Case Report
Remission of Aripiprazole-induced Tardive Dyskinesia with Valbenazine and Vitamin E Combination Therapy: A Case Report
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 3, September 2025
Pages:
77-84
Received:
12 July 2025
Accepted:
28 July 2025
Published:
12 August 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajpn.20251303.11
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Abstract: Antipsychotic medications comprise a cornerstone for the management of multiple psychopathologies, but their use is associated with significant side effects. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is one such effect that is particularly troublesome. TD is clinically distressing, hard to treat, and poorly understood by the medical community. Due to these challenges, second-generation antipsychotics, such as aripiprazole, tend to be favored for their reduced risk of TD; however, rare cases of aripiprazole-induced TD have been documented. This report presents a novel case of TD secondary to aripiprazole monotherapy, managed successfully with Valbenazine and Vitamin E. A 39-year-old woman with schizophrenia was treated with aripiprazole, titrated to 30 mg daily. Though her psychotic symptoms improved significantly, she developed clinically distressing moderate-severe TD symptoms after one year of treatment. Her dose of aripiprazole dose was reduced, and a combination of Valbenazine 40 mg and Vitamin E 400 mg daily was initiated. This intervention led to substantial improvement, allowing the patient to achieve remission of TD symptoms and improvement in her psychiatric symptoms. This improvement persisted for over a year, even after the patient independently elected to discontinue Valbenazine therapy. Although recent case reports display clozapine as therapeutic for Aripiprazole-induced TD, the risks associated with clozapine necessitate alternative strategies for management of TD symptoms. The successful use of Valbenazine and Vitamin E in this case suggests a potentially safer and more accessible treatment option. This case study also supports the oxidative stress hypothesis of TD pathogenesis, and highlights the need for early screening, recognition, and intervention in TD to improve patient outcomes.
Abstract: Antipsychotic medications comprise a cornerstone for the management of multiple psychopathologies, but their use is associated with significant side effects. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is one such effect that is particularly troublesome. TD is clinically distressing, hard to treat, and poorly understood by the medical community. Due to these challenge...
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,
Emma Coyne
