How much risperidone can i take

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible.

However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

For people with phenylketonuria PKU : Risperidone orally disintegrating tablet contains phenylalanine. For pregnant women: Research in animals has shown negative effects to the fetus when the mother takes the drug. Newborn babies born to mothers taking this drug may have withdrawal symptoms.

These symptoms may include:. Some newborns recover within hours or days without treatment, but others may need to be hospitalized. And if you become pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away. This drug should only be used if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.

For women who are breastfeeding: Risperidone may pass into breast milk and may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. Talk with your doctor if you breastfeed your child. You may need to decide whether to stop breastfeeding or stop taking this medication.

For seniors: The kidneys, heart, and liver of older adults may not work as well as they used to. This can cause your body to process drugs more slowly. As a result, more of a drug stays in your body for a longer time. This raises your risk for side effects. Seniors may be more likely to have orthostatic hypotension a decrease in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting or lying position caused by this drug. Risperidone oral tablet is used for long-term treatment.

For this drug to work well, a certain amount needs to be in your body at all times. If you take too much: You could have dangerous levels of the drug in your body.

Symptoms of an overdose of this drug can include:. But if your symptoms are severe, call or go to the nearest emergency room right away. What to do if you miss a dose: Take your dose as soon as you remember. But if you remember just a few hours before your next scheduled dose, take only one dose.

Never try to catch up by taking two doses at once. This could result in dangerous side effects. A prescription for this medication is refillable. You should not need a new prescription for this medication to be refilled. Your doctor will write the number of refills authorized on your prescription.

You and your doctor should monitor certain health issues. This can help make sure you stay safe while you take this drug. These issues include:. Some insurance companies require a prior authorization for this drug. This means your doctor will need to get approval from your insurance company before your insurance company will pay for the prescription. There are other drugs available to treat your condition.

Some may be better suited for you than others. Talk with your doctor about other drug options that may work for you. Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or other healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects.

The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

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Learn more here. Should I tell my family and friends I am taking it? Will it affect my sleep? Can I drink alcohol and take street drugs while taking it?

Alcohol You can continue to drink alcohol in moderation while taking risperidone. Street drugs Some street drugs can increase levels of dopamine in the brain e.

Some street drugs can make you feel sleepy and this could be made worse with risperidone. Risperidone can produce a false positive test for LSD on a urine drug screen. Talk to your doctor about this if it is a problem for you. Can I take it with other medications? Risperidone can interact with some other medicines and drugs Check with your doctor or pharmacist whether risperidone is OK for you to take if you are on any other medicines.

If you have any further questions about this, you should speak to your doctor or pharmacist. I have allergies and food intolerances. Is there anything I need to know? Can I drive while taking it? Don't worry - most people drive as normal while taking risperidone. You may be prosecuted if you are involved in an accident as a result.

Can I take it if I am pregnant or breastfeeding? Pregnancy When deciding whether to take risperidone during pregnancy it is important to weigh up how necessary risperidone is to your health against the possible risks to you or your baby, some of which will depend on how many weeks pregnant you are.

Post-natal If you have taken risperidone close to delivery your baby may have some side effects or such as being irritable, crying or problems feeding and sleeping. Breastfeeding Risperidone is passed to the baby through breast milk in small amounts. You should discuss the risks and benefits of breastfeeding with your midwife or doctor.

Make sure that your doctor, nurse, or health visitor checks your baby for any side effects. Will it affect my sex life or fertility? Sex Risperidone can have side effects that affect your sex life, including: painful erections, or problems getting an erection getting hard and ejaculating coming periods may become irregular or stop due to raised prolactin levels. Talk to your doctor and they will be able to do a simple blood test to check if the risperidone is the cause some bleeding from the vagina, and difficulty reaching orgasm the same way as before some breast growth and milk flow, regardless of gender decrease in libido sex drive These effects should pass after the first couple of weeks.

Fertility While taking risperidone it might be more difficult for you to fall pregnant, but this effect is not permanent. Risperidone can increase the level of a natural hormone called prolactin in the body. Prolactin is produced at low levels in men. Will it affect my ability to play sports? Risperidone is not a banned substance in sport.

Don't worry - most people play sports as normal while taking risperidone. Will it affect my ability to take exams? Try not to take risperidone for the first time just before your exams. You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting risperidone. You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them. Don't worry - most people take exams as normal while taking risperidone.

Your doctor should know. You need to talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with risperidone if any of the following apply to you: you have any heart problems you have epilepsy you have diabetes you have had a blood clot, or anyone in your family has had one you have ever had unusual movements of your tongue, mouth or face you have kidney or liver problems you or someone in your family has had a stroke or is at risk of a stroke you have ever had a condition known as neuroleptic malignant syndrome NMS whose symptoms include high temperature, muscle stiffness and sweating you have a condition called porphyria ask your doctor — if you have it, it should be on your records you have ever had an erection that lasted for more than a few hours and was very painful priapism.

Uses, warnings, safety and side effects. Taking risperidone Warnings and safety Side effects Taking risperidone How long will I need to take risperidone for? You and your doctor should talk about how long you need to take risperidone. Young people taking risperidone for conduct disorders will usually only take it for six weeks. You should only take risperidone as agreed with your doctor.

Risperidone can be taken with or without food. What if I miss a dose? If you remember later during the day, take it as soon as possible. Do not take a double dose. It is very important to have the injection every two weeks. What will happen if I forget to take my risperidone? Stopping the use of risperidone. Stopping the medication causes the balance of chemicals in the brain to alter.

You will probably get your old symptoms back if you stop risperidone suddenly. If you are thinking of stopping or want to stop, talk to your doctor and they can help. Warnings and safety Safety headlines. When to go to the hospital.

This might be a blood clot a sudden change in your mental state, or difficulty with your memory sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arms or legs, especially on one side, or slurred speech, even for a short period of time. This may be a stroke fever, muscle stiffness, sweating or a loss of consciousness a problem called neuroleptic malignant syndrome if you get a painful erection that lasts more than a couple of hours priapism movements of the tongue, mouth and face that you cannot control — this could be a condition called tardive dyskinesia.

Side effects Side effects. Very common side effects of taking risperidone affecting more than one in ten people include: headache - speak to your pharmacist about treatments to help 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 Common side effects of taking risperidone affecting up to one in ten people include: feeling sleepy, tired, weak or exhausted - this can be worse at the start of treatment and wear off after a few weeks.

If you take your dose once daily, you could try taking it just before you go to bed nausea feeling sick or vomiting being sick - try taking your dose with food diarrhoea loose poo - make sure you drink lots of water and speak to your doctor or pharmacist if it continues for more than a few days constipation finding it hard to poo - make sure you drink enough fluids, eat enough fibre like brown breads, fruit and veg and do enough exercise.

Speak to your pharmacist if this goes on for a few more days than is normal for you increased appetite, decreased appetite or eating less, weight gain or weight loss — try to eat lots of veg and fibre when you can.

Speak to your pharmacist or doctor for advice on healthy foods 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. Young people and children aged are more likely than adults to get the following side effects: feeling tired, sleepy, or less focused headache increased appetite vomiting being sick getting cold symptoms like a blocked nose and cough abdominal gut pain fever dizziness and shaking diarrhoea loose poo and incontinence less control over when you wee.

Taking risperidone Taking risperidone How long will I need to take risperidone for? Warnings and safety Warnings and safety Safety headlines. Side effects Side effects Side effects. About this information. College of Mental Health Pharmacy. More information and advice. Getting support with your medication. Website by Element78 opens in new window. Close this dialog window Youngminds - fighting for young people's mental health.

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