Anyone on Risperdol?

[Guest guest]

My 6 yr. PDD-NOS son takes it along w/ tegretol and clonodine and we have

experienced severe weight gain and excessive thirst. other than that so far

all is well

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc suggested it

today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I'm aware

that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I don't know

much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks,

Deanna

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Deanna,

Our son was on Risperadol for about 8 weeks several years ago. This is because

we were consulting with a doctor who believed Zachary was suffering from

hebephrenia rather than autism (the Mayo Clinic said otherwise later).

When Zach was on this drug he became basically a piece of furniture. He would

literally stand in a doorway, corner, whatever, for as long as you chose to

leave him there. Very animated and verbal before, he became utterly unmotivated

to do anything at all, rarely spoke, rarely even moved from room to room unless

we took him by the hand and directed him. His eyes were dopey and glazed. The

doctor kept telling us to give it more time -- that " sometimes it takes as long

as 8 months to see the medicine begin to be effective. " We couldn't stand him

being like that, so we took him off of it and went to another doctor.

I'm not saying it won't work for you, I'm only saying what it did to our son. It

was hearbreaking to see him like that. Sure, the stimming stopped...that's the

problem...EVERYTHING STOPPED.

I pray things work out for you.

Russ

Deanna °o° wrote:

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc suggested it

today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I'm aware

that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I don't know

much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks,

Deanna

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

The Drs just give way to higher dose for most - that poor boy 8 months my

gosh more like 1 hour ! we had a brief discussion here last week but my boy

has been on .2ml that is point 2 of a ml not 1 or two whole mls - and it

just has taken the edge off everything he is more focused, eating for the

first time without a battle - it has tweaked him right across the board -

his talking, his conversation etc. we are chelating and using enzymes and

hope to not need it at all in the next year. We simply cannot go any higher

because he gets very relaxed - which is nice but not him, he starts to have

urine accidents (just tiny ones) enough to make him change his pants several

times a day and he just keeps eating way too much for his little stomach.

So if you choose to try it go very low and work up slowly - our Dr was very

surprised and pleased he responded to the low dose really well.

Regards

Terri NZ

Re: [ ] Anyone on Risperdol?

Deanna,

Our son was on Risperadol for about 8 weeks several years ago. This is

because we were consulting with a doctor who believed Zachary was suffering

from hebephrenia rather than autism (the Mayo Clinic said otherwise later).

When Zach was on this drug he became basically a piece of furniture. He

would literally stand in a doorway, corner, whatever, for as long as you

chose to leave him there. Very animated and verbal before, he became utterly

unmotivated to do anything at all, rarely spoke, rarely even moved from room

to room unless we took him by the hand and directed him. His eyes were dopey

and glazed. The doctor kept telling us to give it more time -- that

" sometimes it takes as long as 8 months to see the medicine begin to be

effective. " We couldn't stand him being like that, so we took him off of it

and went to another doctor.

I'm not saying it won't work for you, I'm only saying what it did to our

son. It was hearbreaking to see him like that. Sure, the stimming

stopped...that's the problem...EVERYTHING STOPPED.

I pray things work out for you.

Russ

Deanna °o° wrote:

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc suggested

it today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I'm

aware that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I don't

know much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks,

Deanna

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

My daughter (Jenna/4/ASD) has been on Risperdal since 5/31. She has

excessive thirst (which I noticed another mother posted their child has

too). She has gained 3 pounds since starting on it, but all that did was

put her on the growth chart (first time in 3 years). She is sleeping

through the night (previously up 7 hours a night w/ behavior similar to

night terrors) and self injury stopped. Those were the 2 things that we

needed help w/. Other side effects are normal eye contact, increased

socialization/imitation/responsiveness. Prior to this you could call her

name a million times and she might have responded once or twice. She

literally responds every time now (better than her 2 NT sisters). She has

never needed very much sleep. She goes to bed w/o a problem (again, easiest

one to put to bed) and sleeps for about 11 hours.

This was a last resort for us. We tried so many other things and nothing

made ANY difference. Expect to have people post how horrible you are for

" doing this to " your child. But we literally had no choice, she was

recommended for a psych/admit twice because of her self injury/screaming

behavior. She is a different child now, happy, calm, a joy to be around.

