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Hello everyone! So, this is more exploratory than anything. I accept that, as someone with bipolar disorder, taking an antipsychotic might be a necessary part of my maintenance treatment, and lately that has become more evident. I had been taking Rexulti (brexpiprazole) in varying doses since 2017 when I started it with Depakote ER (divalproex, 24-hour) and Trintellix (vortioxetine). Still taking the Depakote (now up to 1500mg), but Trintellix and Rexulti have worked their way out of the equation, as of late. My medication regimen has taken a more classical turn due to a breakthrough hypomanic episode in Dec./Jan., and I am currently taking a combo of Depakote ER at night along with 0.5mg of Risperdal (risperidone). Because of persistent issues with depression and anxiety, I am also now taking 50mg of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) each morning along with 50mg of Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) for ADHD that I have been taking for some time. This combo seems to be working fairly well for me. When I started the Risperdal at 0.25mg/day at bedtime, I didn't really notice much difference at all during the day, but I suppose it was nice as a sleep aid. I increased to 0.5mg on Day 4 and I've parked here to try it out for a bit before deciding to increase further. The Risperdal is really to deal with those breakthrough hypomanic/mixed symptoms such as irritability and agitation, which have always been tough for me. In the beginning of my treatment (2014), antipsychotics were used as monotherapy for mood stabilization, but I could never tolerate the doses necessary to calm those symptoms, because I was easily susceptible to EPS like akathisia. Fast-forward a few years, and we've found that using an anticonvulsant as the primary mood stabilizer with the antipsychotic as a secondary has generally served me well without too much incidence of akathisia. I started Risperdal on June 8th and increased to 0.5mg a few days afterward. So it's been almost 3 weeks at this dose. My experience so far tells me to keep increasing. I'm curious to know people's experiences on Risperdal, particularly in combination with another established mood stabilizing agent like lithium or valproate. I recognize that I take Depakote and that a combo of lithium+Risperdal may not be the same, but the mood stabilizing effects of lithium and valproate are generally regarded with equal respect in most literature for the time being. Any thoughts on lower dose Risperdal?....particularly in concert with another mood stabilizer?

So today is my seventh day on 0.50 mg risperidone. I wanted to try this kind of medication for a long time. I've been on ssri's for about 10 years and switched to clomipramine July 2018 because ssri's didn't work like they did before. (My main problem....I have 'white polar bear' ocd and was free of symptoms for about 6 years. 3 years ago big relapse). I'm on 100 mg of clomipramine.... I tried increasing but then the side effects become too much for me.I don't think risperidone is doing anything special. I expected a little more, but maybe I'm just impatient.I was hoping the constant intrusive thought (which has overtaken normal thinking patterns) would become less frequent. I hoped silence would come.Or that it would flatten the emotion that always follows after thinking 'it'. Like: "I don't care that you (intrusive thought) are on my mind" and that my attention would quickly shift to something else.On the plus side....I'm sleeping even better than before. It is nice to be able to sleep the whole night instead of getting out (sometimes thrice a night) because I have to pee(which is a side effect of clomipramine).May I expect better results after two weeks? Of should I ask for a higher dose of risperidone?

I'm tapering off clomipramine, right now I'm down to 75 mg. I've been on it for almost a year, but I'm not impressed with the results. I was hoping it would work better than my last two SSRI's (which seemed to do the best job when I took them for the first time) but I can't go higher than 100 mg because of side effects. A few months ago risperidone was added to the clomipramine. I'm on 1 mg a day. I've seen some improvement, but I can still have difficult days or even weeks where I'm having too much intrusive thoughts (or thought, since it's been only one thought which bothers me). I've had good results from fluvoxamine and escitalopram, but both pooped out. Maybe clomipramine had pooped out too. According to my pdoc, taking risperidone as a monotherapy won't have much effect. And with OCD, an antipsychotic is mainly added as an augment treatment. So what to do next?

