SPEAKER: You will have likely taken antipsychotic or neuroleptic medications for several years before you notice symptoms of tardive dyskinesia, or TD. These include twitches, typically in the face but also in the arms, legs, and fingers.

Your doctor may be able to help you find a safe way to manage your TD symptoms. The first step may be to stop or change the meds that cause TD, but that may not be possible if you have a serious underlying condition. That's why it's really important to adjust your meds only with your doctor's help. Symptoms may stop after you change your medication, but in some cases, TD symptoms stick around long after you stop neuroleptic drugs.

A class of drugs called VMAT-2 inhibitors may help your TD symptoms, but they can have side effects that you should discuss with your doctor before you start on them. These include nausea, sleepiness, restlessness, and insomnia. Some doctors use vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, and other drugs that may not yet be FDA approved for tardive dyskinesia. Be sure to discuss all the pros and cons of these medicines as well as the side effects with your doctor.