Luvox and risperidone

[Stephen1234]

I have been on Luvox and a small dose of lorezopam (as needed) for about 10 years.  I try to wean off both and alway find myself in the same depression/anxiety I started.  My Dr. suggested I try .5mg of risperidone (risperdal) in addition to the Luvox with the hope of reducing the lorezopam and possibly even the Luvox.

He is a research Dr. and has found risperdal helpful in combating OCD symtoms (which I have) as well as an increased effectiveness of the anti depressant.  None of the literature I have read seems to indicate this but simply talks about it as an anti psychotic which I'm not excited about.

Does this sound reasonable to take.  Should I be concerned about eventual withdraw from the risperdal like tardive dyskinesia?  -Stephen

[ILADVOCATE]

Risperdal has been used to treat ocd experimentally. However, tardive dyskinesia is always a concern. I have it and its a risk that increases the longer you take it (according to my psychopharmocologist, in the typical antipsychotics such as Haldol, 5% per person per year, in the atypicals such as Risperdal, 2.5% per person per year) and can be masked as you take it and emerge over time. There are newer medications in development (such as the glutamate antagonists in study which I'm on) that will not cause it but they are not out yet. That said if someone needs an antipsychotic they should take one but if psychosis is not what's being treated they are best to avoid but of course speak to your psychiatrist about it and if it could benefit you I wouldn't rule it out but tardive conditions and diabetes are ever present risks.