What is the Treatment for Huntingtons Disease?
Physicians may prescribe a number of medications to help control emotional and movement problems associated with Huntington’s disease. It is important to remember however, that while medicines may help keep these clinical symptoms under control, there is no treatment to stop or reverse the course of the disease. In August 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved tetrabenazine to treat Huntington’s chorea, making it the first drug approved for use in the United States to treat the disease. Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol, or other drugs, such as clonazepam, may help to alleviate choreic movements and may also be used to help control hallucinations, delusions, and violent outbursts. Antipsychotic drugs, however, are not prescribed for another form of muscle contraction associated with Huntington’s disease, called dystonia, and may in fact worsen the condition, causing stiffness and rigidity. These medications may also have severe side effects, including sedation, and
