Risperdal for BP2 maintenance?

[mjs190]

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!

[Wonderful.Cheese]

I took I think I took 6 mg as twice per day. It didn't really do anything for my mood. But it helped a lot with the psychosis and my mind felt very clear. Unfortunately, my prolactin levels went high and I started lactating. So I had to get off of it. I don't think that is a common side effect though. But you'll have to ask your pdoc about that.

 

Your pdoc will know the best way for you to take your dose of risperdal. We have different conditions so my dose and etc. will probably be different than what your pdoc wants for you. Just sharing my experience.

 

I hope you find the risperdal helpful.

[InnovatingProfessor²]

My short opinion: I didn't like it... I would use Zyprexa (it's better for bipolar depression) or Abilify, Seroquel. 

 

What I have heard from other Bipolars and read + my own expierence:

• Zyprexa
  • Pros: Good mood stabilization, most bipolar people says it's good for the depression side.
  • Cons: Little sedation and gaining weight in small time span.
  • Many people have said to me it's so good but, because for the weight gain, but they have stopped with it.
• Abilify
  • Pros: Lift up's the depression and tackle psychosis + has a special dopamine working (antagonism and agonism). At high dose it should block manic & psychotic episodes.
  • Cons: Some people can get manic from it or some says it's not heavy enough for psychosis. 
• Seroquel
  • Pros:  Good mood stabilization, some bipolar people says it's good for the depression side.
  • Cons: Some people said it can cause hallucinations. Very sleepy and sedation. 
• Risperdal
  • Pros: Blocking psychosis and manic episodes, no stress
  • Cons: Heavy, raising prolactine hormone, zero or very bad libido, no emotions and sometimes depression. + Sedation and making you sleep more.

Edited March 14, 2014 by InnovatingProfessor²

[MiaB]

My short opinion: I didn't like it... I would use Zyprexa (it's better for bipolar depression) or Abilify, Seroquel. 

 

 

I really don't think this is helpful.  The OP was specifically asking for input on effective doses of Risperdal and how to take it, not what other options there are out there.  His doctor already has him on it and is clearly busy trying to find an appropriate dose.  Listing a bunch of cons and recommending Zyprexa, Seroquel and Abilify when you are not his pdoc, is completely missing the point and risks causing anxiety when this particular drug may actually work for the OP..  Also, if you had bothered to read his signature, you would see that he has already been on both Abilify and Seroquel.  

 

When responding to meds-related questions on CB, it's extremely important to read properly and carefully what the poster is asking, and not to step into the role of prescriber or medical professional.

[Anna8]

Too little did nothing noticeable for my son, but after 5-7 days of an increased dose (all at night), it seemed to calm and elevate his mood and make him less attuned to things that would typically irritate him (he has mood and anxiety dxs). Unfortunately, Risperidal brought him terrible headaches and his appetite doubled, so the pdoc switched him to Seroquel XR and we're still waiting to see its effects. I hear that every drug reacts differently in every person, and it takes time and patience (dammit) to find a good medication/combination. I hope this one works for you.

[jt07]

Though I'm not bipolar, I liked Risperdal. It helped me get my life back on track when I was in a very bad state with NO side effects. I didn't even get the prolactin increase (which seems to be more of a problem at higher doses) or the weight increase. All in all, I was very satisfied with it. Unfortunately, I went off it because it went generic and samples were no longer available, and I couldn't afford to buy it. Now that the price of generics came down, I trialed it again but it didn't have the same effect. Too bad because I really like this med.

[mjs190]

Thanks for everyone's replies  

 

As of last night, I was taken off Risperdal. I went to 1 mg and was experiencing panic that I hadn't felt in years (recovering OCD), and it was almost making the depression worse? Does that even make sense? Yikes. I don't know how to elaborate further, only to say that I literally felt the lowest I've felt in a long time. Seemed like the higher the dose got, the worse I became.

 

Either way, my doctor responded quickly to my SOS call and told me to switch back to Seroquel XR for the time being. I am currently on 100 mg for 4 days and then increasing to 150 mg for two weeks, before ultimately arriving at 200 mg (if needed). She wants to see if the 150 mg will be enough to lift the mood; after only one dose, my anxiety and panic is virtually gone. The only reason I ever ditched Seroquel was because of the sedation. I forgot how well it worked for my OCD. It calms me like nothing else. Talk about a life saver.

 

InnovatingProfessor² - thanks for the suggestions, Seroquel seems to be the answer to my problem! (...so far...)

 

miab - what has your experience been with Seroquel? I see it listed in your daily cocktail.

[Wonderful.Cheese]

I love me some seroquel too! I take 800mg. Split into four doses. It helps my anxiety and sleep and voices and I have not been manic since I started it. Which is pretty unbelievable for me.

I hope it continues to help you out!

[MiaB]

I'm sorry for the late reply - I completely missed that you'd posted on the thread again.

 

miab - what has your experience been with Seroquel? I see it listed in your daily cocktail.

 

 

Honestly, it's my mainstay drug, aka the one they'll have to pry out of my cold, dead hands.  I was on a very high dose of the IR (1000mg) for a long time, then my pdoc finally switched me to the XR in 2012.  It turned things around for me in a dramatic way - to the extent where my managers were commenting on my improved performance at work.  I still need small doses of the IR, but on the whole I've done extremely well on 600mg of the XR.  I take it at around 5pm everyday, it kicks in about 4 hours later, and I usually get a good night's sleep.  (I say "usually" because everything's a bit screwed up right now while I go through some other med changes.)

 

I wish you well on it.  Hang in there with the sedation - you may find that it decreases as your dose goes up.

[Horizons]

My fiance had a paradoxical reaction to Risperdal where it made all his symptoms worse as well. I've now heard if this happening several times and wonder if it's more likely with Risperdal than with other APs?

Seroquel is an effective drug. Unfortunately I get a physical side-effect where my blood pressure drops dangerously low, but it definitely helped my moods before the hypotension forced me to go off it.