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SN children

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Original poster

Risperidone........anyone know of or have expericence with

16 replies

XxAlisonxX · 03/11/2011 11:42

DS1 13yr, has been prescribed this and i wonder if anyone has had any experience or opinion of this 1. the doc said it would chill him out n take the edge off things but not sure what other effects it might have, has this worked for others...... all sugestions welcome. xx

OP posts:

tallwivglasses · 03/11/2011 12:31

Hi Alison. DS (age 12, severe ASD) is on risperidone and has been for a number of years. I think it can affect height and kidney function but these have been monitored and everything's fine.

Before DS was on it he was very aggressive and had periods of distress and meltdowns lasting several hours. Now he's generally happy, chilled and loving so it's improved all our lives (and I can go out not covered in bites, bruises and scratches!)

I'd be interested to see what dose your DS is on. Mine has 0.3ml in the morning and 0.5ml at night.

Original poster

XxAlisonxX · 03/11/2011 12:40

DS1 is on 0.5mg tablet once a day, he hasnt been diagnosed with asd (yet, awaiting testing for hf asd) but he has been dx with ODD/CD. we are only on day 2 so early waters yet. dont think iv anything to worry about over the height since ds1 is allready 5ft 5in.

Glad it helps for you fingers crossed it helps my lad xx

OP posts:

tallwivglasses · 03/11/2011 13:05

Yeah, DS's trouser bottoms are flapping around his ankles after a recent growth spurt! Crossing my fingers for you too x

inhibernation · 03/11/2011 13:06

It's a neuroleptic/anti-psychotic but not just used for psychosis. It has less side effects than some of the older neuroleptics (extra pyramidal side effects such as stiffness, trembling, drooling, psychomotor agitation etc.) but can still cause them if dose is high. I don't know much about paediatric doses but would advise that you check what to look out for and what the likelihood is of any of these symptoms at the dose your child is taking. Another fairly common symptom I've seen is rashes - but again, in adults. A typical adult dose is 2-6 mg.

Did you get a leaflet with the medication?

Original poster

XxAlisonxX · 03/11/2011 13:25

I did get the leaflet and the doc made the side effects very clear, i think i was wanting info on the things that i might notice a improvement with type of thing, im new to the medication side and not sure what to expect with him taking them, i know the doc said we go back in 4 weeks and see how he does on this months supply and then will take it from there

OP posts:

inhibernation · 03/11/2011 13:30

Ah, ok......sorry can't help there as ASD and paeds are not my field but am sure more people will be along to help you.

It's good that the doctor was upfront about possible side effects. Mild-moderate weight gain and lethargy are others.

jandymaccomesback · 03/11/2011 13:31

DS2 (AS) was on it for two years.He was put on it because he had become very aggressive. We would say it bought him thinking time and he was able to react better in difficult situations.It helped a great deal at school,where he had been excluded many times,often for aggressive behaviour. Maximum dose he was on was 0.5mg am and 0.5mg pm, but this was reduced over time and he came off it completely just before his 16th birthday.
Side effect for him was weight gain, but this dropped off gradually once he stopped the meds, without any extra measures.
I have to say that things were so bad that we would have tried anything,and the school did a lot of social skills work with him,which paid off.

WetAugust · 03/11/2011 18:24

Ds tried it - turned him into a zombie, so I took him off and he was prescribed an SSRI instead.

Risperdal / risperidone is an anti-pyschotic which seems to be the drug of choice for a multitude of conditions from anxiety, OCD to anorexia and self-harming.

Possible Side effects: weight gain and tradive dyskenisia - a good reason to avoid it and look for something else.

cansu · 03/11/2011 18:39

ds1 aged 10 has been on risperisone for about two years now and it has really helped him and us! He was extremely anxious and quite aggressive before and is now much more chilled and also more affectionate and just nicer! I think that without this we may well have ended up in residential schooling. He started on quite a small dose and built up gradually to 1.25ml per day. It has caused weight gain and he does have a blood test, blood pressure etc each year to check on possible side effects. However, I think the benefits currently outweigh any possible side effects. It certainly hasn't turned ds into a zombie. He is still full of beans, but it has taken the edge of the anxiety that was making his and our lives miserable.

raspberryroop · 03/11/2011 18:59

On the same journey - my Ds 13 is just about to start taking it after it was reccomended on here for aggression !! Has been permanently excluded from school and puberty is making it tough for the whole family. would be interesting to keep up with you to see what your experiences are! My son is ADHD/ASd

shazian · 03/11/2011 19:09

DS age 10 has been on risperidone for approx 18months. He has tried concerta and strattera before as well as others but seemed to have all side effects. He was prescribed this to calm him down as he constantly runs and jumps up and down, never sits down and sleeps very little. Started off on 1ml at tea time. then 0.5ml in morn with 1 ml tea time. Now changed to 1.5ml tea time. He doesnt communicate at all (GDD, severe autism) but seems to be ok with this medicine which is in liquid form. Sleeping has improved dramatically and also bit less boisterous, though doesnt have same effect as when he initially started. Paed is not happy to change dose as he is only 10 so dont know how much longer this will work. Positive because doesnt seem to have side effects and as he is still very active no weight gain either. Good luck :)

inhibernation · 03/11/2011 20:37

WetAugust - sorry to hear the effect it had on your son. I've also seen a fair share of side effects in patients in my care, but have also seen success stories. What suits one patient will not suit another.

WetAugust · 03/11/2011 22:44

Thanks inhibernation . You're quite right.

When you look at it in terms of chemical imbalance then different meds have different effects. It transpired that DS was lacking in seratonin and the SSRI has correcetd that, whereas Risperidone exacerbated the problem. Trial and error I think.

LaydeeC · 03/11/2011 22:52

My 14yo (AS) was on risperidone for about two years approx three years ago. He was prescribed it for aggressive behaviour. Didn't notice any difference in his behaviour but he did gain quite a bit of weight. Once he came off it, the weight has gradually dropped off. Aggressive behaviour is exactly the same though

jandymaccomesback · 04/11/2011 10:10

LaydeeC so sorryto hear that. Agggressive behaviour is awful to cope with.

ByTheSea · 05/11/2011 10:51

DS2-14 has been on it for about four years now. He doesn't seem to have any side effects, he has grown in height greatly and is still lean. It definitely takes the edge of his aggression although quite apparent if he misses a dose or two.

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