A 41-year-old man has been treated with haloperidol for his schizophrenia for the past 15 year. He begins to notice subtle involuntary movements of this hands, feet, lips, and tongue. Because he had been stable for over 1 year his physician decided to decrease the dose. What would the physician tell the patient about the movement disorder?

Although tardive dyskinesia (above said patient) often emerges while patients are taking a steady dosage of medication, it is even more likely to emerge when the dosage is reduced. This is called withdrawal dyskinesia. Although it is indistinguishable from tardive dyskinesia, once tardive dyskinesia is recognized, physicians should consider reducing the dosage of the dopamine receptor antagonist or even stopping the medication altogether. While tardive dyskinesia is often considered permanent, some reduction in movements is seen in most patients by 18 months after the discontinuation of antipsychotic.