Reversible Orofacial Dyskinesia Associated with Venlafaxine

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Venlafaxine, a widely used serotonin–noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, is generally well tolerated but has occasionally been associated with extrapyramidal symptoms. We report the case of a 40-year-old male from a tertiary care hospital in Central India who developed new-onset facial dyskinesia 3 weeks after uptitration of venlafaxine to 150 mg/day. The involuntary movements included lip-smacking, chewing motions, tongue protrusion, and facial grimacing, significantly impairing his social and occupational functioning. Comprehensive neurological evaluation and investigations ruled out metabolic, structural, and neurodegenerative causes. Discontinuation of venlafaxine, along with short-term use of clonazepam and Vitamin E, resulted in the complete resolution of symptoms within 6 weeks. This case underscores the importance of recognising venlafaxine-induced dyskinesia and highlights the need for prompt dose adjustment or discontinuation to prevent chronicity.