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Overview
Risperdal is the first in its class, a new kind of medicine prescribed to treat psychotic disorders.
Clinical studies show that it is effective against the symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations, suspiciousness and disorganized thought.
It also appears to be helpful against other schizophrenic symptoms, including apathy and social withdrawal, that don't respond well to other medications.
Risperdal may be effective for certain patients who haven't responded well to other antipsychotic drugs.
Some experts believe that Risperdal is better than the older and more conventional schizophrenia drug Haldol, and it has a different side-effect profile.
Side Effects and Interactions
Some people starting on Risperdal may find that they feel dizzy or faint if they stand up suddenly. They should take care to avoid falling when they first get up.
Risperdal may cause anxiety, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, nausea, indigestion, runny nose, rash, rapid heart beat and uncontrollable muscle movements,
Other adverse reactions to be alert for include sleeping longer and dreaming more, visual problems, sensitivity to sunlight leading to sunburn, fatigue, weight gain, diarrhea, constipation, sexual difficulties, difficult urination, heavy menstrual periods, dry vagina and reduced salivation.
Report any symptoms to your physician promptly.
Risperdal may interact with other medications, but most of the potential interactions have not yet been carefully studied.
Alcohol should be avoided by patients taking this drug.
Blood pressure medicines may increase the trouble with feeling faint upon standing up (orthostatic hypotension).
Risperdal may counteract the benefits of the Parkinson's disease drug levodopa.
The antiseizure drug Tegretol may speed removal of Risperdal from the body, possibly reducing its concentration below the desired level.
The antischizophrenic medicine Clozaril can reduce the body's ability to eliminate Risperdal and may lead to increased blood levels.
Many medications processed by the same liver enzyme as Risperdal have a potential for interaction, but the medicine is still so new that there are few if any reports as of this writing.
Check with your doctor and pharmacist to make sure Risperdal is safe in combination with any other drugs you take.
Special Precautions
Because Risperdal is metabolized through the liver and kidneys, people with kidney disease or liver problems need to have their dose of Risperdal adjusted carefully.
Older people, who often have reduced kidney or liver function, may also require lower doses.
Since Risperdal, like other drugs that affect the nervous system, might slow reflexes or impair judgment, people taking it should be advised not to drive or operate dangerous equipment unless they can determine that they are unimpaired.
Antipsychotic drugs may in some cases trigger a life-threatening reaction in which body temperature rises, muscles become rigid, heart rhythm and blood pressure changes and the person loses consciousness. This is a medical emergency, and a person on any schizophrenia medicine who develops some of these symptoms should be treated immediately.
Long-term use of conventional antipsychotic drugs can lead to the development of involuntary repetitive movements such as jerks, tics, twitches, chewing or tongue-thrusting. Called tardive dyskinesia, this side effect is among the most unpleasant drawbacks of chronic treatment for schizophrenia.
It is hoped that holding Risperdal doses to 6 mg daily or less will reduce the risk of tardive dyskinesia. Because the drug is so new, however, long-term experience with it is limited.
Taking the Medicine
Risperdal should be taken twice a day and may be taken with or without meals.
Did this drug work? Average rating: 2.6/5 (5 votes)
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My father, 86, is on 0,25mg daily to treat anxiety induced outbursts resulting from mild Alzheimer's. As a result of this drug, his ability to talk has been greatly impaired. Also, his sense of smell has all but disappeared. Alternative medication is now being evaluated.
I took 400mg of risperdal to treat anxiety and PTSD. I rapidly gained 60 lbs and began lactating. I did find that it did help me to focus and did reduce my anxiety but due to the side effects, I had to discontinue it.
There are plenty of articles on the side effects. Weight gain and increased appetite are significant problems for ladies, that have never been over-weight. Has there been any studies or testimonies of how others have beat the weight gain and fatigue symptoms? Ones' ego is affected here. Combined with the other visible side effect of acne, some young people find themselves with two or three conditions that they have never had.
Any input from the drug companies? What is the exit strategy from being weened off this drug too?
I was on fluphenazine for less than a year, then risperdal and seroquel off and on for ten years for anxiety and pms problems. I was also on up to 6400mg a day of Neurontin (more than the FDA maximum recommendations). The doctors did not recognize my symptoms as drug-induced and kept prescribing me more medications to treat the adverse reactions, along with labeling me as a psychiatric case and neuro-lyme disease.
I now know those diagnoses were a bunch of baloney, but I'm left with horrible physical problems. I have major problems with excessive facial hair (I'm female), weight control, and terrible muscle cramping with dystonia-like pain. All the muscles on my right side, especially the paraspinal muscle are extremely tight causing terrible continual pain. I have stopped all the drugs for almost a year now, but am not improving anymore. However, my cognitive functions have improved tremendously. What can I do to help alleviate the extreme muscle cramping and spasticity?
It is so painful it interferes with everything I do. My nervous system seems extremely compromised and I'm experiencing allergies to most foods, medications, chemicals, etc. BTW, the risperdal also made me lactate, and slump over to my right side and shift my weight back and forth between my feet. All of those drugs made me feel paranoid and very agitated and enraged. I now know I was on too many medications, but I believe that any one of them alone is dangerous, too. It scares me to know that so many people are taking these medications. I now have diabetes, too, and recently had a nerve biopsy show significantly low small nerve fiber density.
What can I do to help with the muscle cramping or other problems?
Years ago, I tried risperdol and after that seroquel and now have a permanent movement disorder. I have been successfully taking 10 mg. of abilify daily for about 10 years and it works for my mood swings and depression (I am Bi-Polar II with psychotic features and have PTSD and ADD). Now I have read that muscle cramping does sometimes accompany diabetes II. But if you are taking a medication for hypertension and along with it a diuretic medication, you may be suffering from a potassium deficiency and that would account for the muscle cramping!?
That is also a life threatening situation that needs to be addressed by your doctor immediately! Muscle spasms are caused usually by a deficiency of calcium, potassium, or magnesium. Good luck!