vaseadude: Anyone went through Risperdal (Risperidone) withdrawal?

[vaseadude]

Hi Tezza! I am really glad you checked up on me

 

I am still holding on that last dose, almost 80 days now. In the meantime, a couple of weeks ago I have had a session of chinese massage, and I have been waiting to see if I would somehow react to that session. To the contrary, what I saw was a slight improvement. I am able to walk outside further now, and even can go visit other people, and handle people more easily. Of, course that can also be because I've held the dose for a long time and my nervous system has stabilized more, but I think the massage session helped too. Last week I've been working from home a little bit on a project of mine, just an hour or so a day, it's still better than nothing and it gives me a slight sense of accomplishment. I am also doing qigong daily which I love the effect of it.

So yeah, I guess I am doing slightly better right now . The only negative thing is that my sleep is a little worse, I wake up several times and sometimes it takes 4-5 hours to fall asleep. Before I will continue with the taper, I want to try some herbs for sleep that my chinese doc suggested. I understand that I can be sensitive to herbs right now, and I will try them in a small quantity and wait 3 days, as someone suggested earlier.

 

And how are you Tezza, Gianna? I really hope you are doing great!

[GiaK]

great that you're feeling better...holding often makes good sense!

 

be careful with the chinese herbs...I've pretty much not tolerated anything they've given me EVER.

[tezza]

Hi Vasea,

 

That's all good news except for sleep issues. Have you made your bedroom as dark as possible? I'm doing ok right now, too, thank you for asking. I always hold everything until sleep is very tolerable on a continuous basis. I occasionally use an over the counter sleep aid. It contains more than one ingredient and some people need to introduce only one ingredient at the time.

 

I don't seem to be hypersensitive, so I can get away with the sleep aid. I hope your sleep improves soon. My sleep has been broken for over a year, ( I wake two or three times ) but I can usually get back to sleep until daylight.

 

Tezza

[vaseadude]

The way I sleep is I usually go to sleep around 11pm, and usually not fall asleep until like 2 or 3 am. Then I can wake up a couple of times but usually go back to sleep. Then my alarm rings at 9, I force myself to wake to take my med and eat a little. I then go back to sleep after that, and sleep till 1 or 2 pm.

Usually an hour or so after taking risperidone I feel sleepy, so I've decided to just go back to sleep right after I take it. I don't know if my sleep regime is the best.

[Skyler]

The way I sleep is I usually go to sleep around 11pm, and usually not fall asleep until like 2 or 3 am. Then I can wake up a couple of times but usually go back to sleep. Then my alarm rings at 9, I force myself to wake to take my med and eat a little. I then go back to sleep after that, and sleep till 1 or 2 pm.

Usually an hour or so after taking risperidone I feel sleepy, so I've decided to just go back to sleep right after I take it. I don't know if my sleep regime is the best.

 

OUCH... vasea, you are spending too much time in the sack! . Have you read anything about sleep hygiene? Obviously not everything will fit, as to some extent we have to make up our own rules when dealing with insomnia caused by withdrawal. I've learned to more or less effectively ride it out when I get 3 sometimes 4 hours at night.

[vaseadude]

Skyler, thanx for the link! I think I should try some of the tips there.

Since the beginning of being put on meds I have been used to spending 12 hours in bed, they made me extremely sleepy at first. Now my sleep regimen is like I described above. Since the meds make me sleepy an hour after taking them I don't see how I could avoid going back to sleep after taking them. I am thinking it would have been better to take them in the evening, but I don't know if it is worth tinkering with the time I take the meds now.

3-4 hours, that's quite a small amount of sleep!

[Altostrata]

You can move your risperdone dose an hour at a time until you're taking it in the evening.

[vaseadude]

Alto, do you suggest moving the dose up daily or more? I am afraid if I try this to feel negative symptoms such as anxiety during the day. Maybe I would feel the same who knows..

[Skyler]

Alto, do you suggest moving the dose up daily or more?

I've moved Lyrica by 15 mins a day until the dose was shifted. A pain in the buttinski, but there were no associated WD symptoms at that pace. Hmm, maybe an hour every other day? It can be done!

[vaseadude]

I see, Skyler. SO the 'pain in the buttomski' was just the inconvenience to change the time, thats all?

Tezza, Gianna, or anyone else who also took Risperdal, if you are reading this, I am also curious of the time of the day that you took it, and if you tried to take it in the evening.

[GiaK]

night time...I always took everything at night...sedating drugs aren't good in the day time...well, they're not ever good, but they're worse in the day time.

[vaseadude]

Thanks Gianna! You stated it just right when you said 'there not ever good' It does make more sense to take it night time if it makes me sleepy...

