Generic Name: Risperidone for Autism (risperidone)
Risperidone for Autism Reviews
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son is almost 4. He is autistic, and his violent rage got completely out of control. His pediatrician prescribed Risperidone for him about a week ago, and so far, the results have been mind-blowing. He is on 1 mL once daily. He has had minimal side effects (tremors, fatigue), however, the aggression, outbursts, meltdowns, and violence have ceased completely. He is also non-verbal, and I do not know if this medicine is a contributing factor, but in the last week alone, my son has started repeating words and even sang his ABC's out of nowhere. This has been a godsend for us!"
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son was on risperidone at 4 years old for aggression associated with Autism. This medication has changed his life. No more aggression and very happy. He is now 8 and doing great. We did attempt to take him off to see if he still needed the medication at age 7 and all his past behaviors, hitting, kicking, swearing, crying came back immediately. With my son, we could not miss a dose and has to be given at the same time each day. He is now on 3x per day 0.5 given at school by nurse for afternoons. He has had no major side effects. He is very tall and very skinny. When he first got on the medication he became overweight, we changed his diet to more fruit and protein and the weight came off quickly. Highly recommend this medication."
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son became aggressive when he hit puberty (age 11), so the psychiatrist put him on this. For the first 2 months I was happy with the results. But his aggression started increasing, and he became extremely aggressive over the next year. His psychiatrist attributed it to rising male hormones and kept increasing the dosage, until my son was on 8 mg/day. I finally had to have my son hospitalized, as he was a danger to me and others. I was fed up, so I changed psychiatrists. She prescribed Abilify, but it took weeks to wean my son off the Risperdal. However, once he was off it, he became the lovely boy he used to be. Every child is different, so keep that in mind!"
Risperdal (risperidone) "I was given this horrific drug, Risperdal, at 14 years old because my anger was out of control. I had an eating disorder and gained over 20 pounds in 2 or 3 weeks despite starving myself. The weight kept piling on. I was very uncomfortable and couldn't get used to it. It makes me angry that mentally ill people are expected to just live with the uncontrollable weight gain for the sake of mental health. I felt like I was constantly in a fog. I could barely understand or react to anything anyone was saying, I had uncontrollable jerky tics. My night terrors got way worse. I fought my parents tooth and nail to get off this drug. They tried to hide it in my food and drinks, but I saw pieces and grinds of it every time. After a few weeks, I stopped taking it. I found out later the tics and movement problems can be permanent if you stay on these types of drugs for long. I'm not sure how long though. Doctors kept trying to push anti-psychotics on me, and I flat-out refused."
Risperdal (risperidone) "My 4-year-old takes 0.5 mg dissolvable tablets twice a day. It has helped a little with sleep, but more with aggression. The pharmacy changed it to an off-name brand, his aggression got three times worse. His doctor switched it to the name brand, and he was back to normal. I was told that this is common with some off brands. We can't believe there's that big a difference."
Risperdal (risperidone) "I have recently started my 25-year-old son with autism on Risperdal. He has taken it when he was 13, but due to the combination of antidepressants and no improvement in his violent behavior, we stopped. However, he did improve verbally. After he refused to take antidepressants after 9 months of treatment with improvement made, he deteriorated over the next 7 months. We insisted he try Risperdal, immediate improvement. 3 weeks in, and he is more verbal and calmer with no more aggression. He is sweet and happier again."
Risperdal (risperidone) "Honestly, this medication was awful, and the doctor who prescribed it failed to mention that it made it impossible to think. I think it's abusive to give this medication out for people who are not schizophrenic. It's just another way for people to take away autonomy and to force us autistic people into harmful therapies that deny us our humanity."
Risperdal (risperidone) "This drug changed my life. It turned down my emotions just enough (I'm on 0.5mg) that I could actually function in normal society. Thanks to it, I am now in college (when I was diagnosed at 16, I was failing half my courses) and doing phenomenally well. I can't say this will work for everyone, but I must say it's exactly what I needed. Thank you Janssen Pharmaceutical, you have given me a future."
Risperdal (risperidone) "I have grown breasts from this pill. I swear if they don't take me off this, I'm gonna cry. I take a 10 mg tablet, and my chest size has grown, and I'm skinny. I'm only 18. Why can’t autism be more important for researching a cure than cancer?"
