Risperidone and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Jam...
• June 12, 2020

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Tah...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 28, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I got insomnia on risperidone. I used it for two months and when I stopped taking it, my insomnia didn't go away. Now it's 3 months since I quit risperidone and I still have severe insomnia. No medicine helps me to sleep. I cry all day and night. I hate my life. I wish I could sleep an hour. When I do sleep, it's just a few minutes and I wake up. I wish I was dead. Do not take this stuff. Think if there is a chance you change your brain to be insomniac forever and suffer the rest of your life, would you take the chance? Please, I beg you, don't do this to yourself. Learn from me."

• mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2019

For Anxiety "This drug should be the last choice, once you have tried all others. I don't recommend it. I was on 4 mg at night, and it made me sleep and eat better, but when you come off it, it's a nightmare. I'm lucky if I sleep 4 hrs a night, and the anxiety is worse than when I started. I was and am still on it now for 2 and a half years. I'm thankfully down to 1 mg at night. I can't wait to get off it. Slowly my sex drive and emotions are coming back. I don't feel like as much of a zombie. Also, I have more energy."

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

Risperidone 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."

• BBP...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2016

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "Was only on 2 mg of Risperdal for two months. While it did handle my moods and anger outbursts almost completely, it did nothing to help with insomnia, which should have been my clue that it was too activating for me. A month after starting this med, I started having heart palpitations (I've never had a heart problem) that continued to get worse until I had been to the ER twice, family doctor once, with an appointment scheduled with a cardiologist, legitimately thinking something major was wrong. Two doctors suggested that Risperdal could be causing it, so I began tapering. Two weeks later, I am completely off the Risperdal, back on Zyprexa, and my heart is fine now. Very scary for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 24, 2023

For Schizophrenia "Really awful drug! It made my legs very rigid, and I had Parkinson-type symptoms. I also had difficulty sleeping. I would fall asleep easily, but I would wake up every night, and I couldn't fall back asleep no matter what I tried."

• Gor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2024

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "After trying 3 or 4 SSRIs and last using Zoloft for 6 weeks, my mania was horrific. As a last-ditch effort, I decided to go on Risperdal due to my sister having been on it for years. I started with a 0.5 dosage, and it changed my life the 1st day and immediately calmed me down. It has been causing me insomnia somewhat, so I'm starting to take it during the day instead of before bed. I have noticed that it increased my appetite for food, so I have to keep that in mind and don't deviate from my usual eating routines. It miraculously is taking away almost all of my OCD, which was my biggest problem in life. Don't be scared of all the bad side effects you may read on different sites, because all meds have those and they may not affect you like that."

• 1ti...
• April 4, 2011

Risperidone for Autism "This medication was given to my son by an ARNP who swears by it. My son cries for no reason, does not help him sleep but makes him eat like a bear, and he is argumentative about everything whenever he takes this. He needs help sleeping, but there has got to be something else more effective for him with fewer side effects."

• Mum...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2016

For Autism "Son is 7 and has Asperger's and ADHD and, from 2.5 years of age, suffered from terrible tantrums. Also can be highly volatile and aggressive. Has been taking Concerta for just over a year. Initially, the Ritalin helped to calm him, but the aggression remained, and the rebound effects were awful as the Ritalin wore off. I refused to give more Ritalin as my boy became underweight and had trouble falling asleep. We have been taking risperidone for only three weeks, and a lot of the aggression has gone. He is having better, calmer days at school, and appetite is increasing. He still takes a minimum dosage of Concerta."

• lil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2025

For Anxiety "I started taking risperidone for anxiety recently, after trying 20+ meds for it without success. The first week was rough. I got a cold, experienced insomnia, had restless legs, and felt very unmotivated. I wanted to give up, but I decided to give it a chance. The 1-week mark has now passed, and all of my side effects have gone away. I feel calm, stable, and functional. I currently take 0.5 mg once nightly and plan to go up to 1 mg. This is the best med I've tried for anxiety. It's not for everyone, but it's worth giving it a chance; don't give up if you're struggling at first."

• Mik...
• May 21, 2017

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "I switched from Seroquel to risperidone 6 months ago. I had gained 100 lbs over 10 years on Seroquel and have lost about 20 lbs so far since switching. My constant rage and aggression are gone, it's great not to be furiously psychotic all day. On the minus side, I can't get enough sleep, I have no motivation or energy, and depression has spiked. I may try an antidepressant along with risperidone and a smaller dose (I started on 2 mg, just cut to 1.5 and would like to get to 1 mg or under). I tried going from 2 mg to 1 mg previously on my own, and it was hell - massive anxiety and depression."

• ing...
• January 19, 2020

For Depression "I have MDD. I was prescribed 0.25 mg risperidone that evolved to 0.5 mg and 15 mg escitalopram. Risperidone was supposed to augment the effects of escitalopram and help me sleep - light sleep, difficulty falling asleep. I report the effects of risperidone, assuming that the change in mood (improved) is due to escitalopram. It helps me a lot! I didn't know I slept so badly. Finally, my nights recharge my batteries. I didn't gain weight or have an increase in my appetite. I run 40 min/day and care about what I eat. I did it before and kept doing it. I even lost 2 kg that I wanted for some time (controlling the diet). I changed from escitalopram to bupropion (150 mg) due to side effects and considered stopping risperidone. I did it for 2 nights, but it was no good. Now I'm with 150 mg bupropion in the morning and 0.5 mg risperidone in the evening. It's so good to feel like a normal person again! But therapy is as important for me as I managed to understand my dysfunctional behavior that (I believe) led me to MDD."

