Risperdal questions / need help
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| Sat, 05-19-2007 - 2:20pm |
Hi all --
I have a Resperdal question. I scanned through the archived messages and read some interesting things.
Let me give you some background. Adam is 10 ASD (PDD-nos / ADHD) -- has been on Tenex 5 mg for 2 years (keep in mind we kept upping his dose as he grew) anyway, we started to see where the Tenex wasn't working for him. A lot of issues in school and at home (out of control and could not seem to reason with him) -- so we went to our family DR. After a lot of disucssions with his teacher (she also has a son w/ PDD-nos) she mentioned Risperdal -- her son is on 1 mg per day (1/2 in the morning 1/2 at night) and he is a changed child.) So, we suggested to the Dr to try Adam on it as well -- he was very nervous about it and said that he had never put a child on Risperdal before, in fact Adam is his only autistic patient he sees. But we could try it .25mg per day. So we took him off the Tenex (been off for 4 days and started the Risperdal) -- I do see he is very very hyper and in some cases about to jump out of his skin -- seems easier to reason with and happier. Very red cheeked and sweating too -- the pharmacist suggested that the hyperness is from stopping the Tenex (as this kept him almost in a tired state all day)-- he was up at 5:30 this morning wide awake -- he is roughly 93 lbs now and I am wondering if the .25 mg is enough. I am having reservations about the meds. His Dr. wants him to see a Psychrist (but none are available where we live -- or that can be trusted) -- I don't really know what to do. I think I may find a Dev. Ped to see if they can help us out.
Wondering if we are doing the right thing? Can anyone suggest any other meds out there that would be better than Risperdal? I have heard a lot of people comment that Risperdal is a "tough" drug and you have to be so careful with it.
HELP! Any help or comments would be great.
Thank you!
Amy

Hi Amy,
I'm a very anti-med person myself, so I can't give you any suggestions for other drugs. But, if I were in your shoes, I would have a real psychiatrist administering those meds. Especially since your son is the only patient the ped has with his diagnosis.
I have been on Risperdal and let me tell you, it is rough stuff. I can't recall my dosage but I was around 150 pounds at the time, so I think it was around 2 mg? Anyway, it completely zombified me. I literally could not move, could not talk, nothing. I didn't feel tired ... I was just not in my body, so to speak. I could think but not clearly and had a hard time remembering where I was. It was bizarre. I was prescribed it for agitation and was an inpatient at the time.
Risperdal is an antipsychotic and I can't recall how much - if any - testing has been done on pediatric patients. But I know that if my child were prescribed it, I would need a second and third opinion. I know what it did to my adult sized body (well, I was about 17 at the time) and I can't imagine what it would do to a young child's body. My information is a few years old so I can't give you anything specific about the testing in children, it may well have been tested by now, I have been out of the medical field for almost 3 years and alot can happen in 3 years.
My son just started this about two weeks ago for his rage issues. So far no rages, (at the time he was having several a day, for many many years, esculating every year.) but his OCD went thru the roof. His Pys added Prozac for the OCD, but we haven't seen that much change yet. This was added a week ago and it might take up to a month to see a difference.
From my Pys.... he said this has been a wonder drug for autistics. It should work immediatly. Well it did for the rages, but I have been told it can increase the OCD.
Anyway we started on .05mgs, then increased to 1 mg. He is doing good, but I don't know about the weight gain yet. Haven't noticed a difference yet and he goes back in june.
He doesn't act like a zombie (I would pull him off in a hot second if it did) but you need to understand that this drug works for some, and not for others. (at least I have read that) I have an adult family member, not blood related who has taken this (1.5 mgs) for the last 4 yrs for tourettes. (Tourettes and Autism are very closely related. They come from the same part of the brain). It has worked wonders for him. No zombie like feeling from him, but then again everyone's different.
I would DEFINELTY take him to a pys. My ped would never do this as she's not confident doing this. She's a ped, not a drug expert.
Look, I don't really like my Pys. He has a very bad bedside manor, but he knows his stuff with drugs, and that keeps us there. I also am very anti drug, but when I realized my son is 11, it could continue and he could be arrested, I started considering it.
Another drug you could consider is Abilify, if the Risperadal doesn't work.
Thank you all who provided comments. We (DH and I) made a decision to take Adam off of Risperdal. Only .25mg a day was causing his heart to beat very fast and his flushed skin concerned me. Interestingly enough he was on Tenex for 2 years. About that time he completely lost interest in reading. As soon as we take him off the Tenex, he is reading like he hasn't in years. Could be related? Not sure... Anyway, we are going to try him without any drugs at all and see what happens, what is the worst that could happen, he has to be put back on something -- we will cross that bridge if necessary.
Thank you again. Maybe my worriesness gets the best of me, not sure -- but he is my son and I want the best for him.
I will post you updates as I have some.
Amy
Hey Amy,
Sorry this is so late. Liam has been on risperdall for around 9 months and is on 0.5 mg twice a day. We have seen positive affect inthat he isn't nearly as aggressive as he was. I would be curious to see how he is off it as a) he has had a great deal of positive change with school and is also on focalin and b) although weight gain wasn't an issue at first, it seems to be now., (although the pdoc thinks otherwsie...eye roll!)
Wew will continue it through the summer but will review it again in August.
Dee
I'm thinking you did the right thing, taking him off the risperdal.