Risperidone (Risperdal) Forum - Risperidone

[Guest]

I have bi-polar disorder. For seven years I was treated as a uni-polar (depressive) patient with panic attacks. Finally, I changed doctors, and my initial diagnosis of manic-depression was re-affirmed. I am currently taking Risperidone 2mg as preventative, with 100mg of Zoloft (sertraline) to control the anxiety. I'm new to Risperidone and have only good things to say about it so far. I also suffer from ADD, and have noticed an increase in my ability to concentrate. I am wondering if anyone else out there has had similar experience.<BR><BR>I feel better than I have in over ten years.<BR><BR>Cheers! <BR><BR>--------------------<BR>Some mornings it's not worth gnawing through the straps...<BR>

[Guest]

Two months ago I experienced an acute psychotic breakdown, induced by LSD, alcohol and cannabis use a week before the incident. It was incredibly visceral and at the height of it I couldn't walk, talk, eat or know what on earth was going on, I completely lost touch with reality and my identity.<BR>I was hospitalised and prescribed 1 mg of Risperidone per day, and made a quick recovery. I am now off the drug. The drug did have some side effects, though they were quite subtle as the dose was relatively small. <BR><BR>The most annoying of the side effects was increased anxiety, which sometimes turned into paranoia, I would get quite worried about aspects of my health, I convinced myself after reading various medical and biology textbooks that I had some form of drug induced parkinsonis, pre-symptomal tuberculosis, joint problems. Looking back on it I was quite silly, but I couldn't help it, I was feeling so much more worried than I normally did. I did also have occasional periods of temporary paranoia, ie is this tapping sound really there? Is it somebody in the house? <BR><BR>I also found it harder to get to sleep, I would wake up quite a bit in the middle of the night and found it harder to get into a comfortable position. I would alternate between feeling cold and hot, I sweated quite a lot in bed as well. I would spend hours in a strange psuedo-sleep state, where I was starting to drift off, but not enough to lose consciousness, it was a wierd limbo-state between being awake and being asleep. When I did sleep I experienced vivid dream, where I saw some very vivid images, some of which are still very clear and crisp now, I think I might attempt to draw them someday.<BR><BR>Increased tiredness/loss of concentration was another thing I experienced whilst on the medication, when I took the medication I started feeling somewhat heavy and lethargic. I found that when reading or doing maths excercises that I would start off quite well, but after 5-10 minutes I would slow down and get distracted. I would also get tired quickly after starting physical activity such as riding a bike. I would also get very depressed at times.<BR><BR>Sometimes I would find it harder to focus on objects, especially in the dark, occasionally I got mildly blurred vision. These effects became less marked as time passed. On a sidenote I can also mention that I experienced mild visual flashbacks whilst being on the medication, I have been off the medication for 3 days now and they are becoming less noticable and frequent, as of now I have seen none, I am told that risperidone exacberates the occurence of flashbacks.<BR><BR>One more thing I noticed is that sometimes I would feel a shock, I would hear my heart beating and I would start hyperventilating, I would feel odd in the chest area, like my heart was beating in an odd way or something. This happened just a few times, about two hours after I took the medication.<BR><BR>As said, its been three days since I've been off the medication, and I am already starting to feel better and all the side-effects I have written about have greatly subsided or disappeared all-together. I feel very lucky and grateful that I have recovered something I caused myself because of my own foolishness. <BR>I hope this is helpful to anybody curious about the medication.

[Guest]

Hi there.... I've been on 2mg of Risperidone for about 3 weeks now following a bout of hypomania and a mixed psychotic episode. I am finding that it is brilliant for my anxiety and hypomania, it hasn't tocuhed my little delusion called Alan, and may be contributing to a bout of depression which is now underway, but then that may just be the inevitable low after a high (I was diagnosed as bipolar in 1998 and have been on a variety of meds in that time). Risperidone is actiually making me sleep less, so much so that I still have to take Largactil at night to get to sleep, its too early to say if it is causing weight gain. As far as stopping meds completely, I'd be very careful. I was once briefly taken off my SSRI Citalopram and got what they call discontinuation effects, dizzy spells, nausea, headaches. I went back on it in despair at these effects but needed to eventaully anyway in order to stop a swing into depression. <BR><BR>I hgope this information helps. Do post here if you have any information at all on Risperidone as I'm still trying to wortk this med out<BR><BR>Best Wishes<BR><BR>Annarien