"My autistic 15-year-old son was extremely violent. I had to take him to the hospital three times in a 24-hour period. He was prescribed a few different medicines, but none worked, except this one. He is himself now, without aggression or irritability. I immediately noticed he could wait and concentrate. It is a godsend."
"My son has Autism Severe learning disabilities. I really didn't want him on any medication, cause of side effects. But my son was having such bad meltdowns of past abuse with his respite and school. He would punch his both ears and face, head, throw, and smash things. I have tried to stop him, and he's attacked me, punched me, and scared me. It's very upsetting seeing your son having meltdowns. My son was put on risperidone 0.5mg, one in the morning and one in the evening. I can honestly say he's never been so calm. His concentration is amazing. It's taken his anxiety away. He's much better in crowds when walking. When he's out and about, he's fine with noises he couldn't cope with before, like noisy bikes and children screaming. Calm, talks more, sentences FAB!"
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son is high-functioning autistic. His behavior specialist recommended Risperdal 0.05 mg daily for my son for aggression and violent outbursts. After being on it for a week, we noticed that he is much calmer. We have noticed some side effects such as hyper attentiveness, nightmares, muscle spasms, and itchiness."
Risperdal (risperidone) "My daughter, 9, HF Autism level 1.5, severe ADHD, and sensory disorder. She was medicated with Ritalin, which did not help her concentration, but did help her sit longer in a chair. Her negative behavior did not change. She was given 0.3 mg Risperdal drops, and we were able to redirect her violent episodes easier. But still, was not helpful enough. With 0.25 Risperdal drops in the morning and again 0.25 at 4 or 5 in the evening changed her violence to tears (big improvement). She is now able to cry from her frustration. We are then able to redirect her thinking to a happier place. Thankful, she has had absolutely no side effects. Since taking Risperdal, she is functioning better in school and is able to listen to directions better. She is also more verbal on this dose. She has begun to ask for it when she enters the negative moods, which happen morning and evening before her scheduled dose."
"My grandson started on risperidone when he was four years old. He was having difficulties at daycare, very violent and aggressive and hurting himself and others. The drug was a lifesaver, he was able to function and get along with others and become more productive. We did try to take him off a few months ago, and everything came back. We tried Abilify, and that did not work at all, so we put him back on the risperidone. Two weeks later, he is a much happier child. I definitely recommend it!"
Risperdal (risperidone) "My daughter has been on this for several years (started at 0.25mg, worked up to 0.5mg 2x a day) to help with mood/emotion, and to help her move past things when she gets emotionally 'stuck' and there were times when I thought it wasn't really doing much. Then I couldn't get it refilled for a couple days, so she didn't have any before school. They noticed something was different. They called me to ask if there had been a medicine change. Sometimes, you think it isn't working, but at home, things are different than at school. No weight issues: 5', 98lbs."
Risperdal (risperidone) "I have such a love-hate relationship with Risperdal. It helped us during a time when my son was in crisis (has OCD), but the thing is, it loses its effectiveness, and we are constantly having to increase or keep him where he is even though it’s not working because weaning off the med is so awful. Honestly, I don’t think the side effects and nightmare of trying to get off this med are worth it, in my opinion."
"Cannot recommend risperidone for autism. If you insist on using, do so with extreme caution!—and careful increasing dose. My son, age 9, was put on low-dose (.25) for meltdowns associated with autism spectrum disorder. He did fine, with complete eradication of meltdowns, for six weeks. Then the doctor ordered us to give him a second dose daily. That is when the horrible side effects began: weird flicking gestures with his fingers and hands. He said he was compelled to do it to get rid of an “itch,” but couldn’t express himself very well. At first, we thought it was an obsessive-compulsive disorder, perhaps caused by the risperidone. But then I discovered tardive akathisia — which is a restless syndrome caused by this class of drug and which manifests as weird body movements. No sure diagnosis yet; still weaning him slowly off the drug. But the experience is terrifying—my son is tormented by this urge to flick his hands, and I pray to God it stops once we end the med. I read that it is usually temporary."
