Risperidone

[Norabuzz]

Hi everyone. My son (age 12)'s developmental paediatrician today suggested Risperidone for him. He has ASD, ADHD, anxiety and is profoundly gifted academically. He's at an academically selective school here in Australia (like a grammar school), who are very supportive, but his outbursts and ongoing defiance are really wearing everyone down. He can go from nil to 100 in a second; it's so stressful. He's previously responded well to Fluoxetine but the paed thinks we need to bring out the bigger guns. Would be keen to hear of others experiences with Risperidone and whether it helped with your child's irritability / anger? How long were they on it? How were the side effects? The paed warned me about weight gain and also some cognitive effects. Thanks so much

DS1 has been on risperidone for several years, it hasn’t been a miracle cure, but it has helped and has been worth it. He doesn’t have ASD but does have complex MH difficulties. He hasn’t had many side effects and none have been significant. DS1 is underweight and weight gain isn’t an issue for him, so I can’t help there I’m afraid.

Really appreciate the reply, thanks LargeLegohaul. It feels like a really big step.

We felt like that too, but looking back I am glad we tried them as it hasn’t been like I feared.

I wouldn't give my child Risperidone unless I was extremely desperate and/or they had serious mental health problems.

I've taken it myself and the side efforts were horrible. It wasn't the weight gain that was the problem, although I did gain weight. It completely changed me - I had very little energy or motivation, slept all the time and I felt like my brain (Intelligence, creativity) was dulled, and that I'd lost evrerything that made me "me". It was such a relief to come off them.

I've been on anti depressants too and these are much more tolerable.

I don’t know about Australia, but in the UK Risperidone wouldn’t be prescribed to children and young people if it wasn’t a last resort.

Thanks owlhouse. Yes, those were the side effects the developmental paed mentioned, weight gain, sleepiness and what she called, 'cognitive effect'. That's what worries me the most because he's a bright, sparky kid and values his intelligence. It's his currency on the playground, even in a school full of clever kids.

Our developmental paed is very slow to prescribe meds - we had to beg for fluoxetine and even then she only put him on a sub-clinical dose - so I was shocked me when she suggested Risperidone. She said we would start on a very low dose.

Thanks both for your input.

So pleased to hear it has been helpful for your DS, LargeLegoHaul