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Risperdal (Risperidone) Withdrawal Symptoms + How Long Do They Last?

Risperdal (Risperidone) is an antipsychotic drug that is primarily used to treat schizophrenia as well as bipolar disorder. In some cases it is used to help manage schizoaffective disorder as well as irritability among individuals with autism. It is considered an atypical antipsychotic due to the fact that it is newer and is supposed to have less side effects than the first-generation “typical” antipsychotics.

This drug functions as a dopamine antagonist, but also inhibits serotonin, epinephrine, and histamine to an extent. In some cases, this drug is even used as an antidepressant augmentation strategy. In other words, a psychiatrist may add on Risperdal to a preexisting antidepressant treatment to assess whether it provides additional relief from depressive symptoms.

As with any antipsychotic though, the longer you take it to treat your condition, the more difficulty you will have coming off of it and dealing with the discontinuation symptoms. I personally never recommend taking an antipsychotic for anything other than treating schizophrenia. Why? Because the side effects are pretty significant and upon discontinuation, most people experience powerful withdrawal symptoms.

The bottom line is that you should never take this drug unless you have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder that doesn’t respond to mood stabilizers. Additionally it should be mentioned that many people end up withdrawing from this medication due to unbearable side effects including: weight gain, metabolic changes, type 2 diabetes, tardive dyskinesia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

Factors that influence Risperdal withdrawal

When taking any psychiatric medication, there are factors that influence the severity of withdrawal and symptoms. Various factors that play an important role in discontinuation include: time you took the drug, your dosage, how quickly you tapered, as well as other individual factors (i.e. environment, individual physiology, etc.).

1. Time Span

How long did you take Risperdal? In general, the longer you take an antipsychotic, the more difficult it is to withdraw from. People that have been on an antipsychotic for a couple months should have an easier time withdrawing in comparison to those who have taken one for years. Additionally the longer you are on a drug, the more dependent you become on it for everyday functioning.

2. Dosage (.25 mg to 16 mg)

How much Risperdal did you take? People that take this medication for schizophrenia tend to need higher dosages to help manage symptoms. For schizophrenia, the average daily dose ranges between 4 mg to 16 mg. Individuals who take it for bipolar disorder generally take anywhere from 1 mg to 6 mg. Additionally those who have autism may take a very low dose from .25 mg to 3 mg to manage irritability.

Obviously the higher the dose you take, the more you are becoming dependent on the drug for functioning. Therefore it is always recommended to be on the minimal dose for symptom management. Being on the minimal dose makes withdrawal easier and also helps minimize unpleasant side effects. If you have been taking large amounts of Risperdal over an extended term, it is likely going to be much more difficult to withdraw from.

3. Cold Turkey vs. Tapering

It is never advised to quit a powerful antipsychotic drug like Risperdal “cold turkey.” If you quit without conducting a gradual taper, you may end up with an array of symptoms that are overwhelmingly difficult to cope with. By conducting a conservative gradual taper, you are allowing your nervous system to adjust to very small decreases in medication over time until you are down to 0 mg.

For Risperdal, it is recommended to reduce your current dose by 10% every 2 to 4 weeks depending on how well you are dealing with these decreases. If you are extremely sensitive to medications and withdrawals, it is recommended to stick with 10% decreases every month. Therefore if you were taking 2 mg of Risperdal, you would cut to 1.8 mg for the next month.

4. Individual Factors

Other factors that play a role in determining withdrawal symptoms include: individual physiology, environment, habits, and other drugs that you are taking. Someone who is on an array of psychiatric drugs in addition to Risperdal may have an easier time coping with the withdrawal and/or may not even notice when they taper down from this drug.

Additionally it should be noted that some people are less sensitive to withdrawal symptoms than others. Having good dietary habits, staying busy, and a social support network can go a long way to help cope with the withdrawal experience.

Risperdal Withdrawal Symptoms: List of Possibilities

Below is a list of common symptoms that people experience when they stop taking Risperdal. Understand that you may not experience all of these symptoms and the intensity of each one may vary. Your discontinuation process will be completely unique to you based on your circumstances.

