Risperidone for Autism User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• November 11, 2009

Risperidone "My high-functioning autistic son was placed on this medication to help control his anger and aggression. Instead, it has made him worse. The only positive effect of this medication is that it helps him sleep past 5 a.m. His anger, aggression, and impulsiveness are just out of control. He was then put on Vyvanse to help with ADHD, and there are no changes worth noting."

• Ada...
• January 6, 2010

Risperidone "My son took this drug for a few years, and I was told he would have 'mild' weight gain. 40 pounds later, we had to take him off of it because the weight gain was compromising his overall health. I can't really say I noticed a big difference while on it anyway."

• Anonymous
• June 21, 2010

Risperidone "My son was put on 0.25 mg when he was just 4 years old. It has helped him, but he is weighing 72 lbs (now 7 years old), and his sugar is up. Now we are on the hunt for a replacement. At least it helped us for 3 years. My son has PDD."

• Anonymous
• May 2, 2010

Risperidone "My son, who is 8, has been on this for over 2 years now. After he started taking it, his SEVERE behaviors decreased significantly. He was able to sleep through the night and stopped having CONSTANT tantrums. He still occasionally bangs his head, bites, pinches, kicks, and scratches himself and others, but not nearly as often. The only negative things I can think of are the dangers of the medication itself. But for me, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks... for now anyway."

• 1ti...
• April 4, 2011

Risperidone "This medication was given to my son by an ARNP who swears by it. My son cries for no reason, does not help him sleep but makes him eat like a bear, and he is argumentative about everything whenever he takes this. He needs help sleeping, but there has got to be something else more effective for him with fewer side effects."

• Deb...
• July 19, 2014

"My son was put on this medicine when he was ten, he is autistic and was showing signs of schizophrenia. He was on 1.5 mg but now has 1 mg daily. It worked wonders within two weeks. He is now not withdrawn and anxious and back to his happy self. He also doesn't imagine things that didn't happen. He did put on a few kilos when he started the medication but now is tall and slim."

• Anonymous
• October 23, 2009

Risperidone "I found out a year ago that my high functioning autism son had Asperger. He was put on Risperdal. After about 10 months, I found out the doctor should have been doing blood work to test his prolactin level. His levels should have been between 2.8 and 5.8. His was 55.9. His doctor told me this was okay and not to worry until it got up to 1000 or higher. We tried other medications, but nothing seemed to help like the Risperdal. So he is back on the Risperdal. It does not have the same effect in girls that it does in boys."

• Mum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2016

"Son is 7 and has Asperger's and ADHD and, from 2.5 years of age, suffered from terrible tantrums. Also can be highly volatile and aggressive. Has been taking Concerta for just over a year. Initially, the Ritalin helped to calm him, but the aggression remained, and the rebound effects were awful as the Ritalin wore off. I refused to give more Ritalin as my boy became underweight and had trouble falling asleep. We have been taking risperidone for only three weeks, and a lot of the aggression has gone. He is having better, calmer days at school, and appetite is increasing. He still takes a minimum dosage of Concerta."

• Ana...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 18, 2016

"My son is autistic, diagnosed when he was 3. Until then, he looked like a 'normal child.' He started taking Risperdal at 5 (1 mg/day) and was the most effective drug he experimented with to calm down and avoid aggressive fits. Now, at 20 years old, he takes 4-6 mg of Risperidone a day, but he is tall and strong, weighs 82 kg. The only problem is that he has epilepsy, and Risperidone reduces the effect of Tegretol. We found out that we have to give him the dose of Tegretol first, and only after 20 minutes give Risperidone. He started a complement which is Diazepine (only if needed) and Olanzapina (3 mg) - which is more effective and can even be a substitute for Risperidone but seems to have more side effects (he speaks less and feels morning drowsiness)."

