Risperdal

[Stef]

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/risperdal-side-effects.html

Depending upon what the patient is being treated for, the aggression side effect ranges between 3%-26% as best I can tell. The site I originally pulled the info from did not differentiate between diagnoses. It simply placed the high side 26% number on the chart for increased aggressiveness. I'm not sure of what site it was anymore. I checked a few other sites this morning, and they seem to all pretty much agree with the drugs.com site.

[DazedandConfused]

Son has been taking Risperdal for the last four years. We tried depakote and some others, but Risperdal literally change our family because we had to be so careful of what we did and where we went because of Son's irratibility and aggressiveness.

Son started with .5 in the morning and .5 in the evening. There's been some changes of the years, but the last two years have been 2.0 in the morning and 1.0 in the evening (or afternoon) if he's having a particularly rough day (PRM). It certainly did seem like a miracle in the beginning for us because of what we had been dealing with for so many years with him.

We haven't had the side effects like many others have written about on this forum. It also didn't "cure" Son, he still has his times when I think I'm going to lose my mind with him, but its not daily like before.

I hope you have the good outcome like we have so far.

[cadydid]

We tried Risperdal with my gfg. It lasted a week. His behavior got worse, to the point that he was harder to manage then he was before. I just couldn't handle it so we went back to Methylin.

But I will say this, what works for one does not mean it won't work for someone else. I wish you the best of luck.

[totoro]

The 26% that I could see was at a very high dose I am assuming for an Adult. Clinical trials are rarely is ever done on kids.
The dose for 26% looked like 16mg a day, which a child or young adult would most likely never ever be on.
Also the DX for these % was for Schizophrenia, which very few if any, young adults or children are ever DX'd with either.

While their are always side affects with all of these meds, it is not good for us as parents to scare ourselves with all of the side affects.
We need to know the side affects and be aware of them.
I keep a journal and keep diligent track of K's side affects, and moods etc.
I tell her PDOC everything that concerns me.
I am not afraid to pull her from a med if I feel it is making her worse.
That is our job as a parents.
If you really in your heart feel this is not a good med for your GFG, after much research, then do not put him on it.
But seriously, it is so easy to read all of the bad things drive yourself crazy! I have done it...
We are looking at Lithium for K.
She is 7. Do you know how scary the word Lithium is?
Peoples perception of this med is horrible, but after you actually research it, you realize this med is likely one of the better MS than a lot of the others out there.

Will it work? Who knows? Will she experience the bad side affects? Maybe...
I hope not.

K is experiencing some of the not so good side affects from AP's right now, but the good out weighs the bad.
I hate this. I hate having to medicate my child. But, she is worse off of the meds.
Off of the meds is doing far more damage to her mind than on.

I know these decisions are hard and tough on your heart.
Keep researching, you are doing what all of us do and have done.
You are a good Mom!

[TerryJ2]

Stef, I am reading this with interest, because we see our psychiatrist on Mon.
I just wanted to wish you luck!