  • Anxiety: Many people experience significant increases in overall anxiety. When withdrawing from any antipsychotic, if you notice that you become very anxious, understand that this is normal. Antipsychotics tend to sedate people and reduce feelings of anxiety. When you discontinue, you may notice that your arousal and anxiety spikes.
  • Appetite changes: A common experience on Risperdal is to gain weight while taking it. You may notice that when you discontinue, your appetite changes and you become less hungry and/or your appetite stabilizes.
  • Bipolar relapse: Individuals that take this medication for bipolar disorder may notice that their symptoms reemerge. In order to prevent this from happening, work closely with your doctor and consider conducting a more gradual taper. If a gradual taper isn’t working, you may want to try transitioning to a different medication.
  • Concentration problems: Antipsychotics are known to cause concentration difficulties while taking them. Additionally when you stop taking Risperdal, you may notice that you are unable to focus on anything. Just know that poor concentration is very common especially during the early phases of withdrawal.
  • Confusion: The combination of poor focus and memory problems can lead some individuals to experience a state of confusion. This confusion may be overwhelming and may lead a person to panic. If you feel confused as a result of your withdrawal, just know that it’s another fairly normal withdrawal symptom.
  • Crying spells: During withdrawal, you may experience spells of uncontrollable crying as a result of deep depression. The depression tends to be most severe during the first few weeks of withdrawal, therefore your crying spells should gradually improve.
  • Delusions: Some people experience delusions when they withdraw from Risperdal. Although this may signal a relapse for those diagnosed with schizophrenia, non-schizophrenics can also experience delusions during withdrawal. This has to do with changes in dopamine levels and receptor activity.
  • Depersonalization: When withdrawing from any antipsychotic, a person may experience feelings of depersonalization. In other words, they may feel unlike their normal self and as if they have been robbed of feeling “natural.” It is common to feel stressed, void of emotion, and almost robotic during withdrawal.
  • Depression: Many people actually take Risperdal to help ease depressive symptoms. Regardless of why you took this drug, experiencing deep depression during withdrawal is common. Most people feel severely depressed during the first few weeks of withdrawal.
  • Dizziness: Feeling dizzy is one of the most reported symptoms when withdrawing from any psychiatric drug. This symptom can be minimized by conducting a gradual withdrawal as opposed to quitting cold turkey. Some dizziness may last for weeks following your last dose, but should improve over time.
  • Fatigue: Many people report having little to no energy during the first couple weeks being drug-free. If you feel very lethargic and unable to get out of bed in the morning, the acute withdrawal is a likely culprit. Give your body and brain time to readjust and relearn how to function without the drug.
  • Hallucinations: If you have schizophrenia, you may experience hallucinations during withdrawal. Your brain becomes especially sensitive during withdrawal and this increased sensitivity and dopamine activity alteration could trigger hallucinations in susceptible individuals.
  • Headaches: Another extremely common symptom to experience when you quit taking Risperdal is headaches. You may experience minor headaches or very severe migraines – especially in the event that you taper too quickly.
  • Insomnia: In some cases this drug is actually prescribed off-label to help with insomnia. Withdrawal can lead to increases in anxiety, arousal, and sensitivity. It can also trigger uncontrollable insomnia. Some recommend taking melatonin if the insomnia is severe.
  • Irritability: You may notice yourself become increasingly irritable and edgy around others. Do your best to recognize that this irritability is caused by neurotransmitter fluctuations. Your brain is no longer operating under the influence of a drug that may have helped keep you calm – this can lead to irritability.
  • Memory problems: Some people report major memory problems after taking this drug. Antipsychotics are known to cause difficulties in cognitive processing and memory retrieval. Usually after a few weeks of withdrawal, your memory should start to improve.
  • Mood swings: You may experience mood swings during your withdrawal. Here I’m referring to crazy mood swings, but not “bipolar disorder.” One minute you may feel alright, the next you may feel very angry, the next very anxious and depressed. Understand that these changes in mood will improve the longer you are off of this drug.
  • Nausea: If you feel nauseous upon discontinuation, just know that you are not alone. Many people feel as though they are going to vomit. Feeling nauseated should gradually go away after the first week or so.
  • Panic attacks: The anxiety that people experience during withdrawal can be very intense. In fact it can be so intense that it triggers a panic attack. If you experience panic attacks, your best bet is to learn some relaxation exercises to lower your arousal.
  • Psychosis: It is known that withdrawal from antipsychotics can cause psychosis – even among people who are non-psychotic. Keep in mind that if you have schizophrenia or another illness with psychotic features, it is best to work with your psychiatrist to manage symptoms by transitioning to a different antipsychotic.
  • Sleep changes: You may notice changes in your sleep patterns when you initially withdraw. Some people report sleeping more than usual, others have difficulty sustaining a healthy amount of sleep. Understand that your sleep may be affected, especially during the first month or two after discontinuation.
  • Suicidal thoughts: It’s pretty common to experience suicidal thinking when you quit taking an antipsychotic. Many people that have been through withdrawal realize that the most intense suicidal thoughts are accompanied by anxiety and/or depression. These should gradually improve as your neurotransmitter levels adjust.
  • Sweating: Some individuals report profuse sweating all day for the first week(s) of withdrawal. If you notice that you are waking up during the night covered in sweat and/or are sweating intensely at work, it’s probably your body going through withdrawal.
  • Vomiting: The withdrawal period from this drug can make some people sick. Many exhibit flu-like symptoms for up to a full week as they readjust to functioning without the drug. This is more common in people who withdraw from higher doses that don’t conduct gradual tapers.
  • Weight loss: Since this is a medication that can lead to significant increases in weight, many people lose weight when they come off of it. This weight loss is usually not immediate, but may occur gradually over the course of a few weeks.