Hi, I was hospitalized after a bipolar episode and given a mood stablizer and olanzapine(Zyprexa) for the 3 weeks I stayed there. After being released, I was switched to risperidone for 3 or so months, I experienced extreme sexual dysfunction while on it that has not gone away since I discontinued it two months ago. I have erectile dysfunction to the point of not being able to get a semi erection for more than a few seconds before it becomes flaccid again, if I do orgasm then it's weak and premature. I thought that these effects were only for the duration of taking the medicine, I didn't expect them to continue 2 months after discontinuing it, I checked my testosterone and it's low which might explain the low libido. Please help me, I feel like I've been castrated because of this medicine, it's been driving me to the point of being suicidal and making me more depressed. I just want to live a normal life again and feel pleasure as I once did before. I've only found other stories of people who haven't recovered from this which scares me. Thanks

Hi My wife has been in the process of changing from Risperidone (1mg morning and 3 mg evening) to Aripiprazole. Because she had high Prolactin levels. With disastrous results. At the moment she has disturbed sleep at night, the voices keep her awake. Has unusual behavior, does not want to socialise or leave the house and spends a lot of time in a trance-like state in discussion with the voices. We gradually introduced the Aripiprazole and reduced the Risperidone over a three month period, at present she is on 20 mg of Ariprazole in the morning and 2mg of Risperidone at night. We are in contact with the psychiatrist who says we must give the medication time to work. But I am at my wits end my wife is impossible to live with. I would be interested in your experiences and opinions. She was reasonably normal before the change of medication, she had voices but we could manage our lives.

Hi everybody! Will try to sum up shortly the nature of my problem: - Jun'17. Big family tragedy. Got nervous, could barely sleep at night (3-4 hours daily max.), lost appetite. Used simple herbs-based anti-axiety pills to calm myself. No big impact. - Jul'17. Nervousness continues, sleepless nights, poor appetite. Added other more potent natural pills (as I live in Germany - Neurexam). Took Stillnox (aka Zolpidem) as sleeping aid. To no avail. To calm down took 1 single pill of Laif 900 (Saint John's Wort, SJW). My anxiety paradoxically increased even further. maybe because I drank juices (which is not advisable with SJW). As my nervousness continued went to doctor, who prescribed escitalopram 10 mg per day (in the morning). To be on the safe side, took half of the pill (i.e. 5 mg), immediately felt unwell (sweating, heart palpitations, giddiness). Took char coal to wash the pill out. As I did not know what an antidepressant is (thought it to be a sort of anti-anxiety / sleeping pill), took 2.5 mg before sleep for the next 2-3 days. My agitation got worse. In retrospect I think that I provoked a mild serotonin syndrome, given that I took escitalopram soon after taking SJW. My body was shaking, trembling, I was not able to control my hands. Neede even to call sick from work. Got strange suicidal thought which I had never had in my life. Did not know this state was provoked by pills. I somehow foolishly decided that because of my insomnia and malnutrition, my brain started to die off. Dropped escitalopram. Got electric splashes in my head. Panicked. Did not know it was a side effect of escitalopram withdrawal. Was afraid that my brain was harmed beyond repair and decided to commit suicide by jumping from the balcony. My relative held me tight, but I somehow managed to drop him on the floor and get loose. Panicked that I harmed my relative. I called ambulance but they came not alone but with ... police (apparently neighbors called them as I shouted a lot). Was not able to understan what was going on, tried to jump off the balcony in the presence of doctors / cops. Was hospitalized in the ward involuntarily. - Aug'17. Spent 14 days in the ward on 4 mg risperidone (aka risperdal) daily in pill form + tranquilizer (lorazepam). After this "treatment" did not feel well. No thoughts, no emotions, personality erased. Dropped risperidone cold turkey. Was not able to sleep for a week. Went to private psychiatrist. He reinstated risperidone at 1 mg ( I went from 1 mg daily to 0 within 1 month) + gave lerivone (mianserin) 15 mg as antidepressant for sleep. Have been on various doses of mianserin (from 15 mg up to 45 mg and then progressively down to 0) from September to December (i.e. 3 months). Dropped the last 5 mg cold turkey. Since Dec'17 - drug free. Though my initially poor thinking / no thoughts etc has dramatically improved (thanks God), I still suffer from a symptom which first appeared somewhere in mid November: genital numbness, loss of sexual interest, decrease in libido. I found out it is PSSD. My questions are as follows, to which I would kindly ask to help me: 1. Why is this impotence? What is the more likely culprit: risperidone or mianserin. I ask as I have read that SSRI / SNRI are the most likely culprits of PSSD, whereas mianserin is actually used to treat it (with varying success though). 2. How can it be cured? 3. Has anyone experienced reduced eyesight (increased myopia) on antipsychotics / antidepressants and will the issue resolve itself? Thank you very much in advance for your kind help !!!!

