Risperidone and Hallucinations: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Kat...
• March 28, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Just took this for the first time 2 days ago at 2 mg. I only took it one time and will NEVER take it ever again. I gradually got less and less in control over my mind and body. I was screaming uncontrollably and rocking and jumping uncontrollably. (The worst mental experience I've had before that is depressive episodes and anger episodes, and I was always somewhat in control.) My heart beat so hard and fast I felt like I was having a heart attack, and I couldn't breathe well, so we called 911. The EMTs said everything was normal, but my heart beat was elevated. I was fully convinced I was dead or dying and hallucinated I was trapped in a cave, and I could feel myself being squeezed by the rocks. I'm not religious, but I pray to God I never go through that again. This lasted 4 hours, then I was able to rest a bit, but not sleep. Today I still feel shaken by the effects of risperidone and anxiety that that would happen again. I also take Wellbutrin, lithium, Lamictal, and spironolactone."

• fit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I was on Risperidone for 5 weeks, the first 2 weeks were a struggle, but by the end of the month, it had really tackled my anxiety and hallucinations. It did make my paranoia really bad for a week, but apart from that, I was starting to feel okay again. I had to stop as I started to lactate, and as a 20-year-old, I found it quite distressing, so I was swapped to aripiprazole. I hope this one works as well as Risperidone did!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 11, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "So, a couple of years back, I was admitted into the hospital unit for extreme depression and anxiety. I was admitted for 3 days and was prescribed risperidone. This medication made me go absolutely crazy. I thought I was hearing/seeing things that weren't there, hallucinations, etc. So, I gave it a chance and there were no changes, so I had to go off the medication. My body did not need the medication, and I was only in the hospital for the extreme depression/anxiety, and did not know this medication was an antipsychotic, the psychiatrist made a mistake. Not all medications are for everyone, but I would not go back on this medication if you paid me to. Scary what some meds can do!"

• Jja...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 29, 2020

For Head Injury "I was hit in the head and then smoked weed afterwards. After that, I couldn’t even drive, I just went to sleep. Time passed and I find myself having psychosis, superhuman behavior. Needless to say, I was taken to the hospital after it persisted for about three days. That was five years ago. Today I’m doing good on risperidone, but I don’t know what would happen if I went off it. I think I was misdiagnosed, as a head injury can have some of the same effects as schizophrenia form or affective. The marijuana did not help, as I do not know how strong it was."

• Slo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2021

For Depression "I had asked for a lithium-like category of mood stabilizer and was prescribed risperidone. I still question what motivated my prescriber. Within five days, I was exhibiting novel symptoms (delusions about how the ocean was a metaphor for my deceased parent); two days after that, I was fully psychotic, with paranoid components to boot. I spent the next two years mending my fractured life. It was, hands down, the worst period of my existence. Please, be cautious with this medication. It is one of the more robust antipsychotics on the market, and any off-label use must be evaluated very carefully."

• Slo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2021

For Depression "I had asked for a lithium-like category of mood stabilizer and was prescribed risperidone. I still question what motivated my prescriber. Within five days, I was exhibiting novel symptoms (delusions about how the ocean was a metaphor for my deceased parent); two days after that, I was fully psychotic, with paranoid components to boot. I spent the next two years mending my fractured life. It was, hands down, the worst period of my existence. Please, be cautious with this medication. It is one of the more robust antipsychotics on the market, and any off-label use must be evaluated very carefully."

• Slo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 14, 2021

For Depression "I had asked for a lithium-like category of mood stabilizer and was prescribed risperidone. I still question what motivated my prescriber. Within five days, I was exhibiting novel symptoms (delusions about how the ocean was a metaphor for my deceased parent); two days after that, I was fully psychotic, with paranoid components to boot. I spent the next two years mending my fractured life. It was, hands down, the worst period of my existence. Please, be cautious with this medication. It is one of the more robust antipsychotics on the market, and any off-label use must be evaluated very carefully."

• 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."

• tik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Risperidone reduced delusional thoughts by 50%. Still had rampant hallucinations and paranoia. At least it made me able to walk into public. Turns you into a log, though, with that zombie metal heavy sedation."

• tik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Risperidone reduced delusional thoughts by 50%. Still had rampant hallucinations and paranoia. At least it made me able to walk into public. Turns you into a log, though, with that zombie metal heavy sedation."

• sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 26, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "I used 1 mg risperidone for about 2.5 years daily and hallucinated voices removed. From last year, real voices vanished, but I felt that someone was doing telepathy on my mind and talking to me in two or three different voices. They talk only negative things about me, that something bad is going to happen. However, risperidone tablets are not able to treat me completely. I removed this medicine from the last five months and problems started again. I gained weight from 45 kg to 57 kg. Even now, I eat very little, but risperidone does increase your weight. It's a lifetime medicine for auditory and visual hallucination. There is no permanent treatment for hallucination. I wish medical science developed enough to treat schizophrenia."

• Mun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 1, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "The shrink prescribed Risperdal 3 mg a day, then had me come off it. I had withdrawal symptoms of fear and panic attacks, so I overdosed and took 20 pills of 3 mg, then started hallucinating, then attempted suicide but was arrested by police. They did a procedure in the hospital while I was passed out."

• Asi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2022

For Schizophrenia "So I started taking the medication 2 years ago. In the beginning, it helps well with hallucinations, paranoid thoughts, and delusions. But it changes your whole brain chemistry. Well, I have always been emotionless, but now I really don’t care about anything. It causes me to feel like a zombie and causes me to be tired. My sex drive is normal. It causes breast milk and weight gain, but I exercise now, so the 40 pounds I gained are gone. And I’m sad because I wanted to gain weight. It causes anxiety, tremors, and causes me to move around a lot. I am different, I used to be so happy, now I’m not at all. It also makes me drowsy. I think about the past a lot and feel as if life is passing me by because of the brain fog. I am 21 and hope to get off of it by the time I’m 23. But the withdrawal effects make me worrisome. I also don’t want the psychosis to come back, but I think I’m good and can control and recognize it. I miss the old me so much, man. I’d give anything to go back."