Risperidal Withdrawal: How Long Does It Last?

Although it would be nice if there were an exact Risperdal withdrawal timeline that could be followed, there’s not. Withdrawal lengthy and symptoms will vary based on the individual. Some people don’t really even notice much of a withdrawal when they come off of this drug, while others experience every symptom in the book. Just know that when it comes to withdrawing from any psychiatric medication – especially an antipsychotic, there are no “normal” symptoms.

If you experience something that you know is from withdrawal, trust your experience. Many people withdraw from Risperdal and report some pretty crazy symptoms, report them to their psychiatrist and the psychiatrist insists that these are not normal to experience during withdrawal. I cannot emphasize enough that it is important to trust your own instinct – you know more than anyone if the withdrawal created unwanted symptoms.

In most cases, people should start feeling more “normal” and have less withdrawal symptoms after they have been off of the drug for a full 90 days. I’m suggesting that it takes 3 months before most long-term antipsychotic users start to feel their discontinuation symptoms subside. If you have gone through Risperdal withdrawal and could share your experience in the comments section below, I’m sure someone would greatly appreciate some additional insight.

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188 thoughts on “Risperdal (Risperidone) Withdrawal Symptoms + How Long Do They Last?”

  1. So I’ve been on Risperidone at 1MG for over two years. I had an episode that made me OD and take 12MG in one night, the next night I immediately quit the med cold turkey. I’m coming up on my one week of withdrawals and I’ve checked off each box of symptoms. I admit I did this without my psychiatrist knowing and I do have an appointment coming soon. But reading everyone’s comments, I pray for you and hope you will do the same for me.

    Reply
  2. Why didn’t I find this page before I blindly took this awful drug for insomnia and anxiety. I trusted my doctor. 3 months into 1.5mg and i would rather have insomnia for the rest of my life than feel like a warmed up corpse every single day. I have no life in me to do simple daily tasks, I am drawn back to my bed all day long stuck somewhere in between feeling so very drowsy and constantly battling myself to get moving, and feeling like ive been sent to hell.

    Now I read all these heartbreaking stories of nightmare withdrawal symptoms and I can only just imagine what you’ve all been through and what lies ahead of me now because I am not taking this evil drug any more. My family would like me back in their lives

    I wasn’t warned about any of this at all and it hasn’t really gotten rid of my insomnia, I still wake up 4 or 5 times a night on this stuff the only difference is I can fall back to sleep more quickly sometimes but its just not worth being a zombie for

    I AM AFRAID OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN I START TAPERING, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME, GOD BLESS

    Reply
    • Hi Sarah, same as you just reading the post about risperidone feeling very dumb an unhappy that i listened the psychiatrists. For month and a half I am taking 1mg. I have a memory loss, headaches, mood swings, less sexual function and less life energy. I should start working again tomorrow, who knows how it will be…

      How is your withdrawal going? I also plan to quit it but I am afraid of the consequences. Wish for everyone to not take this drug.

