Risperdal User Reviews & Ratings

• BrittC
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 1, 2013

For Autism "My son is almost 4 he is autistic and his violent rage got completely out of control his pediatrician perscribed Risperidone for him about a week ago and so far the results have been mind blowing. He is on 1mL once daily he has had minimal side effects (tremors, fatigue) however the aggression, outbursts, meltdowns and violence has ceased completely. He is also non-verbal and I do not know if this medicine is a contributing factor but in the last week alone my son has started repeating words and even sang his ABC's out of no where. This has been a God send for us!"

• Lowell
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "Yesterday I requested an emergency call from my Psychiatrist and she called this pill in because I was in a severe manic episode. I didn’t think it would work. Nothing has. Then the insurance didn’t pay for it. I was ready to go to a psych hospital at this point. Luckily I had a little bit of money and the pharmacy let me partially fill it because the effects are amazing. Literally stopped my manic episode dead in its tracks and two hours later I was feeling amazing! Like I said I was in such a bad manic episode and I have extreme anxiety too so I was literally ready to admit myself into a hospital and just give up on life altogether. But I’m self employed and own a business and I’m moving next week so I really didn’t want to wind up in a hospital or worse in jail for doing something crazy! This drug may have just saved my life altogether!"

• Joejoe
• August 23, 2014

For Autism "My son was on risperidone at 4 years old for aggression associated with Autism. This medication has changed his life. No more aggression and very happy. He is now 8 and doing great. We did attempt to take him off to see if he still needed the medication at age 7 and all his past behaviors, hitting, kicking, swearing, crying came back immediately. With my son we could not miss a dose and has to be given at the same time each day. He is now on 3x per day 0.5 given at school by nurse for afternoons. He has had no major side effects. He is very tall and very skinny. When he first got on the medication he became overweight, we changed his diet to more fruit and protein and the weight came off quickly. Highly recommend this medication."

• Sweet...
• September 30, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "Risperidone has really helped me. I used to be either depressed or manic. My thoughts are clear and my mood is stable now. I would like to mention that I have not gain a single pound on this drug. Always, always, always... take this right before you lay down at night to go to sleep. Take this pill, then lay down and go to bed. That way, you will sleep your way through the munchies. I take it as though it is a sleeping pill and it works for me.. I just wanted to share, in hopes that this will help someone else, struggling with weight gain."

• Ara
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 10, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Risperidone saved my life. Before it, I was suffering from delusions and I was paranoid all the time. But ever since being put on 2mg, all the delusions have stopped and I can function like a normal human being. I've had no side effects whatsoever. I was scared of starting risperidone because of all the negative reviews but it is honestly the best antipsychotic I have tried (and I've tried three). I haven't put on weight, I haven't got an increased appetite, I am not drowsy, I am not lazy or zombie like and I am not lactating."

• Anonymous
• June 29, 2011

For Autism "My son became aggressive when he hit puberty (age 11), so the psychiatrist put him on this. For the first 2 months I was happy with the results. But his aggression started increasing, and he became extremely aggressive over the next year. His psychiatrist attributed it to rising male hormones and kept increasing the dosage, until my son was on 8 mg/day. I finally had to have my son hospitalized, as he was a danger to me and others. I was fed up, so I changed psychiatrists. She prescribed Abilify, but it took weeks to wean my son off the Risperdal. However, once he was off it, he became the lovely boy he used to be. Every child is different, so keep that in mind!"

• Jdano
• February 1, 2020

"This medication literally ruined my life I use to be outgoing and social but now I'm just really silent. It makes me feel really depressed and anxious lost passion for the things I love like music writing used to study finance but now I lost my drive to study I wanna know do the side effects go away or is it permanent and does it also make anyone else quiet to the point where it ruins your life"

• James
• June 12, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "Hello, my name is James and I have Bipolar type 1 disorder. I take 1200mg of lithium, 1mg of Risperdal, and 25mg of Quetiapine. When I initially started the Risperdal, it fired me up with the same effects that I’ve experienced on previous occasions with antidepressants. It also began to mess with my sleeping pattern. For example, I would constantly be waking up two hours before my scheduled time. The good news, however, is that these side effects which I endured were short-lived, and after 3 weeks, they settled down. Any issues that I had previously encountered with regards to psychotic features : Hearing voices and talking to myself excessively, impulsivity, and anxiety all seemed to vanish from the face of my earth."

