[Emmesmom]

We got P's records and last year she did really well on Risperdal .5 but her stepmom stopped giving it to her about a year ago. I know this is a powerful medication, but if it works... anyone have any experience with it??

[mamallama]

Never used it but I've found this site helpful for other meds: Crazy Meds! The Good, The Bad & The Funny of Neurological Medications

[stevenstwin]

Originally Posted by Emmesmom

We got P's records and last year she did really well on Risperdal .5 but her stepmom stopped giving it to her about a year ago. I know this is a powerful medication, but if it works... anyone have any experience with it??

YES!!! My son was considerably older, mind you. But we tried 3 different medications with disastrous results, and were really ready to give up. He agreed to try ONE more time, and it was Risperdal, and OMG!! For us, it was like the sun came out. It did give him headaches, but otherwise he was calm and in control, he felt clear headed and had no rages. Here's how he described it (rages/anxiety being major issues for him) "things still make me mad, but now I feel like I have enough time to take a breath and THINK about how to react." For him, I think he is hypervigilante and reacts automatically to perceived threats, so it really helped with that. What specific issues is it expected to treat in P?

[TxMom65]

My daughter takes a small dose and has for several years. It helps her sleep for one thing. I know when we have tried to take her off it will cause things to go downhill and fast.

[humanchild]

yes! I had a ten year old boy for a year and a half (he was 11 when he left) He was diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist with tourette's syndrome, OCD, ADHD, and anxiety. We tried clonidine for the tics, but that did nothing. Then celexa, and it helped some, particularly with the anxiety, but once that dose was maxed out he still had MAJOR rage and anxiety issues. He was miserable ALL the time, and any little thing would send him into a huge screaming, kicking, door slamming tantrum. The risperdal helped a LOT. There were definitely still tantrums, but there was more time between "ok" and "rage" so at least I had a chance to work with him to settle down, where before it was like a light switch.

My opinion- if a kid is to the point you are even considering medication for psych/behavioral issues- you need a specialist. Pediatricians and general practitioners just don't know enough about psych meds to manage them. Get pediatric neurologist or psychiatrist. A good one will look at the entire history (including the fact that she has been on risperdal before with good results) and the current issues and work with you to come up with a plan that works both for you and the child.

[Emmesmom]

This is good to hear. It will be for her rages and aggression. She flips so fast sometimes for things I think are minor but she escalates into rage and hitting so fast. I often say if she could just delay her reaction long enough so I could redirect her. SOmetimes I really think it (the anger) gets control over her and she can't pull herself out of it until she exhausts herself. I feel so bad because once she calms down she is really remorseful and just wants to be held.

[stevenstwin]

Originally Posted by Emmesmom

This is good to hear. It will be for her rages and aggression. She flips so fast sometimes for things I think are minor but she escalates into rage and hitting so fast. I often say if she could just delay her reaction long enough so I could redirect her. SOmetimes I really think it (the anger) gets control over her and she can't pull herself out of it until she exhausts herself. I feel so bad because once she calms down she is really remorseful and just wants to be held.

Awe...that sounds so much like my son! 14 and 15 years old, but he'd rage and rage, and then cry heartbrokenly and I'd have to hold him and comfort him! I know meds are different for every person and what works for some often doesn't work for others, but she sure sounds a lot like him.

[Jensboys]

Originally Posted by Emmesmom

This is good to hear. It will be for her rages and aggression. She flips so fast sometimes for things I think are minor but she escalates into rage and hitting so fast. I often say if she could just delay her reaction long enough so I could redirect her. SOmetimes I really think it (the anger) gets control over her and she can't pull herself out of it until she exhausts herself. I feel so bad because once she calms down she is really remorseful and just wants to be held.

This is the exact same reason my son is on it and it has been a LIFE and family savior for us. Unbelievable change in his ability to regulate and self control. We have recently upped his dosage as puberty hits, but it is still very, very effective. He is now 13, and has been on it since age 10.

[shaylynn]

I currently have one that is 6 yrs old and takes 1 mg at 8 am and 8 pm also a .5 at 2 pm Last summer, I tried taking the afternoon one away because I didn't want him getting overmedicated. I found with him, that he would fly off tyhe handle lot quicker and would purposely hurt small animals and kids (kick, pinch, etc) so I put him back on the afternoon one. I gave it a 3 month chance. For about the last 6-8 weeks though, we don't know what is going on with him as he is kicking and shoving both his peers and teacher at school with no warning or cause (he has even kicked the principal and scratched the secretary so he is not intimdated by who it is. But on another note, I am not seeing the behaviors to that extent at home so it may be partly that he is wanting to school to be out.

[HopefulInTN]

Our little guy is ADHD, PTSD.

To show you the flip side of Risperdal, our little guy was on it, and all it was being used for was to control his anger . . . which wasn't bad at all. His doc couldn't tell us why he had been put on it in the first place, but that for this particular child, there was no reason to have him on it. Here, Risperdal seems to be the DCS drug of choice to keep the kids 'good'.

We spent 8 weeks weaning him off of Risperdal. I don't ever want to go through that again. He had the shakes, he was moody, etc. Today, 3 months off the drug, he is a different child. He laughs more, he isn't tired all the time, his appetite is HUGE, and he's a bit more hyper. We get to see the 'real' G, and we can handle what we see. We are glad we did the withdrawal process before we began the final paperwork for the adoption.

Risperdal can be a life-saver for many, but when/if the child comes off of it, it could be really hard, on all of you. Just a heads up.

Hope all works out for you.

[lucyjoy]

If at all possible, find out why the medication was stopped. Risperdal can have serious side effects, more so in girls then in boys. There may have been good reason to stop it even if it helped with behavior.(And it is great for lots of serious behaviors)