      Reply
  3. I took risperidone for 9 months and I got anhedonia especially ejaculatory anhedonia. I have been off medicine about 2 months. Will the anhedonia go away and also all the dopamine level, and serotonin level be back to normal?

    Reply
  4. I was on risperidone 1mg for a 3 weeks. I had an outburst that ended me up in a mental hospital (first time there). Anyway, after taking the medicine 3 weeks 2 times a day – I started to feel sleepy all the time and didn’t want to do anything.

    It was interfering with school so I decided to stop it cold turkey. My first attempt was horrible as I was all depleted of energy, felt very depressed, and anxiety was taking over. So I took the risperidone again – fixed me right away.

    I didn’t like the idea of being dependent on it, so I stopped cold turkey again. This time it was worse. I didn’t feel like my normal self – my anxiety was extremely bad and I just felt like I’ll be better dead. As the days went on I continued to fight against the withdrawals praying and finding reasons to keep going.

    I’ve been off risperidone for a week, my anxiety is getting better, and I’m feeling normal again – but the withdrawal process felt like hell. I can’t ever do it again. Felt like my soul was over with, but thanks to god I got better and life has a new meaning to it.

    P.S. Ever since the withdrawals I’ve been searching and reading upon this medicine. This is the best website to go for help. Reading everybody else’s stories made me feel better. It’s hard asf but it’s possible to make it through the withdrawals.

    Reply
  5. I was doing the taper but lost patience and I’m going cold turkey from a high dose. First day side effects were lessened which gave me heart. Second day starting to feel flu like. Starting to get scared. Please let this be ok.

    Reply
  6. I took 0.5 mg Risperdal for mild depression, HUGE mistake. I had to quit after 1 month because of the side-effects. Now I have been free for 1 month and I feel 10x worse than from the beginning when I went to get help. I have huge anxiety/panic attacks and I feel constantly these anxiety waves in my brain.

    I have even gotten a few psychotic attacks and those are absolutely horrible… Fatigue, crying spells, mood swings and delusions are also horrible side effects of this drug. I would have never thought that 0.5 mg for 1 month would give me these infernal side-effects.

    I highly recommend not to use this drug for anything but what it is intended for. Please, do not take this for depression – you may end up feeling a lot worse when you do – especially after you quit. It’s hell on earth.

    Reply
  7. I’ve been on 8mg for around 5 months. I tapered down to 6 for a week then 4 for a week. It’s going ok apart from insomnia. Next I’m trying 2 for a week then 1 for a week then cold turkey. Pray for me please.

    Reply
    • Alan, you have the right set up tapering off. Keep yourself busy during this time of tapering.

      Exercising and cut out any sodas and sweets also. Do research on brain foods. Flax seed oil is good to take also daily. Praying for you as well. By Jesus you will be healed completely.

      Reply
    • Hi, Alan. Thank Jesus. From 8mg you went down to 6 then to 4 in such a brief period of time? I think it’s a miracle. Perhaps the fact that you were taking risperidone since 5 months, (which is not too long), might be of much help. Isn’t it? Blessings.

      Reply
  8. Hello, I’ve been praying to God, for some days, asking for help and guidance on how to get rid of risperidone and thanks God I came across this website. In Spanish I never found a forum or site which talked about how to withdraw this “psychotics”.

    Of course by tapering, never thought of cold turkey. There are a lot of testimonies to read and learn. I never had psychotic symptoms and however I was prescribed risperidone 3mg since year 2000, together with clonazepam 2mg. And since October 2014 not having problems to sleep I was forced to take flunitrazepam 2 mg which is a sleeping inducer.

