Can risperdal crank up anxiety?

[gizmo]

I started on 2nd risperdal about 2 weeks ago to add to my zyprexa. I was having visual an auditory halllucinatios.

The risperdal is working good on that. But there is a problem... I was taking my Xanax like 1 - 4 tinged a week... This past week, I've had to take it twice a day due to severe anxiety. I'm not going to have enough to my next refill.

I don't know why... The little stuff freaks me out, the big stuff drives ne to the edge. I was doing so good, and the med change is the only thing that is new.

Anyone have anything similar? Any ideas? I go to the pdoc this afternoon and want to be prepares, more than "I dunno"

[Velvet Elvis]

Could you tell if it was akathisia related or just plain old anxiety? Combining multiple APs will always lead to a greater risk of EPS than taking one alone.

Is it anxiety or do you feel like you're going to crawl out of your skin with a lot of inner restlessness?

[gizmo]

Having general inner anxiety about every day things - going out of the house, getting groceries, kiddo having a friend over, cookinng dinner, money (major stressor though hubby has assured me things will be fine)

Not so much akathisia anxiety. Just the anxiety that was under control for slmos 8 months that is back.

Now I'm stressing about telling the pdoc today.

[Moody]

Risperdal definitely increases my anxiety, or possibly gives me akathisia, I have trouble telling the difference. I tried taking it as monotherapy for a short while, and it was awful, I felt twitchy all day and had bad insomnia at night. When I added wellbutrin my anxiety/akathisia went through the roof, it was unbearable.

What worked for me was taking risperdal with remeron. It was a terrific combination for me. I thought that the sedation from the remeron overpowered the anxiety caused by the risperdal, but there is also a possibility that the remeron helps control akathisia, check this out: http://www.biopsychi...hisiatreat.html

Or maybe a dose change could help? I have heard that risperdal is more activating at lower doses. But if you have akathisia, I guess you would want to lower the dose instead of raising it.

Good luck at the pdoc today, I hope you get some answers!

[gizmo]

Well, my pdoc canceled the appointment. So I'm stuck with an appointment for *next month* and waiting for a phone call next week. Hopefully Monday, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

This royally sucks!

BTW, pardon my completely awful spelling. I've been posting on the boards with my iPhone, and the spell checker is a bit.... odd. I'm going to have to slow down, or else y'all are going to think I'm majorly stoned when I post.

I don't know what to do. I love how the risperdal calmed all the hallucinations that the zyprexa didn't cover, plus it pulled me out of a seriously long mixed state that zyprexa wasn't doing anything about. But I don't want to be faced with all this anxiety. It's just a killer. May be a deal breaker, I don't know.

We'll just see when the pdoc calls me this upcoming week.

[netsavy006]

I'm just wanting to let you know if it hasn't been mentioned that Artane can increase anxiety. I'm not saying it's a sole source but something to look into.

[leopard]

Risperdal nearly threw me over the edge. I would have to think hard to find a drug that caused me such severe anxiety and agitation. The hours i spent waiting for it to wear off seemed like years.

Never again.

[Guest Guest_001]

Be cautious about taking Xanax daily.

And 4 mg a day is not a low dose.

You may gain tolerance quickly, and perhaps you will experience interdosage withdrawal.

Risperdal can cause anxiety for many reasons.

It can decrease and increase anxiety. Given the meds you are on, it's impossible to tell why.

Perhaps you could call your pdoc and discuss about what to do till your next appointment ?

[snoozzinsuz2]

I was only on it for a week and all the anxiety it caused me made me suicidal-- tdoc called pdoc IMMEDIATELY (while she was at home no less) and I was in the next morning-- taken off of it cold turkey and put on Seroquel-- I will live with whatever flavor crazy you wan to throw at me but I will NEVER take that again!

[Velvet Elvis]

It's the most side effect free AP I've ever been on with the exception of Geodon which also didn't do anything. Maybe if I took more than 2mgs I'd notice more side effects, I don't know. I'm just saying this because I don't want people reading this to be scared off because it can be and is a really good drug for a lot of people.

[gizmo]

Well, I talked to the doctor tonight, and I'm supposed to increase the artane to two pills a day, once in the morning, once at night. If that doesn't help, I'm supposed to cut the risperdal in half. As for running out of xanax, well, I'm just screwed, because he won't write me anything else. He says, "Let's see how this goes." Ok, fine and dandy, but how would you feel if your anxiety level is cranked up to ten and you are just testing stuff out with no benzo backup? I have enough stuff going on with everyone's braces, and daughter's stomach tests, and daughter's pediatric GI appointment.

