A SPECIAL ARTICLE

Recognition of Movement Disorders:

Extrapyramidal Side Effects
and Tardive Dyskinesia.
Would You Recognize Them
If You See Them?

Elizabeth Pulsifer Anderson

Edward B. Freeman

Anti-emetic, anti-spasmodic and prokinetic medications commonly used in gastroenterology are neuroleptics, a class of drugs which includes anti-psychotics used for schizophrenia. These medications are capable of causing serious and potentially permanent
side effects. The manifestation of neuroleptic drug side effects may range from dramatic and debilitating to very subtle. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that these
side effects often go unrecognized. Doctors prescribing prokinetics, anti-emetics and
anti-spasmodics need to be able to recognize these side effects. A full description of the
most common movement side effects and the corresponding medical term is included
as a resource list for professionals and patients.

BACKGROUND
ny drug capable of causing Extra Pyramidal
Side effects (EPS) and Tardive Dyskinesia (TD)
is by definition a neuroleptic, Latin for seize
the neuron. It is widely assumed that only patients

Elizabeth Pulsifer Anderson, Director, Pediatric Adolescent Gastroesphageal Reflux Association, Inc.
(PAGER). Edward B. Freeman, M.D., Psychiatrist,
Private Practice, Killeen, Texas.
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PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

who are being treated for psychiatric disorders such as

schizophrenia are at risk for neuroleptic side effects,
yet several gastroenterology drugs have the same side
effect profile as Thorazine. Patients taking these medications need to be monitored carefully to prevent
potentially irreversible side effects.
Psychiatrists have long been trained to recognize
the signs and symptoms of EPS and TD and a great
deal of physician education has been aimed at them,
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A SPECIAL ARTICLE
(continued from page 14)

yet it has been well documented that they often miss

the symptoms. In some studies, experts in the field
pick up twice as many cases of tardive as newly
trained psychiatrists.
Most other physicians have never been trained to
recognize the many different manifestations of EPS and
TD. These conditions can be particularly difficult to recognize in children, even for those with specific training.
The relationship between neuroleptic medications
and movement disorders is extremely complex and
confusing. A neuroleptic may cause movement symptoms in a patient, but the same drug can also temporarily suppress the symptoms or delay the onset of
symptoms for the same patient. Symptoms often first
appear during withdrawal of the medication. Movement symptoms can occur spontaneously, but they are
often clearly induced by medication. The best way to
avoid permanent movement disorders is to use neuroleptics very cautiously and to monitor patients
closely for emerging symptoms.

any of the bodys voluntary muscles including those of

the vocal cords. The movements of dystonias can appear
very bizarre and deliberate but are involuntary.
Dyskinesias are involuntary, often hyperkinetic
movements of various types that have no purpose and
are not fully controllable by the patient. Some are random, some rhythmic, most are very odd looking and
socially stigmatizing. They can affect the ability to initiate or stop a movement as in Parkinsons. They can
affect the smooth movement of a joint resulting in a
jerky articulation. Abrupt and seemingly violent
movements of a limb are common as are gyrations of
any body part. Tics and involuntary vocalizations are
related to dyskinesias.
Extrapryramidal Side Effects (EPS) describes
movement side effects that begin during the early
phases of treatment with a neuroleptic drug. Early
onset symptoms tend to resolve quickly and completely when the patient is weaned from the offending
medication(s). The word refers to symptoms originating in a specific part of the brain that refines and modulates movement.
Tardive Dyskinesia/Dystonia (TD) simply means
late onset of the same EPS movement side effects.
They can appear after months of trouble free treatment, or they can begin to appear as the dose is lowered or the drug is withdrawn. Symptoms generally
appear shortly after drug withdrawal although they can
appear months later. The previous cut off of three
months post withdrawal is now being questioned. Tardive reactions may resolve quickly, but these late reactions are more likely to be persistent or permanent.
Symptoms that persist for six to twelve months are
considered to be permanent although they may diminish slightly over the course of several years.
Masking is the term used to describe the ability of
the drug to cover the toxic symptoms it is producing.