    I was thinking of reducing the dose 10% which is exactly what I read that is recommended on this site. The problem is that I take 1 pill of 3mg risperidone in tablet that can only be divided into 2 pieces. So it would be 1.5mg (that’s to say 50% of the total dose).

    Then with the other half of 1.5, if I divide it into two, it would be 0.75 each part and 1.5+0.75=2,25 and I need to take 2.75mg. In my country risperidone comes in tablets of 1, 2 and 3 mg and in drops. Is there anybody who could suggest me how to do the reduction? Many thanks. Dardo.

    Reply
  9. I’ve been on 8 mg for 4 months and I’m determined to get off this stuff. Can’t sit still. Can’t do my job and shuffled walk. It’s a horrible drug. I’ve been tapered 2mg down to 4mg then a week taper of 1mg down to 2mg. But I’m not stopping there – doctors say so or not. I need to read some success stories here. Anybody quit this drug with no symptoms?

    Reply
    • Hello Alan, my son was given this horrible drug to re-wire his brain due to becoming psychosis from using marijuana wax. I read about the evil side effects. I took him off within 60 days of using it. Just during that short period he became numb and very depressed.

      He felt suicidal and gained weight so fast. It’s sad how this crap is killing the brain cells. It’s definitely a mind controlling drug. I put him on a soda free diet, cardio exercises daily, gym work out on the treadmill and weight lifting for 1 hour. Used a vitamin called GABA. Vitamin Shop has it.

      It takes 30 days for the brain to re-wire itself. The psychiatrist wanted him to stay on that crap for 6 months. Not my child. I did research and tapered him off. Every week I cut the pill in half then another half. It was a challenge the first two weeks were the hardest.

      The POWER of PRAYER and my FAITH helped ?. He is doing great today. He has been off of the Risperdal for 27 weeks. I wish you the best and victory in taking the initiative to want better for yourself and health.

      Be safe! Surround yourself with positive people that are strong minded and will continue to encourage you to not give up. Blessings to you.

      Reply
  10. I’ve been on Risperidone since the age of 15, and I’ll be 27 next week. A very low dose, used to treat anxiety and depression as well as difficulties with Autism after a mental breakdown at 13 – I started on 0.5mg, after a few years I reduced to 0.25, and this week, a year after moving out and living independently with my partner and starting to work, I finally saw a new GP about reducing it down further.

    I’m unable to quit completely at the moment, even from such a low dose, because the effect is so bad physically and mentally. So we decided on going for halving the dose again. I’m 72 hours into taking 0.125mg which is a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet.

    I feel like an absolute zombie today, although I’m happy that I managed to sleep through the night last night without much issue. I’m suffering the dizziness, fatigue, concentration problems, memory issues and irritability. I’m currently at work and have spent a lot of today with my head down on my desk, almost asleep.

    I feel like holding my head up is a huge struggle at the moment. Thanks for this article, and thanks to everyone who has commented, as it has given me some comfort that I will be able to do this – if this works, the next step is to come off. Wishing you all luck.

    Reply
    • Hi Waff, Good luck to you. I am helping to wean my daughter off of risperidone. She took it for 3 months and we have been spending the rest of the time (now almost 2 years total) weaning off of it. We had to switch to a liquid form.

      Any variation in dose (pill cutting is NOT exact) made her symptoms much worse. So hopefully your doctor will let you switch to a liquid. Even going from pills to liquid took time to adjust.

      She is currently at .42 mg and we think we will have her off in the next 6 to 7 months. Such a horrible drug for her. Good luck!

      Reply
  11. Hi. I am 16 years old and back in June I had a really bad panic attack and was given Risperdal because I had depersonalization and racing thoughts that came along with the anxiety attack. I took Risperdal for 2.5 months then noticed I became very sluggish, no motivation, a lot of intrusive thoughts and music playing in my head 24/7.

    I told my doctor and she decided to take me off. I’ve been off for about 3 weeks now and it feels like I’m not getting any better. I have had mood swings, depression, suicidal thoughts, nightmares, and very bad headaches. I’m hoping by November I get back to normal.

    Reply
  12. I took tegretol (400mg) for 43 days and then was switched to Risperdal (2mg) for 7 days with a 4 day break between the two. Side effects were visual and audio hallucinations, insomnia, nausea, tummy problems and uncontrolled thirst.

