Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Bsf
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2018

Risperdal (risperidone) "I suffer from major depressive disorder and ended up in the psychiatric hospital with thoughts of suicide and extremely bad depression. They prescribed me risperdal 2mg I started off at 140lbs since being on the medication I am 230lb almost double my weight and have gained puffy tender breasts. As for the pill working it works 100% at what its suppose to do. If your extremely in need of help and don't care for the side effects go for it."

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2009

Risperdal (risperidone) "I am currently taking this new medicine and it has really helped me control my mood swings better than any other medicine that I have taken in the past. One thing that I do not like is that I have gained weight from this. It makes me eat a lot."

• Tired...
• August 24, 2011

Risperdal (risperidone) "This medication was not good for me. My Doctor added this to the Depakote I was already taking to help with irritability and aggressiveness. This turned me into a zombie. Walked around in a fog the whole time I was on it. Still irritable and more so because I couldn't focus. Experienced nightmares, anorgasmia. When I could keep an erection and had an orgasm, had no ejaculate. Really scary. Took it for 2 weeks and then stopped taking it. Bad for me. May help someone else."

• AJano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "I took the lowest dose. Once. It caused parkinsonism and extremely slowed movement. I fell down a flight of stairs because of movement problems it caused. Needless to say I never took it again after that."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

Risperdal (risperidone) "The positive effects of this drug were negated by the adverse side effects I experienced, which included about five episodes of urinary incontinence and slowed motor coordination (my speech and movement were noticeably delayed to the point that I was taken off Risperdal because of this). I would recommend using this medicine to treat acute episodes as needed and not on a long-term basis."

• Steffy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2016

Risperdal (risperidone) "It def helped with my mania,I just feel slightly off on it but it has helped a lot I take this and celexa to help with my obsessing but the risperdal made me gain weight,I went from 120-125 to 140 I'm so unhappy bout the weight gain I'm going to try to switch medications&will come back to this if I have 2,trying 2 find something better but this def helped my mania and doesn't make me real tired like seroquel and abilify or almost pass out like geodon"

• Leanna
• February 9, 2020

"Weight gain is a problem off the cuff. Take your dose at night otherwise you will sleep all day. Stops mania but keeps you quite numb to all emotions. I've found when depression kicks in it stops the serious lows but you still feel low which is hard to deal with when you don't get any mania. No real side effects for me apart from the weight gain and fatigue."

• Gordon
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2024

Risperdal (risperidone) "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"

• Cara
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 4, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "Overall, I really like risperdal. It's easy to take with minimal side effects. I take the generic version for Bipolar 2 and have been trying over 30 meds for 5 years. I used to take Seroquel and Divlaprox but they stopped working for me and I was too tired. My mood is the most stable I've ever been and I am level headed and clear. I take .5 mg every night and find this is a good dose because I used to take more and was very out of it. This helps me sleep but not be drowsy. Honestly, it's not perfect as I'm dealing with depression currently. I tried prozac but it made me suicidal/dissociate and zombie like and less like myself. Because of this I just recently stopped prozac but I plan to try other antidepressants with this to help my depression. Overall, I love that I mostly feel like myself again. I just want to care about life more now and be less apathetic. DBT therapy helps. Also, acne on my body/face from this but no weight gain so I can't complain too much."

• Miss...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 11, 2016

Risperdal (risperidone) "I am a White Female that was prescribed this med, and the results are pretty good. It is covered by my health insurance, filled at a local pharmacy, and given by a nurse that visits our home. I was concerned when I heard about side effects in others, although I feel well. I am over 21, and hopefully this was a good med for me and others. I am a nice girl, and thank you."

• Dayna
• July 16, 2016

"I started taking Risperidone a number of months ago after a psychotic episode. I'm prone to episodes of psychosis especially with very bad agitation, paranoia, and delusions and have been hospitalised before for this. I've been on Quetiapine, Olanzapine, Amisulpride, Clopixol (depot injection) and Clozapine. I am currently taking 3mg of Risperidone along wIth Venlafaxine. I take it before bed at night. It gives me a nice calm relaxed feeling and I find I can usually sleep better with less anxiety and voices at night. I don't suffer side effects and I think if people practice mindful eating and try to exercise a bit then they shouldn't gain weight, I haven't. I think this drug controls my symptoms well and stops mania."

• rebecky
• April 13, 2012

Risperdal (risperidone) "I've taken the medicine for a month and I do notice my mood is a lot better. I have gained 16 pounds almost. It makes me very hungry when I take it. My doctor moved me from 0.05mg per day to 1 mg per day because of my horrible anxiety. It does help but not all day. I plan to still give it more time. The weight gain is not exactly good though."

• Anony...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 21, 2019

"I think there are two sides to risperidone. Mentally it is a fantastic medication, it slows down racing thoughts and really calms down manic symptoms and you sleep so well. I was oversedated when I first started taking it but after a few months got acclimated to it. Physically it's a disaster. Weight gain is hard to control (40 LBS in 2 years) although I have a desk job and don't get a lot of exercise. I would say if you start taking this to diet right out the gate, you will want to eat more. And watch out for uncontrollable muscle movements/spasms."

