Risperidone and Depression: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ano...
• October 20, 2016

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "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."

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

For Autism "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."

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

For Schizophrenia "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!!!!"

• Lav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 16, 2017

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "Please avoid this medication at all costs, it is impossible to get off. I have tried twice and ended up in total disaster. The first time I tried to get off it, I ended up completely constipated, and three years later I am still badly constipated. It changed some mechanism responsible for that during withdrawal. The second time I tried to come off it, I ended up with anhedonia, which is an inability to enjoy things. When I look at food now, it's like looking at a rock, no reaction. These drugs cause total dependency, completely change the brain, and cause brain damage and are not the answer. Please just see a shaman/healer and get an auric sweep and clear out the negative entities that cause schizophrenia. It's worked for thousands of years."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 29, 2021

Risperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "This is the only antipsychotic that did not cause me to gain weight. It's also the only antipsychotic I didn't 'feel' (tired, apathetic, no emotions) when I took it. When I was put on doses too high for me, I felt it, but not as strongly as other antipsychotics I've been on in the past. I keep my normal eating habits on this and a normal weight and really go about my day not thinking of it. I feel like my normal self on this and I'm not going to try other antipsychotics because this works for me. Weight gain and apathy were my biggest issues with other antipsychotics in the past, and Risperdal is the only one I've tried that does not cause these side effects in me."

• ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 17, 2022

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I hate this good medicine to my very core. It is a paradox to hate something that is good, but it is the truth. I was hospitalized because I had a couple of episodes, and my family wanted me to get treated. The doctor gave me this along with olanzapine. It was absolutely hell! I was so tired I could not even get out of bed. I had to quit my job, and now I am jobless. I am unable to experience things the way I used to. I have lost interest in music, movies, and life. I do not get those euphoric highs and joy anymore. They have all disappeared apart from this feeling of how I behaved without the drug. I used to behave differently when I was not on the drug, and I have memories of my behavior. I am unable to forget the past no matter how hard I try. It has removed everything that makes up 'me.' But I am constantly told by my family that my quality of life has improved drastically and that I should be thankful to the doctors for they have done so much good to me. It has done wonders, but..."

• Geo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 4, 2019

For Schizoaffective Disorder "Oh my goodness, terrible drug, fine for the first 6 months, then anxiety, no sexual pleasure all gone, made me very tired, I lost all interest in life. Suicidal, depressed, couldn't be bothered to brush my teeth when I woke up as I was too tired, I look and feel like a tramp, it has turned me into a soap dodger, messes with the receptors in the brain. Cigarettes, tea, and coffee, and fast food never tasted the same, no buzz. I wake after 3 or 4 hours of sleep, and I am still having trouble with sleep, staying up all night and sleeping through the day. I have been off it for 2 months now, and I started getting ringing and piercing sounds in the ears after being off it for about 3 weeks, and this could be permanent. Should ban this dangerous drug, don't think I will be able to return to work. Best regards, Lucky."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2014

For Asperger Syndrome "I was put on risperidone to treat my Asperger's syndrome five years ago while I was on a psych ward. I'm not sure if I'm just a one-off case, but the medication made me REALLY depressed. I couldn't enjoy anything while I was taking it. I had to be given Prozac to balance it out. I also gained a huge amount of weight, which I gradually lost after I stopped taking the medication (without any dietary changes whatsoever). On the bright side, it did bring me out of my shell. I was able to get the help I needed from the nurses. Since then, I haven't had any problems even after I stopped taking it. The medication was useful in the long run."

• Oth...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 5, 2021

For Agitation "Incredibly important part of my med regime. This medication eliminates my extreme agitation instantly. It helps a lot with OCD intrusive thoughts and also helped me control my actions better. I was very worried that I would need a long-term hospitalization before I started this med. It’s very good at calming you down when you’re unstable/out of control. The only downside is that it made me a little depressed when I started, although that went away when I started taking an antidepressant. This med also helped me work through some delusions. I do find every six months I need to up my dose, but that hasn’t been a major problem yet as I’m on a very low dose. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s being suggested it, but be warned that when you start it, you may be really sleepy. It goes away after a month. Good to note though that this will affect everyone differently, and I’ve heard some bad stories before."

• T-d...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Risperidone for bipolar disorder for maybe two weeks, after stopping Latuda (it got to be too expensive). I had to stop taking it due to it causing severe depression/mixed episodes and suicidal ideation. It gave me terrible anxiety and insomnia. It made me so dizzy and lightheaded that I would stumble and fall a couple of times and just constantly felt like I was going to pass out. I definitely did not have a good experience, unfortunately. It took several days for these side effects to wear off after stopping the medication."

• Reg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2022

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I only took Risperdal for a short period of time, but within that time I noticed that it was making me feel horribly depressed and out of whack. It also made me gain weight. Once I got off of it, I felt better. Do not recommend this drug for people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or depression."

