Dyskinesia in an unmedicated adolescent with a 5-year history of tobacco use: a case report

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use among mentally ill patients is approximately two to three times higher than that in the general population. Withdrawal from tobacco is a common occurrence and many authors have described various symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Dyskinesia, however, has not been reported as one of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in adolescents without any psychopathology or medical illness. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 17-year-old Motswana boy of the Tswana ethnic group with primary school education and a 5-year history of tobacco use who developed dyskinesia approximately 48 hours after cessation of tobacco and had some relief with nicotine gum. CONCLUSION: In addition to the documented symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, clinicians should look out for dyskinesia, which may be one of the rare symptoms of withdrawal in chronic tobacco users.