Abstract
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a syndrome that causes chronic, involuntary, and disruptive movements of the body and/or face that is a severe, potentially irreversible adverse effect of long-term antipsychotic use. It has wide-reaching effects on patients’ well-being, quality of life, 1 and treatment adherence. 2 Thus, TD is debilitating, leading to social withdrawal, 3 and workplace absenteeism. 1 Current data on tardive dyskinesia treatment are limited, and prevention, primarily through the modification of antipsychotic regimens, remains the most effective strategy. 4 Recent systematic review has shown valbenazine and vitamin E are the only treatments significantly more effective compared to placebo in treatment of TD, although valbenazine is associated with significant side effects. 5 We present a case of a 76-year-old female with a diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder (BD) who developed TD after treatment with lurasidone for 10 years. After struggling with both her BD and TD symptoms for 3 years, she sought care at our clinic where we prescribed 300 mg daily of lithium. At her follow-up visit 5 weeks later, her TD symptoms were greatly improved, with sustained benefits observed at following visits. This article reviews the literature discussing the interplay between lithium and TD and presents a case report of TD improvement after lithium augmentation for treatment-resistant depression. While this case suggests a potential role in TD treatment, the role of lithium in TD treatment remains controversial.
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