Risperidone for Anxiety User Reviews

• Anx...
• November 18, 2019

"Risperidone is a miracle drug for me. It has quite literally changed my life. My anxiety followed me everywhere I went, all day, every day. I felt like I had no control over myself or my life. I switched from Abilify to risperidone about three months ago, and I'm like a new person. Night and day. I went from constant paralyzing anxiety and weekly panic attacks to having only occasional anxiety, and at a much more manageable level when I do get it. I actually can't believe how much better I feel. I'm crying as I write this because I am just so happy to be feeling the way I'm feeling. My thoughts no longer race, I can concentrate on one thing at a time, use logic to make calm and rational decisions, I'm no longer constantly nauseated, my compulsive behaviors have all but disappeared, and I have become a much happier and more open person. I feel a million pounds lighter. I am so grateful to risperidone for giving me my life back."

• Gin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2019

"I was put on 2 mg of risperidone as an adjunct to Mirtazapine for anxiety. I was incredibly reluctant to take it, it's an antipsychotic after all, and I was terrified it would make me into a drooling zombie. For the first few days, I felt awful. My anxiety turned into full-on paranoia, and I could hardly think or speak clearly. Then suddenly, I woke up and felt calm and collected. No more racing thoughts, no more battles inside my own head. I'm so grateful for this medication. My only regret is that I took so long thinking I could cure myself with exercise, fad diets, and supplements. I should have gone on this a long time ago. To anyone who is worried about going on this - don't be. When it works, it works brilliantly."

• Len...
• January 11, 2013

"Really helped me with severe anxieties and mood swings. Calms me down, makes me less irritated and obsessive, helps me fall asleep. Better to take it before going to sleep. I tried taking it in the morning and couldn't get through the day (feeling too sleepy and out of it). It works wonders for those with extreme emotions."

• Jda...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 1, 2020

"Risperidone literally ruined my life. Before taking this drug, I was outgoing and social, but now I can't even talk to people or socialize. It also makes me super depressed and anxious. I wanna know if the side effects go away or is it permanent. P.S.: I wish I never took this drug."

• Won...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2013

"Started initially at low 0.5 mg nightly dose and it helped a little. Then went to 1.0 mg and within days felt an amazing sense of calm and peace. They say it is serotonergic at low doses. No side effects. It's a keeper."

• Sim...
• September 21, 2016

"Had a severe nervous breakdown in 1998. I was a policeman and totally lost the plot. While anti-depressants eventually took the depression away, I was left with chronic anxiety. So after therapy, my doctor recommended this drug at 0.5 mg morning and evening. Before, my mind was racing, but this drug stopped me in my tracks. It wasn't a nice first two weeks, I felt like a zombie. But after this time, I suddenly woke up one morning, and the world was a beautiful place again. No more severe panic attacks, no more dreaded thoughts, just peace in my life. As I say, the first two weeks were unpleasant, but I'm so glad I stuck it out. A little weight gain, variable bowel movements, and one other thing, don't overdo it with alcohol."

• Akm...
• August 11, 2016

"I suffered from panic disorder and during a low point a psychiatrist prescribed risperidone. After 3 days, my panic was gone completely. This is a life-saver. I only used it short-term, 10 days, and would do it again. It has been 4 years since I took it, and I still cannot believe what a life-changing experience it was. It felt like my brain started thinking logically again."

• Sal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2014

"I was given risperidone for anxiety and racing thoughts at night. I started at a low dose and worked my way up to 1.75 mg a day (0.5 in the morning and 1.25 at night). It works wonders for racing thoughts, which makes my anxiety lower and helps me sleep at night."

• Kon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2014

"I'm amazed at how well this is helping me. I got postpartum anxiety, and it was taking over my life. I started to feel like I was going nuts and became withdrawn and mentally sick. I've been on this for four days now at a 1/2 mg, and it's worked wonders. I feel like I'm getting my life back already."

• rea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2017

"I was really struggling with chronic anxiety and work-related stress for many years. 1 mg a day of risperidone has changed my life dramatically. All of the anxious feelings have disappeared and I'm very calm. I haven't experienced any side effects."

• jer...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 9, 2015

"I have been on Risperidone, 3 mg every night, before bedtime, for 8 years. It worked better in the beginning when I first began with the name brand. However, it still works very well. I have to take it once a day right before I hop into bed, or else I get Akathisia (Severe inner restlessness and inner torture). That is the one and only thing I hate about antipsychotics. That and weight gain. All in all, it takes away racing, disorganized thoughts, and calms the mind. It works to help emotions too. Good for anxiety. But don't go overboard with the dose. 9/10!"

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2018

"I was given risperidone after being admitted to the hospital last week because I couldn't take the anxiety anymore, even though I was already on medication. I couldn't eat, had gag reflexes, and unnatural thoughts. I had terrible morning anxiety and had to take lorazepam. After one night in the hospital, they gave me this drug, and the next morning I woke up calmer and hungry. They sent me home with a 0.5 mg, but the pharmacist made a mistake and gave me 0.25 mg instead. So for the last week, I have been still battling anxiety. Last night, I took the correct dose, and today I was able to stay home by myself and not rush out to be around people. I ate more and got stuff done around the house. Today is my first day back at work. I look forward to better days as I continue on this drug that saved me."