• Jeff
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 18, 2020

"Wow, it's doing the risperidone is doing its job for my bipolar, I am more level headed and my decision making is so better, I am however (I've noticed) more anti social..and I'm almost "A-sexual" I have zero interest in sex, I don't care how gorgeous someone is, zero desire I am however doing better, I'm not making crazy decisions or doing stupid stuff,...I'd rather be like this then the way I was before risperidone"

• hollo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 2, 2020

"I was prescribed risperadone during October 2018 when I was suffering from a psychotic episode from Bipolar 1 disorder. I remember feeling very neutral, slowed down, apathetic and emotionless. I felt like a zombie. I was stiff in the way I moved. I gained 8 pounds in less than 2 weeks and gained even more after that going from 128lb to 148lb unfortunately. I had body issues my whole life and this drug has made me hate my body so much more. The nurses gave me this medication without my consent not telling me about the problems with weight gain. When I expressing concern about it, they did not care. I have no sexual drive at all. I slept 12 hours a day and still felt tired during the day. My prolactin levels were very high. I lost so much hair. I had acne. It was the absolute worst drug of my life. I do not recommend at all. Please avoid at all costs. It ruined my life."

• Anonymous
• January 26, 2012

"I'm 50 and for the first time in my life can have a life. Been on Risperdal 3mg for almost two years. I can handle stressful things now, can go into walmart without flippen out. I suffer from post trautmatic stress disorder bi-poler and severe depression. I cried all the time. I could not go shopping or hold a job. Now nothing realy upsets me. I feel like living now. "

• rispe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2017

Risperdal (risperidone) "This is the best medicine for sleep and having no manic problems. But I was 98 pounds (super tiny) now 203lb from risperdal. What is the point of being on something if it works for biploar but makes you obese?"

• diwwin
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 1, 2014

"I was prescribed risperidone for bipolar. It had the bonus side effect that it cured my lifelong non-stop painful bleeding fingernail biting. It also reduced my anxiety otherwise in the day and at night; I don't get overly excited about little things (good or bad), and I sleep 10 hours without waking every hour as before. I wish I could sleep less though. I am slow, naturally, to get things done, so losing 2-4 hours of awake time makes me noticeably less productive."

• Jai
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2020

Risperdal (risperidone) "I haven't experienced serious side effects only blurred vision and drowsiness. I have been taking the meds for 1 month now. So far so good. I was prescribed this medication after 2 manic episodes I had that were practically back to back (after 3 weeks)."

• KitLe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2015

"My doctor put me on Risperidone to help control my manias. I am also taking Lamotrigine, Escitalopram, and Lithium to control depression, anxiety and to stabilize moods, respectively. Even with those three medications I was still experiencing a lot of agitation, feelings of too much energy, inability to hold still, pressured speech and racing thoughts, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of being out of control. Rather than putting me on the daily dose, my doctor has me taking it as needed. Whenever I feel manic symptoms spiralling upward I take 1 - 4 mg depending on what I feel is necessary, and it always works perfectly, calming my manic symptoms within 15 - 60 minutes and helping me sleep. It's a lifesaver."

• Katie
• July 1, 2011

Risperdal (risperidone) "Risperdal has helped control my moods and anger so much. I can tell right away if I have missed a dose because I immediately feel agitated. Unfortunately I began lactating and have not gotten my period since I moved up to a higher dose 2 months ago. I also feel rather sluggish during the day but to me the Pros exceed the Cons. Hopefully I will be allowed to stay on this."

• Cade
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 5, 2018

Risperdal (risperidone) "Works quite well but beware of side effects. I'm an autistic person and also bipolar 1 with psychotic features. Before I started this I had horrible episodes of mania and depression and it made a huge difference. I had almost no maniac episodes, decreased irritability, and it almost completely eliminated the auditory hallucinations. However the weight gain was unbearable, I gained 80 pounds in a year that I still can't lose and diet and exercise did nothing to stop it. I didn't change medications sooner because it worked so well that I was scared to stop it and I was convinced eventually the weight gain would stop, but it didn't. Stopped my monthly cycle completely, though I wasn't complaining about that."

• Valen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

"Been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and psychosis. I have been risperidone already for 2 months and I don't like the way I feel. I am more like a zombie. I have no motivation at all, I don't want to do anything, energy levels are very low. Gaining weight, no matter how I eat. My thinking and processing of information is very slow. I have memory problems with it. I used to sports a lot but now I feel weak and with no power. I am going to talk to my doctor for different medication. The only plus is that I sleep well, but in the morning I don't want to even start my day. I feel emotionless."

• MrLun...
• April 29, 2009

Risperdal (risperidone) "This helps me calm down and sleep at night when I'm manic, but I noticed a weight gain of 10 lbs and I feel sluggish during the day. I also dream more often, which may or may not be a desirable side effect."

• Mhdmpr
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 18, 2021

"I've used every mood stabilizer that is on the market, Depakine, lamotrigine, carbamazepine,etc. Also I've used all of the SSRI drugs in the market. After years of trying different medications my doctor suggested the combination of citalopram and risperidone. It has been a life changer. I've been using these drugs for the last two years and all of my anxiety, depression, OCD are vanished completely.I 'm on 1 mg of risperidone and 20 mg of citalopram. No side effects and I'm completely relieved!!!"