 

Skyler, did you also taper during the time you switched to night time? Or did you hold it until you switched it to night time? (as I calculated it takes about 2 months)

[Skyler]

Thanks Gianna! You stated it just right when you said 'there not ever good' It does make more sense to take it night time if it makes me sleepy...

 

Skyler, did you also taper during the time you switched to night time? Or did you hold it until you switched it to night time? (as I calculated it takes about 2 months)

 

LOL, TWO months? 1 hour every 4 days at 12 hours would be 36 days. I only moved Lyrica 6 hours so did not realize it would be that long for you. Maybe go 30 mins a day to see if it catches up? I was very symptomatic when moving Lyrica, so was holding.

[tezza]

Hi Vasea,

 

I've always taken Risperdal at night. I take all sedating meds at night, hoping to sleep well. I once tried in the morning, I didn't go back to sleep but was zombiefied for a few hours.

[Skyler]

 

Thanks Gianna! You stated it just right when you said 'there not ever good' It does make more sense to take it night time if it makes me sleepy...

 

Skyler, did you also taper during the time you switched to night time? Or did you hold it until you switched it to night time? (as I calculated it takes about 2 months)

 

LOL, TWO months? 1 hour every 4 days at 12 hours would be 36 days. I only moved Lyrica 6 hours so did not realize it would be that long for you. Maybe go 30 mins a day to see if it catches up? I was very symptomatic when moving Lyrica, so was holding.

Yeoch... my math strikes again. 48 days... that is too long, I'd go for 30 mins, or if you feel okay, the hour. I make the tweaker suggestion because I thought you were having trouble with this, but if the drug has a longer half life (mine is really short), you should be okay... hope I didna get in your soup!

[vaseadude]

 

Thanks Gianna! You stated it just right when you said 'there not ever good' It does make more sense to take it night time if it makes me sleepy...

 

Skyler, did you also taper during the time you switched to night time? Or did you hold it until you switched it to night time? (as I calculated it takes about 2 months)

 

LOL, TWO months? 1 hour every 4 days at 12 hours would be 36 days. I only moved Lyrica 6 hours so did not realize it would be that long for you. Maybe go 30 mins a day to see if it catches up? I was very symptomatic when moving Lyrica, so was holding.

 

4*12 = 48 days not 36. Plus I should move it not 12 hrs but 14.

 

I donk know, do you think moving 30min would not be too fast? I am thinking about trying it, but I am a little afraid... actually changing anything about the meds actually makes me tremble a little haha.

[Skyler]

I don't know, do you think moving 30min would not be too fast? I am thinking about trying it, but I am a little afraid... actually changing anything about the meds actually makes me tremble a little haha.

 

4*12 = 48 days not 36. Plus I should move it not 12 hrs but 14.

 

Go 10 hours in the other direction?

At 15 mins a day, there should not be an adverse hit, though I'd try longer intervals first to see if it works.

 

LOL, I fixed the math, see my previous post.

[GiaK]

you know, I think that if you're stable when you do it and you don't do any tapering while you're doing it you can do it in a few days...I mean...if your body really rebels you'll know and then you can re-calibrate...but I never had an issue switching times of day and did do stuff of that sort over the course of my decades on drugs many times...

[Skyler]

you know, I think that if you're stable when you do it and you don't do any tapering while you're doing it you can do it in a few days...I mean...if your body really rebels you'll know and then you can re-calibrate...but I never had an issue switching times of day and did do stuff of that sort over the course of my decades on drugs many times...

Right Gia... I was not stable and went from BID to QID because of Lyricas' short half life and it's been better for me since. Varsea, this is not the same reason Alto recommended you make the adjustment. I did not mean to introduce an added element of doubt. I try to avoid doing so, but every so often my own bumps cloud objectivity.

[Altostrata]

Try moving the time by 30 minutes and see if it makes any difference. If not, wait a day and move it by an hour.

 

Moving it by an hour every other day sounds doable to me. I've moved my dosage by an hour a day and had no problems, but I noticed beforehand that I could vary my dosage times by a couple of hours.

[vaseadude]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions guyz!

One more question - how long after should I feel any changes if my body doesnt like the move, ie its too fast? Is it the same as a taper? (When I was tapering I began feeling effects after 12 days) or is it instantly?

Thanks again!

[GiaK]

it won't take 12 days if you're not changing the dose...24 hours is enough to know...and again, if you're stable to begin with you should stabilize quickly even if you feel a little wobbly for a bit

[vaseadude]

OK, will start moving the time +30min tomorrow and hope it goes smoothly.

[vaseadude]

Today I missed my alarm and woke up an hour late. Dammit! I hope I wont feel any difference.