I've been on a low dose of risperidone (currently at 0.75 mg) for a little under a year now to keep racing and intrusive thoughts down. I have GAD, OCPD and some OCD traits, and the only other med I'm on is venlafaxine 225 mg, also for about a year. OCPD makes my thoughts regarding how much I can accomplish in a day go completely out of control and I end up working myself to the point of breakdown. The risperidone slows me down enough that I can consider if what I'm thinking is reasonable. It's been a blessing to me. As I mentioned, it also has reduced my intrusive thoughts enormously, as well as my ruminations. I ran out of pills yesterday, taking a partial dose that day and nothing today. Physically, I've been vibrating all day and my anxiety has been high. I feel like I've had ten cups of coffee (or maybe an anxiety attack). I'm jumpy and twitchy, and all I can think is, "Wow, I can get a lot of work done with all this energy!" Already someone today told me I was being too ambitious, haha. My thoughts are going pretty fast and I'm building these huge lists of what I'm going to do today. But I feel like I can do it. My energy feels boundless. Part of me hopes I can maintain this, but from experience I know that these moods tend to crash hard usually in about a day's time. I'm going to pick up my refill later today, so no worry there. What I'm wondering is, can such a low dose of risperidone affect me this strongly? And has anyone else noticed major changes on and off risperidal at a similar dosage?

Hello all, So a year ago, let's just say I was... not well, and after a million drugs that didn't work, the doctor put me on Risperdal. For me, it is a miracle drug. No other medicine had ever made the slightest difference, but after taking Risperdal everything changed and I could live my life. I desperately don't want to give it up. That's why I was horrified when a few weeks ago I woke up in the morning with a milk stain on my shirt. The lactation has continued and I am female so it could be worse (I would hate to be a man and have this happen) but it still freaks me out. The doctor checked my prolactin level and I'm at 157, when normal is less than 23 and a breastfeeding woman's is like 100. I'm wondering if anyone else has ever been through this and been able to stop the lactation without stopping the Risperdal? The gynecologist said she could talk to her endocrinologist about a drug to stop the lactating, but she didn't want to do it if I didn't insist because it was just adding medication on top of medication. So I didn't insist. I read about it and I heard that mint and sage can dry up people's milk supply so I've been consuming lots of them, but so far it hasn't worked for me. I'm wondering if they work by making the body stop producing prolactin, which my body isn't, instead of countering the prolactin I'm getting through the Risperdal. Is there any other kind of herb or home remedy that anyone has had success with? At this point I'm ready to just lactate for life if it means I don't have to change medications, but if there were a way to stop the lactation and stay on Risperdal, that would be even better. Thanks in advance for any insight you guys can offer! Helen

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has been on topamaz and Risperidone together and has experienced any weight loss? I know topamaz is known for its weight loss side effect. I have just been put on topamaz to help lose the weight I gained on Risperidone, but I am taking them together. I'm taking 1mg Risperidone and 25mg topamaz every night. Please share your experience if you've been on these two together or know of someone who has. Thanks!

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has been on topamaz and Risperidone together and has experienced any weight loss? I know topamaz is known for its weight loss side effect. I have just been put on topamaz to help lose the weight I gained on Risperidone, but I am taking them together. I'm taking 1mg Risperidone and 25mg topamaz every night. Please share your experience if you've been on these two together or know of someone who has. Thanks!