TERMINOLOGY

EPIDEMIOLOGY

There are two major classifications of movement disorders, dystonias and dyskinesias. There are also two
time frames used to classify the onset of symptoms.
Dystonias are spasms of individual muscles or
groups of muscles. They can be sustained or intermittent, sudden or slow, painful or painless. They can affect

Studies of movement symptoms in patients taking neuroleptics for schizophrenia show prevalence rates
ranging from .5% to nearly 70%. Studies examining
this wide range of published prevalence rates show the
discrepancies are most likely due to the skill of the

Because it is impossible to predict which patients

may develop symptoms, familiarity with the
numerous GI drugs capable of causing
neuroleptic reactions is essential.
EPS and TD are documented with the use of
metaclopramide, domperidone, cisapride,
promethazine, prochlorperazine, perphenazine,
hycosamine sulfate and other belladonna alkaloids,
ranitidine, chlorpromazine, thiethylperazine maleate,
trimethobenzamide, ondansetron hydrochloride,
phenothaizines, baclofen and rabeprazole.
Symptoms suggestive of EPS or isolated reports
of movement disorders are associated with
scopolamine, olsalazine, mesalamine and
balsalazide disodium, cimetidine, esomeprazole,
omeprazole and pantoprazole.

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PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

(continued on page 18)

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A SPECIAL ARTICLE
(continued from page 16)

observer. Movement disorders caused by motility and

antispasmodic medications in the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases are widely believed to be rare.
This assumption is probably dangerous and inaccurate.
Small studies of metaclopramide in particular show
EPS and TD in up to 30% of patients. Given the devastating and potentially permanent nature of TD,
extreme care should be taken to use neuroleptic drugs
only when absolutely necessary and in the lowest
doses possible.

RISK FACTORS
Most risk assessment studies on EPS and TD have
been conducted in patients with schizophrenia. In
these patients, TD is associated with older age, higher
medication doses and longer treatment periods; i.e.
total exposure. Females also appear to be a higher risk.
Concomitant treatment with any additional drugs
capable of causing neuroleptic side effects is likely to
increase the risk of EPS and TD. This includes both
traditional antipsychotics and the newer, atypical
antipsychotics which still carry some risk. Substances
as common as alcohol and cold medications have some
risk of TD and EPS. Caution is needed as well with
patients taking anticonvulsants, antihistamines, barbituates or antidepressants as some drugs in these categories have a high risk of EPS and TD.
Underlying soft neurological factors or mental
retardation are significant risk factors in the development of TD.
Many experts caution that tapering down to drug
free periods a few times a year is necessary to ascertain whether a patient has covert symptoms that are
being masked by the continuing use of the drug. Other
experts believe that this cycling on and off for drug
holidays can provoke a tardive reaction and is an
additional risk factor.

RECOGNIZING SIDE EFFECTS OF NEUROLEPTICS

Movement symptoms may be so subtle that a psychiatrist or neurologist who specializes in movement disorders may be the only expert to pick them up. But in
many unfortunate patients, the symptoms are visible
from blocks away.
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PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