• Art...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 27, 2020

"Risperidone is pure poison, almost single-handedly ruined my life. It was prescribed for me for anxiety symptoms, and I have used it for 3 years. I gained 30 kgs. I also have memory loss, involuntary arm movements, impotence, and that's just starting it. - Don't use it under any circumstances."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 27, 2015

"Panic disorder took over my life. I had racing thoughts that would keep me up at night, nocturnal panic attacks, derealization and depersonalization, auditory hallucinations, and occasional paranoia. My doctor first tried a beta-blocker, then an SSRI, both of which did nothing to help me, before starting me on 0.25 mg risperidone. After about two weeks, I started to feel a lot calmer. Instead of fearful thoughts sticking with me, they'd just fly out of my mind. After 3 months panic-free, I stopped the medication due to side effects of forgetfulness, apathy, and weight gain. My forgetfulness got pretty severe by the end, but it really helped me snap out of the vicious cycle of panic disorder, and I'd take it again short-term if I needed to."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 5, 2024

"My psychiatrist started me on a 0.5 gram dose of risperidone, a month ago, and just recently the dose was upped to taking a 0.5 gram tablet twice a day, so my new daily dose of risperidone is 1mg. I used to struggle really bad with sensory overload associated with my anxiety issues. I would have meltdowns where I would cry so hard my body would shake. Since starting this new dose of 1mg of risperidone a day, I'm able to process my thoughts a lot better like my mind isn't constantly in fight or flight mode now, and I'm not struggling with constant worry in my brain, and I am overall feeling a lot calmer and feeling less bothered by too many things going on at once. My sensory overload issues have calmed down tremendously and risperidone is a massive godsend to me, because I can live life normally again, without the fear of when a sensory overload episode is going to occur, and my anxiety issues are not as bad. Thank you, risperidone, for giving me my life back!"

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

"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."

• Lil...
• October 9, 2018

"I was failed by mental health professionals by being prescribed medications that debilitated me for years, this being one of them, and I couldn’t do anything about it because I wanted to believe they were helping me. I became dependent on it, and it made me delusional, fatigued, my ability to do anything became poor, and my behavior became strange and eccentric. I gained weight, and I felt as if I had something wrong with me. It calmed my nerves, but that was the dangerous part about taking this medication - I became mentally addicted to it, and that’s why I never fought to come off it until I realized just how much it was ruining my life. Overall, I have no words to describe the amount of damage this medication has done to me. I am no longer on this medication, and I am so grateful that after almost a year, I’m starting to feel better. I do not recommend this medication at all, especially for anyone under the age of 18."

• Kha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 10, 2019

"For me, risperidone was horrible. It made me feel like my skin was crawling and gave me a horrible feeling I can't even describe. Taking this med was like drug-induced torture. I took it for severe panic attacks, depression, and autism spectrum disorder. It did not help at all. Luckily, my doctor found something (Remeron and Pristiq) that actually works."

• Xox...
• September 14, 2020

"I feel bad reading the reviews on this risperidone drug that made people feel worse. Risperidone has done wonders for me, and I’ve only been on it for three months. I suffer from dissociative identity disorder and severe irritability due to autism. My irritability has only been lowered a little bit, but I am no longer having dissociative spells where I’m staring at the wall for 4+ hours at a time without realizing it. I also have bipolar disorder and take a different medication for that, but this, in conjunction with my other medication, has worked out really well. I take a very low dose, only 0.25 mg once a day. I didn’t think that such a small dose would do anything for me, but I have absolutely noticed a difference in my behavior and actions. Like I said, I feel terrible for the people who have given it bad reviews that it didn’t work for them because it has truly changed my life."

• Cri...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 1, 2018

"I am on fortnightly injections of 25 mg, and it is hell. I feel this awful restlessness all the time and can't do anything with my life. It is awful. All I do is lie on the couch and suffer. And I get this thing with my eyes. It is such an evil medication, and I can't get away, as I am forced on this medication."

• Tim...
• October 14, 2021

"Was given risperidone for anxiety, took it for a week, and it increased my anxiety and also caused paranoia. Stopped it immediately after a week, and it took a few days to feel normal again. Would not recommend."

• Anonymous
• May 6, 2016

"I was in the hospital for stress over life situations and a breakdown. At a weak moment, I was given Risperidone. It only took one tablet, and here I am 7 days later with severe dizziness, confusion, and sound sensitivity. I had no idea this was an antipsychotic. I only have anxiety and immediately was alarmed. Will this go away!? Or is my brain ruined forever? This drug should be taken off the market."

• Dea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2021

"I was given 0.5 mg on top of Sertraline 100 mg. With no benefit seen, I was gradually raised over 2 weeks to 1.5 mg... After 3 days, I had a racing heart, akathisia, and attempted suicide by taking all the remaining Risperidone. Someone called 911. I ate charcoal and spent a day in the hospital. This drug made me feel terrible in so many ways. It is indescribable. I was doing the shuffle walk as I paced around in anxiety. The way you see people walking in movies during mental hospital scenes. It was a nightmare."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2017

"I've always experienced generalized anxiety disorder, but after 6 months of Ritalin for my ADHD, the symptoms of anxiety worsened a lot, specifically evening/night, when Ritalin starts wearing off. I was experiencing racing thoughts a lot, and to leave the house to do something outdoors was a struggle. My doc put me on Risperidone at 1 mg a day at night. I'm on it for almost 1 month now, and it has been helping a lot. No more racing thoughts, a lot calmer, starting to sleep more easily. The only side effects that I had were decreased sex drive and eating a lot at night (which actually is good for me because with Ritalin, you are never hungry). Would definitely recommend."

• Anonymous
• May 1, 2016

"My son just started on this med for anxiety, which is causing seizures, or the feeling of a seizure coming on causes him to get anxious. First dose at night, 1 mg. Within 30 min, he started to slur his words real bad. He was in the hospital at the time, so we pointed it out to them. They just told us he had to get used to the risperidone. So he went to sleep. The next morning he was given .5. He became very restless, we thought it was from being in the hospital for 4 days. He kept pacing back and forth, fidgeting with stuff for hours. Then all of a sudden he started slurring his words and became hard to understand. He told me his tongue was rolling up and gagging, then his eyes started rolling up. Had to get emergency meds."