Hi, I've been on and off of Risperidone for years now and every time I was taking it I would gain a lot of weight and quickly lose it when I went off. Now I've been taking it for almost a year and a half now and I've gained over 50lbs. I have decreased my dosage over the months and now I'm taking only 1mg. However, I am still not losing weight. And FYI I have a personal trainer whom I've been training with for over 4months now and still I haven't lost weight. I was wondering, if I take 0.5mg or 0.25 a day, would that stop the weight gain or help me lose it and go back to before? Is that even possible?? Or do I have to cut it completely to lose the weight like I've done before? Has anyone lost weight by taking only 0.5mg?? Help please!

has anyone taken risperidone/risperdal AND stopped and fully recovering from the after effects? its been over 5 months since stopping and i still feel lifeless, blank, and weak plus a zero libido. i took risperidone for 3 weeks and had a horrible reaction to it and a horrible withdrawal but i still feel the effects....has anyone recovered or heard a recovery story? need some hope here.

i have hyperprolactinemia and i'm a male. it's probably risperidone induced. does anyone have any idea on how to cure high prolactin levels? i am currently using american ginseng and vitamin b6 (p5p) to naturally cure myself but i haven't noticed a difference though it's only been a couple days. btw it's been 5 months since i stopped risperidone although i had long acting injections (not sure how long they act) please help as some of you may know, the low energy and low libido is killing me.

I know it says it in most of our signatures, but I was wondering if we could get a thread going of what antipsychotic(s) we are taking regardless of diagnosis, what dose, how well it/each work on a scale from 1-10, and its side effect(s) + any good side effects: I take: antipsychotic: risperidone dose: 3mg performance: 6 out of 10 effectiveness effects: I have a large appetite and its hard to keep the pounds off and I sleep 10-12 hours. It keeps my symptoms under my control. I am wondering if there is something better.

I'm currently in the midst of a mixed episode. Its really wearing me down; I haven't ever had severe mixed symptomology in the past, more of what my doctor would call "agitated depressions". This is most definitely not that. This is full-blown mixed-as-hell torture. I called my doctor and she said to d/c my Abilify (we think it was the cause/is at too low of a dose to be helping; this was a long time coming) and schedule a sooner appointment with her. She offered no other medication advice over the phone (she usually does). I felt crushed after that call. Before Abilify, I had been on Risperdal. She deemed it didn't work when a mere 0.5 mg didn't do the trick. But I really want to explore a higher dose to see if it might cause any positive changes for me. Does anyone have experience with either drug? I've never tried Invega but would be interested to see if it would be more beneficial than Risperdal. PS - I currently take 1,000 mg of Depakote ER; these seem to be breakthrough symptoms (and my level is only 63 ug/ml). I know I have room to go up, and I think I might do so. I know thats a no-no, but she gives me wiggle-room. I just know during our appointment she is going to stick to the AAP route, and I want to gather some info on these two drugs to be prepared. I'm really sorry about how long this post is.

Hello, I'm 25 and was hospitalized in September 2014 for manic episodes. The doctors put me on 3mg of risperidone (risperdal) and 750mg of depakote daily. After 9 months of taking the medication I really started to see a decline in sexual drive and performance; my libido was essentially taken away. The risperidone/depakote pretty much kills orgasm and gives me erectile issues... I can't maintain an erection. It's like getting your manhood stripped. I feel helpless, I'm at wits end, and I don't know what to do. I talked to my psychiatrist about my erectile dysfunction issues and he decided to lower the risperidone to 1mg and leave the depakote the same. So I've been on 1mg of risperidone for the past month but lowering the medication didn't really do anything. How am I still having this erectile dysfunction problem if I'm only on 1mg of risperidone and 750mg of depakote daily? The bigger question is how am I going to be able to solve this problem that's making me question whether I want to live anymore. My penis was my biggest asset, no pun intended. But now if I don't have that, I feel useless and like nothing, worthless. It's like I'm half a man because I'm only 25 and am already having erectile dysfunction. I don't want to have to start taking any more pills to solve this problem! No viagra, wellbutrin, or any other pill. I ultimately want to get off this medication so I can live my life normally without dependence on any pharmaceutical drug. I'm tired of being a chemical prisoner and just want to live the rest of my 20s like a man should, with a lot of sex. What should I do?

