Hello, I am keen to hear from others who have experience of their loved one being prescribed respiradone and the very common side effects. My dad has been prescribed it but mum and I are petrified as he reacted so badly to other anti psychotics. Thank you.
Respiradone
- Thread starter Xeenies
- Start date
My mother was on respiradone for a couple of years. Initially she responded well, with no noticeable side effects. Eventually we had to switch because she developed Parkinsonian syndrome.
My mother was extremely verbally and physically violent so we had no choice but to continue with anti-psychotics for a long time - about 10 years, I think. Even when she was wheelchair-bound and no longer spoke, she still lashed out. It was only with the progression of her disease that she calmed to the point she didn't need the anti-psychotics any more.
My mother was extremely verbally and physically violent so we had no choice but to continue with anti-psychotics for a long time - about 10 years, I think. Even when she was wheelchair-bound and no longer spoke, she still lashed out. It was only with the progression of her disease that she calmed to the point she didn't need the anti-psychotics any more.
@Xeenies My husband was on risperidone for about four years. It was prescribed after the first medication tried just didn't do anything for him. He wasn't prescribed it because of aggression, but because his paranoid delusions and hallucinations were so bad. Thankfully, he never showed any side effects.
Hello, my dad was on a low dose of risperidone for aggression, and I think his mood improved slightly and we didn’t notice any side effects, but he was taken off them after a few months because they said they were not a long term drug. Gradually his aggression got worse and as he seemed ok on it before he was put on it again but it didn’t really help so his dose was doubled and within days he had an increasingly bad reaction to them; starting with his head stooped and neck pain, then severe legs cramps, and he was unable to walk, profuse sweating. His reaction was so severe that they were stopped and the change was so incredible, that we realised he must have been having a reaction to them on the low dose but we thought it was his general deterioration. He was put on memantine, which did help for about a year but his erratic and aggressive moods returned to the point he ended up in a psychiatric hospital and was commenced on olanzapine, which improved his mood no end but the deterioration in him was awful - he was definitely sensitive to anti psychotic medication but we had no say in having his meds reduced. He went from an upright man who could walk miles to a shuffling stooped, drugged up 70 year old who became incontinent and couldn’t feed himself within days. He also used to do a strange thing where he would just sit himself down on the floor whilst walking for no reason and could then not get himself up despite being strong enough he just couldn’t coordinate himself.
I do know this is only my dad’s story and these drugs do work well for others, but whilst visiting my dad in psychiatric hospital I couldn’t help but notice most of the patients came in walking and talking and within days were shuffling around stooped or sleeping a lot, so I’m guessing most of them were put on similar meds.
His improved mood did enable us to get dad in a home and gradually we got him weened of the olanzapine, but only after 2 years when his condition had vastly deteriorated.
Sorry my experience is a bit bleak, maybe you will have better luck, but it’s always good to familiarise yourself with the possible side effects because they are reversible if detected early enough and doses reduced or stopped.
Best wishes x
I do know this is only my dad’s story and these drugs do work well for others, but whilst visiting my dad in psychiatric hospital I couldn’t help but notice most of the patients came in walking and talking and within days were shuffling around stooped or sleeping a lot, so I’m guessing most of them were put on similar meds.
His improved mood did enable us to get dad in a home and gradually we got him weened of the olanzapine, but only after 2 years when his condition had vastly deteriorated.
Sorry my experience is a bit bleak, maybe you will have better luck, but it’s always good to familiarise yourself with the possible side effects because they are reversible if detected early enough and doses reduced or stopped.
Best wishes x
This is very helpful thank you. My dad has bad reaction to olanzapine but they think it was his liver not the drug so a coincidence. Now they have him started on respiradone. It’s hard as I read not long term too but then so many people on here say their loved one had it long term? I’m worrried about about him getting that neck problem too, I’ve heard about that side effect. My dad is in a mental health facility, as they need to sort out his drugs, we are petrified too as on olazapine it seemed he to go down hill badly although as said they don’t think that (but they haven’t put him back on it?!?!)... we are watching dad closely .
I think as my dad’s brain seem to deteriorate ( Alzheimer’s) he became more sensitive to any medication. He also had a seizure whilst in psychiatric hospital, and after another a few months later was commenced on sodium valproate, which, although helped with the seizures, I don’t think it helped his condition because his walking got even worse after starting it.
The first time he was in psychiatric hospital was when the risperidone was stopped because he was so ill, so I thought he couldn’t go on any anti psychotic drugs again. He had a consultant who listened to us as a family and we had him home for another year. The second time he went in to psychiatric hospital it was the same ward, and all the staff remembered dad, but a different consultant, who we felt was extremely heavy handed with the dosages and medication and did not listen to us at all. It was all about drugging people up so you could then ship them out to a nursing home unfortunately.
The first time he was in psychiatric hospital was when the risperidone was stopped because he was so ill, so I thought he couldn’t go on any anti psychotic drugs again. He had a consultant who listened to us as a family and we had him home for another year. The second time he went in to psychiatric hospital it was the same ward, and all the staff remembered dad, but a different consultant, who we felt was extremely heavy handed with the dosages and medication and did not listen to us at all. It was all about drugging people up so you could then ship them out to a nursing home unfortunately.
That’s what my mums afraid of, even the psychiatrist almost said that. Said without him calming down no care home will take him!! To be fair they also said he becomes distressed when agitated so should be good for him, I just pray they work and don’t turn him into a zombie , otherwise I think we’ll need a second opinion.
@Xeenies The thing with risperidone is that the person needs careful, regular, monitoring while taking it. Initially, my husband was seen by the consultant every week, then gradually, monitoring went to every six to eight weeks. It's only if the person continues to show no side effects that it can be continued, under careful monitoring.
My dad started on a low dose (0.25) mg of Risperidone shortly after being diagnosed. As he used to explode into terrible rages and paranoid that neighbours were stealing from him and his garden - there was no reasoning in these episodes - he just got more and more aggresive to the point where we worried he'd have a heart attack or stroke. Like others have said, this is a very strong medication and not recommended long term. Dad was initially observed at the memory clinic appointments. He didn't display any side effects and the result was that by taking the dose at midday, it kept him calm (well, less paranoid etc - it didn't turn him into a zombie). After time he started to become more aggresive towards the end of the day - returning to the point of my mum being at the receiving end of REALLY vile verbal abuse - often he would wake up in the middle of the night shouting and screaming, telling her it was the biggest mistake of his life marrying her.... this would go on for hours. My mum was terrified. I contacted his consultant and they agreed to increase the dose so he then took 2 x 0.25 mg per day, which really helped. He was taken off them and weaned onto alternatives (as I said, Risperidone isn't meant to be long term), however the first alternative just made him sleep all the time, which we didn't want. So he was put on a second alternative which just made him sick all day long. So, after further discussion with the Consultant, and given he hadn't displayed any side effects with Risperidone, he was put back on the 2 x 0.25 mg doseage and the nurses from the memory clinic come and take his checks at home every 4-6 weeks. So in our experience, Risperidone has had a postive effect on my dad in keeping him from aggressive/paranoid rages.
Obviously he can still have his moments of being rude/angry/negative etc., but my mum no longer fears for herself or that he'll give himself and heart attack. The check ups are very important and gives us the reassurance that he's ok. Hope this helps.
Obviously he can still have his moments of being rude/angry/negative etc., but my mum no longer fears for herself or that he'll give himself and heart attack. The check ups are very important and gives us the reassurance that he's ok. Hope this helps.
This really helps, thank you, I’ll let Mum n is. He’s been on it 4 days and so far so good.