 

I've decided to move the dose backwards instead of forward, I think it would be better if I sleep after taking it. SO the first day I took my med at 9, the second at 9:30, then at 9 again (decided to go the other way LOL) and today I overslept and took it at 10:30. I know it is kinda messy... These days I was feeling more tense but not too bad. I dont know if its from the change of time or from sitting too much at the computer. I think I get headache even from 30min at the computer, and I had to do some shopping online.

[tezza]

Hi Vasea,

 

How are things going with the timing? I hope all is well.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Tezza

[vaseadude]

I've moved the dose 30min for two days didnt feel much different, and today moved with an hour. I think it's going well so far.

Merry Xmas to you too, Tezza!!! I hope you are doing well!

[Skyler]

Merry Christmas Verseadude.. keep Trekkin.. you really are 'makin it'!

[vaseadude]

Thank you a lot Skyler!!!

MErry Christmass to you too, and happy holidays!

Wish you and the rest, of course, a natural, happy, healthy life without drugs!!!

[Altostrata]

Maybe you can move it by an hour at a time, if you don't feel the effects.

[vaseadude]

Maybe you can move it by an hour at a time, if you don't feel the effects.

 

Thanks Alto! And happy holidays to you! I am already moving by an hour, and I did that for 5 days already. I took my med today at 3am. 4 more days to go!

[vaseadude]

Yesterday I finally reached 11pm, so I am going to hold it at this time of the day.

The past couple of weeks I felt a little better, I felt my mind was more stable and not as vulnerable to everything, and also my mood was rather constant, did not have low moods almost never. Only yesterday, I felt really fatigued for a couple of hours, felt so weak I had to lie in bed. And my mood dropped a little since yesterday, and I dont feel those positive effects anymore.

I suspect that the fatigue could have been caused by changing the time and number of meals. One day I only had two major meals, instead of three. Its one consequence of the drug time shift.

[tezza]

Hi Vasea,

 

Thank you for stopping by my thread. I responded to you there but wanted to stop by here as well. I'm very sorry you are experiencing this low mood. It's strange how one may feel low and another, not. We never know what to expect and that makes it difficult to plan anything.

 

Maybe when you get adjusted with the time change, you will get past that. Sometimes I wonder if life will ever be near normal again, I suppose we all have these thoughts and concerns. Other times, I'm full of hope.

 

I think the fact that my youngest child moved out during WD has been a huge factor. We were very close until he got this GF and suddenly he was gone. Adding that to all the deaths I've dealt with has given me lots of negativity. Sorry, I just needed to talk to someone.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

 

Happy New Year!

[vaseadude]

People, I think I need some advice on this.

 

I am thinking of changing my diet, and don't know how to approach this exactly. I want to try to switch to a gluten free/PALEO diet and I don't know how to do it. At the same time, I've been holding the dose for 3 months already and I think I am ready to go for another cut.

So if I want to switch to a new diet, does it matter if I am holding the dose or tapering? WOuld it be better to do it before making another cut?

 

And what is the best way to do it - gradually or quick? Where to start? If anyone is familiar with this, and can advice, or maybe suggest any resources, please do.

Thank you!

[GiaK]

Hi there!

 

congrats on finishing the switch in time for your dose!

 

I've been on a long journey with food and diet...Paleo - ish is what I do as well...

 

I have a page on my adventures with diet here: Nutrition and gut health, Mental health and diet

 

there is also a long thread here on this board: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/890-scdgapspaleo-diets/

 

my journey is a never ending process of discovery...so be patient with yourself...it takes time to learn about food and to listen to your body, both.

[vaseadude]

Gia, thanks!!! I will definitely check those links.

I think I have already read that article on beyondmeds, but it will not hurt to revisit it.

 

My problem is that I don't know, is it worth it to experiment with the diet now or wait till I am off meds? I mean, my current diet is not that bad (I think) as it does not include junk food or any foods with preservatives, and I dont eat sugar or much salt. I eat home cooked foods, and I do eat grains and dairy.

I really itch to taper these meds further because I think they do a lot of damage as I take them. :/ So maybe I can come off the meds on my current diet and then experiment with it. I mean, i think the meds currently do more damage than gluten...

I dont know what to do.

[GiaK]

it's not an article it's a page with commentary and TONS of links...it's got years of collected stuff on it...it's probably more than you need, but you might glance at the titles of posts and see what might grab you.

 

It's totally worth it NOW...the cleaner and healthier your diet is and the more it caters to YOUR particular needs the more it will support your general well-being...now and always...that's my opinion...

 

I always ate relatively healthfully too, but boy have I learned tons of stuff and improved many many long term health issues since I started tweaking my diet