[MikeDelta]

Does anyone have advice on stopping Risperdal? Like how to go about it?

I'm on 2mg right now and have been just short of begging my psychiatrist to get me off it. I started a lamictal this week and she said we'd talk about it in 3 weeks about lower my other meds Lithium and Risperdal... help...?

[Raindropvampire]

I've heard one should taper but is there a reason your doc has given for not wanting you off it?

[splitimage]

Definitely wait and talk to your Dr. about a taper schedule, in order to minimize withdrawal effects.

splitimage

[CobolCapsule]

I tapered from 3mg to .75mg over several months using a micro gram scale. I was going to taper all the way off of it, but decided that risperidone was helping me with my mood, anger, irritability. I noticed a big difference when i got below 1mg. I didn't feel so drugged, and it was having the same effect at the lower dosage that it was at a higher one. I got my libido back when i got to 1mg and below, and my personality came through more when i got to that dosage.

Try lowering it to 1mg or less slowly, and see how you feel. It might work just fine for you at a lower dose. I noticed a big difference between 2mg and 1mg.

good luck

[MikeDelta]

Raindropvampire: she just mostly wants me to take sometime, she wants me to adjust to lamictal first

I've tapered to 1mg so far... I feel really good other than some insomnia which I read is a thing i feel like i have a personality again. I've been feeling really good the past few days. So I know what you mean @CobolCapsule..... I am just gonna see how 1 goes for awhile and go from there.

[captgut]

I stopped it without my doc permission. In one day. I had no withdrawal effects... I felt great.

[hammerklavier]

Originally Posted by CobolCapsule

I tapered from 3mg to .75mg over several months using a micro gram scale. I was going to taper all the way off of it, but decided that risperidone was helping me with my mood, anger, irritability. I noticed a big difference when i got below 1mg. I didn't feel so drugged, and it was having the same effect at the lower dosage that it was at a higher one. I got my libido back when i got to 1mg and below, and my personality came through more when i got to that dosage.

Try lowering it to 1mg or less slowly, and see how you feel. It might work just fine for you at a lower dose. I noticed a big difference between 2mg and 1mg.

good luck

I'm on 3mg right now, back up to it after having been on 1 mg caused sleep issues. I had been tapering off 1 mg at a time, so maybe that was too abrupt. I am glad for you, and for me potentially, that you feel better on the lower dose. Right now I'm having a lot of trouble 'experiencing the moment' and I've noticed difficulties in thinking have returned back on this higher dose.

[hammerklavier]

Originally Posted by captgut

I stopped it without my doc permission. In one day. I had no withdrawal effects... I felt great.

Lucky. How long has it been since you did this and is it still working out okay?

[CobolCapsule]

Originally Posted by hammerklavier

I'm on 3mg right now, back up to it after having been on 1 mg caused sleep issues. I had been tapering off 1 mg at a time, so maybe that was too abrupt. I am glad for you, and for me potentially, that you feel better on the lower dose. Right now I'm having a lot of trouble 'experiencing the moment' and I've noticed difficulties in thinking have returned back on this higher dose.

I take my dose at night before bed. Try doing that and see it that helps any.

[hammerklavier]

I take it at night. If you are referring to the sleep issues, they have gone away since I went back to 3 mg, although other effects have set in I'm not happy about. If you refer to experiencing the moment issues and other thinking problems, once again, I do take it at night.

[Sad Mermaid]

I switched from Risperdal to geodon (which is 1000 times better... no, a million times better) and I stopped abruptly without ill effects. My dose was 2 mg.

[MikeDelta]

I have been doing good on the 2mg to 1mg drop with no real side effects. I feel I have more personality now which I like.
I still have sleep problems but that has become the norm for me (im on cpap to try and correct it but its a work in progress)... I am going to try dropping down the risperdal to .5mg and see how that goes for a few weeks before dropping to 0. I have not told my psychiatrist yet that I have done this. I may tell her soon but just got to work up the nerve lol, i dont want her to be mad...

[CobolCapsule]

Originally Posted by MikeDelta

I have been doing good on the 2mg to 1mg drop with no real side effects. I feel I have more personality now which I like.
I still have sleep problems but that has become the norm for me (im on cpap to try and correct it but its a work in progress)... I am going to try dropping down the risperdal to .5mg and see how that goes for a few weeks before dropping to 0. I have not told my psychiatrist yet that I have done this. I may tell her soon but just got to work up the nerve lol, i dont want her to be mad...

Let us know how that drop to .5 goes. I don't know why you were put on risperidone, but be on the lookout for the symptoms you had prior to being put on it. It probably isn't a good idea to not share this with your DR, since they were the one who diagnosed you and put you on it.
Why are you wanting to come off it, and how long have you been on it?

[CobolCapsule]

Originally Posted by hammerklavier

I take it at night. If you are referring to the sleep issues, they have gone away since I went back to 3 mg, although other effects have set in I'm not happy about. If you refer to experiencing the moment issues and other thinking problems, once again, I do take it at night.

If your having sleep issues while tapering, then your tapering too fast. Insomnia is the most common withdrawal symptom, so you must go slow.

[MikeDelta]

Originally Posted by CobolCapsule

Let us know how that drop to .5 goes. I don't know why you were put on risperidone, but be on the lookout for the symptoms you had prior to being put on it. It probably isn't a good idea to not share this with your DR, since they were the one who diagnosed you and put you on it.
Why are you wanting to come off it, and how long have you been on it?

I was put on it to prevent Manic symptoms, which i dont really have IMO. At least not severe ones... I have been know to have psychotic symptoms in the past but i dont know they could of been caused by being put on stimulants which we now know i cannot have.

I want to come off of it because it makes me mentally foggy (inability to think clearly and lots of slurring) and i come across as drugged or drunk to other people. (as told to me by my boss). I dont have a personality on it and i just dont think its a good drug.

[NOS-NOS]

Good luck. I am on 5mg with 10mg zyprexa. I was on as little as 1mg before the zyprexa, but symptoms kept coming back after several attempts to taper off. Maybe I will try again but not right now. I hate the tiredness and lack of energy and motivation. But I guess I have to learn to live with it?. Btw I've been on meds for 8 years+.