Risperidone

• A mental disorder which affects the ability of a person to think or behave properly (schizophrenia)
• Mood swings (bipolar disorders) – a person alternates between high moods (mania) and low moods (depression)
• Short-term treatment of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia (an illness that can affect in death of brain cells leading to decline in memory, thinking, learning, writing and other fine skills)
• Short-term treatment of persistent aggression in children and adolescents above five years of age

When should one not use Risperidone

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Sleep problems (no sleep or too much sleep)
• Unintentional tremors, muscle tightness or stiffness, slow or difficult movements (parkinsonism)
• Headache
• Respiratory symptoms (common cold, sinusitis, cough, flu-like symptoms, pneumonia)
• Urinary tract and ear infections
• Increased levels of prolactin hormone (enlarged breasts in males and menstrual cycle, fertility problems in females)
• Loss of control over muscle movement (dystonia)
• Unintentional movements (dyskinesia), tremors
• Blurred vision, eye infections
• Rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, breathing difficulty
• Abdominal pain and discomfort (nausea, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion)
• Muscle aches, joint and back pains
• Improper control over passing urine (urinary incontinence)
• Skin rashes and swelling of hands, legs
• Fatigue, fever, weakness
• Have a fall
• Sudden changes in your physical or mental state – weakness of face, hands, legs, slurry speech (signs of brain stroke)
• Sudden movements of the face, tongue or other parts of body that you cannot control (tardive dyskinesia)
• Formation of blood clots – breathing difficulty, swelling pain and redness of the legs(rare)
• Fever, stiff muscles and dizziness (neuroleptic malignant syndrome)
• Prolonged or painful erection (priapism)

Other General Warnings

• You have heart problems
• You have diabetes
• You have unintentional movements, tremors, learning, thinking or behavioral problems
• You have seizures
• You have drowsiness, muscle stiffness
• You have frequent fevers
• You have erection problems
• You have kidney or liver disease
• You have low levels of white blood cells (leucopenia)
• You have a history of formation of blood clots, may or may not be associated with using antipsychotic medicines
• You have high prolactin hormone levels

How Does It Work?

Interactions with other medicines

• Medicines that may cause irregular heartbeats and heart attack (Quinidine, Dysopiramide, Procainamide, Propafenone, Amiodarone, Sotalol)
• Antidepressants & Antipsychotics (Amitryptiline, Maprotiline, Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Fluvoxamine, Phenothiazines, etc.)
• Medicines used to treat HIV/ AIDS (Ritonavir, etc.)
• Antifungal medications (Ketoconazole, Itraconazole)
• Medicines that decrease acid production in the stomach (Cimetine, Ranitidine)
• Medicines for high blood pressure (Verapamil, etc.)

Interactions with food items

Overdose

Missed a Dose