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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sienna on March 22, 2003, at 0:34:21
HI
wondering how fast people titrated up doses of risperdal and what approximate doses it took to work. Im moving really slowly cuz im scared of side effects am up to 3 mgs and go to 4 in one week. I havent seen much better yet but my pdoc says the dose is still pretty low. i read that the highest is around 16 mgs but am haveig trouble comparing to when i was on geodon.
Also did youhave much sedation cuz i am worryed about that becuase im studying and having to get up pretty early everyd ay.
did yo uhave much weight gain? worried aobut that too.
last question: how long approximatately did it take to work?
thanks
sienna
Posted by babs on March 22, 2003, at 16:10:31
In reply to Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 22, 2003, at 0:34:21
Hi Sienna- I went up on the risperdal in .5 mg increments. That seemed to work well for me but you can go up even slower. I have no sedation on risperdal at all- I take half my dose in the am and half in the pm and it doesn't make me sleepy. It has worked REALLY well for me but I have gained 60 pounds which is a real bummer. I managed to lose 10 pds in the last few months but it hasn't been easy. Good luck and hope this helps! babs
Posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 0:07:21
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by babs on March 22, 2003, at 16:10:31
Thanks Babs,
how much are you taking now? I took the 3mgs last nite and also 100mgs zoloft and .25 mgs klonopin and slept for 19 hours. I woke up at 7pm and was really out of it. Im better now but its bedtime again. = (
Im going to leave out the klonopin buttake the rest and see how it goes. Im supposed to be adding 250 mgs depakote but i forgot last nite so i guess im adding that too.
I cant deal with the sedation...
sienna
Posted by babs on March 23, 2003, at 7:44:30
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 0:07:21
Sienna- I love that name! I take 2 mg of the risperdal now. Maybe you could back down and go up more slowly. I would check with your pdoc. Did you just start the risperdal? I was sedated at first but it eventually went away. Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.
Posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 14:39:12
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by babs on March 23, 2003, at 7:44:30
thanks babs,
Im on 3mgs now. I started a while back but wasnt taking it like i was supposed to. I am now. But it is really sedateing. I will talk to my pdoc on monday.
thanks so much.
siennap.s. thanks for sayng you lik emy name hehe.
Posted by agencypanic on March 23, 2003, at 17:55:42
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 14:39:12
I started on 2mg of Risp. once per day and have now, after approx. 5 weeks, had it increased
to 4mg/day. I'm definitely tired as a result of this-- about two weeks at 4mg/day now.
Also I'm not convinced that it's working so well for me. I'm anxious and the paranoia, which I'm taking the R for,
doesn't seem to have decreased any. I'm also taking 20mg of Lexapro/day and lorazepam at .5 x 2-3 at bedtime for sleep.
The loraz. is becoming less effective as a sleep aide I think. Right now I'm just really jumpy. I'm told by my psychiatrist that
Risp is generally doubled when increased-- I had increased it from 2 to 2.5 for one week and then to 3 and he finally said 4mg is best.
I have a feeling that I'll need more than 4. I know how you feel and I hope that you improve. I doubt this has helped you any, but I had to
get it off my chest-- feeling unsettled of late.
Good luck to you!
Posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 18:18:59
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by agencypanic on March 23, 2003, at 17:55:42
Hi agencypanic
No it does help me and i am really glad you wrote. Im sorry it isnt workingfor you. It isnt workign for me yet either as im still crazy and when i take too mcuh of it im asleep so i don tknow. also having crazy dreams for hours on end. I wake up thinking im in Tijuana and stuff like that becuase im dreaming and then im awake and cant tell what is goign on. Thne im depressed from sleep so much and trying to wake up when i feel so lethargic and groggy.
like i cant even drive my car so cant do school.
The IOP program im doing at the hopsital starts at 9am nad you have to be ontime, so i dont know how im going to be able to do this and take the meds but i guess i will have to try.I only took 2.5 mgs last nite and am ok, but im going to take 3 mgs tonite and see if i can handle it and get up in the morning. I need to leave my pdoc a message to. Im so scared they hate me.
Anywya, thanks for writing and illl keep you updated, let me know how you do.
Thanks
sienna
Posted by agencypanic on March 23, 2003, at 20:12:47
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions » agencypanic, posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 18:18:59
Thanks for the reply Sienna. I'm actually finally working-- got an online job that I can do at home and just started it on Friday.
I'd done well for the first two days, but my supervisor just called and gave me some constructive criticism and it got to me. It seems that every little piece of attention,
especially negative, that comes my way just upsets me. I've noticed that I'm just really wound up today. My hands are trembling as I try to type this.
I've had the same wild dreams that you mention, but actually look forward to them and am disappointed when I wake up and realize that I'm me again/still and life has to go on.
I'm not sure whether it's the Risperdal or the Lexapro or more likely the combination that provide me with the dreams, but sleep and dreams are the highpoints of my day.