I have had a drug induced psychosis and was brought to the psych ward where they gave me 4mg of Risperidone and I took it for 3 months I was not told about the dangers of this med or anything so I stupidly took it for 3 months and I later found out that it was way to high of a dose I should have known to stop taking it whenever I felt so sedated and weak and I couldn't ejaculate, it made me sleep 12 hours a day and I peed the bed because of risperidone but anyway I took it for 3 months and stopped taking it and now I am NOT the same AT ALL and I have been off it for 9 months !! I no longer have my fun, funny, loving, bubbly, personality I cant get pleasure from any activities (anhedonia) I feel really dumbed down and spacey I have brain fog the world doesn't seem as beautiful like it did before I have slight tinnitus my vision is a little blurry I cant think like I used to AT ALL my creativity is gone I cant have meaningful conversations in the real world anymore everything I do is 100x harder I cant crack jokes anymore, my favorite music just sounds like noise im in a constant state of feeling like half asleep and I cant wake up I no longer feel euphoric,happy,sad or have them awesome excited feelings all I do is think about the damage from this poison called risperidone and look for answers on the internet about my situation I dont feel alcohol, cigarettes or any stimulants im just constantly in this damn state of mind 24/7 WILL THIS ALL GO AWAY or did risperidone DAMAGE my brain for life??? I read that risperidone changes the way your natural chemicals work in you brain and block all kinds of receptors please help I dont want to be like this forever life is not worth liveing like this please answer!!!

So yeah...looking for people's personal experiences with risperdal, its side effects, and withdrawal was what helped me find you all in the first place, so I guess I can thank it for that. But the rest of it? Hell no. Here's the story: I was put on Risperdal, 0.5mg/day for my anxiety and chronic insomnia, and was taking it for around two months before I HAD to stop. I was admittedly a bit hesitant to take an antipsychotic off-label, but I was desperate enough, and the dose was low enough, that I was willing to give it a shot. The first two weeks, I believed it was the answer to my prayers. My anxiety did lessen considerably, and I was sleeping through the night (which rarely ever happens). Then all of a sudden, everything changed. The anxiety returned, and quickly became worse than it'd been before. I was no longer sleeping through the night, but was sleepy practically all day. Next thing I know, my boobs (which are already too big) have grown a cup size, and I started LACTATING. I had my ovaries removed to cancer in 2002, and my uterus went the same way a few years later, so I knew I couldn't possibly be pregnant, but between the swollen and leaky titties, the exhaustion, the now ridiculous mood swings (inexplicable crying jags), and the insatiable hunger and subsequent rapid weight gain, it sure as hell looked like I was. After x'ing all other possible reasons for the condition of me, I finally learned it was all Risperdal's fault and quit taking it. The withdrawal is at least as bad as people say it is. I was pretty sure I was dying with the chills, sweating, weird, disconnected feeling in my head, weakness in my legs, and electric-shock-like zaps in my neck and face, and I quickly became more unhinged than I've ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I was showing signs of psychosis. It was absolute hell, and that lasted for over a week. I am now halfway through week two without Risperdal, and am feeling more or less like my old self, but with a few unpleasant changes. The severe and very different from anything I've experienced before panic attacks are still happening, at least once or twice a day. They are completely unprovoked, and involve laboured breathing, tingling and numbness in my extremities, and tightness in my throat and chest. All physiological issues have been ruled out, though...as much as it feels like an asthma attack or heart attack, these are indeed anxiety attacks, though while some resolve within minutes, others persist for over an hour. The crying is still happening as well. I am as weepy as I used to be when I'd get PMS, only it's ALL THE TIME. And the food cravings...still there, though not quite as bad...which is distressing to me, as with all my other issues, my eating disorders are the ones I find hardest to keep in check, and the weight gain from this stupid medication has pushed me off the recovery wagon right onto my face (I was lucky to only gain about ten pounds, as I see some people gain 50 in the same length of time!) What I want to know from anyone who's gone off Riisperdal before, is how long do these things persist? Based on the half life of the drug, it is out of my system at this point...so I'm really hoping that these are residual and will disppear soon, and I'm not permanently damaged.

