Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2011

Risperdal (risperidone) "This medicine was prescribed to me for bipolar disorder, along with irritability problems, serious anger was becoming a problem. I read these reviews after being prescribed and I can honestly say that I was not one who felt its benefits immediately. This medicine takes 3 to 4 weeks to fully affect you. So far the main thing I have noticed is that I feel more balanced, and have not had an over the top anger explosion. This medicine in combination to my others seems to be helping overall. Everyone's own body is a chemistry set, you just have to try things in combination with others and see if it helps. "

• Cherr...
• September 22, 2015

"This is my first time taking Risperidone 0.5g for Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder, and it's my first week. I have always been 100% against medication but it came to the point where I could no longer suffer alone. My mind has now changed about medication. I was concerned with bad side effects, but all I had was a feeling of slight anxiety and heightened senses days 4 and 5 only, but I pushed through and I'm fine. Although it's early days yet, I am very happy! My mind has stopped racing, I am not thinking people are judging or talking behind my back, I feel relaxed, can handle crowds and I'm not angry or have raging irritability, and better sleep. I'll give a new review within a month, but I should have done this sooner."

• Bio
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 19, 2015

Risperdal (risperidone) "It worked almost immediately ! I had my dosage moved to two tablet twice a day and then back down to one tablet twice a day for every twelve hrs. The only thing Is I have a difficult time with regulating my body temperatures. When I get hot I get REALLY hot and it takes awhile to cool down. When I get cold I get REALLY colds and it gets hard to get warm again and so on. I've had the twitching of the arm and hands as well and I have been nauseous. But really it works ! I just still deal with being hot and cold at times."

• Scott
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "This stuff literally made me feel life wasn't for me anymore, there were the horrendous side effects, the worst being an uncontrollable need to MOVE somehow (Akathisia) and the dark dark dark thoughts. I was switched to seroquel and then to abilify, but all these gave me the same side effects."

• Gordon
• March 15, 2024

"After trying 3 or 4 SSRIs and last using Zoloft for 6 weeks, my mania was horrific. As a last-ditch effort, I decided to go on Risperdal due to my sister having been on it for years. I started with a 0.5 dosage, and it changed my life the 1st day and immediately calmed me down. It has been causing me insomnia somewhat, so I'm starting to take it during the day instead of before bed. I have noticed that it increased my appetite for food, so I have to keep that in mind and don't deviate from my usual eating routines. It miraculously is taking away almost all of my OCD, which was my biggest problem in life. Don't be scared of all the bad side effects you may read on different sites because all meds have those and they may not affect you like that."

• Tricia
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2019

"This medication risperidone saved my life. I use Buspar for anxiety along with Risperdone. I take 2mg at night and I have never felt better in my life. I slept and I am much calmer and I feel happy for the first time in my life. I have tried everything you can imagine. Every class of drug to help with bipolar, depression and anxiety. It was hard to find someone that listened to me and was willing to work hard at getting the right fit for me. I am beyond thankful for this medication! I can't imagine where I would be with my relationships If I had not tried this medication!"

• Shereen
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "After some months on Risperdal, I developed swallowing problems, which led to anxiety. Lowering dose improved but did not eliminate the problem. Later I noticed that I was very tense all the time. I would notice it and make myself relax and then in a few seconds I realized I was all tensed up again. I developed frozen muscles in my forehead. It felt like they had very little feeling..I don't know what you call it but I saw it was listed as a side effect once I looked it up. It went away when I stopped the med. When I stopped this medication, I discovered I had a problem with my tongue. It is like it's too thick or something and doesn't form words as well, so I have a very mild speech impediment now. It is more difficult to speak and I have to be very deliberate in speaking in order to speak clearly and without a lisp."