Let's put it this way - it's 1:30 and I woke up with all this junk pressing on my mind so much I couldn't sleep.

[Guest Guest_001]

I'm not sure I understand.

Did he decide to stop prescribing Xanax ?

If so, how much Xanax do you have left ?

You have meds causing anxiety/akathisia and there's the psychological effect of worrying about meds/anxiety, making it even worse.

Now you have to deal with the experiment, first the Artane, then cutting Risperdal if necessary.

My guess is that this experiment wouldn't have to last longer than 7-10 days.

Do you have enough Xanax to take as needed during that time ? Worrying about anxiety can make it even worse, maybe you could take some Xanax during that time to take the edge off your anxiety ?

[gizmo]

I'm not sure I understand.

Did he decide to stop prescribing Xanax ?

I'll answer these in case this is a member posting anonymously.

No, the doctor did not stop prescribing xanax.

If so, how much Xanax do you have left ?

I don't have access to them to count, but I'd say arond 10. Not enough to last me until my script can be refilled on the 19th.

You have meds causing anxiety/akathisia and there's the psychological effect of worrying about meds/anxiety, making it even worse.

Now you have to deal with the experiment, first the Artane, then cutting Risperdal if necessary.

My guess is that this experiment wouldn't have to last longer than 7-10 days.

Do you have enough Xanax to take as needed during that time ? Worrying about anxiety can make it even worse, maybe you could take some Xanax during that time to take the edge off your anxiety ?

You are correct, my experiment probably won't last more than 7-10 days. And no, I don't really have enough xanax to last me, at my current dosing, 7-10 days. This is the dilemna. I don't plan on going through this experiment without benzos if they are needed, that's just cruel and unuusual. I can really work myself up into an anxiety frenzy if I stay unmedicated during an anxiety episode.

Well, time to go take my morning artane.

[Guest Guest_001]

You are correct, my experiment probably won't last more than 7-10 days. And no, I don't really have enough xanax to last me, at my current dosing, 7-10 days. This is the dilemna. I don't plan on going through this experiment without benzos if they are needed, that's just cruel and unuusual. I can really work myself up into an anxiety frenzy if I stay unmedicated during an anxiety episode.

Well, time to go take my morning artane.

Perhaps you could get by on a lower dose of Xanax if you take it early enough to avoid escalation of anxiety ?

My guess is that you'll probably know if the Artane is working within a few days.

It can be difficult to determine if you're suffering from akathisia or anxiety.

The anxiety/akathisia may also be the result of the interactions between the two antipsychotics.

Maybe this isn't a useful suggestion atm, but perhaps taking risperdal instead of zyprexa would work.

[gizmo]

The anxiety/akathisia may also be the result of the interactions between the two antipsychotics.

Maybe this isn't a useful suggestion atm, but perhaps taking risperdal instead of zyprexa would work.

I'm taking low doses of the two AAPs because each on their own are not perfect for me. My pdoc and I don't want to stop the zyprexa because it (alone) stops a great deal of my GAD anxiety. But doses above 10mg now give me restless legs at night that is enough to drive me mad. Higher doses of risperdal raised my prolactin levels too high. So my pdoc is trying smaller doses of the two meds and is now bumping up the artane in hopes it will help the anxiety if it's akathisia, and cut the risperdal down if it's an overload of AAPs.

[netsavy006]

Instead of using Risperdal with the Zyprexa, have you ever tried Invega. I know their similar medications, but I'd figure that with the adjustment to the way Invega's made it might have fewer side effects than the Risperdal. How to dose compare it I don't know.

[gizmo]

Instead of using Risperdal with the Zyprexa, have you ever tried Invega. I know their similar medications, but I'd figure that with the adjustment to the way Invega's made it might have fewer side effects than the Risperdal. How to dose compare it I don't know.

Thanks Andy. While I have given that a thought, invega just won't work right now money wise. I have 8 scripts a month (well, one is more like every 2 months), son has one, and daughter has 2. They are starting to add up to Big Money, and the last thing I can afford to do is add another brand name med when there is a generic available. Now, if the doctor suggests it, that will be another thing. But I'm not going to be bringing it up asking to be put on it or anything like that.