Comments on: Side Effects, Part 2

By: Mary

Mary — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:07:03 +0000

I have been on Risperdal for 3 years and gained 60 lbs in 2 years. My doctor put me on Pepcid (generic is Famotidine 4$ WalMart)taken at 3 o clock,which is when cravings are the strongest. With the Pepcid and minor activity(have arthritis)I am starting to lose the weight.Pepcid counteracts the med induced cravings for some reason,hope this helps.

By: Lisa Pasquariello

Lisa Pasquariello — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:41:31 +0000

My son is 9 and has been on Risperdal for 4 years. I cannot tell anymore if it is making a difference. He is still skinny, but my former foster son did not gain weight on this med til he hit preteens.
It’s a very difficult situation when a parent has to choose meds or behaviours.

By: Stacey Harris

Stacey Harris — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:48:29 +0000

My son (who is 7 years old) has been on Risperdal for 2 years now and we are not seeing any weight gain, in fact I think he is a bit behind in his growth– The risperdal has really taken the edge off of his meltdowns. my only complaint about risperdol is getting the correct dosage– we use the pills and we have to cut them up very small.
I hope you are able to find out if the weight gain is from the meds or not–
Good Luck !

By: tesyaa

tesyaa — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 04:04:33 +0000

To Janice re Strattera: I have 2 boys on Strattera for ADHD. I was unsure for a whole year whether it was working or not. I took the younger one off it without telling anyone except my husband, and within a week his teacher called and said he was acting very spacy. He also has an aide in school who has worked with him for 3 years, and she knows him well, and she could see the difference. So it was back to Strattera, and I felt grateful that I got an answer to my question.

I think Strattera affects the attention component of ADHD, not the hyperactivity: the kid is still hyperactive and impulsive, but he sure can get his homework done.

By: Janice (5 Minutes for Mom)

Janice (5 Minutes for Mom) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:24:43 +0000

Oh my thoughts and prayers are with you! Medication is always so complicated. If only there weren’t side effects!

I am on meds for my depression and anxiety and I have a love/hate relationship with them because of side effects.

My son is on Strattera for his ADHD and anxiety and I am still undecided whether it is working that well.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:47:32 +0000

I comment only on the exercise side….when you posted before on this I was wondering if he could ramp up his mowing – ? He does mow where he lives, doesn’t he? Looks like the other commenters have worthy suggestions.

By: Marcy Strahan

Marcy Strahan — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 03:44:51 +0000

Too me these medications are poision!
I have have lived with Bi-polar disorder for 30 years or more.
I have been free of medication for 10 plus years!

There are many books, web sites & support groups for parents with child who have austism, ADD ect.
All focus on Therapy & diet instead of medication.

I almost died because of side effects from meds!
Now med free & thriving.
We do not know the long term of meds on children.
If there is another way…it’s worth a try instead of causing long term health side effects in you child, spouse, loved one!

I cannot stress enough the answer is not in a pill!
The answer is in diet changes & activity therapy.

Prayer & support from other’s helps too.
Check out this YouTube video about Adult Stem Cell Therapy for this young girl!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ZanIBoGHU

By: staying afloat

staying afloat — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:37:07 +0000

My son started Risperdal under a month ago. He was weighed this week, and had gained five pounds. In under a month. And he was so hungry that we had to lock up all the food cabinets and fridge, and he’d still get to the food. Also, the anxiety of not being able to eat caused him to have numerous breakdowns and interfere with his functioning. He also has a history of high cholesterol. We cannot continue.

He’d previously been on Abilify, which worked great but eventually caused him to throw up regularly. This is a pretty rare side effect, and all his doctors were surprised to see it. But he only gained maybe five pounds total over an extended use. So I’d try Abilify, which is related to Risperdal.

Good luck, and stay in touch via my blog email. We’re also riding a medication-switch roller coaster, and I’d love a friend.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:13:30 +0000

I wish I could help you, but all I can say is I’ve never heard of anyone gaining less that 20 pounds on Risperdal. The psychiatrist that told you only a couple pounds was typical was either misinformed or just not giving you the whole story. I hope you can find the balance–please let us know how things turn out & what you find out!

By: starrlife

starrlife — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:01:41 +0000

It is the Risperdal plain and simple. I work in psych and I know that the appetite thing is accurate and from the meds. Dr’s rarely acknowledge that it is a combo of appestat dysregulation and hormone activity from the medication. Ask re: a mood regulator like Lithium with perhaps only a small amount of Resperdal? Zyprexa is another option? It is hard to say which med will affect which child any particular way- it’s just trial and error. Best luck to you in your journey!