Use of risperdal in children
Common Questions and Answers about Use of risperdal in children
risperdal
My 9 yr old grandson has a seizure disorder that may be linked to autism. He is on Depakot & Risperdal. The main problem is his inability to realize when he needs to use the toilet, resulting in having bowel movements. He can sit forever until someone notices the odor. It doesn't bother him & his doctors don't seem too concerned. Could the medication w or w/o the disorders have anything to do w/this problem. Or, is it some other reason?
I had to learn the hard way about the psych meds so if I can help anyone out there NOT to use them in the case of PANDAS I will share my story. Behaviors get worse and worse with these meds and the docs keep going up on doses which makes it that much harder to wean your child off. Remember even if there are no PANDAS docs in your area drive hours or take a plane and get your child correctly diagnosed. It is life changing. Good luck!
It is interesting that they started him on Risperdal instead of a stimulant med. Risperdal is a great med for bipolar - especially dysphoric manias and/or mixed states instead of euphoric manias. So I am guessing that early on they might have been having trouble figuring out if he had Bipolar or ADHD?
At any rate, that is a tough combination for a child to have - and perhaps even harder on the parent.
The problem is that both areas need to be treated.
I must disagree with the other poster. Risperdal was approved by the FDA for use in children on the spectrum in 2006 to treat *repeated* bouts of aggression and irritability as are other anti-psychotics. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 3 and has been taking Risperidone (Risperdal) for 4 years in varying dosages. Without it he could not have attended mainstream schooling as his aggressive outbursts were a danger to himself, other children and adults.
d have to say its related to age as well as what its being treated. The use of psychiatric medications in children can be of concern. I do however know people who are adults who have Tourette's and ADHD and take Risperdal (which I took in the past) and Clonidine (which I take now). With a child (as with an elderly person, there are warnings on the labels of antipsychotics for the use in people who are elderly with dementia) the risk of certain side effects is greater.
I was under the impression that Risperidonel was not be used for children under the age of 11 (although I have heard of it being used to treat severely autistic children and also schizophrenia, bi-polar and other related psychotic disorders).
I suppose whether your child will be on this medication for the rest of her life will depend upon her diagnosis - whether the mental health issue is a life-long problem or just a short-term one.
Kapvay is the only drug which is approved by FDA for the treatment of ADHD in children of age 6-18 .This comes in a non stimulant extensive release tablet form and is always recommended by doctors for children.
Kapvay has some other off label uses as well like treating insomnia, in treatment of menopausal symptoms. Sometimes it is also used in treatment of conditions like psychiatric disorders like hyperarousal, sleeping disorder. It can also be used as a mild sedative.
I wonder about the Risperdal - I believe it is not approved for children under 10 in the U.S. (unless, you are living in another country, then it could be approved there, but I doubt it). ODD is a very serious diagnosis and could be a preceder to bi-polar or other mood/personality disorders (is there a history of severe mental health issues on either side of the family?).
The Risperdal can have many negative effects on children. These type of anti-psychotic drugs have never been tested on children so the long term side effects of children using this drug are relatively unknown. My brother was put on this drug when he was younger and has suffered from extreme weight gain and facial tics. The tics never go away - even with stopping the drug. Risperdal is not usually used for PTSD or ADHD as it is an anti-psychotic.
All the while wondering if the gabapentin (also being an anti-seizure drug) was stabilzing my moods.. Well I had about 7 days of withdrawal symptoms of risperdal. 4 days of sleeping all the time, and in awake times I'd be anxious, and then 3 days of being anxious as I have generalized anxiety disorder as well. But that went away after about 7 days. So far I've not had any issue with my mood being off. I am rock solid and it's been over a month since I quit Risperdal.
These serious anti-psychotic medications have NEVER been formally tested on children - meaning there is no conclusive medical research regarding the effects of these kinds of meds on children. These meds can cause extreme side effects in adults. God knows how a 2 1/2 year old would react.
Speech therapy is definitely a good idea. Best to start this while the child is young.
What kind of behavior is your child exhibiting to make the doc suspect ADHD?
It is always recommended to taper off Risperdal. However, the tapering off is usually at 25 to 50 mgs per week. Since he was on the lowest dose possible, the doc may have figured he couldn't go any lower. But the clearance from your system is 4 to 6 days. The doctor could have recommended skipping every other day, then every 3 days, they every 4th day over a period of several weeks. The fact that the doctor did not do so is very worrisome to me!
First, I can find no indication that risperdal is indicated for ADHD. " In 2006, the FDA approved risperidone for the treatment of irritability in children and adolescents with autism.[6] The FDA's decision was based in part on a study of autistic people with severe and enduring problems of violent meltdowns, aggression, and self-injury; risperidone is not recommended for autistic people with mild aggression and explosive behavior without an enduring pattern.
simple motor tics,shrugging of shoulders,eye blinking,opening jaw.
No, these can be behaviours common to those suffering from anxiety. But, there should be other indications as well - the reason for my question - "could this be the issue"? By the way, your "list" missed many common behaviours to anxiety; behaviours seen only in children and not adults.
hi, i am a nurse, and i tend to work alot with patients like your dad, risperadil is an antipsychotic drug, and it does have its place when patients become agressive and pose a risk to themselves and others, however its not intended to be used long term in patients with your dads condition, we tend to use it, only in extreme circumstances and again only for a very very limited period of time, ie maybe one to two days.
my son was treated for an acute anxiety attack in his university ER with risperdal 4 days ago. he has not been the same ever since. he has had all of the classic signs of toxicity from this drug. he was treated in our local ER (2 days later) with benedryl and adavan and he seemed fine following the treatment. but the dystonic reactions, disorganized thinking, anxiety, all symptoms continue.
my son dustin who is 10 has been taking 4mg of risperdal for the treatment of bipolar-mood disorders for about 3 years his pshyciatrist about 2 weeks ago cut the dose in half to try to wean him off slowly over a two month period the past week he has been real emotional could someone please tell me if there is another type of medication that works as well as resperdal without any of the harmful side effects of resperdal
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