Risperidone for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• AJa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2019

Risperidone "I took the lowest dose. Once. It caused parkinsonism and extremely slowed movement. I fell down a flight of stairs because of movement problems it caused. Needless to say, I never took it again after that."

• Ano...
• November 11, 2020

"I've been prescribed risperidone for bipolar 1 disorder. I had manic episodes that led to psychosis. I searched high and low for the right meds and dose. I realized risperidone is the best for me at a low dose I'm at 0.5 mg. It is enough to keep me stable, to get a good night's sleep, to be normal. I feel like myself again. Anxiety is also gone. No more manic episodes. It's been a lifesaver, and I thank God for risperidone. The only side effect is it can increase appetite, but as long as you eat healthy, weight can be controlled. It also completely took my depression away and made me motivated and excited for the future. It also saved my marriage and my life."

• Bsf...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2018

Risperidone "I suffer from major depressive disorder and ended up in the psychiatric hospital with thoughts of suicide and extremely bad depression. They prescribed me Risperdal 2 mg. I started off at 140 lbs, since being on the medication, I am 230 lbs, almost double my weight, and have gained puffy, tender breasts. As for the pill working, it works 100% at what it's supposed to do. If you're extremely in need of help and don't care for the side effects, go for it."

• Lea...
• February 9, 2020

"Weight gain is a problem off the cuff. Take your dose at night, otherwise, you will sleep all day. Stops mania but keeps you quite numb to all emotions. I've found when depression kicks in, it stops the serious lows, but you still feel low, which is hard to deal with when you don't get any mania. No real side effects for me apart from the weight gain and fatigue."

• Tir...
• August 24, 2011

Risperidone "This medication was not good for me. My doctor added this to the Depakote I was already taking to help with irritability and aggressiveness. This turned me into a zombie. Walked around in a fog the whole time I was on it. Still irritable and more so because I couldn't focus. Experienced nightmares, anorgasmia. When I could keep an erection and had an orgasm, had no ejaculate. Really scary. Took it for 2 weeks and then stopped taking it. Bad for me. May help someone else."

• reb...
• April 13, 2012

Risperidone "I've taken the medicine for a month, and I do notice my mood is a lot better. I have gained 16 pounds almost. It makes me very hungry when I take it. My doctor moved me from 0.05 mg per day to 1 mg per day because of my horrible anxiety. It does help, but not all day. I plan to still give it more time. The weight gain is not exactly good though."

• Car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 4, 2019

Risperidone "Overall, I really like Risperdal. It's easy to take with minimal side effects. I take the generic version for bipolar II and have been trying over 30 meds for 5 years. I used to take Seroquel and divalproex, but they stopped working for me, and I was too tired. My mood is the most stable I've ever been, and I am level-headed and clear. I take 0.5 mg every night and find this is a good dose because I used to take more and was very out of it. This helps me sleep but not be drowsy. Honestly, it's not perfect as I'm dealing with depression currently. I tried Prozac, but it made me suicidal, dissociate, and feel zombie-like and less like myself. Because of this, I just recently stopped Prozac, but I plan to try other antidepressants with this to help my depression. Overall, I love that I mostly feel like myself again. I just want to care about life more now and be less apathetic. DBT therapy helps. Also, acne on my body/face from this, but no weight gain, so I can't complain too much."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2020

Risperidone "My daughter is bipolar and has tried so many medications. She gets manic attacks. She hears voices and sees things when having her manic attacks. Five days ago, they began giving her this medicine. I’m reading everything people have said here and I’m wondering if this medicine is all she may need to live a happy, healthy life. She has tried Zyprexa many years ago, and that helped for a time. I’m keeping hope alive!"

• rub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2012

Risperidone "I'm a social drinker, and after 3 months of taking Risperdal, I can't get a buzz or even drunk. Viagra doesn't work either. It's like it took the pleasure out of my system, but now my libido is coming back after a couple of months. I had the doctor change my medicines. Hopefully, the new ones do a better job with my pleasure. In month 2, I was zombie-like, but now I'm almost back to normal."

• Day...
• July 16, 2016

"I started taking Risperidone a number of months ago after a psychotic episode. I'm prone to episodes of psychosis, especially with very bad agitation, paranoia, and delusions, and have been hospitalized before for this. I've been on Quetiapine, Olanzapine, Amisulpride, Clopixol (depot injection), and Clozapine. I am currently taking 3 mg of Risperidone along with Venlafaxine. I take it before bed at night. It gives me a nice, calm, relaxed feeling, and I find I can usually sleep better with less anxiety and voices at night. I don't suffer side effects, and I think if people practice mindful eating and try to exercise a bit, then they shouldn't gain weight, I haven't. I think this drug controls my symptoms well and stops mania."

• Jef...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 18, 2020

"Wow, it's doing, the risperidone is doing its job for my bipolar. I am more level-headed, and my decision-making is so much better. I am however (I've noticed) more antisocial, and I'm almost 'asexual.' I have zero interest in sex. I don't care how gorgeous someone is, zero desire. I am however doing better. I'm not making crazy decisions or doing stupid stuff. I'd rather be like this than the way I was before risperidone."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 21, 2019

"I think there are two sides to risperidone. Mentally, it is a fantastic medication, it slows down racing thoughts and really calms down manic symptoms, and you sleep so well. I was oversedated when I first started taking it, but after a few months, I got acclimated to it. Physically, it's a disaster. Weight gain is hard to control (40 lbs in 2 years), although I have a desk job and don't get a lot of exercise. I would say if you start taking this to diet right out the gate, you will want to eat more. And watch out for uncontrollable muscle movements/spasms."