    The advice nurse said these side effects were temporary and should subside. After a full 4 hours of constant hallucinations (alternating between visual and audio), I made decision to stop taking cold turkey. There was absolutely no support from either my GP, therapist or husband for me to stop.

    At this time, I also adopted a strict Paleo diet of no sugar, no carbs, no salt, no gluten, and no soy. The first 2 weeks were horrible! Basically ALL the symptoms listed in this article I have had or am still experiencing – and I am now at week 6 of being off antipsychotics.

    I should probably add that I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and a functional neurologist deemed my body and brain so inflamed that I was in danger of one of my major organs (liver, kidney) to shut down. Again, I have been on a strict Paleo diet for these past 6 weeks too and the ONLY improvement has been the decrease in body and joint pain.

    Finding this article has been so helpful to me – as I was starting to give up and resign myself to giving into my growing depression and continued decline in neurologic abilities.

    Reply
  13. I was put on Risperdal 8 years ago. I was raped as a child, abused growing up and then a caretaker for two terminally ill relatives. After a year of my last relative dying I had a full blown nervous breakdown with intrusive thoughts. I had no idea what was going on and checked myself into the hospital.

    What a horrible idea. I put on Risperdal, Celexa and Xanax. My family came to visit me a few days later and my little brother cried as I looked like a zombie. I was then switched outpatient to Seroquel. I gained 60 pounds in one month. I was switched to Geodon and then taken off cold turkey because the doctor panicked about my blood sugar (it had only gone up a few points).

    I had another break down from the withdrawal and then put back on it. At that point it had affected my moods and then I was put on Lamictal additionally. I ended up back in another hospital – another nightmare. At one point another doctor put me on 4 mg of Risperdal. Not one person realized that my symptoms were from PTSD and that fact that I had horrible flashbacks.

    Where do these people get their degrees? I finally found a wonderful therapist that I have been seeing for two years and an amazing psychiatric nurse practitioner. She slowly weaned me off of the Risperdal. Both she and my therapist were horrified at my experience and poor treatment and even diagnosis.

    To date, from the medicines, I went from 95 pounds to 240. I am now completely off the Risperdal for six weeks. It has been a challenge. Sometimes I can’t sleep or I sleep for most of the day.

    I am nauseous, my IBS has gotten much worse, I get headaches, mood swings sometimes, don’t have much of an appetite and just generally exhausted. However, I know it will pass and I know I will never need it again.

    Reply
  14. 19 y/o – Female. I had a really tough withdrawal from this medication that lasted about two months and a half (took it for about 2.5 months for non psychotic symptoms). Indescribable depression and emptiness, loss of interest in everything, distorted thoughts, no appetite, the whole 9 yards.

    But I made it out, slowly but surely. If you find yourself on this forum like I did during the worst of it wondering if recovery is possible, it absolutely is. Take it from someone absolutely debilitated by the withdrawal: each day it gets easier (even if you cant notice it), and there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

    I liked to remind myself that whenever I thought that there wouldn’t be an end to the feeling, that was the distorted thinking of risperidone making me feel that way.

    Reply
  15. I slowly decreased the meds for 2 & 1/2 weeks then stopped all. My worst problem is focusing at work and staying awake. I did take a sleeping pill on the days I didn’t take my meds to help. I am sleeping ok now, but again having trouble focusing and staying awake.

    Reply
  16. I was completely convinced that I had BPD (I now know that I don’t) so I went to my doctor and told her that I really think I had BPD, she read the DSM symptoms to me, I said yes to them all. I asked her about antipsychotics because I read they are used to treat BPD.

    I had no knowledge of the side effects or withdrawal and she didn’t feel the need to tell me either – so she prescribed me risperdal 1mg for 5 weeks. I felt less anxious because I was forgetting everything – so I asked her to increase to 2mg. A week into 2mg all my bones/joints started making cracking noises accompanied with sharp pains every time I would move or get up.