I've found Risperidone to hinder my sleep if I take it at night; although it definitely does cause some level of sedation when I take it during the day. Am I the only one who experiences this?

Immediately upon starting Risperdal about 3 months ago I started experiencing rapid eye twitching from left to right that lasts no more than half a second. It has been quite persistent throughout the last few months. A few weeks ago I played video games (which I rarely do, first time since starting Risperdal) and the eye twitching kept happening every five minutes or less, constantly messing me up in the game. I blank out when I have the twitching, everything turns white for a moment. The twitching happens often when I focus in on something, when I'm looking at an electronic screen, usually. It can be exacerbated by caffeine. My mother was the first person to see it and today she recommended me call my pdoc and let him know as she thinks it's a seizure. I'm on Wellbutrin which lowers the seizure threshold and also Risperdal which does the same. My thinking is the two are working together to produce partial seizures if that is indeed what is happening. Has anyone else had experiences with seizures from these medications? After looking online this could be a seizure especially is exacerbated by screens and lights and video games but it could also just be a muscle twitch. That's what I thought it was all along. And even if it is a seizure, simple eye movements for a split second isn't all that dangerous or annoying.

Hi all, Wondering if anyone has had experience with Risperdal for the maintenance for Bipolar depression? If so, what was the effective dose for you? I am currently taking 0.75 qhs with plans of going up to 1 mg. Did anyone split their doses through out the day or was it all taken at one time? Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone, I'm on Risperidone for my anti-depressant induced BP-II (had serotonin syndrome). I really would like to just keep it with anti-psychotics if possible. So my question is, what AP have you found stabilizes you without the need for other meds? I've been on 0.5mg up to 1mg daily (currently trying 1mg at night). I tried spreading it out during the day but got unacceptable side effects such as sedation and nervousness. I'm so far not feeling a great stabilizing effect, I've been getting swings every few days still. So I'm not convinced this is the best choice. A year ago I did find Seroquel worked wonders for stabilizing mood, but at the time had something of a fragile dopaminergic system so it ended up causing panic attacks after 3 months of working up the dose to 250mg. However after that I was able to ride it out without medication (before I upset my balance again with lithium orotate) so I'm wondering if I should try Seroquel again. An alternative would be Abilify, unsure whether the partial dopamine agonist (so called 'dopamine stabilizer') would be good or bad considering my propensity for anxiety, and sensitive dopaminergic system, or whether its just a matter of finding the right dose. Has anyone had a pdoc willing to mix 2 different APs successfully? Such as Risperidone and Abilify for example, or maybe risperidone and Seroquel (quetiapine)? I know the standard wisdom is it increases the chances of EPS but I doubt that would be a problem with Abilify in a small dose, or even Seroquel (since its a loose binding dopamine antagonist). Would be pleased to hear your thoughts Thanks

Hey guys I'm new here. I will post an intro on the newbie board soon but I had an important question for y'alI. I was just diagnosed with bipolar I disorder and I wanted to know about marijuana use with lithium (I take 600mg twice daily) & risperidone (3mg once at night). I smoke a very minimal amount of marijuana, but I smoke daily. An eighth, or 3.5g, will last me well over a week. So I take small hits 3-4 times a day, and I may have experienced some more rapid cycling but nothing too scary. Just looking to see what other people's experiences have been and I wanted to know if anyone had any tips or advice on how to use marijuana responsibly while on these medications. I really don't want to give up smoking completely, hope someone out there can help. Thanks & all the best, DTR

Can Zoloft cause cognitive dulling? I'm currently on 450mg Lithium and 1mg risperdal. My pdoc believes I've been misdiagnosed and he says I might not need the lithium. He says I'll be better if I took Zoloft for anxiety and depression. As of right now I'm stable but in the near future I'll be working in a job where I need to be cognitively alert. I feel somewhat cognitively alert and if anything I would like for that to improve instead of decline.