Risperidone

Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic mostly used to treat schizophrenia, psychosis and mania. There is a naturally occurring chemical messenger ('neurotransmitter') in the brain called dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain mainly involved with thinking, emotions, behaviour and perception.In some illnesses there may be too much dopamine, and this causes some of the symptoms of the illness. Risperidone blocks the effects of dopamine in the brain, resulting in a reduction of the symptoms. Risperidone also has effects on other neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, and its beneficial effects may be related to this as well.

Side effects are common when you first start taking a new medication, some of the most common side effects of risperidone include:

• headache

• dizziness or low blood pressure - try not to stand up too quickly or sit or lie down if you're feeling dizzy

• movement problems, sometimes called extra-pyramidal side effects (EPSEs). This is a medical term that includes many symptoms relating to movement. Symptoms include: muscle stiffness or tightness; jerks when bending your arms and legs; your movements might feel a bit robotic; shakiness in your hands and legs; and feeling restless all the time and needing to move around. If you develop EPSEs, your doctor may decrease your dose or give you other treatments to help

• feeling sleepy, tired, weak or exhausted 

• nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick) 

• diarrhoea (loose poo)more than a few days

• constipation (finding it hard to poo) 

• increased appetite, decreased appetite or eating less, weight gain or weight loss 

• heartburn, abdominal (gut) pain or discomfort

• higher level of a hormone called prolactin. This can cause periods to stop, or milk to leak from your breasts. It can also cause trouble getting an erection. Speak to you doctor if you get any of these symptoms and they can check your prolactin level with a simple blood test. In the long term, raised prolactin can weaken your bones

Listed here are only some of the most common side effects, if you are worried or want more information please talk to your doctor.

Please do not worry about these side effects. Some people will not get any side effects at all. If you think you are getting side effects from taking risperidone, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. If you do get a side effect, please think about reporting it via the 'Yellow Card' system.

If you have taken more risperidone than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you, you must get medial help immediately - even if you do not feel any different.