Risperdal was effective for me and not that sedating. It wasn't weight friendly for me, but there are many less so. I would have likely stayed on it longer if it didn't elevate my prolactin levels so much. This is a somewhat common side effect of Risperdal. It's not such an issue for males. Frankly, I've encountered a few meds over the years that if I was a psychiatrist, I'd prescribe more to males than females.