Regarding Risperdal

I know that the common uses for Risperdal are for Bi-Polar and Schizophrenia, but has anyone been prescribed this for any other reason? I am going through a pretty rough patch of depression and was presribed in the past a 1/2 mg per day with 150 mg of Zoloft the last time I was depressed. I was told that it helps block the dopamine, which was not helping with my obsessive thoughts regarding my appearance and it also helps the Zoloft, or provides relief until the Zoloft starts to work.

Anyone else have experience with Risperdal being prescribed for different reasons? I'm going through a rough patch again and am starting to think I may need to get back on this combination since it helped last time (so that I could actually make my one on one therapy work).

I was prescribed Risperdal to help with the urge to self-harm. It worked (and works; 6 or 7 years later I'm still on it) like a charm.

I became severely physically ill last winter and was cold-turkeyed off all my psych meds in the hospital -- but they gave me back my Effexor and Risperdal in a hurry! I'm at lesser doses of both now, but they're both still working. I haven't self-injured in quite awhile (11 months and counting), but Risperdal's anti-depressant properties help keep the Effexor going, for me, anyway.

In a nutshell, I really like it, and I've never had any weird side effects (no side effects at all, actually).

Candy

I was given Risperdal for "racing thoughts" associated with my OCD. It didn't help the thoughts and made me sleep too much. I didn't stay on that long.

Thanks, that's what I was put on it for (not that I was self harming, but I guess to prevent that from happening) and also to help the anti-depressants work better. Hopefully I can manage just with the anti-depressants and won't have to go the Risperdal route this time.

Thanks!!!

I too was put on it to stop from SI...however for me when I take it I zonch out HARD! Like...24 hours....so I stopped taking it....I keep it in my medicine cabinet for "emergencies"

my son uses risperdol to help him sleep as he is adhd, my daughter uses it as a sort of calmer with tegretol retard,

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lynnjd said:
I know that the common uses for Risperdal are for Bi-Polar and Schizophrenia, but has anyone been prescribed this for any other reason? I am going through a pretty rough patch of depression and was presribed in the past a 1/2 mg per day with 150 mg of Zoloft the last time I was depressed. I was told that it helps block the dopamine, which was not helping with my obsessive thoughts regarding my appearance and it also helps the Zoloft, or provides relief until the Zoloft starts to work.

Anyone else have experience with Risperdal being prescribed for different reasons? I'm going through a rough patch again and am starting to think I may need to get back on this combination since it helped last time (so that I could actually make my one on one therapy work).

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Hello Lynn!

Risperdal is used "off-label" for depression - especially treatment-resistant depression. It's also used for anxiety and insomnia. The usual starting dose is .5mg at bedtime. It can take up to a week to achieve a steady amount in your blood. If no improvement, usually doctors slowly increase the dose by .5mg every 7 days.

Risperdal works by effecting certain types of dopamine receptors and certain types of serotonin receptors - both type that are associated with decreasing anxiety. Zoloft effects mostly serotonin receptors.

Hope this helps!

Jerry

I was put on Risperdol (sp?) for disturbing and obsessive thoughts, and also for SI. I found that it worked, but didnt. It helped me sleep, but I felt numb all the time, and it didn't help my depression.