Risperidone and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 2, 2018

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "Can't play sports anymore on med. Can't think straight. Constantly tired. Don't even have enough drive to bathe myself. This drug suppresses me in all aspects. The schizophrenia isn't even that bad in comparison to this. It's torture being on this. One day society will see how bad we were mistreated."

• Mom...
• May 26, 2019

Risperidone for Asperger Syndrome "My son was given risperidone at age 6. He took it for 2 weeks. He became a blob. Sure, the teachers loved it. He was sweet, not hyper, and easy to manage. The downside? Yeah, he was a blob of a kid just sitting there, dull as can be, and then on his tiny frame, he 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, and 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 psychiatrist we had said NEVER put a boy on that medication... they grow breasts. So yeah, not a good medication for us."

• gat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 14, 2020

Risperidone 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 downside is that 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 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."

• Jam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 21, 2019

Risperidone 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 medication for almost five years now. I am able to live a normal life, although I still have some depression. I take 4 mg of Risperdal, which I just increased from 3 mg 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 600 mg of lithium, which seems to help my mood. I like to think that the lithium helps protect the brain from the damage Risperdal can cause. Without Risperdal, I wouldn't be here by now. Every day is a blessing and a gift!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 11, 2020

For Schizophrenia "I’m helpless as I can’t think anymore. There is no more excitement! There was a time when I’d feel happy about nature. I loved going for walks, when I was in London, I’d go out. I was in bliss. Suddenly I’m sinking... it’s helping me so much by removing psychotic thoughts (all gone), yet it’s ruining my happiness. I ask: Is there an alternative? I want my happiness back, I want to be able to exercise again, I don’t want that fear of going out, I want to be able to think as I read... I’ve lost interest in movies, music, studies, and sports. Has anyone felt so tired on it? Has anyone been sprawled on bed like me the whole day doing nothing?"

• dra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 9, 2020

For Depression "So I was admitted to the psychiatric ward of an Indian hospital; I’m an Indian male; and was given this drug, risperidone, to help me with psychosis. The first few days were a nightmare. I was restless, and I wanted to move all the time. I gained weight on my legs during the second week. I felt lethargic throughout. I was put on 8 mg of liquid and felt absolutely horrible. The feeling was so bad that I can’t even describe it. But my mind was being put under control. The audiovisual hallucinations were disappearing fast. I have to admit that after eight months and after being put on 2 mg, my psychosis has vanished. Yet the hallucinations were not the problem anymore - the inactivity, laziness, and lethargic feeling were. I’ve got three months left, and I’m so used to doing nothing that I wonder whether I’ll be able to move again. I’m always on my bed!"

• dra...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 9, 2020

For Depression "So I was admitted to the psychiatric ward of an Indian hospital; I’m an Indian male; and was given this drug, risperidone, to help me with psychosis. The first few days were a nightmare. I was restless, and I wanted to move all the time. I gained weight on my legs during the second week. I felt lethargic throughout. I was put on 8 mg of liquid and felt absolutely horrible. The feeling was so bad that I can’t even describe it. But my mind was being put under control. The audiovisual hallucinations were disappearing fast. I have to admit that after eight months and after being put on 2 mg, my psychosis has vanished. Yet the hallucinations were not the problem anymore - the inactivity, laziness, and lethargic feeling were. I’ve got three months left, and I’m so used to doing nothing that I wonder whether I’ll be able to move again. I’m always on my bed!"

• Far...
• February 3, 2016

For Depression "I have been taking Risperdal for 7 years now. The worst thing about it is the lack of motivation and the carelessness. I don't feel like waking up because I have no interest in life anymore. I wake up when I feel like I have slept too much. I can't work on my projects (I am a web developer). I have no interest in working because I don't feel motivated, and I feel tired after I work instead of satisfied. My sex drive has gone down dramatically. The best thing about this drug is that it doesn't make me feel down or sad all the time, in fact, I don't feel anything anymore, like a zombie, a living dead if you will. Don't take it unless you have to."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 18, 2014

For Autism "I put my 22-year-old autistic son on risperidone 6 months ago, and what a transformation! After years of pleading with doctors to put my son on this medication, I'm finally relieved he's now on it as he is a completely different person. He used to be extremely violent, throwing, hitting out, and biting his arm severely, he was a massive liability, but 6 months on, what a difference! He doesn't do any of these things anymore thanks to risperidone. However, on the downside, this medication has caused him to gain weight and makes him tired. He also doesn't show much emotion with activities where things can be an effort for him, seems quite disinterested in things. I would much rather him be how he is now than how he was before he started taking risperidone."

• Han...
• March 21, 2017

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "I wish I could give Risperidal/Risperidone 0 stars. Worst medication I've ever had to take. Made me so exhausted despite getting 12 hours of sleep a night and made me gain 30 lbs. This medication slapped the heart right out of me, and I was a zombie, devoid of any emotion for months. I wouldn't slip this to my worst enemy."

• For...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2019

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "I took Risperdal for three years for my bipolar, and it seemed to work really well, and that is why I stayed on it for so long. But I eventually started to gain weight very rapidly. I was 190 lbs (I am a 5'4" female), and I was completely lethargic all the time. I wasn't necessarily depressed, but just apathetic and cold. My psychiatrist helped wean me off it (it is not addictive, it just causes withdrawal symptoms), and even before I was completely off it, I had lost 15 lbs. I am now 40 pounds lighter, and it's been about two months. My friends and family say my emotions are much more 'colorful,' and I seem more emotionally engaged. I know that it has worked for many people, though, and it helped me a lot when the symptoms started appearing."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 19, 2012

Risperidone for Schizoaffective Disorder "This was clearly not the medicine for me. The sleeping for 2 days once I went on it thing was okay. I needed it. But it made me so hungry that I gained 30 pounds, so tired that when I took this I cared about nothing, so bored and apathetic so quickly that my life felt without meaning. I began lactating 3 weeks in, and I couldn't concentrate on school. If anything, I got more paranoid...no voices, but OCD and paranoia and agitation through the roof. I was on 0.5 mg in the beginning and eventually went up to 3 mg."

