Risperidone for Schizophrenia User Reviews (Page 2)

• K-M...
• July 24, 2018

Risperidone "I was prescribed Risperdal after voluntarily admitting myself into a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut back in '17. Risperdal was the first antipsychotic drug that I was administered during my stay, and while I did experience some relief from my anxiety, I would say that the side effects were more negative than positive. Upon entering the hospital, I was aware of my surroundings and completely aware of reality. At times, I was also unsure of my own diagnosis, so it wasn't easy taking the Risperdal. I was officially diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and paranoid ideation. Upon release, I found the side effects to be negative. I was sleeping the majority of the day at my house and had a difficult time finding motivation to leave the house. The drug is incredibly powerful, and while I think it can be used for very severe illnesses, I wouldn't recommend it until someone is thoroughly evaluated and the proper diagnosis is made."

• red...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 8, 2021

"Risperidone literally saved my life. Others may say, 'it makes you a zombie' or 'gets rid of emotions,' but trust me, after enduring the side effects for 3-4 weeks, that's when you get used to the medication, and it will do wonders."

• Kod...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 7, 2015

Risperidone "I am currently on 6 mg of Risperdal and thinking about going up to 8 mg. It has helped me control my impulses and stay on the right path. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia without paranoid thoughts. The paranoid thoughts only happen with street drugs. I still hear voices, but I seem to be managing them a lot better now. Both Haldol and Risperdal work extremely well for schizophrenia."

• Cha...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 22, 2018

Risperidone "This medication saved my life. Been taking it for two years following two very difficult psychosis episodes, and my brain is a mess without this medication. Without it, I have very weird and intrusive thoughts about the nature of reality. Paranoid thoughts are all but gone as well. The only side effect I noticed is weight gain, which I honestly don't mind."

• Avo...
• November 23, 2017

Risperidone "Three years of constipation on the meds just broke some mechanism related to bowel movements three years ago when I was on them, now on or off them now I don't go. I've read hundreds of other cases of this happening with this. I also have severe IBS from the meds and can't eat anything but fruit and vegetables without problems. Brain damage: I attempted to come off this med (Risperdal) and tapered and still ended up with bad brain damage. I no longer have much in the way of thoughts or can think complex things or higher processing, I can remember very little (I was incredibly smart before). This is the number one thing making me suicidal. I also can no longer feel what things evoke or derive enjoyment from many things. Severe sleep problems too."

• C77...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 29, 2022

"This medication doesn't work. I take 4 mg twice a day for months now. I'm still hearing voices and getting called all kinds by them. This drug isn't effective as what people make it out to be on here! Being on this medication has been a waste of time. I ended up going on a new medication that I started soon. Goodbye, Risperidone."

• oha...
• April 30, 2010

Risperidone "I have been on Risperdal Consta for over two years now and find it to be a lifesaver. I feel like I have my life back in order and my mind back in order. The only side effects I have experienced are decreased sex drive and weight gain."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 3, 2018

Risperidone "Was put on Risperdal when first hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia. Gained about 100 lbs in a year. Felt dull cognitively. Slept the majority of the day. No psychotic symptoms. Delusions and hallucinations gone. No agitation. No anxiety tremors."

• aa9...
• March 12, 2017

"This is a miracle drug for us. Lots of prayers for the one who discovered it. My mum was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2015 after 10 years. Those 10 years were horrific, and prior to diagnosis, the situation got so much worse that the last option, which was staring us in the eye, was to institutionalize her. My siblings and I faced a very turbulent childhood, it was a roller-coaster ride. But this drug changed everything to the point of disbelief. My mum has changed from a lunatic to a stereotypical, traditional, loving mom. The effects of the drug were instant-within a month. The dosage is 1ml in the morning and 2ml at night-we mix it in her food or drinks."

• JOY...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 10, 2019

Risperidone "I don't have a problem on Risperdal Consta, except in Canada it is being discontinued, and that is causing me stress. I have been taking Risperdal Consta for the past 12 years, and it has been working miracles for me! I don't even have weight gain issues, but we regularly exercise/work and take supplements!"

