Generic Name: Risperdal for Schizophrenia (risperidone)
Risperdal for Schizophrenia Reviews
"Risperidone saved my life. Before it, I was suffering from delusions, and I was paranoid all the time. But ever since being put on 2mg, all the delusions have stopped, and I can function like a normal human being. I've had no side effects whatsoever. I was scared of starting risperidone because of all the negative reviews, but it is honestly the best antipsychotic I have tried (and I've tried three). I haven't put on weight, I haven't got an increased appetite, I am not drowsy, I am not lazy or zombie-like, and I am not lactating."
"I used to hear voices on a daily basis, especially when I was near a fan or running water. The noise turned into words. Since I have been on Risperdal, I have had a significant decrease in the voices to where they are almost gone. If I don't get any sleep or I am really stressed out, the voices come back, so I try to get plenty of sleep and avoid stressful situations. I give Risperdal an A. The first week on Risperdal, I was extremely sleepy. It was really hard to wake up, but now I am fine, and my body has adapted to the medication. You should try it. The peace of mind I get from Risperdal is priceless. I used to think my thoughts were being broadcast out loud, and now my own thoughts are much quieter."
"I was admitted to the hospital and prescribed Risperdal. I recently went from 3 mg to 2 mg. I've been having really bad swallowing issues on this med, and we're hoping the lower dose helps with this. Otherwise, a great medicine for me. I've been active in the community and able to control some of my unusual thoughts. I would recommend this medication, but be cautious of the side effects. I've been on the med for 2 years now. I gained 40 lbs and remarkably, I was able to lose 50 lbs since starting Risperdal."
"I smoked a lot of marijuana as a young man. Me being a late bloomer, I think it affected my brain chemistry. One day I felt an explosion in my head, after that I started hearing voices and became really paranoid. I finally admitted that I needed help, after seeing that I couldn't hold a job, snapped at people, starting fights with people for no reason, insane thoughts and a brain I couldn't control, I was prescribed Risperdal for schizophrenia, Ativan for anxiety, and benztropine for side effects, all these medications for what my kind doctor called a brain disorder. Stopped paranoid thoughts, delusions, gained social skills back. No libido, 15 lbs weight gain in a month, but feel sane again. Seems to work for 7 hours, then paranoid again."
"I was forced to end taking Haldol 2.5 mg/night after 27 1/2 years - over 10,000 days - because they stopped making it. I was prescribed Risperdal. I started at 2 mg a day, and they reduced the dosage to 1 mg. I also stopped Cogentin and Prozac because of strong discomfort. After around 40-50 days of Risperdal, I didn't sleep as well and felt utterly horrible, like a zombie - like it was torturing and destroying my brain. I came to my senses and rid myself of all medication whatsoever, since it seemed to be harming my brain and not helping me sleep, and have recovered from all mental illness in about 5 days and am getting somewhat less sleep but feel a lot better overall. So the medicine was good in that it convinced me to get rid of it and all medication and completely recover. I believe people who take Risperdal should be reviewed after 30-50 days or so and given the option to stop taking it and maybe all medication if they have horrible, zombie-like side effects like I did."
"Just my experience; your mileage may vary. Odd tunnel vision as it takes effect. After about 2 weeks, expect your wife to be very “unsatisfied.” If your job involves mental math or coding, this will become much more challenging. It dulls your emotions even beyond what your horrible affliction will. I became an impotent robot with no processing power. The cure, at least for me, was worse than the disease. I have since learned to ignore, or at least recognize and not take them as absolute reality. Mental gymnastics and proper training are equally effective; the side effects of Risperdal are life-altering in a bad way."
"I'm very frustrated right at the moment. My son, who is 37 years old, has been on risperdal for 5 years. Now he decides he doesn't need it anymore. Well, the voices are totally out of control. He can't even hear me when I talk to him because the voices are so loud. He doesn't sleep, he talks constantly to them. I just wish he would take the medication. We've been dealing with this for 17 years, so I do know that this medication works to quieten the voices."
"My son had severe acute psychosis and a possible diagnosis of schizophrenia at age 17. Risperdal (Risperidone) brought him back to his normal self, for the most part. He has put on weight (2 trouser sizes bigger) and he is inclined to rock back and forth a little when seated. He is slightly less motivated and says he doesn't retain information as he used to at school. This may be improved by adjusting the dose. But this medicine gave me my son back and seems well-tolerated by him. The psychosis is completely gone."
