Experiences of Risperidone?

[dontrunwithscissors]

I need to move away from quetiapine on to a different antipsychotic. My pdoc has suggested Risperidone, but I find the side effects off-putting. It would be really good to hear how it's worked out for others. I'm bipolar 2. The quetiapine has been working brilliantly--I need help with the lows and anxiety, high moods are rarely ever a problem. I wouldn't be considering a switch, except it's causing terrible joint pain and stiffness. I can't keep on living like I'm eighty. :( I'm just so scared of trying anything else as I'm prone to side effects. So, yeh, it woul be great to get some real life encounters with Risperidone.

I was on Rispiridone on and off for over a year. It didn't really work for me. It stopped the psychosis, but I was never truly well on it.

I swapped to Quetiapine which is really great, except for the weight gain, but I have also had short bursts of joint pain which I am hoping don't come to anything.

My psych seems to keep mentioning Lithium, but I really don't like the sound of it either.

It's hard, I think they all have bloody side effects

Loved it! Speedy, speedy, speedy - my psych team whipped me off it pdq!

My ex was very flat on risperidone and got paranoid so was taken off it. It can cause restlessness and jerkiness in some people too.
But different ones work for people - and different doses.
My dd is also on meds, at a higher dose aripripazole caused agitation but now she is on a smaller dose alongside sertraline. Quietapine caused massive weight gain for her

Thank you for the responses. Quetiapine hasn't caused any weight gain, thankfully. It's the side effect I'm most concerned about.

I think we have talked before about risperdone.

I have been on it for about 5 months now and I think it has had a bit effect on my thinking. I am calmer and things feel a lot clearer.

When I first started on it the Dr put me on 4mg a day and I was like a zombie, it was awful, I just wanted to sleep, I was very agitated as well.

As a result of the side effects I came off it and started again at 0.5mg and have worked my way up in 0.5mg increments to 3mg over the past few months. Doing it this way I have found the side effects to be minimal. I am certainly not tired on it. Sometimes I find it takes me a minute or two to remember the word I want to say which is frustrating. I did get twitchy on it at about 2mg and my legs felt stiff and tired but I started on procyclidine which has put a stop to all that.

Oh and I take the whole dose at night, when I first started it at 4mg I was taking it as a divided dose of 2mg in the morning and the night which I think contributed to me feeling so sedated.