What happens if you abruptly stop taking Risperdal? My husband, who generally gives difficult child his medications, and who is responsible for refilling prescriptions, forgot to get it refilled--Dr's office says Monday is the earliest we can expect to have it refilled, maybe not until Tuesday (I won't go into how nasty the woman answering the phone was about this--"Well, maybe next time you'll remember to call before you need it..."). We have enough left for tonight at bedtime and tomorrow morning. (He takes 0.25 mcg twice a day). What are in for this weekend?
help! risperdal question
- Thread starter elisem
- Start date
Shari
IsItFridayYet?
My son's doctor said that kids can experience hallucinations and psychosis after skipping a coupld of doses. I don't think that's the norm, but she said its possible.
I'd see if you can call an on-call and get a script called in somewhere else, even if its just enough for the weekend. Even if its your general practice doctor, they may well understand the situation.
Hugs.
I'd see if you can call an on-call and get a script called in somewhere else, even if its just enough for the weekend. Even if its your general practice doctor, they may well understand the situation.
Hugs.
Elise,
Gosh... I'd call back and ask pleasant (cough) woman what ER difficult child should be taken to should there be any difficulties due to the abrupt withdrawal of the medication and ask *her* specifically for signs and symptoms you should be watching for. Take her name, first and last.
Life happens, you know? Yes, in a perfect world we would all get scripts filled in advance but... perfection hasn't hit yet.
"Well, maybe next time you'll remember to call before you need it..." Give me a break. So her philosophy is to compromise kids' care so parents learn their lessions? Ugh.
I agree with calling on-call psychiatrist or pediatrician or whomever to get a short script for 3 or 4 days, just to make sure difficult child is covered.
Sorry you have to deal with this nasty kind of attitude.
Gosh... I'd call back and ask pleasant (cough) woman what ER difficult child should be taken to should there be any difficulties due to the abrupt withdrawal of the medication and ask *her* specifically for signs and symptoms you should be watching for. Take her name, first and last.
Life happens, you know? Yes, in a perfect world we would all get scripts filled in advance but... perfection hasn't hit yet.
"Well, maybe next time you'll remember to call before you need it..." Give me a break. So her philosophy is to compromise kids' care so parents learn their lessions? Ugh.
I agree with calling on-call psychiatrist or pediatrician or whomever to get a short script for 3 or 4 days, just to make sure difficult child is covered.
Sorry you have to deal with this nasty kind of attitude.
gcvmom
Here we go again!
The pharmacy should be able to sell you enough tablets to get through the weekend if they are decent people, especially if this is a prescription you've filled there before for difficult child.
I wouldn't recommend skipping the doses, but if you have to, be prepared for some emotional meltdowns -- we've accidentally missed medications before and with Risperdal, we tend to see more emotional or angry outbursts when that happens.
Good luck!
I wouldn't recommend skipping the doses, but if you have to, be prepared for some emotional meltdowns -- we've accidentally missed medications before and with Risperdal, we tend to see more emotional or angry outbursts when that happens.
Good luck!
Marguerite
Active Member
It's good that it worked out. But from our experience - with such a low dose as your child is on, you probably wouldn't have had too many problems with withdrawal. The biggest things you would have noticed would be a child who was not interested in eating as much, and a child who was very awake, very active for a lot longer than usual.
When we took difficult child 1 off his risperdal, I think we just stopped it (he was on quarter tablet in the evenings). But when we took difficult child 3 off it, we cut back gradually, we COULD do this because he was on four times the dose as his big brother.
For future reference - if you always use the same pharmacy, chances are he will give you a foil in advance, which he will then withhold from the box when you get the official repeat prescription.
We have to do this sometimes. Or what also happens - the pharmacist is out of stock so he gives us part of what medications we're supposed to have, then orders more in. He then gives us the rest when we either call in for it, or next time we're there for any other reason.
It's handy to know you have an option.
Marg
When we took difficult child 1 off his risperdal, I think we just stopped it (he was on quarter tablet in the evenings). But when we took difficult child 3 off it, we cut back gradually, we COULD do this because he was on four times the dose as his big brother.
For future reference - if you always use the same pharmacy, chances are he will give you a foil in advance, which he will then withhold from the box when you get the official repeat prescription.
We have to do this sometimes. Or what also happens - the pharmacist is out of stock so he gives us part of what medications we're supposed to have, then orders more in. He then gives us the rest when we either call in for it, or next time we're there for any other reason.
It's handy to know you have an option.
Marg
I am glad the crisis was averted. Often the docs have NO CLUE what the office people are doing, or are not doing. So it might be a good idea to tell the doctor the lady was terribly rude.
Also, check with your insurance co. We found that our prescriptions could be for 34 days instead of 30. This lets me schedule the scrips to be called in on the 15th, and if we are a couple of days off (weekend or whatever) I have a few extra. It really helped with scheduling.
Hugs,
Susie
Also, check with your insurance co. We found that our prescriptions could be for 34 days instead of 30. This lets me schedule the scrips to be called in on the 15th, and if we are a couple of days off (weekend or whatever) I have a few extra. It really helped with scheduling.
Hugs,
Susie
