Acute dystonia induced by drug treatment

Acute dystonia induced by drug treatment can be caused by antipsychotic, antiemetic, and antidepressant drugs. Acute dystonia caused by drug treatment can seriously disturb the relationship between doctor and patient and should be prevented. Patients who develop abnormal positioning or muscle spasms within seven days of starting drug treatment or of a rapid increase in the dose of a drug may be diagnosed with acute, drug induced dystonia. Biperiden 5 mg should be administered intramuscularly to treat the condition; this is nearly always effective within 20 minutes. Risk factors for acute, drug induced dystonia include young age, male sex, use of cocaine, and a history of acute dystonia. Drug induced dystonia can be prevented either by adding, during the first four to seven days of treatment, anticholinergic drugs to treatment with antipsychotic drugs or by starting treatment with atypical antipsychotics.