Can risperidone increase negative symptoms?

Medications
1

I have been on risperidone for 5 months and I can barely get out of bed. I just want to sleep all day and not do anything.

Also, I get akathisia so it’s a never-ending cycle of getting up and pacing around and going back to bed.

I’ve also lost interest in most things and have a lack of motivation. I don’t experience the ups and downs like I used to and feel like I have little emotion. I started a new job recently but had to take leave because I just couldn’t get any satisfaction from my job and made me exhausted and tired.

My sex drive is basically gone.

I’m not sure if I’m depressed or it’s because of the risperidone. Anyone else has similar experiences?

4 Likes
2

Yea, pretty much. After 6 years and 10+ meds, I found Vraylar. I like it a lot. It still has side effects but I actually enjoy myself now. It’s more about how I feel than how others judge me or how I perform to the outside world.

3

I am on Invega Sustenna 234 mg injection and Invega is similar to Risperidone and it is my personal opinion that meds make the negative symptoms worse or are causing the negative symptoms in the first place. I think that doctors just confuse negative symptoms of sz with side effects of AP’s. They block dopamine which can cause lack of motivation, blunted emotions, anhedonia, etc if you think about it.

4

How are your negative symptoms on Vraylar? I’m getting Vraylar today but I will still be on Invega too for a while. Does Vraylar make you feel good and energized? And can you sleep?

1 Like
5

Not sure how I can rate my negatives. I still cannot work or go to school but a small percentage of it is because of psychological reasons…

I feel great I think. The caffeine probably makes things worse, but I do feel like I have more energy and I feel great.

Yes, I can sleep. I take 6 mg of Vraylar before bed.

6

Combine it with an antidepressant,

7

have been on risperidone for 5 months and I can barely get out of bed. I just want to sleep all day and not do anything.

I found this was true for a few months after psychosis even when I was on Fluonxol and risperidone didnt make a difference. Everyone is different and I dont find risperidone sedating.

Also, I get akathisia so it’s a never-ending cycle of getting up and pacing around and going back to bed.

I had this on fluonxol but not on risperidone its rarer with second generation antipsychotics

I’ve also lost interest in most things and have a lack of motivation. I don’t experience the ups and downs like I used to and feel like I have little emotion.

I did feel flat expecially on 5mg slowly went down to 3mg and feel less so now, so it does make you a bit flat but after psychosis you get the same effect for a few months.

I started a new job recently but had to take leave because I just couldn’t get any satisfaction from my job and made me exhausted and tired.

My sex drive is basically gone.

Same here but it gets better with lower doses, might move to abilify in six months because of it.

I’m not sure if I’m depressed or it’s because of the risperidone. Anyone else has similar experiences?

1 Like
8

How much risperidone do you take @Sean_Han?

I’m on 4mg of risperidone and with Depakote I spend most of my time vegging on the couch.

I’m constantly hungry and I’m having sexual issues.

It’s very difficult to get motivated on this med combo.

9

Yes any antipsychotic can exacerbate negative symptoms. A chemical called dopamine in the brain is imbalanced in sz. In some parts of the brain there is too much and this causes positive symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, etc. In some parts of the brain there is not enough dopamine and this causes negative symptoms like anhedonia, flat affect, poverty of speech, etc.

Antipsychotics are great for controlling positive symptoms because they reduce dopamine in the brain. Unfortunately this also reduces dopamine in the areas of the brain that are low on it, thus making negative symptoms worse. However, I have found that some APs will not have this effect, such as some of the newest ones like rexulti or vraylar and geodon was excellent for negatives. So don’t give up on finding the right med just yet :slight_smile:

Hope that clears things up!

1 Like
10

Also, alllll of those things you mentioned could absolutely be due to the risperidone. It sounds to me like this is not the right med for you, and I would work with your doctor to find a better one.

11

At my last appointment my emotional flatness was mentioned. I was on Consta. The pdoc said the Consta can do that .

12

Yes, I never had all the problems you mentioned before I took 5 mg risperidone. It caused my problems

1 Like
13

My medical aid won’t cover any of those yet still waiting for generics to come out.

14

I’m currently on 3mg looking to reduce to 2mg

1 Like
15

Also, I find it difficult to socialize and I lost my personality. I also have troubles with concentrating and have problems with memory.

16

I was on so much risperidone I couldn’t drive because I was so drowsy. Risperidone is somewhat similar to haloperidol. (Which I take now with paliperodone). When I was on risperidone I felt the way you described. I don’t remember to dose, but it was well above the max amount recommended. I don’t know if it necessarily increases negative symptoms like flat affect, lack of motion, cataonia, lack of emotion, etc., but it does make you very drowsy. At least it did me.