Got to go back to work now. Thanks again for the message.
Posted by sienna on March 23, 2003, at 22:19:55
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by agencypanic on March 23, 2003, at 20:12:47
hi there,
thats so great that you got a job!!! Im sorry you have trouble with the criticism, i do to. Its so hard becaause we are trying to do our best and the critisism feels so bad and makes it harder to do a good job for me anyway.sometimes i like the dreams and am sorry to wake up but lotsa times its nitemares adn im freaked out when im wake up but glad that i did so the nightemare stops.
I feel like its the risperdal with the dreams but im not sure. im sorry your so woudn up. Do you know any coping meckanisms? Becuase sometimes it helps to focus on breathing for me. IM not too good at it, but its supposed to help.
Also doing some light stretches and trying to slow down your mind in different ways. I wish i knew something that was workign most of the time, but i just dont.
Anyways, yes glad you are writing, let me know how it goes with your job. Im sur eyou will do fine with it.
Sienna
Posted by TJO on March 24, 2003, at 8:53:06
In reply to Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 22, 2003, at 0:34:21
> HI
>
> wondering how fast people titrated up doses of risperdal and what approximate doses it took to work. Im moving really slowly cuz im scared of side effects am up to 3 mgs and go to 4 in one week. I havent seen much better yet but my pdoc says the dose is still pretty low. i read that the highest is around 16 mgs but am haveig trouble comparing to when i was on geodon.
>
> Also did youhave much sedation cuz i am worryed about that becuase im studying and having to get up pretty early everyd ay.
>
> did yo uhave much weight gain? worried aobut that too.
>
> last question: how long approximatately did it take to work?
>
> thanks
> siennaHi Sienna,
What are you being treated for?
I have been on Risperdal for about 1 1/2 yrs. I take 3 mg which has been a good dose for me. I have bipolar disorder and when I get depressed, my depression has psychotic features. I also take 1200 mg of Neurontin and 150 mg of Wellbutrin. The Risperdal gets rid of the delusions and hearing voices that I get. Any dose less than 3 mg hasn't seemed to work. I started at 3 mg.
About 8 months ago, I tried to come off of Risperdal and titrated down in .5 mg increments. I have had some side effects. I have had weight gain of at least 10 lbs, my period has stopped, and once in a while I get a foggy-headed feeling. I was very sleepy when I first started on psych meds, but it went away after about 2 months. I think it may have been the Neurontin that did that, but I'm not sure.
Risperdal works on me right away. I usually get some relief the first day or overnight, and I get the full effect of the drug after taking it for about 3 weeks. Hope this helps you.
Tammy
Posted by sienna on March 24, 2003, at 16:18:41
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by TJO on March 24, 2003, at 8:53:06
Hi Tammy
im being treated for psychosis. I am tired from it but not that bad anymore. Im on 3mgs. They want me up to 4 though nxt week.
thanks for posting your experiences, its very hepful. Ive been on for about 4 weeks. Still not working well but just started taking 3 mgs a couple days ago. Im hoping it will work more soon.
take care
sienna
Posted by TJO on March 30, 2003, at 10:20:38
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 24, 2003, at 16:18:41
> Hi Tammy
>
> im being treated for psychosis. I am tired from it but not that bad anymore. Im on 3mgs. They want me up to 4 though nxt week.
>
> thanks for posting your experiences, its very hepful. Ive been on for about 4 weeks. Still not working well but just started taking 3 mgs a couple days ago. Im hoping it will work more soon.Hi Sienna,
I'm feeling much better this week than I did about a month ago. I had had to go into the hospital overnight for a med change and had been psychotic from not being prescribed enough Seroquel. In the hospital they put me on 4 mg of Risperdal. It helped. I went to see my regular pdoc and managed to talk him into prescibing me 3 mg instead of 4, which is what I'm on now. After a month or so, the meds are really working well for me.
Glad to know my info helped you.
Tammy
Posted by sienna on March 31, 2003, at 16:22:24
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions » sienna, posted by TJO on March 30, 2003, at 10:20:38
Hi Tammy,
Im doing better on 3mgs too. They want me on 4 wihich isaid i will take but it will take me a while to get there as i want to incerase slowly.
Please post anymore experiences that you think would help me.
Thankss o much,
sienna
Posted by TJO on April 1, 2003, at 8:50:23
In reply to Re: Risperdal questions, posted by sienna on March 31, 2003, at 16:22:24
Hi Sienna,
I forgot to include with my side effects that over a year ago I had some leg twitching which went away after about 3 weeks. It was unnerving and I'm glad it went away. When I was on the 4 mgs breifly, it seemed to help but I went down to 3 because I don't want to get more side effects. I also don't agree with taking any more meds than necessary to do the job. Good luck and nice to hear from you. Let me know how you do with the 4 mgs. Hopefully it will work well for you.
Tammy
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