Risperidone?

[Always Alone]

Could anyone tell me anything about this? CAMHS are trying to convince me to take it, but I don't know anything about it. I looked for it on Google but it said it was a treatment for schizophrenia, but I'm not schizophrenic.

The hospital told me it was a antidepressant, and CAMHS told me I was depressed, but I know I'm not depressed. I know I have a lot of the symptoms of depression, hell I even got 92 in that test thing, but theres no way I'm depressed there are times when I'm happy, yer there are some times when I don't feel good at all and at the moment thats happening a lot more, but thats not depression.

So what dose this stuff do? Would it help me? I doubt it theres nothing wrong with me! I felt so dumb in hospital, everyone came in with a problem and went out fixed, I came in with nothing wrong, sat there for 9 days, and then came out with depression.

 

[mdfk79]

ello, another rare post :laugh:

i was on risperidone/risperdal for a while, started on 2mg (im not schizophrenic btw......?) i felt reeeeeally tired for a week or 2 with nausea too. eventually got put on 4mg! this was weird? i would chill all day, and then when my mum came home i would get really upset, thinking about her dying? (not in a murderous way) i had a few sleepness nights worrying about my mum and dad dying and was generally worse? guess it has different effects for different people. it is also used as a sleeping aid in small doses. the best place to go for info is www.wikipedia.com i always check up on my new meds there:tongue: currently on seroquel/quetiapine seems to be working just fine, mixed with my antidepressants :biggrin: (on the highest dose) :party: mwahahahaaaaa , hope this helps? toodles fer now old chap! :santa:

 

[netean]

According the BNF (government list of drugs )
www.bnf.org.uk

it's an Atypical antipsychotics.

Often given to schizophrenia suffers or people suffer from psychosis -

don't get freaked out, just because you're prescribed this drug doesn't mean you're either of these things. Antipsychotics are prescribed for all sorts of things, not just schizophrenia, mania or psychosis:
(incidentally, schizophrenia and psychosis are often general terms for a whole raft of things - sadly it tends to get used a "catchall" term anyway)


Not really an antidepressant.

from
http://www.nmhct.nhs.uk/Pharmacy/risperidone.htm

There is a naturally occurring chemical ("neurotransmitter") in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical messenger in the brain mainly involved with thinking, emotions, behaviour and perception. In some illnesses, this dopamine may be overactive and upsets the normal balance of chemicals in the brain. This excess dopamine helps to produce some of the symptoms of the illness. The main effect that risperidone has is to block some dopamine receptors in the brain, reducing the effect of having too much dopamine and correcting the imbalance. This reduces the symptoms caused by having too much dopamine. Risperidone also has an effect on some serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the brain. For a more detailed explanation,

Basically when you increase dopamine levels we (all) get wierd thoughts.... dopamine levels rise when we have prolonged lack of sleep, take too many drugs (i.e. speed), or when we have a psychotic episode.. (something about 4 in 10 of have at some point in our lives... supririsingly common, just barely admitted to!)


The bnf lists all sorts of side effects and warnings. ignore most of them, every drug in the book has similar warnings - the bnf isn't designed to tell you how great a drug is, just what it is and what the problems might be (it's used by doctors and all other medical professionals all the time)


Risperidone, is recommended for short term use - i.e. they won't let you be on it for years!

Dopamine is a wierd chemical, it just makes you think oddly without being aware of it... it's why in the army the train all their elite teams to go without sleep for days and be questioned, so they know how dopamine levels muddle your brain.

At the end of the day, it's your choice to take or not take it. But just be aware that if you DO have high dopamine levels in your brain, it's just a chemical imbalance and easily treated.

 

[TLA]

Hi Always Alone,
I wanted to add my op. Please don't get scared or feel bad. Diagnosis is just word, they are NOT who YOU ARE. Alright!

People may seem to go into the hospital like they "came in with a problem and went out fixed," :nerves: while you "came in with nothing wrong, sat there for 9 days, and then came out with depression". WTF? But, that's not really how it happens....At times, dr., psychologist and nurses are confusing, and WRONG.
They might have said "depressed" cuz you were not showing signs of spefic illness and just had a few symptoms or traits of depression.

The site says it "can also used to help confusion, dementia, behaviour problems and personality disorder"...sounds fairly general to me.
A "catch-all."

The doc suggested risperidone/risperdal yet, you do not feel depressed? You must be feeling or thinking something for them to recomend a meds.

http://www.drugtheory.com/namaste.gif

http://www.drugs.com/forum/default.asp

You really don't need to be afraid to try it. I never understand people that are scared to try something that may help you to function better and think more clearly. That's just me. You can always change, stop or discuss it more with your doctor after you see some change or bad side effect. It is your decision. Also, if you do not have medicaid, medicare or insurance it iw going to be hard as it can be expensive. Due to the fact that it is effective.