• Rag...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 26, 2020

Risperidone for Autism "Awful. Took it for 4 months. Doctor justified giving me this drug after I had a mere hx of “instructive thoughts.” It made me throw up when it hit my system. It made me shake. It took away my motivation for several years. It made me gain 50 lbs that I struggle to lose. Made me have mood swings and my first ever psychotic episode. When it “ran out,” it unlocked a whole new level of anxiety I never experienced before. Drove me to insomnia and I struggle to sleep without an anti-psychotic since. Had to drink several Red Bulls and smoke cigarettes just to function. Since I’ve been off the meds, I don’t need cigs or Red Bulls. Have been nicotine-free for three years! Screw this horrible drug. Made me hyperventilate when walking. Caused me to have circulatory problems, breast-like growths, and gout. All improved when I got off this medicine."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "My doctor put me on Risperidone to help control my manias. I am also taking Lamotrigine, Escitalopram, and Lithium to control depression, anxiety, and to stabilize moods, respectively. Even with those three medications, I was still experiencing a lot of agitation, feelings of too much energy, inability to hold still, pressured speech and racing thoughts, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of being out of control. Rather than putting me on the daily dose, my doctor has me taking it as needed. Whenever I feel manic symptoms spiraling upward, I take 1 - 4 mg depending on what I feel is necessary, and it always works perfectly, calming my manic symptoms within 15 - 60 minutes and helping me sleep. It's a lifesaver."

• 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."

• Sha...
• July 24, 2017

For Anxiety "I loved my life after taking these drugs. I couldn't sleep well and had severe anxiety. Along with taking these medications, the psychologist helped me relieve my anxiety. Plus, I was given the proper diet plan with it and some other medicines to improve my anxiety."

• si1...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 16, 2016

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "I've been on this 8 months. It seems okay. Took the psychotic symptoms away, but getting palpitations, body temperature issues, too hot and too cold, eating a lot more, slowed my metabolism down, insomnia, and flu-type symptoms. I do feel 80% better than what I did, just constant worry about possible side effects."

• 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."

• Bip...
• December 6, 2020

Risperidone for Mania "I have just started taking Risperdal. I'm 5 days in, was taking 2 mg first 2 days, but side effects were really intense for me, so I've dropped to 1 mg. Side effects for me are not being able to sleep. Other than during severe anxiety attacks, I never had sleep issues. There's this strange thing with my eyes which is hard to explain... I have blurred vision but also a kind of 'eyeball pain' if that makes sense, kind of uncontrollable movement. Anyway, I'm hoping all of this subsides, as just in the past 5 days, my paranoia (which was getting increasingly out of control, to the point I couldn't even check my mailbox) has lightened a lot! My anxiety levels have decreased, I'm still obsessing a little, but overall I feel better mentally."

• 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."

• Man...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 15, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "Took this for mania in bipolar disorder. I can say that it helped with mania, but it did so in a way that was disabling in other parts of my brain. I could not be still with my feet, I always had an urge to move and shuffle my feet. I was always tired and exhausted despite getting 8+ hours of sleep. One side benefit: my nervous habits of picking my fingers, bouncing my foot, or biting my fingers were totally gone. This drug also caused some insomnia, which required me to take another drug to help with sleeping. This is probably the worst drug I have tried in relation to bipolar."

• Cca...
• March 30, 2018

For Mania "Not good. I'm having severe sleep problems after being taken off quetiapine due to rare side effects of irritability. Slower thought process, but I have trouble remembering who I was before, nothing feels anything. I literally have no emotions left in me. Currently on 1.5 mg twice a day. Messing me up big time."

• Kim...
• December 2, 2011

For Bipolar Disorder "I noticed my bipolar disorder around puberty. It took years of trying and waiting out different kinds of medications. Three years later, I found the right ones after serious depression, rage, and manic episodes. Including suicidal thoughts, hurting people, and self in bouts of serious rage. For seven years, I've been taking 20 mg Lexapro for depression, 120 mg Lamictal for mania, and 0.25 mg risperidone to help me chill and sleep at night. It's worked great. But lately, I've been having terrifying nightmares and trouble sleeping, so I was just prescribed 0.5 mg of risperidone."

• 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."

• pho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2017

For Schizoaffective Disorder "My mother was prescribed risperidone for a mood disorder at 81. It was a godsend, she was a nuisance living on her own in the community and thought she was in witness protection for something she couldn't really explain. It settled her down and made her more approachable. The only problem was she didn't sleep and used to call out to the staff all night and disturb everyone. She still has her good and bad days, but overall it was beneficial, and we can reason with her these days, where prior she would just tell us all to get knicked."