• Kit...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2015

"My doctor put me on Risperidone to help control my manias. I am also taking Lamotrigine, Escitalopram, and Lithium to control depression, anxiety, and to stabilize moods, respectively. Even with those three medications, I was still experiencing a lot of agitation, feelings of too much energy, inability to hold still, pressured speech and racing thoughts, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of being out of control. Rather than putting me on the daily dose, my doctor has me taking it as needed. Whenever I feel manic symptoms spiraling upward, I take 1 - 4 mg depending on what I feel is necessary, and it always works perfectly, calming my manic symptoms within 15 - 60 minutes and helping me sleep. It's a lifesaver."

• Kat...
• July 1, 2011

Risperidone "Risperdal has helped control my moods and anger so much. I can tell right away if I have missed a dose because I immediately feel agitated. Unfortunately, I began lactating and have not gotten my period since I moved up to a higher dose 2 months ago. I also feel rather sluggish during the day, but to me, the pros exceed the cons. Hopefully, I will be allowed to stay on this."

• ris...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 12, 2017

Risperidone "This is the best medicine for sleep and having no manic problems. But I was 98 pounds (super tiny), now 203 lb from Risperdal. What is the point of being on something if it works for bipolar but makes you obese?"

• Anonymous
• January 26, 2012

"I'm 50, and for the first time in my life, I can have a life. Been on Risperdal 3 mg for almost two years. I can handle stressful things now, can go into Walmart without flipping out. I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar, and severe depression. I cried all the time. I could not go shopping or hold a job. Now nothing really upsets me. I feel like living now."

• MrL...
• April 29, 2009

Risperidone "This helps me calm down and sleep at night when I'm manic, but I noticed a weight gain of 10 lbs, and I feel sluggish during the day. I also dream more often, which may or may not be a desirable side effect."

• diw...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 1, 2014

"I was prescribed risperidone for bipolar. It had the bonus side effect that it cured my lifelong, non-stop, painful bleeding fingernail biting. It also reduced my anxiety otherwise in the day and at night; I don't get overly excited about little things (good or bad), and I sleep 10 hours without waking every hour as before. I wish I could sleep less, though. I am slow, naturally, to get things done, so losing 2-4 hours of awake time makes me noticeably less productive."

• Fel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2020

"I was admitted to an outpatient facility for a psychotic episode that was induced by a high dose of magic mushrooms. I had what is known as hallucinogenic persistence disorder, however, the psychiatrist diagnosed me with schizoaffective disorder without even talking to me. During my week stay, I was put on risperidone pills and also forced to get a risperidone injection, which gave me terrible radiating anxiety and abnormal menses. They had me on Benztropine to counteract the side effects of the risperidone, but it didn’t work, I had every side effect possible from tremors to dyskinesia. This antipsychotic also made my breasts produce milk and put a temporary halt on my fertility and ability to ovulate and menstruate. Everything has returned back to normal now that my period has returned and prolactin levels lowered, but still, if I could fight the person who created this drug, I would."

• Val...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 22, 2019

"Been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and psychosis. I have been on risperidone already for 2 months, and I don't like the way I feel. I am more like a zombie. I have no motivation at all, I don't want to do anything. Energy levels are very low. Gaining weight, no matter how I eat. My thinking and processing of information are very slow. I have memory problems with it. I used to play sports a lot, but now I feel weak and have no power. I am going to talk to my doctor for different medication. The only plus is that I sleep well, but in the morning I don't want to even start my day. I feel emotionless."

• rel...
• February 28, 2011

Risperidone "My 11-year-old started taking this about a month ago, and what a difference it has made. He is finally able to control his anger and think more rationally. However, he is constantly 'hungry.' All I can do is educate him on good nutrition while on this medicine."

• Cad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 5, 2018

Risperidone "Works quite well, but beware of side effects. I'm an autistic person and also bipolar 1 with psychotic features. Before I started this, I had horrible episodes of mania and depression, and it made a huge difference. I had almost no manic episodes, decreased irritability, and it almost completely eliminated the auditory hallucinations. However, the weight gain was unbearable. I gained 80 pounds in a year that I still can't lose, and diet and exercise did nothing to stop it. I didn't change medications sooner because it worked so well that I was scared to stop it, and I was convinced eventually the weight gain would stop, but it didn't. Stopped my monthly cycle completely, though I wasn't complaining about that."

• Jai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 8, 2020

Risperidone "I haven't experienced serious side effects, only blurred vision and drowsiness. I have been taking the meds for 1 month now. So far, so good. I was prescribed this medication after 2 manic episodes I had that were practically back to back (after 3 weeks)."

• per...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2016

"I'd like to issue a warning to anyone using this medicine. Be aware that it can cause akathisia, a movement disorder characterized by extreme restlessness, the constant need to move, anxiety, and severe dysphoria. I had no name for my problem, and it was difficult to describe. I consulted my doctor and described the basic symptoms, but he told me that it was my bipolar disorder causing this problem, not the medicine. He proceeded to tell me that the medicine was simply becoming ineffective. A week or two after I stopped this drug, I felt better. If you are prescribed this medication and experience ANY signs of akathisia (Google it if you have to), be adamant with your doctor that the symptoms appeared after you started taking the medicine."

• Tan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2020

"I have bipolar disorder and tried this medication. Not only did it turn off the anger, frustration, intrusive thoughts, etc., it did too for love, loyalty, connection to others. All emotions gone. I didn’t even care about my boyfriend or my cat, friends, mother, father, you get the picture. I was nauseated, had trouble eating solid food, constipated, motion sick, very uncoordinated. I was having trouble doing my job, and my personal safety was becoming an issue. If I would have continued this medication, I would have fallen, tripped, etc. I was weak physically. I have a constant babbling of thoughts, it stopped. My mind was just blank unless there was an external stimulus. So did my urge to connect with others, I would only speak when spoken to. It was awful. I couldn’t feel anything at all."