you not let the severity of tardive dyskinesia or the duration of tardive dyskinesia be a reason to withhold a trial of one of these two VMAT2 inhibitors.

— Psych Congress cochair Rakesh Jain, MD, MPHClinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Midland


MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

Does Tardive Dyskinesia Severity Impact the Effectiveness of Treatments?

Can TD Occur in Patients Who Never Took Typical Antipsychotics?

Do TD Medications Decrease the Effectiveness of Antipsychotics?

Tips for Starting Patients on Long-Acting Injectables

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