I wake up several times a night

Even though I have had bipolar disorder for a number of years....the only time I had trouble sleeping was during a mixed episode(s). Trouble is since I have stopped taking risperdal a week ago I wake several times a night and it is getting on my last nerve. Has anyone experienced this after stopping risperdal(not having any sleep disturbance prior?) just curious because I find it very strange

I haven't , but I have read posts of people having a real problem sleeping after stopping antipsychotics such as seroquel and risperdal. I'm not certain as to why, my guess is that you become so use to the medicated sleep. Or it's withdrawal. Ok I don't really know but I know it's common. Did you ask in the psychiatric medication forum ? I hope you get some answers. And some sleep.

Same thing happened to me. I was taking Risperdal for "Acute mania" and after my doc thought I was "knocked down enough" I stopped the Risperdal. Since the Risperdal was making me sleep i was waking up a lot and having difficulty falling asleep. But within a two weeks, three at the most I could sleep again with minimal difficulties.

Best of Luck Sleeping!

I took lamictal at night for the first time last night and I slept so well. The day before I had slept nearly all day after taking it ( I am at 100mg now) hopefully that continues!

This goes to show you that everyone experiences medication reactions differently.

When I was put on Risperdal, I couldn't sleep for the life of me. I was awake for 3 nights straight and then just stopped the medication.

I went to my pdoc and he put me on Seroquel to sleep, and it worked at 1st, but now I was diagnosed with RLS and put on a med to stop it. My husband always tells me that I run in my sleep, but I had no freakin' idea I was doing this.

I went to my pdoc and she told me that because I was always waking up and getting only about 4 hours of sleep that it was a very good possibility that I was suffering from RLS. She told me that a lot of her BP and Depressed patients have this. I then told her what my husband told me I did and she said that I absolutely was suffering from RLS.

When I get to the correct dosage of this med, I will no longer wake up so early and only getting about 4 hours sleep.

My husband told me that I was doing it again last night and I had no idea I was doing it.

I take Lamictal 200 at night but it doesn't make me fall asleep (maybe it keeps me asleep though, i tend to sleep like a rock when i do sleep)