Hello everyone, I think I last posted here about 3 years ago when sorting out attendance allowance. Dad (86) has mixed dementia and is now very advanced. Mum (83) is his carer at home. 2 weeks ago he started taking Risperidone (0,5mg per day, now upped to 1mg per day). We had hoped this would calm him down as we are at the end of our tethers, like so many others! Has anyone had success with this or with an alternative? So far we are very disappointed in results. Dad is still very hyperactive, never sits down, rarely stops asking questions and can be violent if you aren`t careful. The worst thing is that, since he started Risperidone, he gets up very early in the morning so my mother has lost her only "quiet time" in the day. Pre-Risperidone he would stay in bed till 9am and she could get up at 7 and have 2 hours to herself before "the onslaught". It`s not a coincidence as the getting up early started as soon as he started the drug. Anyway, I`m rambling after a sleepless night, but I just thought I`d ask if anyone has any experiences/opinions. I will of course be discussing it with the psychiatrist before any decisions are made. It was our last hope really....
Risperidone etc.
- Thread starter PINK AVOCET
- Start date
Hello,
My Mum has just started taking Risperidone to manage auditory hallucinations, and to get her to sleep at night - she had been awake all day, and awake all night, manic and hallucinating. Average of 30 mins sleep only.
She started Risperidone 3 days ago, one pill at night, but no alleviation of symptoms.
Yesterday the doctor advised us to give her an extra half a pill at night - Mum got the best night's sleep she has had in a week!
Antipsychotic drugs can take a while to build up in the person's system before they become effective.
I know that everyone is different, and I don't know if this has helped, but I thought I'd better reply anyway.
Good luck!
My Mum has just started taking Risperidone to manage auditory hallucinations, and to get her to sleep at night - she had been awake all day, and awake all night, manic and hallucinating. Average of 30 mins sleep only.
She started Risperidone 3 days ago, one pill at night, but no alleviation of symptoms.
Yesterday the doctor advised us to give her an extra half a pill at night - Mum got the best night's sleep she has had in a week!
Antipsychotic drugs can take a while to build up in the person's system before they become effective.
I know that everyone is different, and I don't know if this has helped, but I thought I'd better reply anyway.
Good luck!
Hi all I’m really interested in the answers to this too, been having a bad time with OH since Christmas, paranoia, anger, not knowing who I am and constantly trying to get home to where we are (over 50yrs). Dementia clinic doctor put him on Memantine but it just seemed to make him more aware that he is ill and he kept threatening to commit suicide!! So last night started on Risperidone, I'm praying this does the trick! X
We had very negative experience of Resperidone, my Dad was in fact worse couple with the side effect of his neck becoming bent 90 degrees which caused then issues with eating and drinking. This exasperated everything and even when taken off immediately, it took 4-6 weeks to get him back to how he was, even with drugs to counter affect the problems.
Oh that’s good to hear, he didn’t have a good night ( not unusual) but does seem calmer this morning, I thought it was too much to hope that it was working already, so I’m still writing this in the loo, because even just seeing me on my phone can set him off! Maybe he’ll be one of the ones it works for ?
@PINK AVOCET
My mum has been on Risperidone for over 2 years, it was prescribed for agitation (she was convinced that people were going to break in at night), it was effective immediately and she has had no side effects. We have tried reducing it from 0.5 to 0.25 but have found that the higher dose is needed.
My mum has been on Risperidone for over 2 years, it was prescribed for agitation (she was convinced that people were going to break in at night), it was effective immediately and she has had no side effects. We have tried reducing it from 0.5 to 0.25 but have found that the higher dose is needed.
It can take a while for the anti-psychotic to build up in the system. My mother was on various anti-psychotics for about 10 years, as she was very aggressive and agitated. It can take 4 to 6 weeks for Risperdone to take effect, so if you don't see some improvement I would go back to the doctor. Other anti-psychotics may have a better effect.
