Antipsychotic making my husband very Lethargic!!!

[vsantos]

Hi everyone, My husband who only started taking Riperdal 2 months ago is now finally taking the full dose. It did calm him down a lot!! And his Psychotic symptoms are almost gone!
   But does anyone have experience with Antisychotics?
   He sleeps abou 12 hours per night, an dhe is very 'slow' during the day--his memory and concentration are really bad (but I think that has more to do with the really bad Manic Episode + pshychosis he went through for the firts time in his life 2 months ago and some symptoms still remais now).
   Does the body eventually gets use to the drug and will he start sleeping less and look less tired...for now it doesn't matter becasue he can't barely concentrate to look for a job...but when/if he gets a job I think it willbe really diffiuclt to permos the way he  is now.
    I appreciate any advice.
    A very dedicated Wife---Vanessa

[cornyguy]

The last time I had such anxiety was in 1998 and after that I never had anxiety.I had a manic/Hypomanic episode without anxiety in July for which Risperdal 3 mg was started.Now I am having bouts of anxiety on reducing dose of Risperdal.My Pdoc says it is a known fact that all anti psychotics are associated with withdrawal syndrome on tapering only degree differs.My Pdoc has actually tapered me from 3 mg to 0.5 mg over 9 weeks and even he is surprised with withdrawal syndrome.It could also be a combination of Risperdal and Xanax withdrawal as earlier i was on 1 mg xanax which was tapered from 2 weeks back to 0.75 mg now.All in all inspite of all this I will be very happy on stopping risperidone on 22nd as after that I will only be on Tegretol as before.

[cornyguy]

Hi Adel I did not have anxiety before starting Risperdal only had a manic episode without anxiety and now on tapering risperdal I am having withdrawal symptoms I am convinced.Anyways I too am keen to stop it and have 5 days to go for that.Hope the anxiety subsides.

[adel_ezz]

funny in 2006 i stopped risperidone cold turkey but never felt the difference, because anxiety is something which depends on the individual. also stopping xanax a month ago i did the same but from time to time i take a little of benzo another brand perhaps because my dose was 0.375 only. my pdoc said never exceed 0.75 a day otherwise you get addicted.

mind you risperidone has nothing to do with your anxiety it's our illness but it helps only, i.e. you had anxiety before taking it and by reducing it the anxiety appeared on the surface again.

it's the business of your doc

i really can't help here.

[cornyguy]

Adel did you find the withdrawal syndrome from tapering Risperidone difficult.I have found it extremely difficult and wonder how long the anxiety will continue after stopping the risperidone which for me is just 6 days away.

[cornyguy]

Hi Adel I took 3 mg for a month and it tired me a lot.Right now I am on 0.5 mg and 6 days away from stopping Risperidone totally.After that comes the harder part of tapering Xanax from 0.75 mg to Zero over 6 weeks as suggested by my Pdoc(reducing it by 0.125 mg per week)(1/2 tablet of 0.25 mg).How did you taper Xanax?.Please let me know.Thanks.

[adel_ezz]

Hi

His pdoc was right in writing an antipsychotic because you said he had a strong mania and psychosis. Of course the lethargy is due to the risperdal, i am on 1mg for 7 years and it makes me tired, but of course better than been psyc.

You said he takes the full dose, risperdal therapeutic dose is 2-16mg, and i can't believe he can survive the max dose, i once took 3 and couldn't stand it.

my expectations when the pdoc will see he is stable he will start lessening his dose slowly and put him on a mood stabilizer.

hope you success in your journey

[vsantos]

I guess we need to give meds some time...he has been taking Risperdal for about 45 days. He previously did try Abilify and it made his 'anger' worse, he was actually getting worse altogether.
   But aside form the long night of sleep, he is more calm and his 'weird' thoughts about me being his worst enemy are almost gone. He left ou home 1 month ago, he never told his father or I where he was going and last week asked if he could come back home...so I guess I can finaly say "I see the light at the end of the tunel" ....almost 4 months into Major Chaos in my life and my husband being Irecognizable, I'm seeing little bits of my 'real' husband come bck to life--I guess from now on it will take a lot of patience and Love, which is all I've been trying to give him to make sure he can bounce back for himself and for our beautiful 2 year old!!! this website has been so helpful in trying to make me understand the illness and how delicate things are at time. But I have hope!

[paranoid_cataclysm]

A lot of antipsychotics cause sedation, some more than others.  Geodon for example not only made me tired all the time (which I didn't even notice because of how tired I am except for the fact I could no longer get up and go after sleeping only 4 or 5 hours) but it also sometimes would make me feel heavy where it was extremely hard to move when I woke up.  The heaviness and being knocked out a couple hours after taking it wore off after months of being on it but it's different for everyone.  Of course medication or not I usually sleep anywhere from 12-25 hours straight if I don't have an alarm set and still feel exhausted.  I'm scared of what it's going to be like when I'm 40 or 50.

[cornyguy]

It would be better if his Riperdal dose is reduced and an effective mood stabilizer like Depakote/Lamictal is started along with maintanence dose of Riperdal as Riperdal dulls you.I had to take 3 mg for a couple of months and it really dulled me.Now I am on 0.5 mg/day and a week away from being off it after being 4 months on it.I am on a mood stabilizer.

[ILADVOCATE]

See if he adjusts to it. If not he could speak to his psychiatrist about other options. Out of the currently available antipsychotics, Abilify is the least sedating and I believe the two newly approved ones Fanapt and Saphris as well. I believe all 3 are FDA approved for bipolar as well.