Any alternative to risperdrone

[deepetshopboy]

Hi all hope all coping ok ?
me again after some advice on risperdrone so my dad was put on risperdrone in nov dose was upped from 0.5 to 1/12 mg as dad was agaited agrresive erc nearly sectioned went missing was dreadful but ..since being on the drug has calmed down all thats gone ish but in came the side effects hunched walking glazed up eyes not sleeping dementia detorated terrible i asked the dr if i could try cutting it down she agreed well within 2 days he was back to hes normal antics which was hell i thought to myself what have i done! I quickly resumed the original dosage again asap i feel awful giving him this drug watching him in this state but im stuck between a rock and a hard place as if i take him off i know this is hell on earth dr said cannot give him anything else no more drugs to try and will not look into it again for 3 months ie decrese dose
Anyone took their lo off risperdrone and tried anything else that worked as a alternative bearing in mind my dad is extremely aggressive without it drs said he got a form of dementia that is violent i forget the name is called it bspd or similar

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @deepetshopboy

I had to watch similar side effects on my husband with another drug. I was warned by his doctor how powerful these drugs are and that they would have side effects, in particular the loss of mobility.

In our case I said if the drugs helped me keep my husband at home for longer I thought it was a risk I was prepared to take. Our son agreed with me.

In effect, I was able to keep him at home for a further 18 months.

It`s a painful position to have to balance a reduction of aggression and acute anxiety against quite severe side effects.

The use of Antipsychotic drugs is frowned upon and unpopular but if the symptoms of dementia are unmanageable without them what do we do?

My argument was in addition to all the negative effects of these drugs, the deep unhappiness and fear of the person with dementia is important too. When their behaviours are so challenging and they are unable to express themselves, sometimes medication is the only answer.

I have to say these drugs were stopped once the dementia progressed and my husband had less insight into his feelings and fear of his illness. He did have four years of much deeper contentment even though he had lost mobility and was in residential care.

It`s so hard to get it right.

 

[deepetshopboy]

Yes it is @Grannie G
Awful situation ?

 

[AngelaL64]

yes,doneprazil

 

[AngelaL64]

Doneprezil

 

[Izzy]

Donepezil and Risperidone are different types of drugs. Risperidone is an anti-psychotic drug and Donepezil (Aricept) is a drug which is used to treat some symptoms of dementia -

Donepezil: a medicine to treat some types of dementia

NHS medicines information on donepezil – what it's used for, side effects, dosage and who can take it.

www.nhs.uk

If the GP says there are no other drugs to try then as you say that @deepetshopboy you are between a rock and a hard place, especially if your dad is aggressive without it.

 

[margherita]

My husband has been on Quetiapine, which is an anti-psychotic, for three months. No visible side effects, so far.

 

[JayDeeEmm]

Hi there my husband is currently in hospital and had been for 4 weeks. His aggression levels had increased. He has been taken off Risperidone and is now on Quetiapine. He was really stooped before and had at least 4 falls in the space of 4 days in hospital. I chatted to him over zoom this week and what a difference. He seems to be smiling more, isn't as stooped and is responding to my chats. Hopefully he will be back home soon.

 

[MarkoG]

We tried Risperidone a while ago and after only two low doses it sent my partner off the wall and nearly had to be sectioned. I took her straight off it and am now now sceptical of any anti-psychotic treatment in case it has the same effect.

 

[deepetshopboy]

My husband has been on Quetiapine, which is an anti-psychotic, for three months. No visible side effects, so far.

Hi can you elaborate what was hes behaviour like prior to him being put on them was he violent/aggressive wandering ???
as the psychiatrist said all other antipsychotic tablets except risperdrone dont work for aggressive behaviour hence why he’s staying on risperdrone which I absolutely hate as i can see him going downhill fast main symptoms are slurred spech dementia worse walking stiff with arms dangling down blue tenge to hes face i have to help in the bath dress him hes like a drunk person so heavy and Awkward
Thanks

 

[deepetshopboy]

We tried Risperidone a while ago and after only two low doses it sent my partner off the wall and nearly had to be sectioned. I took her straight off it and am now now sceptical of any anti-psychotic treatment in case it has the same effect.

