Risperdal for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• lhovey
• May 22, 2009

"While taking this medication I began to experience symptoms similar to Parkinson's Syndrome. After a total neurological workup it was determined that it was Risperdal causing the symptoms, not Parkinson's. Within a week of discontinuing the drug I was symptom free."

• Shereen
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2019

"After some months on Risperdal, I developed swallowing problems, which led to anxiety. Lowering dose improved but did not eliminate the problem. Later I noticed that I was very tense all the time. I would notice it and make myself relax and then in a few seconds I realized I was all tensed up again. I developed frozen muscles in my forehead. It felt like they had very little feeling..I don't know what you call it but I saw it was listed as a side effect once I looked it up. It went away when I stopped the med. When I stopped this medication, I discovered I had a problem with my tongue. It is like it's too thick or something and doesn't form words as well, so I have a very mild speech impediment now. It is more difficult to speak and I have to be very deliberate in speaking in order to speak clearly and without a lisp."

• Forab...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 2, 2019

"I took Risperdal for three years for my Bipolar, and it seemed to work really well and that is why I stayed on it for so long but I eventually started to gain weight very rapidly I was 190 lbs (I am a 5'4" female) and I was completely lethargic all the time, I wasn't necessarily depressed but just apathetic and cold. My psychiatrist helped wean me off it (It is not addictive it just causes withdrawal symptoms) and even before I was completely off it I had lost 15 lbs. I am now 40 pounds lighter and its been about two months. My friends and family say my emotions are much more "colorful" and I seem more emotionally engaged. I know that it has worked for many people though and it helped me a lot when the symptoms started appearing."

• Gastr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 20, 2017

"I'm not actually bipolar-I take it as an add-on to and SSRI for OCD, General Anxiety Disorder, and depression, but that wasn't in the categories offered. It works wonderful for this for me. My OCD is very much under control taking this in conjunction with Prozac-there are so many things I just could not do and was so afraid of because of the OCD before getting on Prozac and I could do even more after adding Risperdal to it. I take 2 mgs, but I usually take it a few hours before bedtime because it does make me drowsy. I haven't gained weight from it and really haven't had any side effects."

• Objec...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 6, 2016

"I took Risperdal (Resperidone) for about five years. It effectively managed my maina/hypomania and gave me no obvious side effects towards the beginning. Pros -Effectively worked -Helped with hypomania -Helped with mania Cons -Developed Hyperprolactinemia -From ^^^ i developed amenorrhea and weight gain -Mental Slowness (things were harder to learn and harder to remember) It's a good medication that worked for me, but I had unfortunate side effects. Everyone is different so don't automatically discount the drug if you are just starting it based on everyone else's experience. It DID work for me the way it was supposed to, but I also had side effects so I had to switch it. I'm giving it 8 out of 10 because it DID manage my BPD well."

• ruben
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2012

"I'm an 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 does a better job with my pleasure. On month 2 I was zombie like but now I'm almost back to normal. "

• lrjoh...
• April 18, 2012

"I was given this medicine while I was in a mental hospital for my bipolar disoder. In fact, that's when I was diagnosed and then they started me on it. The first 2 weeks I felt like a zombie. I had no feelings or desires...nothing. Just blank. Then after about 3 or 4 months after I started I began lactating and now because of it I have no sex drive. I have been off of it for about 4 1/2 months and my sex drive still has not returned."

• Invis...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 19, 2015

"It's helped my paranoia, delusions, irrational thoughts, and impulses to self-injure and commit suicide more than anything else. Also helps control the hypomania because I'm not on a mood stabilizer. It just also makes me extremely tired and sedated and I'm constantly hungry and have gained a lot of weight on it. I've fluctuated in my dosage from 3 milligrams to as low as 0.5. Currently taking 2 to 2.5 right now."