• Eli...
• May 15, 2018

Risperidone "I was forced into a Canadian mental hospital in the late '90s when I was 13 years old (I'm male, by the way). They woke me up in bed and gave me a cup with pills and told me it was to help me with sleep. It was later on that they told me that the pills were Risperdal. When I was on Risperdal, I gained a lot of weight and was drowsy. I even developed minor gynecomastia that still remained 3 years later. I'm in my 30s now, and the gynecomastia surgery isn't covered by any insurance companies. What was covered was the ultrasound and mammogram. I don't have the money to pay for the glandular breast tissue removal surgery. People notice my male breast growth and tell me that I have breasts. My doctor says my gynecomastia is noticeable when I take my shirt off. People who know me notice breast growth through my T-shirt. Can the Canadian Government cover the cost of breast removal surgery if I am required to take antipsychotics that have side effects that grow breasts?"

• Dar...
• September 14, 2016

Risperidone "I was on this 'medicine' for 4 years (ages 14 to 18). It is honestly one of the worst medicines I have ever taken. It not only sapped me of all of my strength and willpower, but it increased my agitation to unseen levels (I had a pretty bad temper before this, but I had learned to control it). It made me gain over 150 lbs in that 4-year period (I was at 120 lbs when I started it and 375 lbs when I stopped taking it). It also got me to the point I felt nothing but anger, and when I wasn't riled up, I was a blank mask of indifference. Not only that, but I have been off of it for 4 years now, and I still have trouble controlling my anger and weight. Plus, I have this problem where I can't stop moving (mostly my legs and the right side of my neck)."

• Bri...
• June 16, 2015

Risperidone "I was prescribed Risperdal for schizophrenia ages 12-16 around 10 years ago now, and it's a huge reason as to how I was able to stay in public school. Other people still noticed I was 'different,' but it did wonders for both visual and auditory hallucinations, racing thoughts, and paranoia. It never could fully help my delusions, though. I gained a bit of weight, but what ultimately led me to no longer take the medication was the zombifying effect it had and how I felt it changed my personality. Might be okay for others though."

• Tin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 26, 2023

"I started taking Risperdal after being hospitalized unexpectedly after stopping Abilify, which I was taking for about 6 years. Aripiprazole made me quite nervous, irritable, and obsessed with food, shopping, negativism. And after that, risperidone feels like a blessing. It is a bit sedating at 3 mg a day, but I feel sweet inside. It’s like I am again feeling safe, calm, capable, and genuinely happy with myself and with the world. I process a lot through my head and my body (I can be hypervigilant and stressed easily), and Risperdal seems to make this so much easier for me. Also, I gave away my scale because I was only obsessed with numbers on it, and I am now capable of listening to my body more. So far, no weight gain - I drink a lot of water and don’t eat between 13-15 hours per day to give my body much-needed rest - it simply feels right, and therefore, no special weight gain in the first 2 months for me."

• Gog...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 8, 2018

"I've been on it for four years, 33 years old now, for depression and schizophrenia. Works well with concentration, thinking, and understanding things (I'm doing my second degree in veterinary medicine). Problem is becoming 100% rational and have no emotions. I am nowhere near the person I was before, my voice, laughter, humor, and interests have changed dramatically. Getting off is extremely difficult with this drug, but I have to. After the initial boost, I now see the downside of feeling no love and empty all the time. Gained a little bit of weight, but I don't exercise, so that might be it. No libido or sexual interests, none. If you want to change your life, it's a good drug, if you want to keep a bit of YOU, then it's the wrong one."

• ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 11, 2021

Risperidone "I have to say that some of us have nothing better to do with our time than just writing anonymous reviews with our creative nom de plumes. I have read many of such reviews on many websites, and I have come to the conclusion that many of them are reflections of the user's mind. Some say they have an increased appetite, while others say the exact opposite! Strange. This is why I would like to say that Risperidone has made me gain weight because I now have a ravenous appetite; it made me tired the whole day until I was put on Fluoxetine by my shrink, who took so long to tell me that Fluoxetine removes the tiredness (partly). Early mornings are the worst - it is as though I am flooded with demonic thoughts of not having to bathe. A brilliant way to start the day. Joanna Moncrieff is right about some things, but she gets it wrong when she calls this drug a 'placebo' effect. Not really. It has removed all my delusions and hallucinations."

