Anyone's child on Risperdal?

[Proud_MPWIFE]

Just wondering if anyone child takes this medication. His doctor recently precribed it for sleep and behavior, but I havent decided if I want to put him on meds yet
Ive been doing tons of research, but would love to hear parents inputs.

[Lauren]

http://www.risperdal.com/risperdal/f...er.html#whatis
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a694015.html

[erickson007]

my kid brother was on that for awhile, i cannot remember what side effects he had but i will ask my mom for ya.

[Proud_MPWIFE]

Originally Posted by erickson007 my kid brother was on that for awhile, i cannot remember what side effects he had but i will ask my mom for ya.

I would appreciate it. You can read all different stuff online, but its good to hear from actual parents.

[Proud_MPWIFE]

Originally Posted by Lauren http://www.risperdal.com/risperdal/f...er.html#whatis http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/d...r/a694015.html

Thanks for the links, but Im looking for more parents experiances with it.
Ive got a billion brocures and spent countless hrs online, Im just torn.

[katt1028]

My son was on Risperdal for a year and a half. It is not meant to be a permanent medication... and should be used in conjunction with actual behavior modification therapy... as in not as the only therapy being used. He was on two other medications prior to this one... and neither of them helped. This was our last hope before we found an outpatient day treatment.

We saw an improvement pretty much right away... in the span of time, after the 6 weeks it took for the medication to build up in his system. He stopped picking at himself in anxiety, he went to sleep at night faster, he wasn't all over the place out of control anymore.

He went on it when he was 8 1/2 and has been off of it since December. He's not as aggressive in his stance, not as moody, and is able to hold himself together much more now. I am especially grateful that he no longers picks his hands and face in anxiety.

No matter what you read on *any* medication that doctor's want to prescribe to children... hardly any of it is going to be recommended by the USDA, because they don't do clinical trials on children with the meds. So, just because a med says, not recommended by USDA... doesn't mean it isn't given or doesn't work for children. Dr's are to do labs on a yearly basis, checking glucose, lipids, and cholesterol.

Two major side effects that could happen, is heat stroke and diabetes. It is matter of making sure the child is always hydrated, doesn't overheat.. and the food intake. My son's appetite increased.. I didn't realize how emaciated my son was until after he went on this med. It took me looking at and comparing school photos. In his first couple of months, he went up to his paternal grandmother's house for 4 weeks and came back 30lbs heavier.

Deciding to put one's child on medication isn't always an easy decision... it was hard for me to agree to it. I knew that what was being done wasn't working and we needed to be a bit more aggressive. The field of psychology is still a relatively new science.. and is not always completely understood... what works for one child/ person in behavior/ talk therapy or medicinal therapy may not work for another person. It may not always be easy or rosy and sometimes it requires trying different medication combinations out to get what does work.

Good Luck to you!

[Proud_MPWIFE]

Originally Posted by katt1028 My son was on Risperdal for a year and a half. It is not meant to be a permanent medication... and should be used in conjunction with actual behavior modification therapy... as in not as the only therapy being used. He was on two other medications prior to this one... and neither of them helped. This was our last hope before we found an outpatient day treatment. We saw an improvement pretty much right away... in the span of time, after the 6 weeks it took for the medication to build up in his system. He stopped picking at himself in anxiety, he went to sleep at night faster, he wasn't all over the place out of control anymore. He went on it when he was 8 1/2 and has been off of it since December. He's not as aggressive in his stance, not as moody, and is able to hold himself together much more now. I am especially grateful that he no longers picks his hands and face in anxiety. No matter what you read on *any* medication that doctor's want to prescribe to children... hardly any of it is going to be recommended by the USDA, because they don't do clinical trials on children with the meds. So, just because a med says, not recommended by USDA... doesn't mean it isn't given or doesn't work for children. Dr's are to do labs on a yearly basis, checking glucose, lipids, and cholesterol. Two major side effects that could happen, is heat stroke and diabetes. It is matter of making sure the child is always hydrated, doesn't overheat.. and the food intake. My son's appetite increased.. I didn't realize how emaciated my son was until after he went on this med. It took me looking at and comparing school photos. In his first couple of months, he went up to his paternal grandmother's house for 4 weeks and came back 30lbs heavier. Deciding to put one's child on medication isn't always an easy decision... it was hard for me to agree to it. I knew that what was being done wasn't working and we needed to be a bit more aggressive. The field of psychology is still a relatively new science.. and is not always completely understood... what works for one child/ person in behavior/ talk therapy or medicinal therapy may not work for another person. It may not always be easy or rosy and sometimes it requires trying different medication combinations out to get what does work. Good Luck to you!

Thanks you so much for all the great information, I just never thought I would be here. My son has so many other medical issues.
He does have behavioral therapy along with all his other therapies. His developmental ped said she has had great success with this medicine w/ disabled children, I just want to wait a little longer and see if things get better.
We were making great progress and then bam... regressed and only got worse, so Im trying to find out the cause first.
Did u notice any of the other symptoms they say.. besides the weight gain, which I hear is extremely common?
My son is 10 and has never been on any kind of medicine besides clonidine for sleep.


While researching I discovered this is FDA approved for children with autism for the age 5 and up... my son doesnt have autism but he has many tendencies.

My biggest concern is since he's non verbal, will I know if he's having symptoms or problems with it, you know? he's not very good at letting us know when some specifically is bothering him.

[katt1028]

Risperdal is used for many other mental health issues as well... schizophrenia in adults, as well as manic in adults as well.

My son doesn't let me know when something is wrong... i.e., his toes will have burst the seam of his shoe and poking out is when I know he needs new shoes, cause he won't tell me his feet are getting smooshed.

Each doctor appointment they ask about what he's doing... take weight and blood pressure. And annually they do the blood lab work. Some of the major symptoms will be know without him telling you.

do what feels right for you and your family.