Risperdal Quick Facts
Posted in Quick Facts, Risperdal By Hanners Blackthorne On August 24, 2012
Risperdal is a second-generation antipsychotic. It works by reducing dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain.
Generic Name: Risperidone
Primary Uses:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar Disorder
Other Uses:
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Autism
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Eating disorders
- Tourette’s Syndrome
Availability: 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg, 3mg and 4mg oral tablets, 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg, 3mg, 4mg sublingual tablets. Also available is Risperdal Consta, an intramuscular injection which is given every 2 weeks.
Contraindications:
- Liver or kidney disease
- Heart rhythm problems
- High cholesterol or triglycerides
- Past heart attacks or strokes
- Past breast cancer
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Diabetes
- Suicidal thoughts
- Parkinson’s disease
- Trouble swallowing
Side Effects:
- Weight gain
- Akathesia
- Sedation
- Dysphoria
- Insomnia
- Elevated prolactin levels
- Low blood pressure
- High blood pressure
- Muscle stiffness or pain
- Tremors
- Hypersalivation
- Constipation
- Runny nose
- Lactation
- Photosensitivity
Serious Side Effects:
- Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
- Extrapyramidal symptoms
- Tardive dyskinesia
Black Box Warnings: Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death.
Metabolization: Liver
Excretion: Urinary
Half-Life: 20 hours
Withdrawal Effects: Risperdal should be tapered down slowly to avoid any rebound psychosis or withdrawal effects. Withdrawal effects include insomnia, lightheadedness, rapid heart rate, dyskinesia, nervousness, dizziness, headache, non-stop crying, and anxiety.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risperidone
http://www.drugs.com/risperidone.html
http://www.rxlist.com/risperdal-drug.htm
About Author
Hanners Blackthorne
I am a web developer, and the creator of QueerMentalHealth.org. I run my own IT business. For this reason I have chosen to remain anonymous, so I have chosen the pseudonym "Hanners Ellicott-Chatham", which is a character from one of my favourite web comics, Questionable Content, by Jeph Jacques. am a trans woman who lives with Bipolar Disorder.