JuicysJoi: Husband just came off Risperidone

[JuicysJoi]

My husband just spent 11 months tapering risperidone from 2mg...he took his last dose exactly 30 days ago. He was on this horrible medicine for 8 years prior to starting the taper as monotherapy for a dx of "bipolar". I say it in quotes as the jury is still out on that as I have serious reservation regarding the so-called "professionals" he received this dx from. A breakdown started this nightmare and after years of bouncing from pdoc to pdoc...and being told every time he complained or asked to come off due to issues...that he needed to add MORE drugs (he refused)...he went rogue and decided to taper himself. He has not consulted his last pdoc...and in fact, cancelled his next appointment as he knows she will not approve. He began taking the following supplements after tapering lower than 1mg: Fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin E, l - theanine and probiotics. His sleep has been somewhat fitful but not all out insomnia. He has anxiety issues which persisted througout his taking the med and haven't worsened or gotten better. The only things happening now are some akathisia (some pacing and one leg shaking while standing still. It is hard for him to get comfortable to go to sleep. He is having some digestive issues but an RX for Bentyl is helping. He is still having issues with paranoia but that persisted through his use of that medicine..which, oddly, was the reason he was given it in the first place. The only benefit he got from those years of risperidone was help with sleep honestly. I feel like that med changed his personality and caused cognitive issues for him that I'm terrified may never heal. I'm here to get advice and suggestions from anyone who has come off of..and recovered from use of risperidone. 

[mammaP]

Hi and welcome to SA.  Your husband will recover but it will take time. The bi polar diagnosis is very common now and almost anyone who sees a psychiatrist gets the label, we call it diagnonsense!  It is good that he doesn't have all out insomnia but I know how distressing akathisia can be. Magnesium helps some to relax and epsom salts  in the bath are an excellent source of magnesium.   I am going to share a post by Alto that was for someone who tapered antipsychotics regarding hearing voices.   

  On 8/12/2017 at 6:25 AM, Altostrata said:

If you were hearing voices before you went on drugs, it could be that going on and off drugs and having withdrawal insomnia has made this tendency worse.

 

Lack of sleep can cause symptoms of "psychosis" even in people who've never had such symptoms before.

 

Not every case of hearing voices requires drug treatment. Please look at Hearing Voices Network 

Intervoice: The International Hearing Voices Network

The Icarus Project: Navigating The Space Between Brilliance & Madness

and Will Hall: Consulting, Counseling, and Training Alternatives 

 

Can you find a counselor to work with you, to learn to manage the voices? The people at the above links may be able to recommend practitioners.

 

Also see 

Hearing voices? Don't assume that means schizophrenia

Hearing Voices: Not Always a Sign of Mental Illness

When Hearing Voices Is a Good Thing

 

If you want to stay off drugs, you will need to manage the voices and the worry they cause you. If your behavior in public is odd or you threaten suicide, it's very possible you will be taken to the hospital involuntarily. If you feel you absolutely cannot cope and go to the hospital saying you are hearing voices, most likely you will get another shot of Invega or some other long-acting antipsychotic. If you feel you cannot cope, it might be best for you to find a doctor who will treat you with the absolute minimum of drugs.

.....

He can recover from this, it is early days but already promising. Here is a topic on withdrawal that contains some links to excellent topics. 

The one on remodelling the brain is brilliant. 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/

 

We have a section for relationships where others share experiences of how their partners change and how they cope with it. 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forum/11-relationships-and-social-life/

We ask all our members to fill in their signature, you can find how to do that here...we need the drugs that your husband has taken, with doses, start and stop dates and how he tapered

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/?tab=comments#comment-366426

 

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Edited July 30, 2018 by mammaP

[JuicysJoi]

Hello. Thank you for the great information. It is funny you mention Magnesuin. I just ordered him a chelated magnesium to take at night with tart cherry to try to help his sleep. He seems to have memory and cognitive issue as well. (He says the wrong word for something or it takes him a moment to recall the right word. He sometimes can't seem to find the words for what he wants to say. His personality is so different since being on that medicine and I'm wondering if he will ever be the same. 

[Glosmom]

How's your husband doing JuicysJoi?  I am tapering my daughter off risperdal and she suffers from akathisia at times....wondering if he is seeing improvement since he has tapered off?  Hoping the best for him and you! Glosmom

[JuicysJoi]

12 hours ago, Glosmom said:

How's your husband doing JuicysJoi?  I am tapering my daughter off risperdal and she suffers from akathisia at times....wondering if he is seeing improvement since he has tapered off?  Hoping the best for him and you! Glosmom

Hello! Glad to hear your daughter is getting off this med. Is she switching to something else or going off all meds? My husband has only been completely off the risperidone for about 5 weeks. Akathisia is the same, but I'm hoping the magnesium supplements help. He increased the L-Theanine to 250mg twice a day last week and his anxiety and mood have improved. He still wakes up in the night and has trouble getting comfortable..but he is getting a solid 5 hours of sleep at night and a straight 2 hour nap each day which is working out. I'm hopeful the congnitive and personality changes will get better as we go and I might just get "him" back on of these days. We both agree he DID need this medication initially... BUT, he should have been off of it years ago. I really don't think most PDOCs understand that not every person needs to be on meds FOR LIFE. Many times, mental issues are very situational and can be transient. My husband found a GREAT therapist a few months ago that really has an excellent rapport with him. He will also be going back to acupuncture treatments soon (our practitioner is confident this will greatly help the akathisia). I guess all we can do is keep pushing forward with every tool we can find to try to overcome. I hope the best for you and your daughter as well. How close is she to the end of her taper? 

[Glosmom]

Good news that he has a therapist that he likes and he is getting consistent sleep! Glo is only on this med (risperdal) and we are getting her off completely with no plans to put her on any other meds.  I can't believe how long it has taken but she has withdrawals with every decrease, so we just need to listen to her body. What was his dose when he  finally 'jumped off to zero' ?  We are looking forward to that day but not sure exactly what dose that will be. We figure probably late winter or early spring of next year is when she will be done.  Many good wishes to you! 

[JuicysJoi]

21 hours ago, Glosmom said:

Good news that he has a therapist that he likes and he is getting consistent sleep! Glo is only on this med (risperdal) and we are getting her off completely with no plans to put her on any other meds.  I can't believe how long it has taken but she has withdrawals with every decrease, so we just need to listen to her body. What was his dose when he  finally 'jumped off to zero' ?  We are looking forward to that day but not sure exactly what dose that will be. We figure probably late winter or early spring of next year is when she will be done.  Many good wishes to you! 

He tapered like this:

Starting at 2mg

Tapered to 1mg for 4months

Tapered to 0.75mg for 3months

Tapered to 0.50mg for 2months

Tapered to 0.25mg for 2months

Then to zero. 

 

Had I found this forum prior to his taper...I suppose we'd have gone slower as it seems that is recommended. Thankfully, it seems to have worked out OK so far. I got my husband started on a highly bioavailable chelated magnesium this week and his pacing and leg shaking is already lessening some. I have more hope now than I've had in YEARS. I see glimpses not his old personality peeking through. I suppose it just takes time. Has your daughter tried any supplements for her symptoms? Also...if sleep or negative thoughts are an issue...there is a WONDERFUL series of free guided meditations by a man named Michael Healy: 

 

[Glosmom]

Thank you for the information, JuicysJoi. i really appreciate it.  We do use epsom salts in her bath but no other supplements.  I don't trust much these days in the form of pills or supplements, so we are going to try and go it with just good eating.  I wish for continued healing for your husband. Thanks again for sharing the information!