There was a study recently about ASD kids and Risperdal, I'll see if I can

find it and send it to you.

Valeri

[ ] Anyone on Risperdol?

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc suggested

it today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I'm

aware that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I don't

know much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks,

Deanna

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Deanna:

Just like with any medication or supplement, some seem to help and some

appear not to -either that or the side-effects outweigh the benefits.

In our case, our son, Nicky, 6, has been on a small dose of Risperdal

since February of 2001. We saw gains in language, eye contact, reduced

self-stim and focus. He was also more flexible and open to new

experiences. We saw none of the negative side-effects - weight gain or

sleepiness. Since then, we have added the gfcf diet, supplementation

with zinc, magnesium, GABA, etc., and continue to see gains. We are

still working through dietary/bacteria issues in preparation for

chelation. But overall, he is improving, and Risperdol has helped. This

may not be true for everyone, but it has helped us.

a

>

> Hi all,

>

> Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc sugges=

ted it today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I=

'm aware that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I do=

n't know much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

>

> Thanks,

> Deanna

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

this has been a life saver for us. we started on .5ml of the liquid

which is a tiny dose and after 8 months went to .5 twice a day. WE have

seen excessive weight gain, but he has stopped destroying our home

[Guest guest]

Beware of Risperdal (risperidone), side effects include: weight gain

(substantial in children), prolactin elevation which can cause enlarged breasts

in boys and breast secretion...this can be especially troublesome for boys!

I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Try this conversion table: 1mg Risperdal = 5mg Zyprexa= 100mg Seroquel.

Seroquel is great for anxiety or sleep disorders, also for agitation/aggression.

Side effects with Seroquel include somnolence (sleepiness) & orthostatic

hypotension (dizziness when rising from prone position- lying/sitting down).

hope this is helpful,

JR

[Guest guest]

My grandmother took it for awhile earlier this year but stopped it after she

developed tremors from it. It did wonders for her anxiety and focus but the

tremors were scary. She is very old and very sensative to things though.

Gaylen

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/8/02 10:33:32 PM Central Daylight Time,

valeri@... writes:

> I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

> Zyprexa (olanzapine).

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/8/02 10:33:32 PM Central Daylight Time,

valeri@... writes:

> I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

> Zyprexa (olanzapine).

>

After my grandmother developed the tremors possibly from Risperdal, she was

switched to Zyprexa and the tremors became much worse leading to a temporary

paralysis and dementia that looked like a stroke but wasn't. She mostly

recovered within a week after stopping Zyprexa but it was pretty scary. The

docs never determined the exact cause but did tell us Zyprexa is more known

for causing tremors and strange neurological things than Risperdal so she

should not have been put on it. Again, this is a very old, very sensative

woman but I thought I'd mention the experience in case anyone's kid on these

drugs begins to feel jumpy or jerky or shake strangely.

Gaylen

[Guest guest]

At the moment we are enjoying the effects of Resperdol - but I keep all info for

future reasons should we run into trouble - I don't understand the conversion -

does this mean that they have to take 100mg of seroquel? how is this done, also

the biggest hurdle for me about Risperdol is the threat of Tardive Dyskinesia

but I understand that the smaller the dose the less chance of this and if you

see this in the early stages it is reversable - so does Seroquel have this risk

as I understand things all the drugs that are in this category would have this

risk. But totally open to checking out all drugs.

Thanks

Terri NZ

Re: [ ] Re: Anyone on Risperdol?

Beware of Risperdal (risperidone), side effects include: weight gain

(substantial in children), prolactin elevation which can cause enlarged breasts

in boys and breast secretion...this can be especially troublesome for boys!

I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Try this conversion table: 1mg Risperdal = 5mg Zyprexa= 100mg Seroquel.

Seroquel is great for anxiety or sleep disorders, also for

agitation/aggression.