Movement symptoms are generally not present during sleep, can worsen with stress, and patients can often
suppress these symptoms for a short period of time
through intense concentration. Movement symptoms
may be present uniformly throughout the day, or they
may have a diurnal pattern. Some specific movement
symptoms are more troublesome during resting and
abate during voluntary movement. Other specific symptoms are only problematic during voluntary movement.
Movement symptoms can wax and wane over time
and deliberate provocation may be necessary to elicit
the symptom in a clinical setting. This is typically
done by distracting the patient with conversation or
asking them to perform a mental task, such as math,
that requires intense concentration. Tongue and facial
symptoms are often the first to appear and a thorough
neurological exam involves careful observation of the
tongue in the mouth and sticking out.
EPS and TD can mimic disorders such as Parkinsons Disease, Tourettes Syndrome, Huntingtons
Chorea, tics, cerebral palsy, stroke and hyperactivity.
They are often mistaken for psychiatric disturbances
and patients may be shunned.
During episodes of dystonia, opposing muscles
that should relax contract. This can result in a limb that
appears distorted. One of the most common manifestations is an ankle that twists and wont bear weight. In
some cases, muscle groups that should be uninvolved
in the activity being attempted will get involved. The
result can be shoulders that swing violently during
walking or an entire arm and shoulder that cramp and
contort while the hand is holding a pen. In some
instances, the opposing hand/arm/shoulder may also
contort in a perverse sympathy.
Some patients find quirky tricks that can short circuit a dystonia or dyskinesia. For example, a few
patients with torticollis find that stroking their jaw or
touching the back of the head can stop the muscle
spasms. A case report describes one patient with a
severe gait disturbance who found that tossing a small
object from hand to hand allowed him to walk more
normally. For this reason, patients should be asked
about any odd mannerisms.
In addition to causing movement disorders, neuroleptics used in gastroenterology are capable of causing
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(continued from page 18)
Localized Symptoms
Body area

Associated movement symptoms

Neck/spine symptoms

Muscle spasms of the neck (cervical) which pull the head to the side (torticollis), forward and
down (antecollis), or up (retrocollis) are often painful. An extreme bending at the waist is rare
(Pisa Syndrome or pleurothotonus). The most extreme form of back arching can bring the entire
body off the bed except the back of the head and the heels (opisthotonus). Pelvic rocking or gyrations (axial hyperkinesia) may appear to be self stimulating or sexual in nature. Jacknifing refers
to abrupt bending at the waist.

Gait/walking disorder

A disorganized walk (ataxia) may be as subtle as a foot rolling in occasionally, or as dramatic and
absurd as a Monty Python routine. The patient may appear clumsy, stumbling, clomping or
drunk. An inability to start walking as if glued to the floor and then an inability to stop, or a shuffling walk are characteristic of tardive Parkinsonism.

Oral facial symptoms

Oral-mandibular/buccal-lingual symptoms include chewing motions (sometimes called Wrigley

Sign), biting with nose wrinkling (Rabbit Syndrome), tongue probing in the cheek (Bon Bon
Sign), grimacing, pouting and repetitive swallowing. The jaw may open or shut or lock
(trismus/lockjaw) making eating difficult. The tongue may protrude rapidly (Fly Catcher) or hang
flaccidly (tonic). The patient may make sucking/kissing/smacking/clicking noises. The patient may
bite their own cheeks or tongue. Eyebrows may raise (Spock eyebrows) or lower making the
person appear haughty or angry. Symptoms confined to the lower face may be called Mieges
Syndrome. Tooth grinding (bruxism) may occur during sleep. Some symptoms can be aborted by
touching the lips or other tricks. Some patients with tardive Parkinsonism lack facial expressions
(mask-like facies) and they may drool.

Finger movements

Finger movements often resemble playing Air Guitar, Air Piano or a particular movement called
milkmaid grip. Writers cramp is a severe spasm of the entire hand or arm. The opposing arm
may also cramp. This is more than fatigue and may be induced by fine motor activities other than
writing. Pill rolling finger movements (rubbing the thumb and fingers in a motion similar to the
gesture meaning money) are more common in drug-induced Parkinsonism.

Limb symptoms

Flailing movements involving a whole limb may appear combative like a punch or karate kick (ballismus), or may appear like raising a hand to ask a question. This is one of the few movements
that occur during sleep. Some patients with tardive Parkinsonism have limb movements that are
jerky and have a ratchet-like quality (cog wheel rigidity).

Eye symptoms

Blinking of both eyelids (blepharospasms) may be so severe that the patient is legally blind. The
eyes may be rolled in any direction (oculogyric crisis).

