I need info on Risperidone

[CollegeGirl]

Does anyone know of a clear and consise factsheet about Risperidone? One that won't scare the living daylights out of my dad?

He has always been against antipsychotics but the problems he is facing with mam are escalating and the doctor is considering prescribing Risperidone for her. I don't want to scare him off before he even gets chance to really think about it. Life is almost intolerable for them both the way things are at the moment.

Thank you.

 

[Sue J]

Does anyone know of a clear and consise factsheet about Risperidone? One that won't scare the living daylights out of my dad?

He has always been against antipsychotics but the problems he is facing with mam are escalating and the doctor is considering prescribing Risperidone for her. I don't want to scare him off before he even gets chance to really think about it. Life is almost intolerable for them both the way things are at the moment.

Thank you.

I know someone who was suffering horrendously and it is respiridone injections that have stabilized them completely, person in mid fifties. If it is very carefully monitored I have seen positive results. There are lots of threads on here but don't know of a fact sheet but would be very useful. Sorry things are so tough for your parents right nowxx

 

[stanleypj]

I expect you've already seen the relevant AS factsheet CollegeGirl but if not:

http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=110

 

[LadyA]

I don't know of a factsheet - but I can tell you that my husband, who is now 83, has been on Risperidone since 2011. His hallucinations & delusions and paranoia were so very severe that his life and mine were a complete nightmare - if you search my posts for around that time, you will see what I mean. He lived in complete terror, 24 hours a day. When he was finally put on Risperidone, it was like a miracle. He got over two good years, before the natural progression of his dementia meant I could no longer care for him - but the nightmarish paranoia only ever showed itself again if he was brewing an infection.

Yes, if you read about all the possible side affects, it is terrifying - and William's consultant was very open about the risks. But he was equally open about the risks of the amount of stress William was under with the paranoia & delusions. He felt it was worth the risk for the better quality of life he could have - and I agreed. No point in prolonging such a nightmare, was there? However, I am happy to be able to tell you that in William's case, he has never suffered any side effects from the medication. It didn't even make him any sleepier than he had been. It didn't affect his gait. He's still on it, and still mobile although he's in the late stages of dementia now.

I would encourage your dad to try it for your mum. It isn't prescribed lightly, and needs to be closely monitored. But it could give them back some quality of life again, even for a while. Well worth it, I would say.

 

[CollegeGirl]

I know someone who was suffering horrendously and it is respiridone injections that have stabilized them completely, person in mid fifties. If it is very carefully monitored I have seen positive results. There are lots of threads on here but don't know of a fact sheet but would be very useful. Sorry things are so tough for your parents right nowxx

Thank you so much, Sue, that's very reassuring and I'll tell dad what you've said. I hope you are well yourself at the moment xx

 

[CollegeGirl]

I expect you've already seen the relevant AS factsheet CollegeGirl but if not:

http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=110

Thank you for this Stanley, much appreciated. I'll print it off and give it to dad, but I was also hoping for something that dealt purely with Risperidone so that he could make a really informed choice, as is always his way.

Sometimes I wish he could just trust the doctors and not question too much, but I understand that it's a big decision to make and one that he's always been against, and as he's asked me to look into it for him, as he always does, I want to get it right.

Thank you x

 

[CollegeGirl]

I don't know of a factsheet - but I can tell you that my husband, who is now 83, has been on Risperidone since 2011. His hallucinations & delusions and paranoia were so very severe that his life and mine were a complete nightmare - if you search my posts for around that time, you will see what I mean. He lived in complete terror, 24 hours a day. When he was finally put on Risperidone, iti was like a miracle. He got over two good years, before the natural progression of his dementia meant I could no longer care for him - but the nightmarish paranoia only ever showed itself again if he was brewing an infection.

