[Emmesmom]

Hi,
I was told by P's doctor (a pediatric psychiatrist) that her dose of risperal is low (.5 once a day) and because of her weight gain while on it, I could cut it in half and try that. Well, I have been cutting it in half and she has hit me twice in the past two weeks and had two major tantrums. The kind she use to have before the risperdal. Now, granted there is a lot going on with her Nanny's legal issues and visits stopped, but should I just tolerate the weight gain to help her with her temper? Anyone else had a 7 year old on Risperdal? I worked wonders on her behavior, but I'm not sure of the side effect of weight gain. She is never full!

[Lorraine123]

There are many other anti-psychotic drugs you could try.

Sounds like she is on a very low dose but side effects still can occur. One side effect of Risperdal is that it hastens puberty. It can actually induce lactation. Not to scare you - but something to look out for. Be sure to have blood work done.

My daughter increased 8 sizes in six months. This was while on Zyprexa, a similar drug to Risperdal. We had to take her off. She is now taking Geodon, with no weight gain.

Ask your doc about changing the med. There are lots of options out there. Its just a matter of finding the best one for your child. And it may take a while.

[cecegarrett]

As a nurse.. I have to tread lightly here. I don't to appear to be giving medical advice. BUT, I do know from experience with the emergency shelter I volunteered in that some of this family of drugs causes great weight gain.. and some do not. I would guess that she is being Rx'ed certain... um.. not top shelf drugs b/c of her insurance. Some docs don't Rx the more $$ (and often better- because of innovations regarding side effects) because it may require a phone approval. Oh no! 5 minutes on the phone with the ins company.

I digress... research the different meds. Go in with a list and tell them your concerns.

[Emmesmom]

Of course she takes the generic. But we have an appointment in two weeks. We need to do something. She has gone from a 6X to an 8-10 in three months.

[Lorraine123]

Can you call and get an earlier appt? The weight gain will not stop as long as the child is on the med. It makes them ravenous and crave carbs.

[shaylynn]

I had a 6 yr old on risperdal, his dosage was .5 in the morning, again in the afternoon and then 1 at bedtime. I did take him off of the afternoon dosage thru the summer to see if he changed. It took a few weeks but I did notice that he would become more aggresive and get irritated easier so I put him back on. I didn't have any issue with weight gain. Sometimes he would say he was hungry and I would offer a healthy choice which he generally declined. He just wanted junk food but didn't get it. I know that thru out the year, his appetite would fluxuate some, but that is someone normal with all kids depending on it they are on a growth spurt (which she may be on) One thing that they did tell me, is to yearly have his blood sugars checked to make sure they are in check. If those are fluxuating on her, that would cause mood swings. Sorry you are having troubles.

[greenrobin]

My son was on zyprexa and gained about 60 pounds. He was tall, but not THAT tall! When his doc decided to withdraw the med, his weight loss was very rapid--like he lost it all in a little more than a month. So fast, in fact, that his coaches began asking me if he was okay.

Our school nurse, a former psychiatric hospital nurse, said that that's pretty normal for anti-psychotic induced weight gain.

I really hope P's doc finds the right meds for her.

[UTbrie]

I worked for a MR/DD adult group home for two years and a handful of the clients were on anti-psychotics, including risperdal. There was a very delicate balance between the dietiticians on staff, telling us to monitor their portion sizes, weight their food, offer healthy choices. etc. However, this medication makes them RAVENOUS! Always hungry. And you can't deprive the clients of junk food if they want it, because it is their right to choose what to eat. We can only guide them. Then the physicians/doctors would be very concerned over their weight gain. As for the group home, they mainly sided with keeping them on the medication. Mainly for the safety of themselves (they can injure themselves when in a rage), others in the group home and also the staff caring for them (the majority of whom were young females). In a private home setting, the pro's and con's are much different. I know, that when they would try to "adjust" their meds, it often came with violent mood swings and "rages". I guess I would tell you it depends on the severity of her behaviors. Is there any way she can become more involved in higher energy level activites? I don't know how old she is, but what about sports? Gymnastics? Or bicycle with her? Encourage fun, age appropriate activity. And definately talk the doctors to see if there is a good alternative that would not cause weight gain but still control her behaviours.

[hrisme]

Originally Posted by Emmesmom

Hi,
I was told by P's doctor (a pediatric psychiatrist) that her dose of risperal is low (.5 once a day) and because of her weight gain while on it, I could cut it in half and try that. Well, I have been cutting it in half and she has hit me twice in the past two weeks and had two major tantrums. The kind she use to have before the risperdal. Now, granted there is a lot going on with her Nanny's legal issues and visits stopped, but should I just tolerate the weight gain to help her with her temper? Anyone else had a 7 year old on Risperdal? I worked wonders on her behavior, but I'm not sure of the side effect of weight gain. She is never full!

As an adult I was on a relatively small dose of Risperadal and I was significantly underweight when I began treatment, yet within a couple months my mom was frantically begging me to talk with my doctor & get off it because of the weight gain and a dramatic personality shift (I hadn't noticed any significant effects until I went off it!). Risperadal is one of those high risk meds, sometimes neccessary but I'd exhaust other options first. There are many in that same family (Geodon, Abilify, Invega, and Seroquel--probably more) that are "cleaner" newer drugs with less severe side effects.

[marigold]

Wow, now I am nervous. My 6 year old son just started this med. yesterday, and I thought he was on a low dose, but he is on 2mg twice daily! They ADHD medicine that didn't work because he didn't have ADHD made him lose twenty pounds and I just got him back to the right weight. I was worried about this med but because of DCFS and the medical card this is the only one they could get approved and his aggression is severe.

[greenrobin]

Honestly, the weight gain seemed like a fair trade off with our son. His aggression was very aggressive. When he started the meds, his whole affect changed within days. We had not had any peace at all for close to 6 years while we waited for doctors to find what would work.

I guess it's one of those things where you decide if the risks are worth the benefits.

By the way, N has been off the zyprexa for close to 5 years. His weight returned to normal almost immediately and he's never had a weight problem since.

[Emmesmom]

What led to N's being taken off the medication? Was it just a few years of stability? I'm hoping for that. I don't want her on it any longer then she needs to but right now, she ineeds it, even if it just a low dose to take the edge off.

[Becki_in_IN]

My niece was on Risperdal for severe anxiety. It was a wonder drug for her. She was also on Concerta for hyperactivity and was underweight so that wasn't an issue. When she turned 17 and still had not started her period, my sister told the p-doc that they needed to make a change. My niece was lactating which kept her from starting her period. They changed her medication. it doesn't work quite as well as the Risperdal, but at least she started her period.

I'd call your p-doc and leave a message with the nurse explaining what is happening. Make sure you explain what is going on with visists as well.