Vocalizations, breathing, Vocal tics such as grunting, throat clearing, swearing (coprolalia), and echoing words or sounds
swallowing
(echolalia) are possible. The vocal cords may spasm (dysphonia) making the voice choppy, quavery, breathy or cause a hoarse sounding noise when breathing in (stridor). The vocal cords may
clamp shut (Laryngospasm/obstructive apnea/dysepnea). The speech may be slurred (dysarthria)
or have a quality normally associated with brain damage (bulbar). Swallowing may be uncoordinated (dysphagia).

a host of other symptoms that may not be automatically

connected with the drug: drooling, autonomic instability,
depression, cognitive slowing, confusion, flat affect, agitation, restlessness, irritability, headaches, disordered
thinking, memory changes, altered sensations or perceptions, word retrieval problems, and many others.

MONITORING MOVEMENT SYMPTOMS

The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale, (AIMS)
is available online and provides one quick and systematic way to assess a variety of common movement
symptoms. This scale is not useful for distinguishing
between the many types of movement disorders and it
PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

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General Symptoms
Medical Term

Description/examples

Akathisia

An inner feeling of restlessness, which compels the patient to pace, march, fidget or wiggle
although some patients are able to sit still. In infants, this is more likely to look like air boxing or
air cycling. Restlessness may manifest as insomnia. It may be perceived as an uncomfortable
inner vibration. Patients may call akathisia anxiety.

Chorea/choreic

Dance-like movements of any body part or the whole body.

Myoclonus/ myoclonic

Involuntary movements that are sudden and violent in appearance as if struck by lightening or hit
by an invisible assailant.

Tics

Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome may be drug induced.

Vermicular/ atheoid

Worm-like writhing movement of any body part or the entire body.

Bradykinesia

Slowing of voluntary movements (bradykinesia) can affect any body part or the whole body. In
rare cases there can be a complete lack of movement (akinesia).

Resting Tremor

Shaking of a resting limb or tongue that tends to subside during deliberate movements. The
opposite of alcohol induced tremors which are worse during intentional movement.

Neuroleptic Malignant
Syndrome

The most dangerous side effect of anti-psychotics is Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome. This
potentially fatal reaction is characterized by lead pipe rigidity, high fever, dehydration, sweating,
elevated blood pressure, fast heart rate and respiration, agitation, elevated white blood cell count,
difficulty swallowing and autonomic instability.

Paroxysmal

Very abrupt movements

cannot distinguish drug induced symptoms from spontaneous ones. Several other scales are commonly used
and a full discussion of their merits and proper uses
can be found in Assessment of drug-related movement disorders in schizophrenia. Since different clusters of symptoms can suggest different treatments, a
full exam by a movement specialist may be desired.

TREATMENT
Treatment of movement side effects that appear early
during treatment (EPS) is generally accomplished by
slowly withdrawing the drug or lowering the dose.
When the drug is being used to treat a major psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia, withdrawal of the
drug may not be feasible. Anticholinergic medications
may be helpful in EPS, but generally are not. Beta
blockers have also been tried.
Treatment of late onset (TD) movement symptoms
and syndromes can be much more complex. Withdrawal of the drug may need to be undertaken very
slowly and drugs to counteract the symptoms may be
22

PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

tried. Unfortunately, anticholiergic drugs are generally

not as helpful with late onset symptoms and may occasionally cause paradoxical exacerbation. Consultation
with a movement disorders specialist may be helpful
and in complex cases referral may be necessary.
The long list of drugs that may be used to reduce
TD symptoms attests to the difficulty in treating this
iatrogenic disease. Many cases of TD do not respond
well to currently available treatments and there are
many new treatments being investigated including vitamins that act as free radical scavengers. Vitamin E
and vitamin B6 have both shown benefit in preventing
the development of TD although they have not been
effective in treating the disorder once it has developed.
Research is being conducted on the use of branch
chain amino acids.