Hi what was your partner like before to make them put them on antipsychotic tabs ? as i know drs /psychiatrist set against it as last resort thanks

 

[deepetshopboy]

Hi there my husband is currently in hospital and had been for 4 weeks. His aggression levels had increased. He has been taken off Risperidone and is now on Quetiapine. He was really stooped before and had at least 4 falls in the space of 4 days in hospital. I chatted to him over zoom this week and what a difference. He seems to be smiling more, isn't as stooped and is responding to my chats. Hopefully he will be back home soon.

Thanks for your reply was your husband originally aggressive was that why he was put on risperdrone is he still aggressive now on the new drug
?
Just to add my dads on 2 mg risperdrone highest dose limit for elderly dementia recommend
If i try as i did 5 weeks ago to cut it down by half ie 1/12 mg within days he was aggressive again awful
Just had meetings with gp on Monday gp keen for him to come off it due to swallowing issues but again psychiatrist says nothing else will work other antipsychotic tabs wont work for he’s agitation and aggressive behaviour ?

 

[lollyc]

I don't have experience of your particularly problem, but... We were referred to MH (who have never seen my mother) who were,quite frankly, worse than useless. They said nothing could be done (she was not sleeping) and suggested a care home. I spoke to my GP, who reviewed Mum's medications and suggested that we had the potential to increase doses of 2 of them - Quetiapine and Mirtazapine. We have increased Quetiapine, and things are very much better. And no side effects. Perhaps the GP is the best person to discuss this with, if the psychiatrist is unable to offer a solution.

 

[deepetshopboy]

I don't have experience of your particularly problem, but... We were referred to MH (who have never seen my mother) who were,quite frankly, worse than useless. They said nothing could be done (she was not sleeping) and suggested a care home. I spoke to my GP, who reviewed Mum's medications and suggested that we had the potential to increase doses of 2 of them - Quetiapine and Mirtazapine. We have increased Quetiapine, and things are very much better. And no side effects. Perhaps the GP is the best person to discuss this with, if the psychiatrist is unable to offer a solution.

Thanks
The problem is the dr wont do anything without the say so of the mental health team psychiatrist
I had the same last yr nobody would do anything till got moved onto home treatment team then back to community mental health team
The psychiatrist took him off the original antidepressant last week he was on since last march
Given to him by memory clinic for he’s aggressive behaviour 10mg citopram but now i said he doesn’t need to be on it as the risperdrone has knocked it aggressive behaviour all out of him more or less
She did say she could put him on another antidepressant for to help he’s sleeping
Which is very bad since he started risperdrone i could mention about the tablets you said to see if they will trail him
Hes just had a big changeover of tablets turned into dispersable as couldnt swallow so now i got to do all medication without blister packs and gp seemed really put out by the big changeover ?

 

[margherita]

Hi can you elaborate what was hes behaviour like prior to him being put on them was he violent/aggressive wandering ???

He was restless and obsessed with the idea of going out ...to the doctor's, the chemist's, the mechanic's, the bank, the hospital.
And he was incessantly breathing under my neck and pestering me with his absurd demands.
He was often verbally aggressive and had also started to wander.

 

[deepetshopboy]

He was restless and obsessed with the idea of going out ...to the doctor's, the chemist's, the mechanic's, the bank, the hospital.
And he was incessantly breathing under my neck and pestering me with his absurd demands.
He was often verbally aggressive and had also started to wander.

Hmm sounds like my dad but my dad was violent if he couldn’t get out
My dads still moody and restless wanting to go out calling me all the time if im in the toilet in garden erc longer then 2 minutes hes like my shadow he doesn’t like me reading the newspaper or being on phone probably because he cant or bored
Ill look into the medication qouted here and maybe at next meeting see if the psychiatrist would be willinh to see if he can go on that for a trial