Risperidone for anxiety

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If you've got an ASD and psychosis develops, you're then Schizophrenic [in addition to autistic].

Well, that's what the DSM-IV-TR says.

Ah yeah, BTDT. I think the downsides of excessive stoicism are really, really underrated.

But, anyway, I was also depressed at the time and have wondered if that contributed to a stronger than usual reaction to that drug, since the dose wasn't dose that high. And, I was also tried on Zyprexia and Geodon with the same results.

OTOH, (but I don't know a huge amount about it) the (potential) long-term effects of those drugs creep me out and make me wonder what other effects there could be that are not yet formally identified. There was something I read about tardive cognitive problems, which took some work to prove (patients complained but were told it wasn't real). Hell, I gather that even with Parkinson's there are recently-recognized cognitive changes that patients have probably been complaining about for 70 years (and they were likely told they were imagining it or that it was psychological).

Must stop now, cat wants attention (and I am her slave).

I get hallucinations but I think they are caused by anxiety, that or seizures.

I have motivation issues to begin with so I take Ritalin.. I take it for more reasons then that. The ADHD thing.

I wonder if it's better for me to take it instead of SSRI's. I can't stand the hazy feeling or side effects. Then again I'd rather not have to take anything.

I tried a medication for anxiety once, and I too could not stand the hazy feeling. I quit taking it. Although there are challenges to autism, I have just come to accept its gifts along with its challenges. But I am really challenged right now. My job has become @%$# for me. I am the easy target to be assigned this little job and that little job---which all require watching boring videos and being trained to do this and that rather than hire trained others who can do these jobs. I don't even have a planning period where I teach. I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel---I hope it's still burning.

Link to the relevant passage? I'm curious to read this.

Many thanks for all the replies, they helped a lot.
I was on SSRIs for many years and found they neither helped my anxiety nor stopped panic attacks. And I had many side effects while I was on them. Since stopping them (by tapering) I appear to have got some withdrawal effects as well as my anxiety returning, so that's why was put on risperidone.
I'm worried how it will affect my brain long-term, as the effects of the SSRI seem bad enough and the risperidone is stronger. I decided I'll try it for a week and see how it goes. If I don't like it I'll stop and try 5-htp.

Give it two weeks if you can. It has a long half life and accumulates in your system. At one week, you will have only been at peak dosage for a day or two.

Also, risperidone is not exactly stronger than SSRIs. It just works in a completely different way. If you get side effects, they will be different from what SSRIs did to you. SSRIs were horrible to me, but risperidone makes me more clear-headed, not less.

Good luck with it.

Thanks PixelPony.

Welcome.

When I was really depressed I was given this as a last resort for sleeping problems.....other classes of drugs had no effect. I did calm me down.......lessen restlessness, agitation ect but it made me SO sedated, extremely drowsy during the day.....that was the only adverse side effect I had with it...............but it didn't help me sleep so after about two weeks I was taken off of it.

I take ciprelex now for my anxiety and I think it helps.

If you have AD:



AS:

Thanks Dillogic.

Basically you're right, but while present, my positive symptoms are too mild for the full blown schizophrenia diagnosis. At least that's what my current psychiatrist thinks.

one more question - is it easy to come off risperidone? When I came off SSRIs I got really bad withdrawal effects despite tapering.

I've not come off it yet, but my psychiatrist said if the medication wasn't working for me, I could just stop. No need to taper off.

So I would guess not, based on that. But IANAD (I Am Not A Doctor).

According to this page just stopping isn't a good idea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risperidone

I'm not a doctor either but I have seen people online before complaining about withdrawal symptoms when trying to go off of a medication that their doctor never warned them about.

I know people (non-ASD) who take this. They come across as slow thinkers, with weight problems and tremors (Tardive dyskinesia). I do not recommend it.