• Cac...
• December 8, 2015

Risperidone "It's impossible to stay on this med long term unless you want man boobs. My nipples have pain in them, and I had sexual side effects. I also had akathisia on this med and needed to pace back and forth. It's not worth the weight gain."

• Fio...
• January 12, 2020

"Simple tasks such as brushing teeth, bathing, etc. in the morning have become difficult. What does this medicine do to patients? Will I be impaired for life? Should I stop taking this medication? Will the side effects persist after stopping? Oh, I’m miserable. I can’t do anything."

• Ano...
• October 20, 2016

Risperidone "I started risperidone after my last hospitalization for PTSD with psychosis. Before risperidone, I suffered from insomnia, nightmares, and paranoia that led me to a full-blown psychotic state. I now live a more normal life with few symptoms. I take risperidone with sertraline and clonazepam at night, then pass out for about 10 hours. I suffer from mental fog and lack of emotion on the drug. I don't fully wake up until about 4 pm after my afternoon nap. It has also caused my periods to stop and enlarged breasts that leak once I upped to 2 mg. Going to try ziprasidone next to see if I can have a better quality of life."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2023

"Risperidone is a horrible drug. It has affected my energy levels and leaves me feeling tired and groggy, my mood has changed, and I no longer feel happy, and I have gained a considerable amount of weight. I have gone from getting up early to go for a run or walk to being lazy and having to drag myself out of bed. Although the drug has helped with my hallucinations and delusions, the cost is too high. My doctor wants me to continue taking the medication for another year and 1.5 months, which I dread."

• Abb...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 5, 2021

"I used to have delusions and severe paranoia. This medicine actually worked like magic, as both delusions and paranoia were now gone. However, I have gained weight (about 16 kg) within a year of usage, cannot concentrate and think clearly, have a foggy memory, and sometimes cannot visually focus on things! These factors gave me bad headaches, and they were severe during the first three months. Now it has been a year, and my body is starting to adapt to the medicine. The headaches are almost gone and do not happen as frequently as before. I also have become emotionless, as nothing excites me anymore."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 12, 2016

Risperidone "Horrible!!! ...made me silent and socially disabled, sucked happiness, just feeling irritated and flat. ...wasn't effective at all for my symptoms, also increased anxiety dramatically when I upped the dose to 4 mg..."

• Faz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 13, 2020

"Risperidone has been awful for my schizophrenia. I have thought broadcasting, where other people around me can hear my thoughts. After using risperidone 1-1.5 mg, I now have telepathy, which is making my life really difficult. People can now insult me over really long distances by putting their thoughts in my brain. I have telepathy with friends and family, but they are often not nice, and I would rather not be connected with them all the time. Risperidone has made my condition worse, and I now have more than 1 Schneider First Rank Symptom of schizophrenia."

• Kos...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 25, 2016

"I was taking this for 1 year! This drug does miracles!!!! I started with an injection of 50 mg every 15 days. Now I take only 7 mg! I can lift weights again!!!! No depression or anxiety!!! Or paranoia!!!!"

• nos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2012

Risperidone "I have used Risperdal several times over the last few years. Originally, I was taking it for ruminating thoughts (I call it busy head) and difficulty sleeping. It definitely helped slow down my thoughts and allowed me to sleep better. After my son was born, I was having some postpartum depression and went back on Risperdal. It helped with the kindling and agitation, but I did gain about 10-15 pounds on it. When I stopped the medication, the weight fell off. Most recently, I'm using it as an adjunct therapy to Neurontin and Trileptal for agitation and anxiety. I have emetophobia, and this has been the only thing that has allowed me to be around my phobia and not have a panic attack and an ER visit. I do not like the weight gain."