Side effects with Seroquel include somnolence (sleepiness) & orthostatic

hypotension (dizziness when rising from prone position- lying/sitting down).

hope this is helpful,

JR

[Guest guest]

A friend of mine is a nurse and has a 4 year old boy w/ ASD who has just

started on Risperdal (last week). She told me that if you take " drug

holiday's " , where the child is weaned off the drug, remains off for a time,

then slowly put back on you can virtually eliminate the Tardive Dyskinesia

and the possibility of needing higher and higher doses. You also get the

chance to see if the behaviors you were using the meds for are still there.

Valeri

Re: [ ] Re: Anyone on Risperdol?

Beware of Risperdal (risperidone), side effects include: weight gain

(substantial in children), prolactin elevation which can cause enlarged

breasts in boys and breast secretion...this can be especially troublesome

for boys!

I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Try this conversion table: 1mg Risperdal = 5mg Zyprexa= 100mg Seroquel.

Seroquel is great for anxiety or sleep disorders, also for

agitation/aggression.

Side effects with Seroquel include somnolence (sleepiness) & orthostatic

hypotension (dizziness when rising from prone position- lying/sitting down).

hope this is helpful,

JR

[Guest guest]

Oh thanks for that - one holiday I will not be looking forward to! I forgot to

give it to him one day we went to the Zoo and he was noticably busier and in a

bit of a hurry if you know what I mean. Probably because I only give it once in

24 hours not twice - it comes right out of his system. Can you give me time

frames of some sort just guide lines say 6mths on 1 day off??? too hopefull I

suppose 6mths on 1 week off?

Thanks

Terri NZ

Re: [ ] Re: Anyone on Risperdol?

Beware of Risperdal (risperidone), side effects include: weight gain

(substantial in children), prolactin elevation which can cause enlarged

breasts in boys and breast secretion...this can be especially troublesome

for boys!

I would recommend Seroquel (quetiapine) as an alternative to Risperdal or

Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Try this conversion table: 1mg Risperdal = 5mg Zyprexa= 100mg Seroquel.

Seroquel is great for anxiety or sleep disorders, also for

agitation/aggression.

Side effects with Seroquel include somnolence (sleepiness) & orthostatic

hypotension (dizziness when rising from prone position- lying/sitting down).

hope this is helpful,

JR

[Guest guest]

LOL! Yeah going back to where we were is SCARY. My daughter Jenna (4/ASD)

is taking 1.25 mg a day. The schedule she suggested for her was no longer

than 6 months on then a week tapering off, week off, week going back on. I

need to go over it w/ my daughter's Pediatric Neurologist. Hopefully the

behaviors will have faded some by " holiday time " .

Valeri

RE: [ ] Re: Anyone on Risperdol?

A friend of mine is a nurse and has a 4 year old boy w/ ASD who has just

started on Risperdal (last week). She told me that if you take " drug

holiday's " , where the child is weaned off the drug, remains off for a

time,

then slowly put back on you can virtually eliminate the Tardive Dyskinesia

and the possibility of needing higher and higher doses. You also get the

chance to see if the behaviors you were using the meds for are still

there.

[Guest guest]

Hi Deanna,

My son is 7 years old and 70 lbs and takes Risperdol (0.5mg am / 0.5mg pm).

It's such a small dose that I haven't seen any side effects in the 8 months

that he's been on it. The drug helped significantly at first, but currently

he still has sporadic rages and I feel that his body had gotten used to this

dose and the drug has become ineffective. I continue with this low dose to

cover my ass as I search emphatically for the true etiology of his psychotic

behavior. My current theory is that my son has mold sensitivity and that

whenever exposed or whenever mold counts soar, he must feel horribly

tormented. So Risperdol may help calm a child, but it is my belief that

any long term use of a drug can be insidiously dangerous while at the same

time masking the true etiology of the problem. I use it cautiously as a

band aide while I search for the real solution. My son is on the Ketogenic

Diet (for seizure control) with restricted caloric intake, so weight gain is

not an issue.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Lydia

[ ] Anyone on Risperdol?

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone here has their kids on Risperdol? The doc suggested

it today and I'm wondering what experiences you all have had with it. I'm

aware that is can cause significant weight gain but other than that, I don't

know much. Any info would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks,

Deanna

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

My son took Seroquel and it was the single worst experience in the world!