• Inv...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 19, 2015

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "It's helped my paranoia, delusions, irrational thoughts, and impulses to self-injure and commit suicide more than anything else. Also helps control the hypomania because I'm not on a mood stabilizer. It just also makes me extremely tired and sedated, and I'm constantly hungry and have gained a lot of weight on it. I've fluctuated in my dosage from 3 milligrams to as low as 0.5. Currently taking 2 to 2.5 right now."

• Tir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2016

Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder "After going through my third manic episode, I was prescribed 6 mg of Risperdal, which immediately made me feel like an absolute zombie. I couldn't think clearly, was extremely tired all of the time, and was unhappy. Through the course of about 4 months, my dosage is now 1 mg, and I don't feel the severe side effects. Good medicine in controlling the mania, but in high dosages, will make you feel like a zombie."

• Buy...
• July 30, 2015

For Agitation "I've been taking it since I was 10 or 11 when I had really bad anger, but after I read some reviews lately of the drug and seen that it does more harm than good, I have decided to quit and see what I was like off it. So far, I realized it made me super sensitive to light and made the world brighter than it really is. Also, now I realize I haven't seen the real world for how many years, knowing this makes me sad. Another side effect is suppressed emotions, and now that I'm off, I'm happier and can feel emotions more, and they're not dulled. They made my memory bad, like I could barely remember what I did yesterday and it was hazy. Made me lethargic and gave me a monster appetite. By the way, I found out I don't have anger issues anymore."

• ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 11, 2021

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "I have to say that some of us have nothing better to do with our time than just writing anonymous reviews with our creative nom de plumes. I have read many of such reviews on many websites, and I have come to the conclusion that many of them are reflections of the user's mind. Some say they have an increased appetite, while others say the exact opposite! Strange. This is why I would like to say that Risperidone has made me gain weight because I now have a ravenous appetite; it made me tired the whole day until I was put on Fluoxetine by my shrink, who took so long to tell me that Fluoxetine removes the tiredness (partly). Early mornings are the worst - it is as though I am flooded with demonic thoughts of not having to bathe. A brilliant way to start the day. Joanna Moncrieff is right about some things, but she gets it wrong when she calls this drug a 'placebo' effect. Not really. It has removed all my delusions and hallucinations."

• Atr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 9, 2015

For Borderline Personality Disorder "My horrible morning anxiety is almost gone thanks to risperidone. It also helps a lot with my health anxiety. However, I do get heart palpitations and muscle stiffness in my arms and legs. It also makes me quite tired. Hoping the side effects will subside over time."

• the...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 13, 2023

For Schizophrenia "Risperidone is a horrible drug. It has affected my energy levels and leaves me feeling tired and groggy, my mood has changed, and I no longer feel happy, and I have gained a considerable amount of weight. I have gone from getting up early to go for a run or walk to being lazy and having to drag myself out of bed. Although the drug has helped with my hallucinations and delusions, the cost is too high. My doctor wants me to continue taking the medication for another year and 1.5 months, which I dread."

• hol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 2, 2020

For Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed risperidone during October 2018 when I was suffering from a psychotic episode from bipolar 1 disorder. I remember feeling very neutral, slowed down, apathetic, and emotionless. I felt like a zombie. I was stiff in the way I moved. I gained 8 pounds in less than 2 weeks and gained even more after that, going from 128 lb to 148 lb, unfortunately. I had body issues my whole life, and this drug has made me hate my body so much more. The nurses gave me this medication without my consent, not telling me about the problems with weight gain. When I expressed concern about it, they did not care. I have no sexual drive at all. I slept 12 hours a day and still felt tired during the day. My prolactin levels were very high. I lost so much hair. I had acne. It was the absolute worst drug of my life. I do not recommend it at all. Please avoid at all costs. It ruined my life."

• Dav...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 19, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Risperidone is not worth the overall sadness it caused me. I am always fighting with my weight and struggle as I have no motivation and feel lazy and just struggle with basic stuff. I still see and hear things that are not there, and my body aches all the time."

• 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..."

• Ash...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 6, 2018

Risperidone for Schizophrenia "I find it helps in terms of what I wanted with the voices and all, but the side effects make me very drowsy and tired, and I can barely muster the energy to do anything in my day. My mood's been pretty low or up and down too. I find myself to still have a slight paranoia of others. Even when I first started the meds, the first few times I believed I was being poisoned, but I usually felt like everyone offering me drinks or food was trying to harm me, so not really anything new there. That part has calmed down a fair bit. I hope one day they can find a way to completely rid me of this so I don't have to rely on medications all the time, because I sometimes forget to take them or I can't find them on occasion. I'm glad I'm back on them, though, after I was initially told by the mental hospital that I'm not to have them anymore, which mucked me up. I hope I'm not forced to stop again, because this is honestly my peace."

• Sta...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 23, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Every time I have felt out of control mentally, risperidone at as low a dose of 0.5 mg calms my racing thoughts, crying spells, anxiety, and bad feelings. I have had to take higher doses when I was younger and my mania was more severe. At 41 years old, 0.5 mg to 1 mg works very well. It does make me a little tired, so I usually take it in the evening. For me, it has always been helpful overall. When my thoughts are very distorted, it is almost somewhat miraculous how much it can help me. Although it works best with less stress, healthy eating, exercise, therapy, and solid supports around you."

• 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."