    I told her this and she told me to completely stop taking the risperdal. I listened to her and I ended up getting all the withdrawal symptoms which she didn’t explain to me at all. Intense anxiety, hopelessness, deep depressive thoughts, can’t go to the bathroom, can’t eat, can’t sleep, and I ended up having to go to the hospital because I was up for 3 days with zero food.

    I didn’t know what to do because my doctor wouldn’t call back after I told her I was withdrawing. I’ve been off for about two weeks now and my memory has completely come back (thank you so much!!!), but I still feel the intense anxiety and deep depressive thoughts and have a very hard time going to sleep still.

    She prescribed risperdal to somebody with simple OCD/agoraphobic symptoms and zero mania or psychosis. Needless to say, I’ve quit my contract at the facility she works at and have an appointment to meet with hopefully a more careful doctor. Best of luck to those out there struggling with the horrible withdrawal from this brain poison and being told you aren’t.

    Reply
  17. I was taken from 3mg per day (1mg 3x/day) and told to cut it in half for just one week, or I could go off cold turkey. I started abilify. I had the best doctor I’d ever had, but he was a resident and it was his last week.

    I started with these symptoms and called the clinic but my new doctor doesn’t start for another 2 weeks! The doctor on call had a nurse tell me it was an interaction with the abilify and stop the Risperdal completely. I dropped to half less than a week ago and cold turkey 2 days ago.

    I think I’m going to die! It’s really REALLY BAD! I’m a badass. I can get through anything. This is worse than giving birth without meds!!! And I don’t have these episodes like other people. It’s constant 24/7. I feel like I’m detoxing off heroin except it’s not getting better!

    No clue what the temp is. I’m burning up & freezing at the same time and my skin feels like it’s being peeled with a cheese grater! I’m dripping sweat constantly. I almost ruined my marriage last night, my other partner is now afraid of me.

    I can’t care for my 11 month old son safely because I forget he’s in the other room. I fall asleep sitting next to him or even while making food. I’m too weak, dizzy and jittery – and shouldn’t carry him around. At least I stopped puking!!!

    I just reached out to the doctor AGAIN. The nurse blew me off! This sounds like a very common side effect, so why do I feel like they think I’m a hypochondriac? I asked to speak to my doctor/ex-doctors attending, and I think the nurse is only telling the doctor on call which I DON’T want.

    Next step is to go into their psych ER dpt. I mean, this is REALLY BAD!!! The meds stabilized me. I approve of going on the meds in the first place. No one would help me and I finally found a hospital to admit me.

    I stand by how much it helped change my life. However… do your research for ANY medication. I hate that so many doctors aren’t tapering people like they should. But this med should be a last resort.

    Reply
  18. I took this pill for my mood along with lamictal when I was 14 and I’ll put it this way: I gained 50 pounds and it was working okay (mostly good) but around the time I turned 18 it suddenly decided to only work when it wanted to work which was not all that often. It wasn’t until I turned 21 that the risperdal stopped working altogether and when I spoke with my doctor, we decided to wean myself off the slowest way possible.

    Worst part was, I still felt most of the withdrawal symptoms and they never stopped. Even the beginning stages are where it’s gonna be extremely challenging. I woke up every morning feeling clumsy, fuzzy-headed, easily anxious, doubtful, hopelessly miserable, OCD, paranoid. I had that thought in my head that said, “I have no idea what I’m doing here?”

    I read on lots of different websites about how hemp oil can help with trying to numb it down, but when I tried it, all it did was make me feel more negative than I was when I was before I even took it. I was easily tired, getting less than 4 hours of sleep a night and when it was snowing last winter I wore nothing but a tee shirt and jeans and didn’t even shiver 1 bit.

    Even though the THC/CBD industry itself has different products besides their oils, everyone reacts differently depending on what they’re taking and how high the dosage is. Sometimes manufacturers aren’t all that specific when labelling their products and those who purchased those items aren’t aware that they’re being scammed.

    Due to that happening out of all the times I kept ordering different flavors and dosages all because I wanted to simply calm down, it all added up to me losing $400. After I stopped taking the hemp oil I was doing fine for a week 1/2 but then half of my withdrawal symptoms from the risperdal came back, but they weren’t as bad as they used to be and they would only last for like 10-20 minutes.

