All medicines have side effects. For dystonia treatment, the pills or liquid medicine can make people sleepy, sick, droopy, dizzy, or give them a dry mouth. Botulinum toxin can make people feel like they have the flu, but this goes away after a few days. Other side effects are rare. If people notice anything, they should tell their doctor.
Dystonia
When your muscles contract involuntarily, the condition is called dystonia. Dystonia causes a twisting or clenching of whatever body part is affected. For example, when you have a stroke, the affected arm and hand may be clenched and held in a strange position.
Dystonia can be very mild or very severe. It can make your life very difficult and this can lead to frustration, depression or anxiety.
See your doctor to treat your symptoms and talk over your frustrations.
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See All 2 AnswersThere is not yet a cure for dystonia, but there are multiple treatment options. The goal of treatment is to reduce muscle spasms, pain, and posturing. The ultimate goals are to improve quality of your life and help you function with the fewest possible side effects. However, no single treatment will be appropriate for every case.
A movement disorder neurologist is typically the type of specialist with the training to diagnose and treat dystonia. Establishing a satisfactory treatment plan requires open communication and patience between you and your doctor. It’s important to find the most experienced doctor possible and that it is someone with whom you feel comfortable.
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Treatment of dystonia must be customized to the needs of the individual patient. In general, treatment for dystonia is most successful when it addresses the whole person -- body (physical medicine), emotions (mental health) and spirit. Treatment generally consist of a combination of therapies:
- medication (oral and injected)
- surgery
- complementary therapies
- supportive therapies
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Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for a variety of disorders, the exact way it works is not fully understood. Dystonia symptoms result when excessive signaling from the brain causes involuntary muscle contractions and movements. The stimulation delivered to the brain by the DBS stimulator suppresses these excessive signals, thereby reducing your dystonia symptoms.
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Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by persistent or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal and often repetitive movements, postures or both. The movements are usually patterned and twisting, and may resemble a tremor. Dystonia is often initiated or worsened by voluntary movements, and symptoms may “overflow” into adjacent muscles.
There are multiple forms of dystonia, and dozens of diseases and conditions may include dystonia as a symptom. Dystonia may affect a single body area or be generalized throughout multiple muscle groups. Dystonia affects men, women and children of all ages and backgrounds. Estimates suggest that no fewer than 300,000 people are affected in the United States and Canada alone. Dystonia causes varying degrees of disability and pain, from mild to severe. There is not yet a cure, but multiple treatment options exist and scientists around the world are actively pursuing research toward new therapies.
Although there are several forms of dystonia and the symptoms may outwardly appear quite different, the element that all forms share is the repetitive, patterned and often twisting involuntary muscle contractions. Dystonia is a chronic disorder, but the vast majority of dystonias do not have an impact on cognition or intelligence, nor shorten a person's life span.
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Dystonia can occur in children and adults of all ages. There are numerous types of dystonia and numerous potential causes—for example, genetic mutations, brain injury, exposure to certain medications and specific neurological and metabolic disease. Certain types of dystonia only occur when a person attempts a specific movement such as writing or playing an musical instrument.
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Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family MedicineSee All 2 AnswersIt is common for people with dystonia to feel lonely or isolated. Withdrawal from social activities can be related to dystonia, especially if the symptoms include pain. Depression or anxiety may also go hand in hand with dystonia, and should be addressed separately.
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There are a number of ways in which dystonia can make it challenging to socialize or feel connected to others. Symptoms may make it difficult to walk, sit, speak, or see. There may be pain. The uncontrollable and constant muscle contractions are often exhausting. People who are not informed about dystonia may mistake symptoms for signs of substance abuse, mental impairment or bad manners.
Individuals frequently report symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders, including social phobia. In many cases these symptoms precede the onset of dystonia. Research suggests these may be non-motor symptoms of dystonia, not simply a reaction to developing dystonia. Individuals who may be experiencing symptoms of depression and/or anxiety are encouraged to consult a mental health professional.
There are a number of ways in which dystonia can make it challenging to socialize or feel connected to others. Symptoms may make it difficult to walk, sit, speak, or see. There may be pain. The uncontrollable and constant muscle contractions are often exhausting. People who are not informed about dystonia may mistake symptoms for signs of substance abuse, mental impairment or bad manners.
Individuals frequently report symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders, including social phobia. In many cases these symptoms precede the onset of dystonia. Research suggests these may be non-motor symptoms of dystonia, not simply a reaction to developing dystonia. Individuals who may be experiencing symptoms of depression and/or anxiety are encouraged to consult a mental health professional. -
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Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family MedicineSee All 2 Answers
Your first step in seeking the best treatment for dystonia is to visit your primary care doctor. Dystonia can be treated with medication, injections, or deep brain stimulation. Deep brain stimulation is a neurologic surgery, but the other two forms of treatment can be performed by a variety of specialists. Your primary care doctor will be able to direct you to the appropriate resources in your area.
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It may be confusing that a treatment has the word “toxin” in its name. However, when administered by a trained and experienced physician, botulinum neurotoxin injections are a safe and effective medical therapy that has been studied for decades. The doses of botulinum neurotoxin used to treat dystonia are far less than the amount needed to even begin to make a person ill from botulism.