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2011

For Asperger Syndrome "Our son has ADHD and Aspergers and often lost his temper and was irritable. We started him on 0.25mg of Risperdal each morning for 2 weeks and he is happy and sleeps better. To see him smiling and happy is worth it."

• orca
• October 26, 2019

For Autism "I was given this horrific drug risperdal at 14 years old because my anger was out of control. I had an eating disorder and gained over 20 pounds in 2 or 3 weeks despite starving myself. The weight kept piling on. I was very uncomfortable and couldn't get used to it. I makes me angry that mentally ill people are expected to just live with the uncontrollable weight gain for the sake of mental health. I felt like I was constantly in a fog. I could barely understand or react to anything anyone was saying, I had uncontrollable jerky tics. My night terrors got way worse. I fought my parents tooth and nail to get off this drug. They tried to hide it in my food and drinks but I seen pieces and grinds of it every time. After a few weeks I stopped taking it. I found out later the tics and movement problems can be permanent if you stay on these types of drugs for long. I'm not sure how long though. Doctors kept trying to push anti-psychotics on me and I flat-out refused."

• Dad
• September 26, 2013

For Autism "My 4 year old takes 0.5mg dissolvable tablets twice a day. It has helped a little with sleep, but more with aggression. The pharmacy changed it to a off name brand, he's aggression got 3 times worse. He's doctor switched it to name brand and he was back to normal. I was told that this is common with some off brands. We can't believe there's that big a difference."

• Anonymous
• June 16, 2009

For Schizophrenia "I used to hear voices on a daily basis, especially when I was near a fan or running water, the noise turned into words. Since I have been on Risperdal I have had a significant decrease in the voices to where they are almost gone. If I don't get any sleep or I am really stressed out the voices come back, so I try to get plenty of sleep and avoid stressful situations. I give Risperdal an A . The first week on Risperdal I was extremely sleepy. It was really hard to wake up, but now I am fine and my body has adapted to the medication. You should try it. The peace of mind I get from Risperdal is priceless. I used to think my thoughts were being broadcast out loud and now my own thoughts are much quieter."

• Mommy...
• May 26, 2019

For Asperger Syndrome "My son was given risperidone at ~age 6. Took it for 2 weeks. He became a blob. Sure, the teachers loved it. He was sweet, not hyper, easy to manage. Downside? Yeah, he was a blob of a kid just sitting there dull as can be and then on his tiny frame gained TEN POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS. Two. He couldn't even put his jeans on! OMG. I took him off of it... and he was back to being hyper, laughing, fun but annoying. So, suck it up, teachers. He just is what he is. Needless to say today, a few years later, after ABA therapy and other therapy he's just fine. Stay away. I also found out that Risperdal causes boys to sprout breasts and lactate. The next psych we had said NEVER put a boy on that medication... they grow breasts. So yeah, not a good med for us."

• gatinha
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I've tried a lot of different meds, my favorite by far is Lamictal but it stopped working after 10 years. I started risperidone a year ago. It makes me calm, I hardly get angry, I have no anxiety, and I have not had an episode since I started it. I feel great on it in general. The down side -- It makes me lazy, I'm so chill now that I'm totally comfortable just sitting on the couch. I feel relaxed and balanced but without the anxiety I have no reason to get up and "run it off". The biggest and worst issue I have with it is the damn weight gain. I've always been super fit and thin but now I have a belly that I just can't get rid of. If the it didn't work so well for my mood I would get off of it immediately to lose my weight. I would still recommend it and I won't be stopping it anytime soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 11, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I feel calm all of the time. With the exception of some grave disaster, nothing gets me down. I feel normal for the first time. I haven't gained any weight either. Sometimes I do get the munchies. When this happens, I eat a bunch of grapes, celery or fat free/sugar free pudding made with fat free milk. You don't have to gain weight. I gave it a 9 because I don't like how sedating it is."