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son is autistic, he is 10 years old. My son's doctor recommended Risperdal for him because of his aggressive behaviors. After 3 months on the medication, he has been more agitated, and he put on 15 pounds. So the doctor wants to increase the medicine. I will not be doing this increased."
"I put my 22-year-old autistic son on risperidone 6 months ago, and what a transformation! After years of pleading with doctors to put my son on this medication, I'm finally relieved he's now on it as he is a completely different person. He used to be extremely violent, throwing, hitting out, and biting his arm severely, he was a massive liability, but 6 months on, what a difference! He doesn't do any of these things anymore thanks to risperidone. However, on the downside, this medication has caused him to gain weight and makes him tired. He also doesn't show much emotion with activities where things can be an effort for him, seems quite disinterested in things. I would much rather him be how he is now than how he was before he started taking risperidone."
"Our 13-year-old son was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD at age 6. He is now 13 and in full-blown puberty. Prozac and Focalin were no longer working for him. We went to a top pediatric psychiatrist, and he changed our son's diagnosis to Asperger's or now high-functioning autism. He prescribed Risperdal and told us this medication would act like 'glue' and keep all the connections in his brain together. Three days later, we were in the emergency room because our son was suffering from severe dystonia. It was the scariest thing I ever witnessed. We are now working with a pediatric neurologist to find a medication that will work for him."
"My 9-year-old son, who has autism, was put on risperidone about a year and a half ago after being hospitalized for aggressive and self-harming behavior. It has been very effective with the violent behavior. He is still quite argumentative and has tantrums and meltdowns occasionally, but it's much better. The main side effect was weight gain due to his increased appetite. He was always famished! He gained 8-10 pounds in 2 months, which is a lot for a 7-year-old. The Vyvanse that he takes for ADHD is supposed to suppress his appetite, but it wasn't enough to outweigh what the risperidone was doing. After a few months, his doctor put him on metformin. It did the trick. He lost his added weight. The Vyvanse/metformin combo balanced out the risperidone."
"My youngest son has taken it for meltdowns for some time now. He sleeps better, too. It has caused him to gain some weight. My oldest son was on ADHD medication for years. When he reached puberty, it caused many problems. So the doctor prescribed risperidone for him too, and it has helped him gain so much self-control. They are both in high school and doing well."
Risperdal (risperidone) "At 0.5 mg, it made my mood swings and overall irritability a lot less chaotic and more manageable. It made me able to think about what I'm feeling and why. It's not perfect, but it's a huge aid. For me, it had certain drawbacks, like slight weight gain and oversleeping, which made me look for other options."
Risperdal (risperidone) "My son has high-functioning autism, and the doctor prescribed this medication for outbursts and agitation. It did the exact opposite. He became more aggressive and physically abusive to the point that he could no longer go to school and learn anything else. It took time to gradually take him off the medication, and once we did, he was so much better. An ADHD medication worked much better."
"My son Is 9, he is suspected ASD high functioning/aspergers. Possible adhd. Is off school due to anxiety. He started on .5mg dose of risperidone twice a day. Has had little effect, today increased to 1mg twice a day. First thing he said after first larger dose, is he noticed he couldn’t make himself think(like he’d normally do before bed, effectively force himself to think to prevent sleep). Hope it works out well, we are desperate for him to be able to return to school without anxiety."
More about risperidone
- Check interactions
- Compare alternatives
- Pricing & coupons
- Reviews (720)
- Drug images
- Side effects
- Dosage information
- Patient tips
- During pregnancy
- Support group
- Drug class: atypical antipsychotics
- Breastfeeding
Patient resources
- Risperidone drug information
- Risperidone injection
- Risperidone (Intramuscular, Subcutaneous) (Advanced Reading)
- Risperidone Injection (IM)
- Risperidone Injection (Subcutaneous)
Other brands
Risperdal, Uzedy, Risperdal Consta, Perseris, ... +3 more
Professional resources
- Risperidone monograph
- Risperidone (FDA)
- Risperidone Oral Solution (FDA)
- Risperidone Orally Disintegrating (FDA)
Other brands
Risperdal, Uzedy, Risperdal Consta, Perseris, Rykindo
Related treatment guides
- Autism
- Anxiety
- Asperger Syndrome
- Agitation