• Moo...
• March 23, 2016

For Schizophrenia "My brother is on this medication, 8 mg over 24 hours, he takes 5 mg in the morning and 3 mg at night. He has been taking risperidone for just over a year now. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in January 2015. The doctors have prescribed different doses of this medication, however, it is not as effective as it first was. This dose was the highest he has been given compared to other doses throughout the year. He has become very depressed, cannot concentrate well, avoids any social interaction, has some delusions, and he feels like he has no emotion and his brain is blank. So, in conclusion, I think it's time that the doctor changes his medication because it doesn't seem to be working well."

• Moo...
• March 23, 2016

For Schizophrenia "My brother is on this medication, 8 mg over 24 hours, he takes 5 mg in the morning and 3 mg at night. He has been taking risperidone for just over a year now. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in January 2015. The doctors have prescribed different doses of this medication, however, it is not as effective as it first was. This dose was the highest he has been given compared to other doses throughout the year. He has become very depressed, cannot concentrate well, avoids any social interaction, has some delusions, and he feels like he has no emotion and his brain is blank. So, in conclusion, I think it's time that the doctor changes his medication because it doesn't seem to be working well."

• Tha...
• May 18, 2019

For Depression "I don’t like and I do like risperidone. It helped me with some anxiety and some depression, but I would always be drowsy and normally completely emotionless. But I hated feeling sleepy, so I stopped taking them, and my body didn’t like having to naturally deal with emotions and depression. So then I went into a deep depression, but natural remedies for depression are a lot better than risperidone."

• kev...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 5, 2021

For Asperger Syndrome "I have both inattentive ADHD and autism. When I was diagnosed in late 2018, I was happy to try a medication to counteract my irritability. My psychiatrist recommended risperidone (2 mg) every night before bed. It calmed me down a lot at first, but also made me numb and emotionless. When I started this medication, I was a 32' waist, average build, and healthy. After being on it nearly 4 years, I am now a 44' waist, weigh 22.5 stones, and have absolutely no motivation to do anything. The simplest task feels exhausting. I struggled with procrastination before I started this godawful medicine. I sleep for 11 hours per night on average and wake up feeling tired. My appetite didn't increase, but I kept piling on the weight no matter how little I ate. I wish I'd never started it. Working with my doctor to taper off it completely and find another medication. I will also need to work with a health coach fast because I'm concerned about stroke and heart attacks (I'm in my mid-40s!). My advice is DON'T."

• sho...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 11, 2023

"Risperidone totally messed up my sex life. My vagina feels dilated all the time, and my sensual sense has gone. My joints feel sore, and it has left me with depression. I had a very muscular body, and now all my muscles have turned to jelly. I have been taking it for 12 months nonstop and see a big difference. My GP is now changing me to something else as it is known to take your prolactin level high or low, one out the other, either way. I started with a really high sex drive and a good, tight vagina to a loose vagina and barely wanting to have any sexual activities. My partner has stuck by me as he believes everything will go back to normal. I, however, feel the damage is done. I'm supposed to take 3 mg a day, but I only take 2. I haven't been sectioned within the 12 months but would rather have my sex life back, tbh."

• Rak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 28, 2022

For Schizophrenia "My risperidone dosage is 37.5 IM injection. A lot of side effects including depression, anxiety, fatigue, low motivation, and increased hallucination, but it helped me for mania. My nurse injects me with the product every two weeks."

• Rak...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 28, 2022

For Schizophrenia "My risperidone dosage is 37.5 IM injection. A lot of side effects including depression, anxiety, fatigue, low motivation, and increased hallucination, but it helped me for mania. My nurse injects me with the product every two weeks."

• Mel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 9, 2021

For Borderline Personality Disorder "When I first started, I gained a lot of weight. However, after changing my diet, it calmed down, and I started losing again. It works really well for most of all my side effects: dissociation, delusions, aggression, and depression. Just be very careful of what foods you eat and try to stick to a healthy diet. I was suddenly able to go throughout the day without the urge to hurt myself for almost the first time in my life. Truly great."

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar II, and I have been taking 0.5 mg 1x a day of risperidone. It has calmed my irritability, and my thinking seems more organized. I definitely noticed an immediate difference. It addressed not mood as much as thinking and perception. For mood, I take Lamictal and started taking Topamax also just to combat the weight gain from the risperidone. The weight gain is miserable, and that depresses me. (I was originally on lithium, but that affected my thyroid adversely, and although it had a good effect otherwise, it also 'flattened out' my mood to such an extent that I felt really blah.)"

• rob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 27, 2019

For Depression "Very bad medicine. Please never use this medicine. It will increase your depression and fatigue."

• Ddd...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 20, 2020

For Schizophrenia "This drug made me depressed even though it took care of the hallucinations and delusions. I’m remembering my horrible past all the time and resting the whole day."

• Sin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 26, 2018

For Borderline Personality Disorder "Worst drug I've ever been on. It increased my appetite a lot, I was like an addict of food. It made me more depressed and anxious. I stopped taking it a week after."

• Cla...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 6, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "This drug, risperidone, is absolutely the worst one I have ever taken for my bipolar. Made me feel very anxious and depressed. I will never recommend it. I hate this drug so much."