PEDIATRIC CONSIDERATIONS:
Recognition of movement side effects in children is particularly problematic. Infants are more likely to have box(continued on page 25)

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(continued from page 22)

ing arm movements, cycling leg movements or generalized hypertonia, all of which are uncommon in adults. A
gait disturbance may not be apparent in a child who is just
learning to walk. Motor restlessness in a pre-schooler can
look like urinary urgency. Early onset EPS or TD can
look like cerebral palsy. How do you distinguish between
biting due to a dystonia and a temper tantrum?
Back and neck arching in an infant may be due to
pain, an infantile spasm, a seizure, acid reflux induced
Sandifer Syndrome or dystonia. A pediatric movement
disorders specialist may need to examine the child in
order to make a definitive diagnosis.
Non-movement side effects of neuroleptics are
also more difficult to recognize in children. Small children cant tell us that they have a headache, that they
are having memory trouble, that their senses are not
functioning correctly, or that they are suffering from a
mood change. How do you distinguish hormonal
changes of puberty from the hormonal changes (gyncomastia, amenorrhea) due to prolactin fluctuations
caused by a neuroleptic? How do you distinguish druginduced muscle pain (arthralgia) from the pain of the
disease you are treating? How do you recognize psychosis, dementia or even a sleep disorder in a baby?
There is a wide range of developmental levels within
the range of normal making subtle deficits difficult
to spot. One author (Anderson) recently met a toddler
who was believed to be profoundly retarded while on
metaclopramide. His intractable seizures stopped the
day after withdrawal and he was walking and talking
after several months of intense therapy (personal communications with parents and doctor).
To further complicate matters, children metabolize
many drugs differently. Children have an undeveloped
blood-brain barrier which can leave them more susceptible to CNS involvement where none would be
expected in an adult. Children with acute illness or
dehydration seem to be at additional risk for dystonias.
Many common medications can exacerbate neuroleptic
side effects. In addition, pediatric formulations of some
drugs contain alcohol which can exacerbate or precipitate movement symptoms and many other side effects.
Of particular concern is the alcohol in pediatric ranitidine. One of the side effects of ranitidine is an interference with the normal clearance of alcohol that can magnify the effects of the alcohol by a factor of ten.

Children and the elderly are recognized to be at

additional risk of EPS and TD from neuroleptics used
for psychiatric illnesses. It is reasonable to assume that
they are at increased risk when using neuroleptics for
gastrointestinal ailments. The lack of recognition
means that any estimates about the rarity of side
effects are suspect. A few pediatric gastroenterologists
no longer use neuroleptics for just this reason.

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
There have been many lawsuits filed by patients experiencing TD. The Journal of the American Academy of
Psychiatry and the Law and the Journal of Clinical
Psychiatry have both printed review articles describing the many legal issues raised. Acording to Tardive
Dyskinesia: Tremors in Law and Medicine, most suits
have alleged malpractice but there have also been suits
alleging failure to obtain written informed consent,
torts violations, failure to monitor, inappropriate reassurance that the TD/EPS symptoms were not drug
related, failure to follow standards of care, failure to
refer to a neurologist, product liability, etc. Institutionalized psychiatric patients have filed suits alleging
civil rights violations. This article is written jointly by
a forensic psychiatrist and an attorney. It summarizes
the circumstances, arguments and rulings from dozens
of individual cases and is available online.
Update on Legal Issues Associated with Tardive
Dyskinesia, a section of a the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry Supplement on TD, contains a history of the use
of neuroleptics and is more medically oriented. It
explains concepts such as determining when the statute
of limitations clock is likely to start in language accessible to doctors. It gives practical guidelines for physicans
who want to avoid lawsuits. The author explains that, In
determining causation, the law is more interested in the
straw that broke the camels back than in all the straws
already piled on its back. He includes a quote from a
1984 article; The impending flood of tardive dyskinesia
litigation has begun. I think that there is an enormous
backlog of cases that is going to plague us for years. He
also warns that the pendulum is swinging in the direction
of trying to link all movement disorders to neuroleptics.
Indeed, there are now class action law suits for patients
who took metaclopramide and were damaged.
PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

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Recognition of Movement Disorders