• James
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 21, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Risperdal saved my life. I was hospitalized two times with psychosis and this is what they gave me. It took a few weeks to really kick in. At first I was tired. I have been on the med for almost five years now. I am able to live a normal life although I still have some depression. I take 4mg risperdal which I just increased from 3mg because at times I would have mild hallucinations or delusions when tired or the like. They are almost non existent now, really just coming on if I have caffeine. I did gain weight but not meaningfully so. The trick is to watch your calories and exercise as much as possible. I would recommend trying this for severe psychosis. I also take 600mg lithium which seems to help my mood. I like to think that the lithium helps the brain from the damage risperdal can cause. Without risperdal I wouldn't be here by now. Everyday is a blessing and a gift!"

• somat...
• March 20, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "This has to be the best medication (at least for me) for bipolar disorder, paranoia and anxiety. I have had bipolar episodes since my teens, now in my 30s and every time I have a bipolar episode, this medication almost works instantly, and what I mean by works instantly is snaps me out of my mania and unwanted thoughts quickly. It does take a few weeks to work fully but if you are someone who suffers from bad mania, this is the right medication for you. Luckily, I did not experience bad side effects from this medication. I have had some muscle stiffness in my neck, some twitching and muscle spasms and slight weight gain. Also, my menstrual cycle was thrown off. Also, it helped my somatic symptoms and I was able to live my life again A+++med"

• LRS
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2015

For Autism "I have recently started my 25 yo son with autism Risperdal. He has taken it when he was 13, but due to the combination of anti depressants and no improvement in his violent behaviour we stopped, but he did improve verbally. After he refused to take anti depressants after 9 months of treatment with improvement made, he deteriorated over the next 7 months, We insisted he try Risperdal, immediate improvement, 3 weeks in and he is more verbal and calmer with no more aggression. He is sweet and happier again."

• batch
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2017

For Autism "Honestly this medication was awful and the doctor who prescribed it failed to mention that it made it impossible to think. I think it's abusive to give this medication out for people who are not schizophrenic. It's just another way for people to take away autonomy and to force us autistic people into harmful therapies that deny us our humanity."

• Schmi...
• April 24, 2008

For Autism "This drug changed my life. It turned down my emotions just enough (I'm on .5mg) that I could actually function in normal society. Thanks to it, I am now in college (when I was diagnosed at 16 I was failing half my courses) and doing phenomenally well. I can't say this will work for everyone, but I must say it's exactly what I needed. Thank you Janssen Pharmaceutical, you have given me a future."

• Bobby...
• January 18, 2018

For Autism "I have grown breasts from this pill. I swear if they don't take me off this I'm gonna cry. I take a 10mg tablet and my chest size has grown and Im skinny. I'm only 18. Why can’t autism be more important researching for a cure then cancer."

• LSano
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 16, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "Risperdal was the first medication I ever tried for my bipolar type one and it was awful. They started me out on 8mg which is unusually high, it kept me from being manic or depressed but also completely stopped me from being able to feel any emotion. I was a zombie. I honestly felt like if my best friend died I'd feel absolutely nothing, it was that bad. Would not recommend, my current psychiatrist also says she hates Risperdal if that helps any."

• puppy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 20, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I was admitted to the hospital and prescribed Risperdal. I recently went from 3mg to 2mg. I've been having really bad swallowing issues on this med and we're hoping the lower dose helps with this. Otherwise a great medicine for me I've been active in the community and able to control some of my unusual thoughts. I would recommend this medication, but be cautious of the side effects. I've been on the med for 2 years now. I gained 40lbs and remarkably I was able to lose 50lbs since starting Risperdal."

• Skyberg
• June 10, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I've never had anything that helped my extreme anger and irritability. This has. I've had very minimal side effects. I finally feel "normal" after being on fifteen different medicines over the duration of ten years."

• Anonymous
• June 6, 2008

For Bipolar Disorder "This medicine is the best thing that ever happened to me. I had tried several medicines over the years and nothing helped what I thought was stress and anxiety. After I had my baby at 27 I thought I was worse than ever and assumed I had Postpartum Depression. I was surprised to be diagnosed as bi-polar. The medicine worked right away and I have never been happier. I am a better person, mother and wife now."