Risperdal

My doc has me taking 1mg of Risperdal at bedtime in addition to Ambien CR to put me to sleep. He also wants me to take it because he says that it makes the OCD meds work better. I started having muscle spasms in my head, neck, and legs. In addition to that, my left arm and leg started to hurt really bad one day, and I was so weak that I couldn't get up when I was laying down. I went to the ER because I thought I was having a stroke, but I wasn't. I thought it might be the Risperdal, so I stopped taking it, and ....

VOILA! The symptoms stoppped completely. I started taking it again and the symptoms reappeared. Anyone else have this problem? I have made an appointment with my psych. doc, but it isn' until September 14. What should I do??

Thanks for your help.
Angel

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AngelwithOCD said:
My doc has me taking 1mg of Risperdal at bedtime in addition to Ambien CR to put me to sleep. He also wants me to take it because he says that it makes the OCD meds work better. I started having muscle spasms in my head, neck, and legs. In addition to that, my left arm and leg started to hurt really bad one day, and I was so weak that I couldn't get up when I was laying down. I went to the ER because I thought I was having a stroke, but I wasn't. I thought it might be the Risperdal, so I stopped taking it, and ....

VOILA! The symptoms stoppped completely. I started taking it again and the symptoms reappeared. Anyone else have this problem? I have made an appointment with my psych. doc, but it isn' until September 14. What should I do??

Thanks for your help.
Angel

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The Risperdal was most likely causing the unusual muscle spasms and it's a good thing you stopped taking it. Risperdal and other anti-psychotic meds can cause something called Tardive Dyskinesia - which is involuntary muscle movement/spasms - almost pseudo-Parkinsons. Usually this goes away upon ceasation of the med - however in some rare cases it can be permanent.

1mg is a low dose - and if you began to have these involuntary muscle spasms at that dose - I'd suggest steering clear of Risperdal and other meds like it. That being said - some of the newer AS meds like Abilify have a lower incidince of causing Tardive Dyskinesia.

Do you have a treatment-resistant form of OCD? Do you take other meds for the OCD?

Let me know...
Thanks
Jerry