Benign Presentation Following Massive Deutetrabenazine Overdose

Deutetrabenazine (DTBZ) (Austedo®) is a novel vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) inhibitor, which acts by blocking dopamine release and other monoamines from neuronal vesicles. Although this drug is considered the first-line treatment for tardive dyskinesia (TD), VMAT2 inhibition has also been shown to improve patients’ symptoms with Huntington’s disease-induced chorea. We present the case of a 59-year-old woman with a history of TD, who presented to the emergency department following massive DTBZ ingestion. The relative paucity of other overdose symptoms further supports the manufacturer’s claims of a low side effect profile for this drug in overdose. Although DTBZ demonstrates an excellent safety profile, emergency physicians should be aware of the potential side effect of DTBZ overdose, in addition to other known side effects of this novel drug.