It turned him into a raving lunatic. The doctor who prescribed it said it

helped his son tremendously, but all it did to my son was cause severe

emotional disturbance. It literally made him psychotic. Thankfully, he's

back to his sweet self. He now takes 5 mg of Celexa. Every child is

different and one drug can work beautifully for a child and not for another.

My son also tried Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta. All were disasters.

Choose the medication to fit whatever you are trying to correct. In my

son's case it was OCD like behavior that would cause anxiety and behavioral

problems. The Celexa has made those things go away. He's much calmer and

much less obsessive.

Good luck!

a

>Seroquel has the lowest propensity to cause tardive dyskinesia due to the

>fact that it has little to no EPS (extra pyramidal symptoms). EPS relates

>to movement disorders, TD, akathesia,parkinsonism,dystonia.

>

>If your child is on .25mg of Risperdal that would equate to approx. 25mg of

>Seroquel.....1mg Risperdal = 100mg Seroquel....don't be concerned when you

>change from one drug to another when the dosing units are higher than the

>original drug, ie, Seroquel is not 100 times more potent than Risperdal.

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Seroquel has the lowest propensity to cause tardive dyskinesia due to the fact

that it has little to no EPS (extra pyramidal symptoms). EPS relates to movement

disorders, TD, akathesia,parkinsonism,dystonia.

If your child is on .25mg of Risperdal that would equate to approx. 25mg of

Seroquel.....1mg Risperdal = 100mg Seroquel....don't be concerned when you

change from one drug to another when the dosing units are higher than the

original drug, ie, Seroquel is not 100 times more potent than Risperdal.

JR

[Guest guest]

RE: Risperdal & tardive dyskinesia.....This is a very serious disorder!!! and it

is not always reversible, also switching from one antipsychotic med. to another

may cause underlying TD from the original drug to manifest.

JR

[Guest guest]

RE: Seroquel.....remember this IS an antipsychotic medication, as with any and

all antipsychotics, it is intended to treat psychosis NOT cause it.

Celexa is an SSRI indicatedfor depression & OCD...the antipsychotics are not

intended to treat OCD, and they would most likely have no effect.

remember, no one drug works for all patients; every patient is " an N of one "

( " N " desiginates the number of patients enrolled in any clinical trial)

JR

[Guest guest]

We wanted to try seroquel instead of risperdal, but it is not gfcf and my

son has severe problems with lactose.

[Guest guest]

Lydia,

My son is also 7 and weighs 75 pounds and takes .5mg risperdal in the

am and pm. He has been on it for 11 months. It has been a lifesaver for

us(prior to this-drug free), but still has rages as well from time to

time(almost always when I try to stop an OCD issue). I too continue my

search and he is on a limited diet, but has gained a great deal of weight

from it. His body did get used to the drug and that is why we added a

morning dose. He only took .5 in the pm for about 8 months. I can tell

that he is used to it as at first he would go to bed shortly after

getting the dose. Now he is up for 3 hours after his 7 pm dose.

Phyllis

[Guest guest]

Our son's psych says that risperdol does help with OCD issues as well,

although clearly an SSRI would be the first choice for OCD

[Guest guest]

> this has been a life saver for us. we started on .5ml of the liquid

> which is a tiny dose and after 8 months went to .5 twice a day. WE

have

> seen excessive weight gain, but he has stopped destroying our home

What other changes have you seen with your son being on Risperdol?

Does he seem more " with it " ? Are you also chelating or doing the

diet? My son was given prozac & aderall which sent him flying

through the roof and made him even more autistic. Strange that she

didn't give him risperdol. He is actually improving alot on the anti

yeast meds, chelation & GFCF diet. Best wishes,

Kate

[Guest guest]

kate,

In answer to your questions, our biggest gain was a huge decrease in

tantrums and aggressive behaviours. He had hurt us and destroyed the

house. This was decreased by about 85%. He was also more with it and

began sleeping more and better, which probably attributed to his better

behaviour. We are not chelating yet as his gut problems remain unsolved.

We have been doing the diet for years though. We started on prozac

yesterday to see about helping his ocd issues. I hope we have better

results with it than you did. Because he was less apt to tantrum, he did

learn more as well.

Phyllis