"This is a life-destroying drug. I have anger issues, and this drug was mixed in my food by my family. I couldn't read a book, enjoy music, or watch TV. My thought process became impaired. I suffered from the worst kind of akathisia, endlessly walking for seven months and had suicidal thoughts. I became drowsy, lost all motivation, and couldn't care about anything. I was able to come off it after a great struggle and remained drug-free for eleven years and was able to enjoy all the things I couldn't because of this drug. Unfortunately, however, my siblings have again mixed it in my food as I had to stay with them. All the side effects are back, and life feels like a nightmare devoid of purpose again."
"I have psychosis NOS (not otherwise specified), and I am currently taking 2 mg once daily. My temperament is better. I am not as easily agitated and sleep better at night. Prior to Risperdal, I had severe insomnia and was easily moved to anger. On the downside, I gained 20 lbs in about 2 months, my affect is flat, and my energy level is very low. I force myself to exercise, but I seem to be experiencing muscle tiredness and some coordination problems. I plan to speak with my doctor for med adjustment."
"I started out on 1 mg and went all the way up to 4 mg, then all the way back down to 1 mg again. Currently staying at 1 mg in order to have semi-normal cognitive function. When I went up to 4 mg, I was catatonic for 6 months until the dose got lowered down to 1 mg. Everyone is different, but it felt like it shut my whole brain down, the bad AND the good. Good luck."
"Risperdal has made my life manageable again. I suffer from PTSD and schizophrenia primarily with thought disorder (although I have hallucinated and heard voices). I used to scream in my sleep and thought everyone was trying to kill me. When I started Risperdal, the terrifying thoughts stopped and my behavior returned to normal. I take Risperdal with a combination of gabapentin and Zoloft. I now have a very good job and good relationships with my friends, family, and co-workers. There are downsides to this drug, such as weight gain. I gained a lot of weight the first two years I started taking Risperdal. It is important to note that I have since lost a good bit of the weight I gained."
"I don't have schizophrenia, I am undiagnosed. I was having issues with family and certain things in my life. Taking this medication made me feel worse with most of my symptoms. I had moments where I felt over-tranquilized and trouble communicating how I really felt. I know I felt better before the medication. Now that I am off of it, my list of negative side effects is quite large. I wouldn't recommend this medication to anyone, especially if you have an endless diagnosis in the first place. Be careful believing what your doctors say. They get all of their recommendations from pharmaceutical companies. Once I was off of this medication, doctors refused to listen to me. They just recommended I take it again or take other drugs. They refuse to admit their mistakes. They refuse to acknowledge anything."
"This has helped a lot for my daughter's hallucinations. She was not diagnosed with schizophrenia, so her hallucinations are related to either her epilepsy or something else. There have been a couple of times where she stopped taking it because she felt better, but then the hallucinations would come back. She had to go on the highest dose after she stopped taking it the first time, so if you find this works for you or a loved one, just make sure they don't stop abruptly."
"I wish I could give Risperidal/Risperidone 0 stars. Worst medication I've ever had to take. Made me so exhausted despite getting 12 hours of sleep a night and made me gain 30 lbs. This medication slapped the heart right out of me, and I was a zombie, devoid of any emotion for months. I wouldn't slip this to my worst enemy."
"I have to say that some of us have nothing better to do with our time than just writing anonymous reviews with our creative nom de plumes. I have read many of such reviews on many websites and I have come to the conclusion that many of them are reflections of the user's mind. Some say they have an increased appetite while others say the exact opposite! Strange. This is why I would like to say that Risperidone has made me gain weight because I now have a ravenous appetite; it made me tired the whole day until I was put on Fluoxetine by my shrink who took so long to tell me that Fluoxetine removes the tiredness (partly). Early mornings are the worst - it is as though I am flooded with demonic thoughts of not having to bathe. Brilliant way to start the day. Joanna Moncrieff is right about some things but she gets it wrong when she calls this drug as having a 'placebo' effect. Not really. It has removed all my delusions and hallucinations."
"this medication saved my life, I was dealing with psychosis PTSD and derealization like was suffering 24/7. This medication made life bearable I still have some times where I don’t feel the best, but nothing compared to what I was dealing with. The side effects were pretty ruff the first week or two but I was also very sick but I pushed through since again they were nothing compared to what I was dealing with. This medication was my last straw I tried everything now I don’t know what I would do without it."