You also said "there are times when I'm happy, yet there are some times when I don't feel good at all and at the moment" , that may be a mood swing or personality disorder. Those are only labels.

My brother has schizophrenic and takes this med. It has helped him tremendously!! My grandmother thinks it is a lifesaver. He gets blood checks every so often. He and his doc monitor it well.
Contrary to what netean says (" is recommended for short term use - i.e. they won't let you be on it for years!") I think that goes on an individual basis.

I take seroquel/quetiapine and I do not have schizophrenia! I have bipolar and sever depression. This just happens to be one of the meds that can help me pace myself, be stable and rest normally. That is an antipsychotic and I cannot sleep without it. :sleep: I am not psychotic, but the brain is a very complex organ.

Hope this helps. PM me if you need to chat. Best of luck!!:cool:

TLA

 

[theleastofthese]

I am taking 1 mg of Risperdal per day to help contain/control my rage - my irrational anger at the kids' behavior or some other thing. I've noticed no side effects of any negative kind; not tired or anything else I can't live with. I take 1mg Risperdal and 150 mg of Zoloft and 1 to 1 1/2 mg of clonazepam for anxiety - mostly child or financial-induced. My current combination is working quite well for me.

least

 

[Always Alone]

Thanks everyone, you helped me understand a lot more about this stuff. I gonna take it, I just need to tell the docs that. Every-time they ask me if I want it, I panic and say no. It's dumb I know. Hopefully next time they ask I'll agree

Thanks again!

 

[netean]

The things with drugs for the mind, or mental conditions is that there is a big taboo about it.

But think about it this way. Taking medication for you mind is not really any different than taking insulin for diabetes, or wearing glasses to help you see better.

You NEED insulin if you're a diabetic, but with glasses most people can just manage without glasses, albeit sometimes without being able to read stuff, but they could get by if they had to (unless you're like Velma from Scooby Doo, but I'm guessing most people aren't that bad)

You can get by without glasses, but you can see so much more clearly WITH them. so most people choose to wear them (or contact lenses, if like me, they're vain LOL).

I take St John's wort (hypercin) to control my depression - used to be on seroxat but that fucked up my sex life and left me a bit flat out depressed (not suicidal, just a bit... nothing... flat, sterile, dulled)

I'll probably have to take hypericin for the rest of my life, but, for me, so what . I also wear contact lenses for my duff eyes.. I just have to accept that my serotonin levels aren't what they should be and my eyes are squished and don't focus properly (got asigmatism).

Just because you take medication for you mind doesn't make you mad... any more than wearing glasses makes you blind, or diabetes makes you disabled.

 

[TLA]

I will add to netean's post with heart conditions and lung, blood pressure meds are not looked at differently. You take them for your health. Maybe someday all illness will be accepted and dealt with in right way.

Tell the doc..."well I really am shy or uncomfortable about taking it, but I will try it and see. But, if I don't like it, what do you suggest?? " Maybe he will get your skeptism.

 

[Ruby]

Risperidone was the first anti psychotic I went on. At first I felt really sedated (I was on 6mg bd), but I found that it worked really well. I had to change to seroquel because of high prolactin levels. Also, I can't understand why CAMHS would want to put you on risperidone if you aren't experiencing any psychotic symptoms..

 

[raw]

Risperdal has also been approved for the treatment of bipolar I. More specifically it is thought by many to be an antii-manic drug.

Rick

 

[Always Alone]

Also, I can't understand why CAMHS would want to put you on risperidone if you aren't experiencing any psychotic symptoms..

I don't know, they keep asking me if I hear voices, and I keep saying no, but I don't think they believe me

 

[netean]

there is nothing wrong with hearing voices. there's been some studies recently where psychologists have been asking non-psychotic people the same questions they ask psychotic patients (apparently no one had thought to do that before!)

apparently there are many many people who score very highly on the "madness" scale but aren't in any way "mad". they think that about as many as every 4 people in 10 hear voices. but only about 1-100 or even 1-1000 people hear negative or upsetting voices.

of course, if you heard a voice telling you how great you were, what a stud, how good looking and intelligent and capable you were.. it wouldn't really be a problem at all

and of course some people swear blind that they can hear the voice of god.. you could argue their sanity, but for the most part, doesn't seem to do them any harm.

sorry, not saying you are or aren't hearing voices... just commenting on how hearing voices isn't the "mad" thing that many people think it is.

there was a brilliant programme on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago "Am I Normal" that discussed this... really really good - for many reasons, but mostly IMO because it highlighted how "madness" and psychosis is actually quite normal and how people can move on from even serious psychotic episodes to lead "normal" lives (whatever they are!) LOL

 

[Ruby]

Ha, CAMHS were the same with me, so I understand what you mean.