Yes, if you read about all the possible side affects, it is terrifying - and William's consultant was very open about the risks. But he was equally open about the risks of the amount of stress William was under with the paranoia & delusions. He felt it was worth the risk for the better quality of life he could have - and I agreed. No point in prolonging such a nightmare, was there? However, I am happy to be able to tell you that in William's case, he has never suffered any side effects from the medication. It didn't even make him any sleepier than he had been. It didn't affect his gait. He's still on it, and still mobile although he's in the late stages of dementia now.

I would encourage your dad to try it for your mum. It isn't prescribed lightly, and needs to be closely monitored. But it could give them back some quality of life again, even for a while. Well worth it, I would say.

Lady A, your post made me fill up, because that's exactly how I feel. I'm so glad you had that extra quality time with your beloved husband. That's what I want for my parents, but dad seems determined to prolong mam's life at all costs, regardless of the horrendous time they're having.

I too feel that quality of life for them both is more important than longevity for mam, but it seems to me that this is not dad's priority - of course, I understand that he wants both quality and longevity, but I fear that this may not be possible.

This is a very difficult view for me to express to dad, because I find the words difficult to speak, and it almost seems as though I'm willing to risk mam's early death for the sake of a bit of peace. It always comes out wrong.

I'll try to tell him what you've said. I hope he listens - but how would I comfort him if I persuade him to say yes, and then mam dies from a severe stroke brought on by the medication? How would I live with myself?

See how easy it is to scare ourselves? I go round in circles

Hence my need for a fact sheet so he can make the choice himself.

 

[Canadian Joanne]

Our experience of risperidone with our mother was the same as LadyA's with her husband William. It helped Mum enormously. She did develop Parkinsonian symptoms so we had to switch to another anti-psychotic but I feel they can be a godsend when carefully monitored.

 

[Pumpkin12]

Hi I care for my grandad in law his 81. Grandad was put on risperidone due to him huloosinating seeing chickens running around the kitchen and seeing people in the house trying to 'get him' at night time, of course there was no one there but was very frightening for him and us. He also was unfortunately slightly aggressive aswell throwing his paper around etc after being on risperidone for a short time he went back to his "normal" self no temper and not huloosinating any more grandad never had any side affects either I hope you get things sorted for your mum and dad


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[CollegeGirl]

Our experience of risperidone with our mother was the same as LadyA's with her husband William. It helped Mum enormously. She did develop Parkinsonian symptoms so we had to switch to another anti-psychotic but I feel they can be a godsend when carefully monitored.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me Joanne, it's very helpful to hear good experiences.

 

[Sue J]

Thank you so much, Sue, that's very reassuring and I'll tell dad what you've said. I hope you are well yourself at the moment xx

The person I wrote about was very much how Lady A described her poor husband's condition, the difference is incredible and also no apparent side effects.

I'm OK at the moment thanks CG it is so nice to feel better and almost normalxx

 

[CollegeGirl]

Hi I care for my grandad in law his 81. Grandad was put on risperidone due to him huloosinating seeing chickens running around the kitchen and seeing people in the house trying to 'get him' at night time, of course there was no one there but was very frightening for him and us. He also was unfortunately slightly aggressive aswell throwing his paper around etc after being on risperidone for a short time he went back to his "normal" self no temper and not huloosinating any more grandad never had any side affects either I hope you get things sorted for your mum and dad


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Thank you too Pumpkin. I'm so glad to hear of these positive experiences from you all, they are very reassuring.

Thankfully the drug is not being prescribed lightly. In fact, it may not even be prescribed at all - the consultant wants to do an ECG on mam before doing anything - and I'm sure will also take dad's feelings into account before taking this step, and things will be very closely monitored, I'm sure.

The thing is, dad wants to do everything he can to keep mam from going into a home, and this may be a way to do it. I think perhaps all other options have been explored and this might be the last resort.

Recently mam had a sickness bug and was given an anti-nausea drug. While she was on it, she became much calmer. Dad read the leaflet in detail, and also asked me to research it, and it turns out that it used to be given as an antipsychotic but in a much higher dose than mam was having it for her sickness.