Eventually, the need for such medications will subside. Do keep an eye out for other side effects. My mother was switched to another med as the risperdone caused Parkinsonian symptoms. I found over the 15+ years of my mother's illness that we did have to tweak meds ever so often.
Eventually, the need for such medications will subside. Do keep an eye out for other side effects. My mother was switched to another med as the risperdone caused Parkinsonian symptoms. I found over the 15+ years of my mother's illness that we did have to tweak meds ever so often.
Thanks so much for all the replies. I don`t get to look on here every day so I`ve just read them. I think we need to give it a bit more time and I can see he is becoming a bit "different" - in some good ways, some not so good. Frankly when I read some of your replies I realise we have a bit to be thankful for (so far anyway). I`m going to tell my mum that we need to let it build up in his system and the doctor has also suggested doubling his dose to 1mg. It`s so reassuring to get another perspective. We will be on the lookout for side effects too. I just want my mother to get some peace and quiet. Risperidone does seem to work for a lot of people, fingers crossed for all those who are starting it.
Oh dear, we just can’t win can we,
it’s 4 days now since OH started Risperidone, 0.5 mls and his mood is much better, happy even, the trouble now is he’s getting up and dressed at 2.30 in morning and won’t go back to bed, says he feels fine and doesn’t need to sleep, but I flippin do I’m exhausted.
it’s 4 days now since OH started Risperidone, 0.5 mls and his mood is much better, happy even, the trouble now is he’s getting up and dressed at 2.30 in morning and won’t go back to bed, says he feels fine and doesn’t need to sleep, but I flippin do I’m exhausted.
Perhaps you could try giving him the Risperidone at a different time of day. We started on .25mg then to .5 and now he takes .75mg., so we have to stagger them through the day. It seems to take about an hour to kick in and then he dozes off. I note the mention of side effects in some posts. It has caused my husband to dribble quite a lot, and his walking has become a bit of a shuffle some days. I worried about the side effects at the beginning, but now I value the peace it provides!Oh dear, we just can’t win can we,
it’s 4 days now since OH started Risperidone, 0.5 mls and his mood is much better, happy even, the trouble now is he’s getting up and dressed at 2.30 in morning and won’t go back to bed, says he feels fine and doesn’t need to sleep, but I flippin do I’m exhausted.
Oh dear, we just can’t win can we,
it’s 4 days now since OH started Risperidone, 0.5 mls and his mood is much better, happy even, the trouble now is he’s getting up and dressed at 2.30 in morning and won’t go back to bed, says he feels fine and doesn’t need to sleep, but I flippin do I’m exhausted.
Yes, dad's mood is much better too. We realised we hadn²t seen him smile in years. The getting up early is getting worse here too though. Not 2.30am yet though, poor you. Dad is on 1mg per day and he gets his second 0,5mg pill around 8pm and he does sleep till about 6am at the moment.
He has also started drooling and shuffling. It's hard to weigh up the pros and cons. He isn't any quieter during the day yet.
My OH was on Risperidone & it certainly calmed him down but unfortunately he developed Parkinsonism symptoms. He's now on Quetiapine & the change is remarkable. Fewer side effects & his mood is vastly improved - no more evening rages. I can honestly say it has transformed my life.
He also takes Mirtazapine & has been for some time now. Neither drug has affected his sleep pattern - he's slept a lot for a long time now & spends a lot of the day with his eyes closed but not really sleeping - just shutting out a confusing world I think.
It took us a year or more to find the right combination of drugs but persevere & hopefully you will get there. I agree that it takes a while for the drugs to reach there full effect & with luck the side effects will be nil. Good luck!
He also takes Mirtazapine & has been for some time now. Neither drug has affected his sleep pattern - he's slept a lot for a long time now & spends a lot of the day with his eyes closed but not really sleeping - just shutting out a confusing world I think.
It took us a year or more to find the right combination of drugs but persevere & hopefully you will get there. I agree that it takes a while for the drugs to reach there full effect & with luck the side effects will be nil. Good luck!