• Forab...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "I took Risperdal for three years for my Bipolar, and it seemed to work really well and that is why I stayed on it for so long but I eventually started to gain weight very rapidly I was 190 lbs (I am a 5'4" female) and I was completely lethargic all the time, I wasn't necessarily depressed but just apathetic and cold. My psychiatrist helped wean me off it (It is not addictive it just causes withdrawal symptoms) and even before I was completely off it I had lost 15 lbs. I am now 40 pounds lighter and its been about two months. My friends and family say my emotions are much more "colorful" and I seem more emotionally engaged. I know that it has worked for many people though and it helped me a lot when the symptoms started appearing."

• lhovey
• May 22, 2009

Risperdal (risperidone) "While taking this medication I began to experience symptoms similar to Parkinson's Syndrome. After a total neurological workup it was determined that it was Risperdal causing the symptoms, not Parkinson's. Within a week of discontinuing the drug I was symptom free."

• Gastr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 20, 2017

Risperdal (risperidone) "I'm not actually bipolar-I take it as an add-on to and SSRI for OCD, General Anxiety Disorder, and depression, but that wasn't in the categories offered. It works wonderful for this for me. My OCD is very much under control taking this in conjunction with Prozac-there are so many things I just could not do and was so afraid of because of the OCD before getting on Prozac and I could do even more after adding Risperdal to it. I take 2 mgs, but I usually take it a few hours before bedtime because it does make me drowsy. I haven't gained weight from it and really haven't had any side effects."

• Rose
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2020

Risperdal (risperidone) "My daughter is bipolar and has tried so many medications. She gets manic attacks. She hears voices and see things when having her manic attacks. Five days ago, they begun giving her this medicine. I’m reading everything people have said here and I’m wondering if this medicine is all she may need to live a happy healthy life. She has tried zyprexia many years ago and that helped for a time. I’m keeping hope alive!"

• Objec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 6, 2016

Risperdal (risperidone) "I took Risperdal (Resperidone) for about five years. It effectively managed my maina/hypomania and gave me no obvious side effects towards the beginning. Pros -Effectively worked -Helped with hypomania -Helped with mania Cons -Developed Hyperprolactinemia -From ^^^ i developed amenorrhea and weight gain -Mental Slowness (things were harder to learn and harder to remember) It's a good medication that worked for me, but I had unfortunate side effects. Everyone is different so don't automatically discount the drug if you are just starting it based on everyone else's experience. It DID work for me the way it was supposed to, but I also had side effects so I had to switch it. I'm giving it 8 out of 10 because it DID manage my BPD well."

• Invis...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 19, 2015

Risperdal (risperidone) "It's helped my paranoia, delusions, irrational thoughts, and impulses to self-injure and commit suicide more than anything else. Also helps control the hypomania because I'm not on a mood stabilizer. It just also makes me extremely tired and sedated and I'm constantly hungry and have gained a lot of weight on it. I've fluctuated in my dosage from 3 milligrams to as low as 0.5. Currently taking 2 to 2.5 right now."

• ruben
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2012

Risperdal (risperidone) "I'm an social drinker and after 3 months of taking Risperdal, I can't get a buzz or even drunk. Viagra doesn't work either. It's like it took the pleasure out of my system but now my libido is coming back after a couple of months. I had the doctor change my medicines. Hopefully the new ones does a better job with my pleasure. On month 2 I was zombie like but now I'm almost back to normal. "

• lrjoh...
• April 18, 2012

Risperdal (risperidone) "I was given this medicine while I was in a mental hospital for my bipolar disoder. In fact, that's when I was diagnosed and then they started me on it. The first 2 weeks I felt like a zombie. I had no feelings or desires...nothing. Just blank. Then after about 3 or 4 months after I started I began lactating and now because of it I have no sex drive. I have been off of it for about 4 1/2 months and my sex drive still has not returned."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2012

Risperdal (risperidone) "I have been dealing with my son who is only 6 years old and is on it a second time around and since the doctor has doubled his doses in the morning and at night that now he hardly hears the voices anymore and he can start to function again but he is not able to do school yet since he has other issues and gotta still get him the help so he can be able to be in society and be able to do school so he can get his education."

