[meowsers]

anyone taken this? what's its like, cos i've heard bad things and im supposed to be on it. only i haven't started it yet cos im a scaredy cat ! and me thinks i should be on something !

my symptoms can be mildly psychotic (paranoid ideation) but mainly i need a mood stabiliser...

any thoughts?

meowsers
x

[lenjan]

I've been on Risperdal for over 5 years and have never had any trouble with it. I know it can make some people overly tired, but that didn't happen to me. I got started on it to help with self-injury urges and it worked almost right away. I take an extra half or 1 mg when the urge gets really bad and it takes the edge off it.

I'm not sure about its mood stabilizing properties, as for me it functions as a mild tranquilizer and I have another mood stabilizer, but it also helped (initially, anyway) with the depression. After so many years, I don't notice it anymore, really. I did try, with doc's supervision, to taper off it once, and it was a disaster, I was actively suicidal within a day and a half -- but I think that's a function of having been on it for so long -- although as far as I know it isn't supposed to be addicting.

Hope that helps. I find it very useful and if your doc prescribed it, he must think it will help, too. Good luck.

Candy

[meowsers]

thanks for your reply candy. it's good to hear that not everyone has had bad experiences on risperdal.

anyway. im too friggin depressed and angry right now to say anything else, but thanks..

x

[CamW]

Meowsers - Risperdal™ (risperidone) at lower doses (under 5mg/day) is a very safe and effective mood stabilizer. I think that it would be well worth giving it a try.

What are some of the "bad things" that you have heard about it? Perhaps I can alleviate some of your anxiety by explaining the rationale and problems that may have resulted in the bad things that you heard about. - Cam

[meowsers]

hi camw

well i heard it makes you feel like you are a zombie and like you are drowning

also i read about the side-effects and it mentions such delights as strokes, tongue jerking, uncontrollable neck and facial movements, low blood pressure (I already have hypotension), decreased ability to orgasm, sickness at eating nice htings or doing anything pleasurable (because of its effects on dopamine activity) and other stuff like pounding and irregular heartbeat.

I am on 1mg a day to start.

Any advice appreciated!? It is worth bearing in mind that i am paranoid about dying of a heart attack adn hate paliptations or anytihng to do with the heart beat i just freak right out and have massive panic attacks about it. I am very OCD about this, and check my heart beat every couple hours to check it is alright and i am constantly monitoring it. Erg. It is really hard for me to trust taking any meds cos i just think they will kill me!

I know i know, i'm being ridiculous, but I can't stop being like this!

[CamW]

Meowsers - The side effects that you are mentioning usually occur at doses higher than 6 mg/day. When Risperdal™ (risperidone) first came out the manufacturer was recommending dosages up to 12 mg/day. When we used these doses at the clinic we saw a lot of movement disorders and drowsiness.

When lower doses are used, I have found this drug to be very effective for stopping ruminating thoughts. We used it quite a bit as a mood stabilizer in people who had anxiety along with depression. When the docs started with doses of 0.5 mg to 2 mg daily, we did see some initial drowsiness, but this went away within a week or two.

Sometimes the docs would slowly increase the dose every 3 or 4 days if necessary. This slow upward titration of the dose did help to minimize drowsiness. We also gave the Risperdal at bedtime, so the drowsiness was even less an issue.

As for blood pressure problems caused by the drug; I can say that I only remember it being an issue in one or two people, and again, these people were taking larger doses than the docs prescribe today.

As far as mood stabilizers go, Risperdal is one of the better ones, and it's side effects are minimal and if you do initially experience them, they do fade rather rapidly over a week or two.

I hope that this is of some help. - Cam

[lenjan]

I should add that I was started on .5 mg, and over the years have worked my way up to 2.5 mg. On that low a dose, the chance of problems are minimal, as Cam said.

Candy

[meowsers]

aaah, ok.... I am feeling a bit better about it now that has put my mind more at rest. You just hear things about these drugs and it is hard to know what to believe. I generally believe that pharmaceutical companies are like, inherantly evil, a bit like governments! And after reading all about the mess they have gotten into with anti-depressants, you kinda wonder what they are up to..

so BIG THANKS for that!

I have a lot of ruminating thoughts (as you can see ha ha) that I would rather be without.

i really hope it works! i am plucking up the courage to start taking them on Wednesday...

thanks again. you lot are great.
xx