Risperdal

[paranoid_cataclysm]

There was one side effect that I read that sort of concerned me aside from the movement side effects.  Does the inability to move the eyes always go away or can it be permanent?  How long does it take for it to go away if it occurs?

[adel_ezz]

patients usually confuse symptoms like extrapyramidal effect and akathisia with TD which is rare with the atypical AP's.

Incidentally i take 1mg risperidal for 7 years now and had no problem from it. In fact this is the 1st atypical. this is why pdocs write it always.

Unless your dose is high which applies to many meds. From experience there is no one single med with no side effects even Aspirin and tylenol

[tweekie]

I took respirdal a while ago for perceptual distortions. It was helpful for them but it made me feel way too slow. I was not even taking that much. But I'm not schizophrenic so that's probably why. I didn't experience those side effects you were describing. I was really tired all the time though. I never slept so good in my life. One time I had dystonia from taking compazine for about 3 days. I woke up and felt stiff at first. Then my right shoulder started creeping up and I couldn't put it down. I was in a long term facility at the time, in the cafeteria I tried feeding my self and my fork ended up in my hair instead of my mouth. That's when my friend realized that I needed to see the doctor. While I ws in the waiting room the right side of my face started to tense up in a half smile that really hurt, and my tongue started writhing out of control so  I couldn't really talk. I grabbed this other patient and asked her what was happening to me. They rushed me down to the doctor's office and gave me benedryl directly into my vein, at which point I crashed for several hours and woke up fine. I will never ever allow a doctor to give me compazine.
BTW compazine happens to be related to Thorzine, and so these extrapyrimidal side effects can occur. Resperdal is a second generation anti-psychotic, these side effects, such that are seen with medications like Thorzine and Haldol are not seen as much as with the newer generation ones, like respirdal, geodon, zyprexa.  Clozapine or Clozaril can cause severe blood dyscrasias, like low white blood cell counts, which can be dangerous and lead to infection. I think you are supposed to get your blood drawn every few months when you are on that.  Tardive dyskinesia is reversible if caught early, I think after a year of being on the same drug and ignoring the symptoms can you have the permanent kind. I would try the resperdal. See what happens.

[zzzmykids]

To you all.  Forget the movement problems.  If my doctor had not taken me off it, I may not be here.  I wrote suicidal poetry, and you all know I am an advocate against suicide.  On a one to ten I was an eight.  I am now fine and w/o any antidepressant, currently.
But this med was scary and could have cost me more than shakes.
zzzmykids

[ILADVOCATE]

Generally with typical antipsychotics a side effect pill is given alongside them or the dystonic reactions people experience if untreated can be dangerous. Happenned to me in a hospital once. Thankfully they have changed their procedure there now and have side effect pills available. With atypicals a side effect pill is not always needed but should be available. Once that starts and is not addressed as happenned to me I needed an injection of Benadryl. One thing that's a good idea if your psychiatrist agrees (for anyone) is to bring along chewable Benadryl in case there is a problem with any akathesia or dystonia from antipsychotics so if there isn't water to take medications with it can be stopped.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

Oculogyric crisis sounds like a horror movie experiment gone wrong.  It sounds like it'd just be horrible to be experiencing.  How long do one of those attacks last without medication being used to control it?

[ILADVOCATE]

An oculogyric crisis might describe it. That's a form of dystonic reaction that's temporary but of concern and a side effect pill has to be given at exactly that time. You could ask your psychiatrist if its that.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

It wasn't movement disorders I was experiencing it was something else about as distressing.

[Xila31]

Yeah, I would talk to your doctor. I really don't know much about schizophrenia and medication, other than it is helpful in the psychotic part. Maybe there is something out there that is better. They psychiatrist at my work did say it is an older medicine, though, so it could well be that there is something better now. There have been great advances in treating schizophrenia, so just stick to it and everything will work out. :D

[ILADVOCATE]

There is a big difference between temporary movement disorders such as akathesia and dystonia which can be treated with a side effect pill and tardive dyskinesia and its variants. If you are concerned speak to your psychiatrist and have them do a movement disorders test which most psychiatrists do from time to time anyway. They could tell you for sure but there is a big difference between the two and what they look like but a psychiatrist would know for sure.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I only took it once and didn't take it again, I didn't have the eye movement problems but I had some other disturbing side effects just from the first dose.  I'm scared they'll become permanent because some people on a website with the same thing that happened said it didn't go away after they stopped taking it.

[ILADVOCATE]

Any temporary movement disorder can be treated with a side effect pill. Tardive dyskinesia is permanent and irreversible (if caught in time it will lessen over time) and can be masked by the same medications that create it. If a person has tardive dyskinesia their psychiatrist will change them to Clozaril which is the only antipsychotic that can't cause or worsen it. A psychiatrist should do a movement disorders test from time to time and if a person thinks they have it they should call it to their psychiatrist's attention. If its suspected they would be referred to a neurologist who is a movement disorders specialist.

[Xila31]

That one I don't know. I didn't even read about that one. I would call your doctor or pharmacist for sure, since that sounds like a pretty serious side effect to me.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

The movement disorder you're probably talking about is Tardive Dykinesia and all the antipsychotics run the risk of developing it.  It's not always permanent however but it can be.  I already knew the basics of Tardive Dyskinesia I was wondering if the inability to move the eyes runs the same risk of being permanent as the Tardive Dyskinesia does.

[Xila31]

I don't know but I never filled my Risperidal prescription. That's what my doctor gave me last time and when I read the side effects I decided it was just too much for me. I have to work and be "professional" as much as possible, so the risk of movement disorder is just too much of a risk.

I think I did read the disorder is permanent, but I don't know for sure. It can also cause "zombie like" state, it said, forgot what that's called. I can't be a zombie at work, (although I'm sure being a basket case isn't helping, either.) Anyway, I'm seeing my doctor today about this, I would rather try a cheaper medicine first with fewer side effects since I'm also strained financially. I don't know the statistics on these side effects, but it is definately something to bring up to a doctor or even pharmacist, perhaps. I think that is responsible, I mean you have to live in your body, so it is best to discuss these things and research.

But, I also think a lot of anti-psychotics cause this movement disorder, so maybe there is one that has less of a chance of it as a side effect. Not sure, though.