• Asi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2022

For Schizophrenia "So I started taking the medication 2 years ago. In the beginning, it helps well with hallucinations, paranoid thoughts, and delusions. But it changes your whole brain chemistry. Well, I have always been emotionless, but now I really don’t care about anything. It causes me to feel like a zombie and causes me to be tired. My sex drive is normal. It causes breast milk and weight gain, but I exercise now, so the 40 pounds I gained are gone. And I’m sad because I wanted to gain weight. It causes anxiety, tremors, and causes me to move around a lot. I am different, I used to be so happy, now I’m not at all. It also makes me drowsy. I think about the past a lot and feel as if life is passing me by because of the brain fog. I am 21 and hope to get off of it by the time I’m 23. But the withdrawal effects make me worrisome. I also don’t want the psychosis to come back, but I think I’m good and can control and recognize it. I miss the old me so much, man. I’d give anything to go back."

• Hud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2021

"I was involuntarily hospitalized due to the daily use of cannabis that caused me to hallucinate and have delusions. I was put on this drug by force and really wanted to go home. By taking this drug, I have turned into a zombie-like state, gained 45 pounds and severe stretch marks, and was told that I have bipolar type 2. I quit cold turkey after 1 month of nightmare in the psych ward and developed seizures, involuntary head movement, was unable to read, write, and even express myself. The mental hospital is worse than jail, and if you don't take your meds, they will put you in there for a very long time until you get yourself a lawyer. 10 months later, I do not have any symptoms of bipolar disorder, had any hallucinations or any delusions, not even going back into psychosis. I 100% know that it was the weed that caused this, and this drug was totally unnecessary to me. I still have involuntary movements of my head going back and forth, and I am currently seeking a lawyer for this misdiagnosis."

• Hud...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2021

"I was involuntarily hospitalized due to the daily use of cannabis that caused me to hallucinate and have delusions. I was put on this drug by force and really wanted to go home. By taking this drug, I have turned into a zombie-like state, gained 45 pounds and severe stretch marks, and was told that I have bipolar type 2. I quit cold turkey after 1 month of nightmare in the psych ward and developed seizures, involuntary head movement, was unable to read, write, and even express myself. The mental hospital is worse than jail, and if you don't take your meds, they will put you in there for a very long time until you get yourself a lawyer. 10 months later, I do not have any symptoms of bipolar disorder, had any hallucinations or any delusions, not even going back into psychosis. I 100% know that it was the weed that caused this, and this drug was totally unnecessary to me. I still have involuntary movements of my head going back and forth, and I am currently seeking a lawyer for this misdiagnosis."

• blu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 9, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I've been taking risperidone for a long time, and I say it's great. This medication puts me to sleep for 6 hours, then I fall back asleep at 2 am to 5 am. My doctor prescribed me this medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She doesn't really answer my questions, though. She suggested I take this medication for a lifelong duration to help my delusions and hallucinations. I sometimes feel like someone is grabbing my hand. The last time when I was in Hawaii, I saw the scariest looking thing I ever saw and hid under my bed. Then something flew into my hand that forced me to grab, I couldn't see for myself what it was, and I'm not sure, and it was gone in about a minute. Glad it never happened again, because I don't want creepy things happening to me. Guys, eat healthy, because you know what the cost is."

• blu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 9, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I've been taking risperidone for a long time, and I say it's great. This medication puts me to sleep for 6 hours, then I fall back asleep at 2 am to 5 am. My doctor prescribed me this medication for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She doesn't really answer my questions, though. She suggested I take this medication for a lifelong duration to help my delusions and hallucinations. I sometimes feel like someone is grabbing my hand. The last time when I was in Hawaii, I saw the scariest looking thing I ever saw and hid under my bed. Then something flew into my hand that forced me to grab, I couldn't see for myself what it was, and I'm not sure, and it was gone in about a minute. Glad it never happened again, because I don't want creepy things happening to me. Guys, eat healthy, because you know what the cost is."

• Gin...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 3, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I had really low blood pressure with risperidone. It also causes me to rock back and forth a lot. It sure does shut me up, though I get really paranoid someone wants to hurt me. I noticed it calms me down enough to go hide in the bathroom quietly without disturbing the neighbors. I block the door with my refrigerator and watch these cool movies on YouTube."

• 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."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I started out on 1 mg and have moved up to 5 mg since having a recent mania with hallucinations. I'm still feeling manic and hearing music and sirens with paranoia. I wish my stability had returned with the steep increase in dose. I'm giving this only a 5 because I don't know yet if it's going to work for me."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I started out on 1 mg and have moved up to 5 mg since having a recent mania with hallucinations. I'm still feeling manic and hearing music and sirens with paranoia. I wish my stability had returned with the steep increase in dose. I'm giving this only a 5 because I don't know yet if it's going to work for me."

• Anonymous
• March 5, 2010

Risperidone for Autism "Helped with the behaviors, but the side effects were swollen throat, heavy feeling in limbs, facial tics, hearing voices. Be careful and monitor your child closely if your child is on this medication."

• Way...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 11, 2017

For Anxiety "I took this medication for about 5-6 years. I eventually had to stop taking it because, ironically, it made my anxiety horribly worse and it caused the start of my paranoia."

• Sni...
• October 6, 2016

For Schizoaffective Disorder "This medication made me sicker, never fall for the lies, it gave me hallucinations when I never had them. Bad choice, doctor."