    I’d feel fine for like an hour or 2 after it went away on its own, but then it would get worse and I’d need to vent to anyone I’m able to call and they’d take time out of their day to listen. It felt like living in a horror movie.

    What makes it worse is that you’ll never know when it’s gonna end and you’re gonna think it’s permanent but it’s really not. When you’re off the pill completely for a certain amount of time and it’s done by tapering the slowest way possible and NOT quitting cold turkey, then you’ll know that your mind is back to normal and you can get on with your life.

    Reply
  19. My son was put on Risperdal in March due to psychosis from withdrawal symptoms from using marijuana wax. However, I took him off once I read about how this antipsychotic drug causes brain damage. My son is 17 years old. I tapered him off. The first week was the worst.

    I was with him 100 percent during this challenging time. I had him taking GABA daily, going to the gym for 1 hour, treadmill and weightlifting. Also, he takes flaxseed oil daily for the Omega 3,6,9. He was on this crap for 30 days only and it was horrible. It is definitely a mind control drug.

    I am a strong believer of the power of prayer. I did a lot of research on antipsychotic drugs and they are basically damaging folks brains and causing major depression, weight gain, and mood swings. It’s sad. My son is back to himself – being a happy normal person. Hallelujah!!!

    Reply
  20. My son was in 4 mg, then weaned off in one week, when I went to go visit him in the residential facility, they gave me his meds to check him out for the weekend. I noticed he wasn’t on risperidone after just having visited him two weeks prior.

    They started him on abilify and was already at 10 mg which I know wasn’t the cause of his soon to be known symptoms. I asked the doctors to switch to abilify because he had been on it before and worked wonders for his positive symptoms. After only 10 minutes after we left for our weekend family visit, he had a severe “jolt” of pain throughout his chest and head.

    He clamped up like he was having a seizure. To make a long weekend short… the rest of the symptoms of withdrawal included: severe focus difficulty, could not have a conversation at all, severe sweating, cold chills, shaking, elevated heart rate at rest was 136 beats per minute, laughing uncontrollably followed by immediate mood swings of disgust…

    He would have a putrid look on his face and kept repeating “gross”, severe insomnia, slept only 5 hours all weekend, no sleep the first night, and 5 hours the second only after treating a migraine with over the counter meds, headache lasted all 3 days. Nausea, gagging and eventually vomiting, only once was he able to communicate how miserable he was, until paranoia set in.

    Then when I would ask him his symptoms or point them out, he said he was fine, and that I was exaggerating, and that I was just trying to get him thrown back to the hospital. What an absolute nightmare. It’s no wonder they claim to need these meds forever, because they put a hinder on allowing time to heal all wounds.

    Reply
  21. Same story as many of you. Hospital visit turned nightmare. Forced onto risperdal without being told the risks or side effects. Shaking, tremors, difficulty breathing, numbness in face, stomach & bone pains (like something was poking or sticking out of me), loss off balance, weakness in legs, neck & back pain (random spots) etc.

    Long story short, I went off the drug cold turkey (worse thing you can ever do, do not do) sometime in 2017, been off ever since, very tough withdrawal battle, took approx. 1 year to sort of recover (sleep has been disturbed ever since but almost back in order, terrible thoughts & bad dreams / nightmares. Anyway lots of BS happened & the doctors wouldn’t even bat an eye.

    NEVER TAKE THIS DRUG IF YOU ARE CAPABLE AND WANT TO REMAIN THAT WAY. THIS IS A MESSAGE FOR THE PRESENT & ANY FUTURE READERS (HOPEFULLY THIS DRUG ISN’T AROUND ANYMORE). The End.

    Reply
    • Sleep is my biggest issue. I needed a benzo to get any sleep and still it is choppy and unreliable. Sometimes when I fall into a deep dreamless sleep I get shocked awake with the most jolting anxiety I have ever experienced.

      0.5 mg of Risperidone for four wonderful stable years and then it all fell apart because of the prolactin build up. Cold turkey and several medication failures later, I am trying to get off the benzo and heal naturally, but I have serious doubts I will ever recover. Wish I would have never taken this drug.

      Reply

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