Risperdal User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• ste...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 27, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "This medication saved my life. Tried several different medicines over 10 years and none have worked better than Risperdal. I take escitalopram as well and have seen fantastic results. If I miss a dose, I can tell very quickly within a few days as I don't sleep and feel really agitated and angry at the least little thing. Really helped control my mood swings, and this combination has been great for me."

• Job...
• January 21, 2012

For Schizophrenia "I smoked a lot of marijuana as a young man. Me being a late bloomer, I think it affected my brain chemistry. One day I felt an explosion in my head, after that I started hearing voices and became really paranoid. I finally admitted that I needed help, after seeing that I couldn't hold a job, snapped at people, starting fights with people for no reason, insane thoughts and a brain I couldn't control, I was prescribed Risperdal for schizophrenia, Ativan for anxiety, and benztropine for side effects, all these medications for what my kind doctor called a brain disorder. Stopped paranoid thoughts, delusions, gained social skills back. No libido, 15 lbs weight gain in a month, but feel sane again. Seems to work for 7 hours, then paranoid again."

• bea...
• November 4, 2013

For Mania "My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's several years ago. As the disease progressed, so did her paranoia, anxiety, and sundowner's syndrome. She was put on Celexa, which only made her sleep all day and have horrific nightmares. The doctor put her on Risperdal, and her behaviors changed overnight. She became manageable and helpful, and no more sundowners. Her sleep pattern improved, and the night terrors ceased. She has passed recently from heart failure, but our last year together was much improved."

• Meh...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 19, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Just my experience; your mileage may vary. Odd tunnel vision as it takes effect. After about 2 weeks, expect your wife to be very “unsatisfied.” If your job involves mental math or coding, this will become much more challenging. It dulls your emotions even beyond what your horrible affliction will. I became an impotent robot with no processing power. The cure, at least for me, was worse than the disease. I have since learned to ignore, or at least recognize and not take them as absolute reality. Mental gymnastics and proper training are equally effective; the side effects of Risperdal are life-altering in a bad way."

• G-m...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2016

For Autism "My son is high-functioning autistic. His behavior specialist recommended Risperdal 0.05 mg daily for my son for aggression and violent outbursts. After being on it for a week, we noticed that he is much calmer. We have noticed some side effects such as hyper attentiveness, nightmares, muscle spasms, and itchiness."

• mom...
• October 11, 2010

For Schizophrenia "I'm very frustrated right at the moment. My son, who is 37 years old, has been on risperdal for 5 years. Now he decides he doesn't need it anymore. Well, the voices are totally out of control. He can't even hear me when I talk to him because the voices are so loud. He doesn't sleep, he talks constantly to them. I just wish he would take the medication. We've been dealing with this for 17 years, so I do know that this medication works to quieten the voices."

• My...
• September 14, 2011

For Schizophrenia "My son had severe acute psychosis and a possible diagnosis of schizophrenia at age 17. Risperdal (Risperidone) brought him back to his normal self, for the most part. He has put on weight (2 trouser sizes bigger) and he is inclined to rock back and forth a little when seated. He is slightly less motivated and says he doesn't retain information as he used to at school. This may be improved by adjusting the dose. But this medicine gave me my son back and seems well-tolerated by him. The psychosis is completely gone."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 23, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking it for about 3 months now, and it works very well. I do not have those strong unrealistic negative scenarios anymore, no voices, no feeling like disappearing, all that is gone, and it minimized my unreasonable fears. I do have long moments of almost total lack of emotions, and I do not feel much in general (I used to be an enthusiastic person) but I do not mind for now, it was terrible not to be able to control inexplicable feelings. I did not gain weight (just a bit, but I also take Wellbutrin). My only concern is how I am going to be when I stop taking this medicine."

• LLa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 6, 2020

For Autism "My daughter, 9, HF Autism level 1.5, severe ADHD, and sensory disorder. She was medicated with Ritalin, which did not help her concentration, but did help her sit longer in a chair. Her negative behavior did not change. She was given 0.3 mg Risperdal drops, and we were able to redirect her violent episodes easier. But still, was not helpful enough. With 0.25 Risperdal drops in the morning and again 0.25 at 4 or 5 in the evening changed her violence to tears (big improvement). She is now able to cry from her frustration. We are then able to redirect her thinking to a happier place. Thankful, she has had absolutely no side effects. Since taking Risperdal, she is functioning better in school and is able to listen to directions better. She is also more verbal on this dose. She has begun to ask for it when she enters the negative moods, which happen morning and evening before her scheduled dose."