• Gin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 14, 2016

"Our son is 23 and put on 0.25 micrograms of Risperdal twice a day in September 2005, due to not being able to get a prescription for 0.25. We were splitting the 0.5 tablet in half. This was okay as the prescribed medication had a line in the middle. Our son did seem to be calmer at first. Our son was in a residential home during the week and returned home on weekends. After going to collect him a few weeks ago, we were so shocked as he seemed all over the place, getting stuck saying one word, jerky movements of upper limbs. It was heartbreaking. We then noticed the brand of Risperdal had changed and they were a dark red tablet. We then realized this tablet should have never been divided. The GP advised us to stop the medication."

• Tas...
• January 11, 2025

"Last year, my son, who is 5, autistic level 3, and non-verbal, had behaviors that were incredibly challenging; he was in constant agitation and had aggression that deeply impacted our lives in a negative way. Daily struggles left him anxious, frustrated, emotional, and unable to find peace, which created a stressful and overwhelming environment all the time. However, since starting liquid Risperidone .25 ML with Prozac in November, the transformation has been life-changing. His anxiety, agitation, and aggression have drastically diminished, and he’s now a joyful, easygoing little boy. He does have a bit more of an appetite but not much, and he hasn’t gained any weight in the 7 weeks he’s been on the medicine (which was the doctor's main concern about the medication). I spent so many nights praying for a miracle, and then this happened. I’m so thankful for this medicine!"

• Adh...
• November 9, 2019

"I had extreme aggression problems with dark behavior. Since being on risperidone, I have taken my life back. It really made a difference. I would say if your aggression is as bad as mine was, give it a go for sure."

• Has...
• January 31, 2011

"My son is four years old and was put on risperidone. His behavior is so much better. We're not having any more violence, screaming, biting, hitting, kicking, and throwing things. In general, he is more compliant when asked to do something, like get dressed. I might add that he has started doing this weird thing, and it has to be associated with the medication because it started at exactly the same time. He takes an excessive amount of baths. He can go about 15 minutes in between each one. He is up to about 40 baths a day. He doesn't wash, he just likes the feeling of being wet. We can definitely handle it though. It's a lot better than the violence that we were experiencing. It's just a weird side effect."

• JDa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 2, 2020

"My son is 3 years old and has high-functioning autism. He just started Risperdal 0.25 x 2 daily, and it’s only been about two weeks. No major changes, other than he has started to calm down much more than he used to be, and just today the weirdest thing happened... he was his normal self all morning, playing and running around, interacting, and then he went down for a nap... when he woke up from his nap, he was extremely drowsy and went back to sleep on my chest almost instantly. It’s been like another hour, and he hasn’t budged. I’m starting to worry, not gonna lie. I feel like this is definitely a side effect happening to him. I’ll post more as more time passes on this medication."

• Anonymous
• September 27, 2012

Risperidone "My son was put on Risperidone when he was three and a half years old. It has helped him some, but he is still extremely aggressive and would take off running out into the road and parking lots. So, his psychiatrist said he had to put him in the psych ward to try new medicine. They upped his Risperidone to 0.50 mg twice a day and added Depakene 205 mg twice a day. He's still very aggressive and out of control and moody. He's only 5, and in 12 more inches, he's going to be as tall as me."

• let...
• March 26, 2012

"This has been the only medication that decreased my daughter's aggression. She is a changed person, better able to focus and learn. She is also able to sleep at night. I do have to monitor her blood every few months. Her prolactin level is so high now she lactates. Always thirsty and hungry. Overheats easily and has a dystonic reaction of eyes rolling back. The benefits still outweigh the risks at this point."

• Nol...
• November 10, 2014

"My son is almost 7 and is moderately autistic, bipolar with aggression daily. He has been on Risperdal 0.5 mg once daily for two weeks, and I'm still having a great deal of problems at home. He hits and throws things! Very destructive! Is his dose not high enough, or do I just need to be more patient with the medicine?"

