Severe dysphagia associated with major tranquillizer treatment

A 56 year old patient with psychiatric complications of systemic lupus erythematosus developed severe dysphagia complicated by weight loss and aspiration. Following investigation it was concluded that the addition of haloperidol to her treatment was the major precipitating cause and withdrawal of the drug was followed by an objective improvement in swallowing. Patients taking major transquillizers may be at increased risk of severe dysphagia; regular observation of swallowing is suggested as a useful addition to the clinical examination of these patients.