Risperidone (Risperdal)

Hi,

After almost a year off of meds for bipolar disorder, I totally crashed down to depression.  This of course leads me to believe that the busy, full, exciting, and anger with everyone during the past year was some pretty bad hypomania.   It was totally my fault... trying to repair what I can, but there are quite a few burned bridges.  I'm just going to move forward the best I can.

So I was put on risperidone (Risperdal).  1 mg at night.   I took the first one tonight... hoping I can wake up in time for a morning appt.  I took this med years ago and I slept all the time.  The dose was much higher back then so maybe excessive sleepiness wont be a problem on this small dose.

I'm a little freaked out about the possible weight gain that can come with any of the atypical antipsychotics.  Maybe it'll be good motivation to keep my eating/exercise on target so that if there is any significant weight gain, we'll know the culprit.

I think the main goal for me taking it is to tame the anxiety, clear up my thoughts, and help indirectly with the depression. We'll see how this one goes for a bit and then see if we need to add something else.  In my very strong opinion, less is more.

Does anyone have any personal experience with Risperdal?

--Becca

 I took it for two weeks one mg and it didn't do any thing for me. I didn't even get tired and my problem is sleeping. So I am at a loss right now for myself on what to try. I see a new dr next week. I didn't gain any weight and it didn't increase my hunger but I am pretty early out in my RNY. What other meds have you taken.

Thank you for responding.

I've been on a lot of the meds for bipolar and anxiety over the years.  lithium, trileptal, lamictal, geodon, abilify, wellbutrin, cymbalta, risperdal, ativan, klonopin-- these are some that i remember taking (not all at once, obviously.  these are just ones i've tried.)

We've now added a small dose of wellbutrin sr as well.  I'm hoping that will help.  I told the psychiatrist about my surgery and that I can't take extended release pills but he said this should still work.

My weight has been pretty much stable since i started taking the risperdal which makes me a little nervous as I still have another 25 pounds that I'd like to lose.  I'm just gonna hold tight and try not to freak out. 

 I am going to a new doctor tommrow and am going to try and get on so mew meds anyone work any better for you to sleep

for sleep... i've tried ambien, lunesta, temazepam, trazadone...

the best of those (for me) was temazepam.

On ambien, I'd do things and have no memory of it in the morning.  (including eating).

Trazadone didn't work for me.

Lunesta left a horrible taste in my mouth that wouldn't go away.

You mentioned getting new meds... i'd recommend making only one change at a time so that i you have side effects, you'll know which one is the most likely culprit.

I have been dealing with my bipolar disorder since age 15, and I've taken every atypical anti-psychotic there is (Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Abilify, Geodon)with varying success. I tried to take Abilify and Geodon postop (2007), hoping not to gain back my "antipsychotic weight". No luck there--had terrible problems. I am stuck taking the only successful drug I've been on--Seroquel. And I'm gaining weight, which is why I had RNY to begin with. I hate the stuff, but it is the only drug that works without the uncontrolled movements and severe anxiety reaction (there's a word for it, but I don't remember what it is)

It definitely is a struggle with these meds--Seroquel was a bad one for me as far as weight gain before I had surgery.   I feel your pain.

I'm now up to 3 mg of risperdal per day.  I haven't gained any weight, but I haven't lost any more either.  I would like to lose another 20-25 pounds but I guess right now, mood stability is more important.

The mood instability causes issues with eating too.  I seem to crave the foods that I shouldn't be eating at all (and then give into the craving).    Or I have days where I don't want to eat anything at all... which isn't good either.

I'm doing the best I can to keep up with exercise to get those feel good chemicals flowing, and also to help counteract some of the lapses in good judgement about eating.

Quitting meds was not one of my best ideas, although it felt like the right decision at the time.   Getting back to 'stable' is a hard path.   At 14 months out, now I have to worry about finding the right meds for me and  that intense fear of regain every time I try a new med, and fighting those food demons that want to take over.