• Rag...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2020

Risperidone "Awful. Took it for 4 months. Doctor justified giving me this drug after I had a mere hx of “instructive thoughts.” It made me throw up when it hit my system. It made me shake. It took away my motivation for several years. It made me gain 50 lbs that I struggle to lose. Made me have mood swings and my first ever psychotic episode. When it “ran out,” it unlocked a whole new level of anxiety I never experienced before. Drove me to insomnia and I struggle to sleep without an anti-psychotic since. Had to drink several Red Bulls and smoke cigarettes just to function. Since I’ve been off the meds, I don’t need cigs or Red Bulls. Have been nicotine-free for three years! Screw this horrible drug. Made me hyperventilate when walking. Caused me to have circulatory problems, breast-like growths, and gout. All improved when I got off this medicine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 17, 2012

"My son has high-functioning autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, aggression disorder, and sensory issues. He was diagnosed at age 3. He started Risperidone soon after his diagnosis. It worked wonders for 6 months or so. His behaviors and meltdowns were better, but it did not help with the OCD. After 3 months, we had to increase the dose, and his symptoms started to get worse gradually. Then, at 6 months, he started to tell us he had ants crawling on him and his heart was beeping. He went through heart tests, and they were fine. The doctor said that the medicine was causing him to see things and maybe have anxiety to have a rapid heart rate. He was taken off and put on Prozac, which didn't help, and now he's on Zoloft and Abilify, which aren't doing anything."

• Anonymous
• March 25, 2009

"My 9-year-old son was put on a low dosage (0.25 mg twice daily) to try and help aggression. He has been diagnosed with Asperger's. Unfortunately, he was sensitive to the drug and had a bad dystonic reaction. Hands went into spasms with Parkinson's-type symptoms."

• sue...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 28, 2019

"My autistic son has signs of disorganized schizophrenia and has been on it for over a year. There have been no real improvement in his behavior. The medication is supposed to be a tranquilizer, but after taking it, we noticed no signs of calming down."

• Aut...
• May 6, 2019

"I am an adult with high-functioning autism and ADHD. My sensory overload, anxiety, and meltdowns have been well controlled with benzodiazepines, and my ADHD with dextroamphetamine. However, my nephew's psychiatrist does not believe in benzodiazepines and chose to medicate his autism-related anxiety, agoraphobia, and tearfulness with this medication, which is an antipsychotic, NOT a medication for anxiety or depression. As a result, my nephew became agitated and self-injurious for the first time ever, claiming he wanted to claw his skin off. Please watch for these reactions, these meds are not a benign panacea. My nephew is very short and of average weight, which is irrelevant. He is also less sad and anxious and thriving academically since his new doctor took him off Risperdal and onto a low dose of Ativan as needed, Ritalin, and Guanfacine."

• frm...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 28, 2020

"My sister was on risperidone once for about a year. It was horrible. It made her gain a lot of weight. It made her develop excess leg hair. It didn't stop her depression and aggression. It also once made her period last 3 whole weeks. Luckily, she lost all the weight when she came off of it. My mom really regrets putting her on risperidone. This drug should be discontinued."

• cal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2019

"I was recently diagnosed with ADHD (Inattentive type) and Autism (Asperger's type). For years, I'd had no luck with SSRIs, having literally tried just about every one. 2 mg of Risperidone has given me a new sense of calmness and stops me from becoming agitated. I use this along with Concerta XL (27 mg) Methylphenidate (5 mg) for ADHD, and Trazodone (150 mg) for insomnia. This medication combination is not without side effects, but the benefits outweigh them. I found I was overeating at first and put on weight. But thankfully, Concerta XL has removed this side effect. I couldn't live without Risperidone."

• CKa...
• December 26, 2018

"My son has autism, severe learning disability, and challenging behavior. He started taking risperidone when he was 15, and 11 years down the line, it looks like he's suffering from tardive dyskinesia. He is only 26, and his mobility and coordination have deteriorated greatly over the past 18 months, and it is heartbreaking to see. His neurologist recommended that this medication be stopped 6 months ago, but because he is now an adult, his psychiatrist has to agree to stop it, and as yet has not. Stopping it may not improve his quality of life, but will hopefully help. Just a warning for anyone considering taking it on a long-term basis..."