[Guest]

My daughter had a psychotic episode back in May and was unfit for work for 3 months,<BR>She was put on Risperidone and this showed a marked improvement in her thoughts. Unfortunately she then became very depressed. She is now on anti-depressants but they don't seem to be working. She was on 4mg risperidone and has now cut it to 3mg but still feels very tired and has not interest in anything. I am wondering if the risperidone is making her worse as she only became depressed after about a week on this drug. Can anyone advise. Also we don't want her psychosis to reappear but would it be safe to stop the drug entirely??

[Guest]

i've been on risperidone for about 6 months now, and the only side effects ive experienced are being constantly tired, a few dizzy spells and being very thirsty. oh and to begin with, some horrible headaches

[Guest]

I got depreesed at the age of 13 and it got worse now im 16 and its still bothering me ,now i go see a physciatrist but they havent told me what i have, But they have given me risperdal due to seeing and haring things, and having bad thoughts and having paranioa, I also have ocd about washing my hands and a fear of illness like being sick, Im now worried about taking risperdal due to it says it could cause side effects, If there is any side effects or if you have had any please could you say what they are<BR>Thank you.

[Guest]

0.25mg of Risperidone is a drop in the bucket. I'm currently on 2mg twice a day and hoping to god it will help save my life this time.<BR><BR>Would be nice to be free of dodgey thoughts - my relationship is going down the toilet.

[Guest]

If you're looking for some background information on my illness - let me give you an example. My brother is in hospital; he needs surgery. I scuttle home and search through his mail adament his death certificate is there within. stupid huh, since he wasnt dead. well those thoughts esculated over the next few months, along with depression, and 3 years down the line im at the psychiatrists with bizarre beliefs about everything. i was also suicidal for a long time, but the problem with death is it isnt certain...flies in the face of logic huh? What happens if when you die, you are hurled into this dream-like state. If you're depressed dream = BAD. also who knows..maybe when we die we all go on to something far more terrible than earth....there's no certainty. Anyways i'm on 2 MG's at the moment... point 25 grams isnt very strong at all so i wouldnt worry yourself.<BR><BR>--------------------<BR>gfshghg<BR>

[Guest]

well DNLSTAR, I was recently prescribed risperdal. It helped me tremendously in a very short time. I think, anyway. Maybe i believe in antipsychotics and placebo took its wondrous toll.<BR><BR>--------------------<BR>gfshghg<BR>

[Guest]

My daughter who is 16 yrs old was recently diagnosed with depression and placed on a small dosage of Prozac, but yesterday she had a melt down and became suicidal - thoughts only - not attempted. She is now hospitalized and looks to be about a 4-5 day therapy inpatient - and we also have had 2 family tragedies in 1 week. Her dr is placing her on the risperdal for rapid healing of bad thoughts and a very low dosage - I have only read good about it and understand that it will ony be a short term (2 week) treatment for stabilization purposes to get the bad throughts out and to help her new upped dosage of Prozac to begin stabilizing. As I see it - it sounds good - I try to trust the professionals. If anyone has any feedback that has experienced the same method/course of treatment please let me know for a little assurance goes a long way. Thanks

[Guest]

well i went to the doc today.. i haven't been feelin good for 2 weeks now but nothing like what i went through in january.. i took an antidepressant called celexa 20mg and it through me into a mental meltdown.. it took 6 months to start sleeping 8 hours again and i have been doin good for 3 months now but for the past 2 weeks i have been having problems again mentally like negative thoughts and depression and the doc wants me to take .25 milligrams of risperidone/risperdal. I am scared to take it because of my experience with the antidepressant.. this is an antipsychotic drug although i haven't been diagnosed with anything like bipolar or schizoprenia or anything like that he still thinks this will help me i don't know what to do i want to avoid going through what i went through in jan-june thanks......

[Guest]

I was placed on Risperidone after a couple of brief psychotic episode. I do not have a firm diagnosis as to what caused the episodes. <BR><BR>I have felt better after every reduction of my medication. I feel much more mentally alert and willing to engage in activities. However, I must advise people that a lot of the 'side effects' may be as a result of the original psychosis. Despite this caveat I still wish to be resperidone free.