thunkimjusthappy Risperidone

[thunkimjusthappy]

Hi,

 

In March I had received as an inpatient an depot injection paliperidone 125mg, and 75mg a week after it. My diagnosis was a psychotic episode. During this episode, I called the ambulance in a panic attack. I did not have hallucinations.

 

My injection has been discontinued outpatient and I receive now 2mg risperidone tablets which I have been taking for only three weeks.

 

I have trouble with my memory, and I need it desperately for my daily life as a student.

 

I've read the injection gradually weans off, however, I'm still taking the tablets orally. 

 

I feel like going to 1mg (breaking the tablet) or go to 1.5mg using a pill cutter. The pills aren't easy to cut however and the doses could vary that's why I am considering jumping to 1mg. I am still in the process of setting up an appointment with my psychiatrist, best I could speak to him this week or next week. I'm not sure if he is cooperative in weaning off my medication.

 

I'm eager to start weaning off.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a peer owned and run forum of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  I'm glad that you are seeking advice about how to properly taper your psych drugs.  I strongly suggest you do not taper down to 1.0 or 1.5 right away.  You could experience serious withdrawal symptoms for a long time from doing this.  We suggest a very slow and gentle taper to avoid going through a harsh and painful withdrawal.  Please read on, and you will see why.  

 

First of all, can you please give us specific information about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some information about how these drugs actually work.  

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we taper by 10% of the current dose, so that the taper becomes exponentially smaller.  So in your case, I suggest reducing your dose down to 1.8 mg.  The link explains further: 

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

Tips for Tapering Risperidone

 

 

Also, as we are recovering, we suggest keeping things slow, simple, and stable. 

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

 

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

I've given you quite a bit of information here.  Please read through it, and mull it over, and we will take it from there. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and keep us posted. 

Edited May 12, 2021 by getofflex

[thunkimjusthappy]

I dont really know how to cut pills. They are 2mg tablets. Their shape is a bit oval.  I can half them easily and then cut 1/2, and cut another 1/2 to get ~1.75 mg. I'm not sure if it is the correct way to cut pills. I feel like I don't have the same amount each time I cut.

[getofflex]

There are several ways to measure your dose. You can get or make a liquid, which is easier to dose in any amount.  Please carefully read this link, and let us know if you have any questions:   

 

Tips for Tapering Risperidone

[thunkimjusthappy]

My psychiatrist said one week ago I should be at 1mg. So I've been at 1mg for a week. Next week I'll have another appointment with my psychiatrist. I'm thinking about reducing to 0.5mg this evening. I've read somewhere where one tried to go down 0.5mg every week, and I don't know, it might work for me as well. 

[getofflex]

We at SA suggest a very slow and careful taper - no more than 10% reduction of your current dose no faster than every 4 weeks, giving an exponential taper down. Many people who taper fast end up with very uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms that last for a long time.   Please go back to my original post and read the links there for an explanation of why this is so.  It appears that you are tapering significantly faster than this.  Psychiatrists are notorious for tapering people off psych meds way too fast.  That is one reason why this site exists.  

 

My suggestion would be to hold on your current dose for at least 4 weeks, listen to your body, and see how you feel before you make any more changes to your dose.  

[thunkimjusthappy]

Update:

I quit the Risperidone a month ago. I did not suffer from withdrawal.

 

However, I do suffer from still severe anhedonia and I think this is because of the paliperidone / Xeplion depot injection which has a half life of 49 days and is still tapering off itself. 

 

General, musical anhedonia and basically unable to leave the bed for weeks on end and I have been having suicidal thoughts and ideation so severe that I got admitted to a mental hospital where I now reside in.

 

Music was my life and it hurts so much every song now is like food that doesn't taste, it's food, but still it sucks.

 

I also suffer from sleep maintenance insomnia, but whatever I guess.

 

 

[thunkimjusthappy]

I just can't live like this. I feel lobotomised. The only reason why I haven't committed suicide is because I don't have a sound plan and because my mother wants me to wait longer. 

 

But I can't wait any longer. Living is torture. I am brain damaged. I don't have any hope that in the coming months this will go away.

[JohnBanes]

Antipsychotics are damaging drugs, and it takes time to heal.  I would give yourself a few months and see how things go.  And try to live a healthy life in the meantime (maintain exercise, good diet, good sleep, etc).  

[Regularjoe42]

Hey there mate. We're in the same boat. You are right, musical anhedonia sucks. I haven't been able to enjoy a song in a year now. I had every textbook side effect of this **** and a lot of others that are not mentioned in any book or known by any shrink. 

But that being said i have just started feeling a little normal. After an entire year of hopelessness. Its not like how i felt before medication, but its still progress. 

Just hold on. Its a waiting game.