Successful Therapy of Tardive Dyskinesia in a 71‐year‐old Woman With a Combination of Tetrabenazine, Olanzapine and Tiapride

Abstract

SUMMARYThere is no generally accepted treatment for tardive dyskinesia following intake of neuroleptics. Many compounds with effects on serotonine, GABA, cholinergic or dopamine receptors have been clinically useful. We report on a 71‐year‐old female patient suffering from orofacial tardive dyskinesia after treatment with haloperidol, which did not respond to monotherapy with antidyskinetic drugs. The syndrome disappeared almost completely within two weeks after a multidrug approach consisting of tetrabenazine, olanzapine and tiapride. A combination of antidyskinetic drugs should be considered in patients with severe tardive dyskinesia.

Improvement of Tardive Dyskinesias with Olanzapine

“…Furthermore, it is worth noting that in most previously reported cases, rapid improvement following the switch to olanzapine monotherapy occurred within an average of 5 weeks, with the longest delay being 1.5 years. An isolated exception has been documented in the literature where a case showed improvement after combining olanzapine with tetrabenazine and tiapride [ 19 ].…”

“…Olanzapine, a chemically similar atypical antipsychotic to clozapine, is known to cause fewer extrapyramidal side effects and TD than haloperidol [ 16 ]. Moreover, several articles have reported marked improvement in some patients with TD after treatment with olanzapine [ 16 – 19 ].…”