• vanda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2019

Risperdal Consta (risperidone) "Again a terrible tragedy that I was subjected to this drug against my will because of a temporary behavioral anomaly. After a month of taking became very hallow and unbelievably slow, especially at tasks such as reading, thinking, and communicating. Periodically had some sort of dyskinesia and felt like all the memory was being sucked out of me and I would have to get stuck in a weird transition state . It was a very frightening and terrible experience, as if I could not take care of myself. The only way to get rid of that catatonia was to take sedatives and sleep it off. I am not sure how to label this symptom, but I will guess the most appropriate labelling would be either catatonia or severe delirium with dyskinesia. The symptom disappeared after 6 months of not taking this medicine."

• Tirp
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2016

Risperdal (risperidone) "After going through my third manic episode I was prescribed 6mg of resperidal which immediately made me feel like an absolute zombie. I couldn't think clearly, was extremely tired all of the time l, and was unhappy. Through the course of about 4 months my dosage is now 1 mg and I don't feel the severe side effects. Good medicine in controlling the mania but in high dosages will make you feel like a zombie"

• Anony...
• November 11, 2020

"I've been prescribed risperidone for bipolar 1 disorder. I had manic episodes that led to pyschosis. I searched high and low for the right meds and dose. I realized risperidone is the best for me at a low dose I'm at .5mg. It is enough to keep me stable, to get a good nights sleep, to be normal. I feel like myself again. Anxiety is also gone. No more manic episodes. It's been a life saver and I thank god for risperidone. Only side effect is it can increase appetite but as long as you eat healthy weight can be controlled. It also completely took my depression away and made me motivated and excited for the future. It also saved my marriage and my life."

• oncea...
• June 17, 2014

"Last week I had gotten to the point where I was screaming at everyone about nothing and I smashed my phone against the wall. I wanted to smash the T.V to bits but was able to restrain myself. The next morning, I wrote a letter to the p doc, who added Risperdal to my other medicines, 1 mg morning, 1 mg night. The next DAY the anger and irritability went away. And it's helped with depression too!"

• Mom...
• October 28, 2009

Risperdal (risperidone) "My daughter took this medication for about one year. It helped with her mood swings but the side effects are not worth it. She has a bladder infection, bladder incontinence, weight gain (which upsets her and causes more mood swings!), plus it has slowed her mental processing speed (lower grades in school). "

• Andres...
• April 10, 2011

Risperdal (risperidone) "I developed cronic insomnia in 2002 in Orlando, FL., as a result, I developed Bi-polar. After many exhausting doctor visits with Physicians and Psychiatrists I got lucky, and was referred to a great doctor who now prescribes me Risperdal. Risperdal relaxes me and puts me to sleep at night. The only side effect that I get is that it makes me a little sluggish in the morning, but overall I sleep 8-9 hrs everyday. I have a new lease on life thanks to Risperdal. "

• SoP
• November 19, 2015

Risperdal (risperidone) "I have been taking Risperidone for over four years now. I felt great the first year but had to constantly have my dosage increased. I don't like some of the side effects (anxiety, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, faster heart rate, flu-like symptoms) but have learned to deal with them. Once you start to gain weight it is virtually impossible to lose the weight as I have tried everything. It seems you peak at a certain level."

• Nubie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "I take Resperdal 4 mg with 20 mg celexa. I was on invega sustena before. Since I changed I find that I sing a lot and my mood is sometimes loony sometimes doesn't want to deal with people. I gained so much weight on both celexa and risperdal around 40lbs. I will talk to my Dr about decreasing the dose and get on a diet. I hope that will lessen the symptoms."

• Melanie
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2016

"Risperidone has been a life saver for me. I went through so many mood stabilizers, but nothing seemed to help with my mood swings. I would also experience horrible side effects from some of these medications. I was about ready to give up when my doctor suggested I try Risperidone. It improved my mood a LOT. I no longer experience those crazy mood swings & I haven't experienced any side effects or tremors either. I highly recommend this medication."