• Bet...
• August 8, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "This pill has been very good to me. It calms me down and balances out my mood, so I no longer have the extreme ups and downs. It keeps me in a happy middle. While many other bipolar medicines I have taken have made me feel an inability to feel angry, Risperdal just keeps me from making a huge deal over small issues. I no longer get mad over petty things, but I do feel angry when something extremely upsetting happens. I do not feel extreme sadness for no reason any longer, but I do feel it when extreme events happen. For instance, my grandfather died last week, and I was sad about it, but I no longer feel depressed for no reason. The stages of mania I used to experience have almost completely subsided."

• She...
• January 17, 2010

For Depression "This medication kept me calm and gave me a good night's sleep. I woke up early in the morning with energy and looking forward to starting the day. However, none of this means anything to me since it caused me to go from 145 pounds to 210 pounds."

• Hef...
• April 12, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I was forced to end taking Haldol 2.5 mg/night after 27 1/2 years - over 10,000 days - because they stopped making it. I was prescribed Risperdal. I started at 2 mg a day, and they reduced the dosage to 1 mg. I also stopped Cogentin and Prozac because of strong discomfort. After around 40-50 days of Risperdal, I didn't sleep as well and felt utterly horrible, like a zombie - like it was torturing and destroying my brain. I came to my senses and rid myself of all medication whatsoever, since it seemed to be harming my brain and not helping me sleep, and have recovered from all mental illness in about 5 days and am getting somewhat less sleep but feel a lot better overall. So the medicine was good in that it convinced me to get rid of it and all medication and completely recover. I believe people who take Risperdal should be reviewed after 30-50 days or so and given the option to stop taking it and maybe all medication if they have horrible, zombie-like side effects like I did."

• Bri...
• May 6, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I was on this for about 6 months when I was 15. It's the only thing that has worked for me. I was able to go to school. Had great relationships with everyone. Only had one bad mood swing and I was having them every day before I got on it. But I also gained 20 pounds and I could never get enough to eat. I've tried about everything and this was the only thing that helped. It doesn't make you feel funny or blank like a lot of them. But if you eat healthy and can ignore the always wanting something to eat feeling, this is an amazing medicine and will change your life."

• awa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 17, 2018

For Schizophrenia "This is a life-destroying drug. I have anger issues, and this drug was mixed in my food by my family. I couldn't read a book, enjoy music, or watch TV. My thought process became impaired. I suffered from the worst kind of akathisia, endlessly walking for seven months and had suicidal thoughts. I became drowsy, lost all motivation, and couldn't care about anything. I was able to come off it after a great struggle and remained drug-free for eleven years and was able to enjoy all the things I couldn't because of this drug. Unfortunately, however, my siblings have again mixed it in my food as I had to stay with them. All the side effects are back, and life feels like a nightmare devoid of purpose again."

• Smu...
• September 20, 2011

For Autism "My daughter has been on this for several years (started at 0.25mg, worked up to 0.5mg 2x a day) to help with mood/emotion, and to help her move past things when she gets emotionally 'stuck' and there were times when I thought it wasn't really doing much. Then I couldn't get it refilled for a couple days, so she didn't have any before school. They noticed something was different. They called me to ask if there had been a medicine change. Sometimes, you think it isn't working, but at home, things are different than at school. No weight issues: 5', 98lbs."

• ano...
• June 14, 2013

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Risperdal is my miracle. I put on about 30 pounds in the course of 18 months but that is nothing as to the improvement it has made on my mental well being. Gone are the sleepless nights staring at the ceiling, delusions of grandeur, and being overly worried about life's ups and downs. The psychosis has diminished to the point where I no longer need medication to remain stable. If symptoms ever return, I know this is the medication for me. Also no unpleasant side effects from coming off it."

• Ste...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 8, 2020

For Autism "I have such a love-hate relationship with Risperdal. It helped us during a time when my son was in crisis (has OCD), but the thing is, it loses its effectiveness, and we are constantly having to increase or keep him where he is even though it’s not working because weaning off the med is so awful. Honestly, I don’t think the side effects and nightmare of trying to get off this med are worth it, in my opinion."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2017

For Autism "My son is autistic, he is 10 years old. My son's doctor recommended Risperdal for him because of his aggressive behaviors. After 3 months on the medication, he has been more agitated, and he put on 15 pounds. So the doctor wants to increase the medicine. I will not be doing this increased."