• Rose
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2020

"My daughter is bipolar and has tried so many medications. She gets manic attacks. She hears voices and see things when having her manic attacks. Five days ago, they begun 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 zyprexia many years ago and that helped for a time. I’m keeping hope alive!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 6, 2012

"I have been dealing with my son who is only 6 years old and is on it a second time around and since the doctor has doubled his doses in the morning and at night that now he hardly hears the voices anymore and he can start to function again but he is not able to do school yet since he has other issues and gotta still get him the help so he can be able to be in society and be able to do school so he can get his education."

• Tirp
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2016

"After going through my third manic episode I was prescribed 6mg of resperidal which immediately made me feel like an absolute zombie. I couldn't think clearly, was extremely tired all of the time l, and was unhappy. Through the course of about 4 months my dosage is now 1 mg and I don't feel the severe side effects. Good medicine in controlling the mania but in high dosages will make you feel like a zombie"

• Mom...
• October 28, 2009

"My daughter took this medication for about one year. It helped with her mood swings but the side effects are not worth it. She has a bladder infection, bladder incontinence, weight gain (which upsets her and causes more mood swings!), plus it has slowed her mental processing speed (lower grades in school). "

• Andres...
• April 10, 2011

"I developed cronic insomnia in 2002 in Orlando, FL., as a result, I developed Bi-polar. After many exhausting doctor visits with Physicians and Psychiatrists I got lucky, and was referred to a great doctor who now prescribes me Risperdal. Risperdal relaxes me and puts me to sleep at night. The only side effect that I get is that it makes me a little sluggish in the morning, but overall I sleep 8-9 hrs everyday. I have a new lease on life thanks to Risperdal. "

• SoP
• November 19, 2015

"I have been taking Risperidone for over four years now. I felt great the first year but had to constantly have my dosage increased. I don't like some of the side effects (anxiety, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, faster heart rate, flu-like symptoms) but have learned to deal with them. Once you start to gain weight it is virtually impossible to lose the weight as I have tried everything. It seems you peak at a certain level."

• Nubie
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 9, 2019

"I take Resperdal 4 mg with 20 mg celexa. I was on invega sustena before. Since I changed I find that I sing a lot and my mood is sometimes loony sometimes doesn't want to deal with people. I gained so much weight on both celexa and risperdal around 40lbs. I will talk to my Dr about decreasing the dose and get on a diet. I hope that will lessen the symptoms."

• Anonymous
• November 10, 2009

"I am currently taking this new medicine and it has really helped me control my mood swings better than any other medicine that I have taken in the past. One thing that I do not like is that I have gained weight from this. It makes me eat a lot."

• Tired...
• August 24, 2011

"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."

• AJano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2019

"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."

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

"The positive effects of this drug were negated by the adverse side effects I experienced, which included about five episodes of urinary incontinence and slowed motor coordination (my speech and movement were noticeably delayed to the point that I was taken off Risperdal because of this). I would recommend using this medicine to treat acute episodes as needed and not on a long-term basis."

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

"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 2mg I started off at 140lbs since being on the medication I am 230lb almost double my weight and have gained puffy tender breasts. As for the pill working it works 100% at what its suppose to do. If your extremely in need of help and don't care for the side effects go for it."

• Steffy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2016

"It def helped with my mania,I just feel slightly off on it but it has helped a lot I take this and celexa to help with my obsessing but the risperdal made me gain weight,I went from 120-125 to 140 I'm so unhappy bout the weight gain I'm going to try to switch medications&will come back to this if I have 2,trying 2 find something better but this def helped my mania and doesn't make me real tired like seroquel and abilify or almost pass out like geodon"

• Miss...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 11, 2016

"I am a White Female that was prescribed this med, and the results are pretty good. It is covered by my health insurance, filled at a local pharmacy, and given by a nurse that visits our home. I was concerned when I heard about side effects in others, although I feel well. I am over 21, and hopefully this was a good med for me and others. I am a nice girl, and thank you."

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

"Overall, I really like risperdal. It's easy to take with minimal side effects. I take the generic version for Bipolar 2 and have been trying over 30 meds for 5 years. I used to take Seroquel and Divlaprox 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 .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 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."

• rebecky
• April 13, 2012

"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 0.05mg 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."

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

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