A SPECIAL ARTICLE

RECOMMENDATIONS
To avoid EPS and potentially irreversible TD, neuroleptics must be used at the lowest possible doses, for
the shortest possible duration, only when clearly indicated and when there is no safer alternative. Patients
should be monitored closely and frequently for emerging symptoms using standardized movement rating
scales. Possible side effects should be fully disclosed
via written informed consent documents and the doctor should initiate an ongoing dialog about this topic
with the patient. The doctor should consider alerting
family members since they often become aware of
movement disorders before the patient does.
Resources
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 2000, Volume 62, Supplement
4, Update on Tardive Dyskinesia contains 9 articles (57 pages)
on aspects of TD. CME credit is available. This supplement
includes the article, Update on Legal Issues Associated with Tardive Dyskinesia. The supplement may be ordered on line at
http://www.psychiatrist.com/order.htm
Psychotropic Drug Directory, 2001, Stephen Bazire and
William Benfield Jr., Quay Books, Mark Allen Publishing. This
book contains a full list of drugs capable of causing movement disorders, mood disorders, sleep disorders, etc., (Chapters 5.8-5.9)
with citations for each entry. It also has a section on the treatment
of movement disorders (Chapters 1.20-1.22) with citations to relevant articles for each entry. Order online at http://www.markallengroup.com/quaybooks/
Tardive Dyskinesia: Tremors in Law and Medicine, Neil S.
Kaye, MD, FAPA, and Thomas J. Reed Esquire. Journal of the
American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 1999; Volume 25,
No 2. Viewable online at http://www.courtpsychiatrist.com/tardive.html
Details of pediatric hypertonia symptoms are available in
Classification and Definition of Disorders Causing Hypertonia in
Childhood, Pediatrics, 2003: Vol 11, No 1. Available in PDF format online at http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/
111/1/e89.pdf
Assessment of drug-related movement disorders in schizophrenia, Maurice Gervin and R.E. Thomas Barnes Advances in
Psychiatric Treatment, 2000; 6: 332-341. This article contains a
discussion of several movement rating scales and reviews methods
of conducting them that can reduce the variability of the results.
Available online at http://apt.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/6/5/332
WE MOVE
(Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders)
204 W. 84th Street
New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-875-8312

26

PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY MAY 2004

Fax: 212-875-8389
www.wemove.org and www.mdvu.org
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
One East Wacker Drive, Suite 2430
Chicago, Illinois 60601-1905
Tel: 312-755-0198
In Canada: 800-361-8061
Fax: 312-803-0138
dystonia@dystoniafoundation.org
(information packet, videos, list of movement disorders clinics and
tardive experts available for a donation)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
6001 Executive Blvd.
Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
nimhinfo@nih.gov
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/
tardive_doc.htm
Tel: 301-443-4513 TTY: 301-443-8431
Fax: 301-443-4279
American Psychiatric Association Task Force on Late Neurological Effects of Antipsychotics Drugs. Copies of the report are
available from APA, Publications/Sales Department, 1700 18th
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. Cost is $11.00 for 204 page
report.
There are currently at least 16 books on tardive that appear on
internet searches.
Thanks to the following individuals for reviewing this article:
Joel Campbell, PharmD, PAGER Association, Gaithersburg, MD
Benny Kerzner, MD, Chief, Department of Gastroenterology and
Nutrition, Childrens National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Neil S. Kaye, MD, DFAPA. Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Assistant Clinical Professor of
Family Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Wilmington, DE
Loren Pankratz, PhD, Consultant Psychologist, Portland, OR
Special thanks to the TDTDNA (defunct), DMRF, and WE MOVE
for their helpful materials.

Patients and professionals who suspect movement symptoms in

patients taking any medications should file a MedWatch report
with the FDA. Medical professionals are not required to file reports
so consumers are urged to file their own with the information available to them. MedWatch reports are compared to prevent double
counting of events if multiple reports are filed. Contact the FDA at
www.fda.gov/medwatch or 800-FDA-1088.