"I don't really believe I have an issue. I do admit I hear voices and see things other people can't, but I don't believe they're hallucinations. Anyways, when taking this medication, the voices went away, the walls stopped melting, things stopped changing color, people weren't after me as much, and stuff. It didn't take the visuals away 100%, and I was less afraid. It didn't help my mood as much as it should have (I also have mood problems)."
"Please avoid this medication at all cost,it is impossible to get off. I have tried twice and ended up in total disaster.The first time I tried to get off it I end up completely constipated and three years later I am still badly constipated. It changed some mechanism responsible for that during withdrawal. The second time I tried to come off it I ended up with Anhedonia which Is an inability to enjoy things, when I look at food now it's like looking at a rock, no reaction. These drugs cause total dependancy, completely change the brain and cause brain damage and are not the answer. Please just see a shaman/healer and get an auric sweep and clear out the negative entities that cause schizophrenia. Its worked for thousands of years."
"Three years of constipation on the meds just broke some mechanism related to bowel movements three years ago when I was on them, now on or off them now I don't go. I've read hundreds of other cases of this happening with this. I also have severe IBS from the meds and can't eat anything but fruit and vegetables without problems. Brain damage : I attempted to come of this med (risperdone) and tapered and still ended up with bad brain damage. I no longer have much in the way of thoughts or can think complex things, or higher processing, I can remember very little (I was incredibly smart before) this is the number one thing making me suicidal. I also can no longer feel what things evoke or derive enjoyment from many things. Severe sleep problems too."
"I was prescribed Risperdal after voluntarily admitting myself into a psychiatric hospital in Connecticut back in '17. Risperdal was the first antipsychotic drug that I was administered during my stay, and while I did experience some relief from my anxiety, I would say that the side-effects were more negative than positive. Upon entering the hospital, I was aware of my surroundings and completely aware of reality. At time I was also unsure of my own diagnosis so it wasn't easy taking the Risperdal. I was officially diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder and paranoid ideation. Upon release I found the side effects to be negative. I was sleeping the majority of the day at my house, and had a difficult time finding motivation to leave the house. Drug is incredibly powerful and while I think it can be used for very severe illnesses, I wouldn't recommend it until someone is thoroughly evaluated and the proper diagnosis is made."
"This medication saved my life. Been taking it for two years following two very difficult psychosis episodes and my brain is a mess without this medication. Without it, I have very weird and intrusive thoughts about the nature of reality. Paranoid thoughts are all but gone as well. The only side effect I noticed is weight gain, which I honestly don't mind."
"I am currently on 6mg of Risperdal and thinking about going up to 8mg. It has helped me control my impulses and stay on the right path. I was diagnosed with schizophrenia without paranoid thoughts. The paranoid thoughts only happen with street drugs. I still hear voices, but I seem to be managing them a lot better now. Both Halodol and Risperdal work extremely well for schizophrenia."
"I was prescribed risperdal for schizophrenia ages 12-16 around 10 years ago now and it's a huge reason as to how I was able to stay in public school. Other people still noticed I was "different" but it did wonders for both visual and auditory hallucinations, racing thoughts, and paranoia. It never could fully help my delusions though. I gained a bit of weight, but what ultimately led me to no longer take the medication was the zombifying effect it had and how I felt it changed my personality. Might be okay for others though."
"Was put on risperdal when first hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia. Gained about 100 lbs in a year. Felt dull cognitively. Slept the majority of the day. No psychotic symptoms. Delusions and hallucinations gone. No agitation. No anxiety tremors."
More about Risperdal (risperidone)
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (241)
- Drug images
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- Patient tips
- During pregnancy
- Generic availability
- Support group
- FDA approval history
- Drug class: atypical antipsychotics
- Breastfeeding
- En español
Patient resources
- Risperdal drug information
- Risperdal (Risperidone Oral Solution)
- Risperdal (Risperidone Tablets)
Other brands
Uzedy, Perseris, Risvan, Risperdal M-Tab, Rykindo
Professional resources
- Risperdal prescribing information
- Risperidone (AHFS Monograph)
Other brands
Uzedy, Perseris, Rykindo
Other formulations
- Risperdal Consta
Related treatment guides
- Autism
- Bipolar Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Asperger Syndrome
- Schizoaffective Disorder
- Mania
