Take Back Control of Uncontrollable Movements: 6 Practical Tips

A movement disorder like tardive dyskinesia is known to be difficult and very frustrating to live with. People of African descent, females (especially post-menopausal women), older adults over the age of 55, and people who abuse alcohol or drugs have a higher risk of developing tardive dyskinesia. Now I know you may be thinking, how so, right? Well, experts believe that factors behind this particular movement disorder are related to health disparities, genetics and sensitivity to certain medications. Take into account that Black individuals are by far more likely to be prescribed medications that can cause tardive dyskinesia than white people.

Tardive dyskinesia is a drug-induced movement disorder, meaning it is a side effect of antipsychotic medication (drugs used to treat mental health disorders, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder). With tardive dyskinesia, a person experiences sudden, repetitive, uncontrollable movements in the face and throughout the body.

So what exactly contributes to this movement disorder? Prolonged (months or years) use of a certain medication. As I’ve mentioned before, these are typically antipsychotic drugs. These are medications that block the activity of the chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) dopamine in the brain. When they block the brain chemical dopamine, it causes a negative reaction. Movements then become uncontrollable.

Two types of uncontrollable movements may occur. Orofacial dyskinesia (uncontrolled movements in your face) and dyskinesia of the limbs (uncontrolled movements in your arms, legs, toes, fingers, and torso). These movements can be slow or fast. Also, symptoms of tardive dyskinesia might not appear until months or even years after a person starts taking antipsychotic medicine, so sometimes it may be hard to diagnose.

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Abnormal/uncontrolled facial movements. These symptoms include:

• Blinking eyes rapidly
• Grunting
• Puffing out cheeks
• Chewing motions
• Smacking or puckering your lips
• Sticking out tongue
• Poking the tongue into the inside of the cheek
• Frowning 

Abnormal/uncontrolled movements affecting the legs, arms, and torso. These symptoms include:

• Tapping the feet
• Rocking the pelvis back and forth
• Swaying from side to side
• Wiggling or tapping fingers
• Waving or flapping arms without meaning to do so

I’ve got good news, there’s hope! There are multiple ways to take back control of uncontrolled movements. With drug and non-drug techniques. Some will gradually improve/lessen your uncontrolled movements and some will help within a few weeks.

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Here are six practical tips for taking back control of uncontrolled movements:

1. Lowering the dosage or stopping the current medication altogether. By doing so, symptoms will tend to lessen gradually.
2. Add another medication. Consider FDA-approved medications such as Valbenazine and Deutetrabenazine. These medications specifically treat tardive dyskinesia by counteracting the movements and regulating the flow of dopamine in brain areas that control certain movements.
3. Practice stress reduction techniques. Meditation and mindfulness-based stress management/reduction techniques will help to calm your mind and body.
4. Reduce your caffeine intake. The effect of caffeine on dopamine (a neurotransmitter) may worsen uncontrolled movements. So by reducing the amount of caffeine that you intake, it may reduce the movements.
5. Get enough sleep. Healthy sleep habits are beneficial to and for the body. A good night’s sleep helps your body function properly.
6. Get Botox injections. These injections block facial nerve signals for months. The injections may significantly reduce any movement.

I hope you gained some insight from these practical tips on taking back control of uncontrollable movements. To note, if you are taking antipsychotic medication to treat a mental health disorder of any kind, you should request that your doctor test/give you a physical exam at least once a year to make sure you don’t have tardive dyskinesia. The AIMS test (Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale) will help to rate/determine any abnormal movements. If you’re looking for a new or culturally sensitive doctor, use our free doctor search.