• Anonymous
• July 11, 2008

For Social Anxiety Disorder "The best medicine I have ever taken. Usually takes about an hour to work. I take it before bedtime (0.5mg). Restful sleep, but no grogginess in the morning. Just a really great medicine! I would highly recommend it to others!"

• Kin...
• May 29, 2019

For Mania "Couldn't sweat/exercise. I had horrible tardive dyskinesia (flexing my lips all the time), tremors, mood swings, black spots in vision, overheating, overeating, dropped out of college because I could no longer write and even had trouble focusing on simple reading. Then I stopped drinking 6 cups of coffee a day and succumbed to the med, and all it did was put me away for 12+ hours. I couldn't do anything but eat. I thought my life was over. When I came off the drug, even when I tapered, I experienced hallucinations (more black spots, fuzzy vision). A lot of my 'delusions' were fear that I had MS. This phobia ruled my life until all of the Risperdal was out of my system, along with the rebound anxiety with it. Took it for 4 months and gained 70 lbs. I feel like this kind of medication is overprescribed all of the time. I'm back on track with my life now, and I'll never touch another med of this classification again. I feel insulted that someone tried to do this to me."

• Anonymous
• February 19, 2014

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I first went on this medication in March of 2013, and almost a year later, I've had to adjust it 3 times, going up to 4 finally. When I first started, I was sent into a manic-like state for several hours, but after about a week, I started to sleep more than I ever did. I usually only got about 3 hours of sleep each and every night, starting from when I was 12 and up until I started Risperidone, which was when I was 18. It has helped with every single thing that was wrong with me: the delusions, hallucinations, dissociation, and homicidal feelings. I would definitely suggest trying this if you haven't yet. It worked wonders for me."

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2019

For Schizophrenia "I have psychosis NOS (not otherwise specified), and I am currently taking 2 mg once daily. My temperament is better. I am not as easily agitated and sleep better at night. Prior to Risperdal, I had severe insomnia and was easily moved to anger. On the downside, I gained 20 lbs in about 2 months, my affect is flat, and my energy level is very low. I force myself to exercise, but I seem to be experiencing muscle tiredness and some coordination problems. I plan to speak with my doctor for med adjustment."

• MrR...
• October 16, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking this drug for about 5 or 6 years now and it has changed my life. I was showing all the classic signs of bipolar disorder, and after starting this, in less than a day, I was a changed person. My wife says it saved our marriage. I'm on 4 mg now, and if I miss a dose, my wife can tell right away."

• Anonymous
• February 6, 2020

"I was given Risperdal for help with severe anxiety at a 0.5 mg dose, which the doctor said was a very low dose since I mentioned I am super sensitive to medication. He said it was shown to help people with severe anxiety while also taking fluoxetine. Fluoxetine helped me with panic attacks. I still had racing thoughts, negative intrusive thoughts, always scared of everything. I always feel dizzy, but doctors don’t seem to understand why. The doctor did explain that the first 2 weeks I would be extremely tired while the medication adjusts. First dose, sleepy. 2 weeks in, and I had slurred speech. I got more anxiety because I felt slow. The doctor said to get off of it. I did, and next I felt like I had drunk 10 cups of coffee. I couldn't sleep, I couldn’t think, my mind racing a million times worse. I had worse depression, which was horrible. I had to go to the ER to get some sedatives. It finally took about the same 2 weeks for my symptoms to subside, and I felt my body a little relaxed. Also, I feel the risperidone took away the effectiveness of my fluoxetine."

• Cha...
• August 16, 2017

For Schizophrenia "Risperdal has made my life manageable again. I suffer from PTSD and schizophrenia primarily with thought disorder (although I have hallucinated and heard voices). I used to scream in my sleep and thought everyone was trying to kill me. When I started Risperdal, the terrifying thoughts stopped and my behavior returned to normal. I take Risperdal with a combination of gabapentin and Zoloft. I now have a very good job and good relationships with my friends, family, and co-workers. There are downsides to this drug, such as weight gain. I gained a lot of weight the first two years I started taking Risperdal. It is important to note that I have since lost a good bit of the weight I gained."