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aliscrum

Risperdol

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Hi

 

Can anyone tell me how long it takes for the calming effects of Risperdol to leave the system once you stop taking it.

 

My son was prescribed it early last year and I think it helped. His doctor wanted to take him off it for a while to see if it made any difference. We stopped it in the middle of December. He didn't seem any different so we never re-started it.

 

He was having just as much trouble at school but no more or less than before Christmas. Until last Thursday when he was violent towards a girl in his class (for which he was excluded for two days) and then again today when he punched a boy in his class (different lesson) (for which he has been excluded for 1 day).

 

I was wondering if the effects of the Risperdol could have lasted for a month after he stopped taking it. So whether it would be a good idea to put him back on it.

 

He is 12 and was taking 0.5g per day.

 

Any help much appreciated as he is getting to the point where he will be spending more time out of school than in it.

 

Ali x

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Hi Ali

 

I can't really answer your question - and I wonder if anyone could. From what I've been told by my son's doctor, there isn't very much research done on the effects of risperdal in children who take it to help stress or aggression in Aspergers. There might be more knowledge about its use as an anti-psychotic in adults, but would that be applicable to children on low doses?

 

I suspect, from things my son's doctor has said, that it doesn't stay in the body for long, and that it wears off quickly, but I'm not sure. My own experience is that if my son skips a tablet (he gave it to the dog twice!), his behaviour deteriorates within 24 hours. Because of this , I'd be surprised if the drug could have any significant impact on behaviour after a month of not taking it.

 

Your son at age 12 took the same dose my son was given at age 9 (and is still on). I believe its a very low dose, and of course as the child gets older and bigger, he needs a larger dose to maintain the same body weight to mediction ratio. We're thinking about whether we need to increase to 0.75mg daily, but don't want to - but he might need more help when he goes to secondary school in September.

 

Hope this makes sense

 

Elanor

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thanks for the reply Elanor. sorry its taken so long. things have been rather hectic with Tom on part time hours at school and his draft statement coming through. he has been much happier and calmer being part time. maybe thats the answer. but thank you for your input.

 

i called his doctor but of course they have not come back to me yet.

 

Ali

x

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:D not sure if you are still wondering about Risperiodione, but my son, aged 12 was on the same dosage as your son. He stopped roughly at the same time. For a month, he was fine, no different, then anger, tantrums, and meltdowns were some of the worst we had experienced for a long time. :wacko:

 

We decided that we would keep him off the drug, he is in a special school so this decision was easier to make, and we decided that as he had been on prozac for 1 yr, then Risperiodione, that we would stop with the meds. amd just try to concentrate on working are way through his violent, challenging behaviour.

 

It was very tough and painfull, for him as well as the whole family, however, we are now reaching the point, where slowly we are starting to see some benefits, and we know we are working with the "real" him. Not someone who is controlled by meds. However, this was are choice, and we had professionals in place to help and assist us, and the school also assissted, otherwise we probably would not have attempted this due to his aggression and violence at the time.

 

I am not staying he will remain without meds. indefinately, but in truth that is what we are aiming at. Personally we just felt, that no meds were a cure, and although they assissted in some areas, we decided that for us, it would be easier in the long term to find and develop strtegies that helped us cope with dealing with him and his autism and other needs, without also adding meds into the equation. Especially as they kept threatening to increase and increase his dosage. That concerned me and my husband.

 

Not sure if that is of any help to yourself, but thought I would explain especially as children are the same age, on same drug and dosage.

 

Hope things going ok for you all now :)

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