Risperidone for Asperger Syndrome User Reviews

• Anonymous
• February 17, 2011

Risperdal (risperidone) "Our son has ADHD and Asperger's and often lost his temper and was irritable. We started him on 0.25 mg of Risperdal each morning for 2 weeks, and he is happy and sleeps better. To see him smiling and happy is worth it."

• Mommy...
• May 26, 2019

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

• Whatb...
• September 26, 2014

Risperdal (risperidone) "I was put on this medication as I have suffered from Aspergers Syndrome since I was diagnosed at four years old. This is powerful. At 5mg I felt like a Zombie. I was constantly sleeping because it the effects were strong. It gave me symptoms of Paranoia, for example, I was convinced all the time that I was going to throw up every time I ate. It put me off eating heavy food and as a result I lost weight. Probably one of the worst Anti-Psychotics I have ever taken. Too strong for a 15 year old (at the time) and when I came off it, It gave me Psychotic symptoms. I heard a constant moaning voice for days and it scared the crap out of me. Glad I'm of this medication!"

• Rebecca
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 9, 2019

Risperdal (risperidone) "This drug for me was horrific. I was on it a couple of years ago and after only being on it a couple of weeks I ended up in hospital with a high fever and severe confusion , the doctors thought at first I had meningitis bit it turns out I was having a bad reaction to drug. I couldn't remember a lot of things and had kidney problems. The medical staff were very rude and secretive about my reaction the the drug. PLEASE BE CAREFUL TAKING THIS DRUG, ask plenty of questions and get started on a small dose, if anything seems off please tell your doctor immediately."

• Snake...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 7, 2020

Risperdal (risperidone) "Risperdal made me gain 40 pounds in less than 3 months. It also somehow caused a psychotic episode when I first started it. I was prescribed for irritability in autism not psychosis/schizophrenia. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life. I suffered through depersonalization, paranoia, and unshakeable beliefs for a couple weeks. I also had movement issues and brain fog. I switched to another anti-psychotic and lost the weight but the effects following the psychotic episode lingered for 6-8 weeks."

• jmncrr
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 2, 2017

"Use to take 3mg, but was too sedating. I currently take .75 at bedtime, and it keeps me calm during the day. Only feel a little irritable at times still, but nothing like prior to taking risperidone. Just 10 lbs in weight gain which I think I needed. I take it in combination with antidepressants, and works very well."

• Anonymous
• November 11, 2012

"I was to take 0.50mg each morning as I did. Here is how risperidone effected me: I would wake up during the night severely sweating, when trying to go to bed I would get shocks, it made me feel so bad and I did not want to do anything. "

• Anony...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2018

"I was born with Aspergers and I was frequently irritable. I also had difficulty concentrating in class. I was prescribed to take Methylphenidate in the morning and Risperidone at night time. After 1 month my thoughts and concentration has improved thanks to Methylphenidate and Risperidone."

• Vivid
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 25, 2019

"I was prescribed Risperidone and Vyvanse to treat my asperger syndrome and they both have helped me function better! I don't get as angry and violent! Vyvanse improves my attention, focus, gives me more energy, it makes more talkative! These have been the best medication for my asperger syndrome so far, Highly recommended."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 2, 2014

"I was put on Risperidone to treat my Asperger's syndrome five years ago while I was on a psych ward. I'm not sure if I'm just a one-off case, but the medication made me REALLY depressed. I couldn't enjoy anything while I was taking it. I had to be given Prozac to balance it out. I also gained a huge amount of weight, which I gradually lost after I stopped taking the medication (without any dietary changes whatsoever). On the bright side, it did bring me out of my shell. I was able to get the help I needed from the nurses. Since then, I haven%u2019t had any problems even after I stopped taking it. The medication was useful in the long run."

• dax
• July 2, 2015

"I was prescribed this by both my Psychiatrist and Therapist at age 35 for Asperger's Syndrome. It works like shock therapy - you will feel better just so you don't have to take this any more. 0.25 mg (Half of the lowest dose) causes, for me: stomach cramps, headache, dizziness, feeling like my heart was racing, the 'munchies' (I go eat lots of potato chips), falling asleep, then waking up disoriented, and dry mouth. I can't imagine the highest dose. I'd probably die. I had very vivid dreams. However this medicine seemed to cure my irritability and nightmares which is what it was prescribed for. The side effects it causes, however, are worse."

• kevino
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 5, 2021

"I have both inattentive ADHD and Autism. When I was diagnosed in late 2018, I was happy to try a medication to counteract my irritability. My psychiatrist recommended Risperidone (2mg) every night before bed. It calmed me down a lot at first, but also made me numb and emotionless. When I started this medication, I was a 32" waist, average build and healthy. After being on it nearly 4 years, I am now a 44" waist, weigh 22.5 stones and have absolutely no motivation to do anything. The simplest task feels exhausting. I sruggled with procrastination before I started this godawful medicine. I sleep for 11 hours per night on average and wake up feeling tired. My appetite didn't increase, but I kept piling on the weight no matter how little I ate. I wish I'd never started it. Working with my doctor to taper off it completely and find another medication. I will also need to work with a health coach fast because I'm concerned about stroke and heart attacks (I'm in my mid 40s!). My advice is DON'T"

• Some...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 6, 2016

"I took this a couple years back when I had recently been diagnosed. Somewhere down the line, I had complained enough about sleep problems to drive my parents to get a new med for AS - oh, look, high chance of drowsiness. Let's put her on these. Don't remember how effective it was, but I guess it did the job well enough. Stopped because it apparently caused bloating."

• Kano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 31, 2021

"My son was on it was not good, he had voices in his head, put weight on and breast developed. He was 16. He was more violent. I had to take him to the hospital as he was banging his head on the wall saying stop the voices in my head. He had bad nightmares. I was told he should not be on them as they are still doing tests and that boys will grow breast. My son still has breast from this he stopped that day I took him to hospital. He is heaps better with out it .Please look into it, its not good"

• JJ158
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 14, 2023

"I went on this medication at 13, and immediately the aggression from my ASD stopped. I use to be out of control, and quite frankly, an angry person, so I give this fact a 10/10. As for the anxiety I was not controlled by it like my doctor said I would be. It actually got worse to the point where I wasn't going out, wasn't showering/bathing, and I lost all my friends. I didn't get help for a really long time and because of that I am now considered unemployable by my Province. I am on disability and have no way out except for self employment which I worry about too. I used to cut work, and get highly emotional because of this medication. So 1/10 for this fact. As for everything else, I guess I was lucky enough to not need it for anything else. Overall rating is 4/10 because of loss of employment opportunities."

• UK user
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 20, 2021

"It was suggested to me by my psych to help with my obsessive thoughts which led to depression. One of the worst features of my aspergers was my noisey head. The drug calmed my mind and I take 1mg at night. I’m happy with it and although I put on about 6kg I do now manage my weight. The benefits for me outweigh the weight gain."