So, inadvertently, she was actually on an extremely low dose of an antipsychotic for several days. We didn't know whether her change of behaviour was pure coincidence, whether it was that the new Trazodone was finally kicking in, or if it was due to the sickness med. After the sickness med was finished, her behaviour reverted to how it had been before.

Food for thought?

 

[CollegeGirl]

I'm OK at the moment thanks CG it is so nice to feel better and almost normalxx

That's so good to hear xx

 

[Sue J]

Thank you too Pumpkin. I'm so glad to hear of these positive experiences from you all, they are very reassuring.

Thankfully the drug is not being prescribed lightly. In fact, it may not even be prescribed at all - the consultant wants to do an ECG on mam before doing anything - and I'm sure will also take dad's feelings into account before taking this step, and things w Mkill be very closely monitored, I'm sure.

The thing is, dad wants to do everything he can to keep mam from going into a home, and this may be a way to do it. I think perhaps all other options have been explored and this might be the last resort.

Recently mam had a sickness bug and was given an anti-nausea drug. While she was on it, she became much calmer. Dad read the leaflet in detail, and also asked me to research it, and it turns out that it used to be given as an antipsychotic but in a much higher dose than mam was having it for her sickness.

So, inadvertently, she was actually on an extremely low dose of an antipsychotic for several days. We didn't know whether her change of behaviour was pure coincidence, whether it was that the new Trazodone was finally kicking in, or if it was due to the sickness med. After the sickness med was finished, her behaviour reverted to how it had been before.

Food for thought?

Was the drug prochlorperazine CG?

 

[Pumpkin12]

That's what grandad was given trazodone to help relax him and sleep at night time he was constantly up 6 - 8 times a nite and would sleep during the day in his chair. I had to keep waking him up, so he would sleep at nite time then we could sleep too. It helped to fix the sleeping but then started to make him huloosinate and get aggressive that's when we were then given the risperidone to counter act it which worked amazingly it's very hard making these choices all you and your dad can do is your best for your mam keep your chins up and I hope things work out for you all


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[CollegeGirl]

Was the drug prochlorperazine CG?

I think it was, Sue, yes, from memory.

 

[CollegeGirl]

That's what grandad was given trazodone to help relax him and sleep at night time he was constantly up 6 - 8 times a nite and would sleep during the day in his chair. I had to keep waking him up, so he would sleep at nite time then we could sleep too. It helped to fix the sleeping but then started to make him huloosinate and get aggressive that's when we were then given the risperidone to counter act it which worked amazingly it's very hard making these choices all you and your dad can do is your best for your mam keep your chins up and I hope things work out for you all


Sent from my iPhone using Talking Point

Thank you Pumpkin

 

[angecmc]

My Mum is on Trazadone and Risperidone, she has vascular dementia with Lewy bodies, its been just about a year on these medications and has caused her no problems with her heart, she has atrial fibrillation, it really did calm Mum down and stopped a lot of her hallucinations. I hope your poor Dad will let them try your Mum on these medications, as you say it might allow him to keep her home with him longer. It really is scary knowing that these medications have side effects. The strange thing is my family never really bothered reading about side effects of drugs until Mum got this disease and when you think about it nearly every drug you take could have potential side effects for someone. Good luck with this xx

Ange

 

[LadyA]

Actually, William is on Trazodone as well as the risperidone too! The brand name is Molipaxin. He was put on that to calm his extreme agitation and to see if it would help him to sleep at night.

The consultant's point about William was that while the Risperidone might shorten his life - equally, it might not. But he felt that sustaining the extremely high stress level that William was living with for too long very likely would shorten his life.

 

[CollegeGirl]

Thank you everyone for your support and sharing your positive experiences with me. Mam has now been put on a very low dose of Risperidone (first tablet last night) and today has, amazingly, been a good day. Fingers crossed it will continue

I honestly thought dad would never agree to an antipsychotic as he was so worried about the risk of stroke, but I think things were becoming intolerable as they were, and something had to be done.

Thank you all again xx