This is my first time on the forum. My 26 year old daughter entered a psychiatric hospital a month ago and while the diagnosis isn’t definitive, the doctors believe she has paranoid schizophrenia. She is on risperidone which is proving effective. She revealed she has been hearing voices, conversations for 12 years, and now they are gone (almost). Her mind feels clear. And she is much calmer. However, she reports she has difficulty reading. She used to read voraciously – it was her favorite activity – and now she is having difficulty with it. I wonder if her ability to read will improve as she adjusts to the medicine, or will it be the price she has
to pay for a calmer mind.
Yes I had this symptom. Ask the doctors about cogentin (sp?). It helped with the restless legs and reading difficulty.
I have this symptom too, I used to read a lot, now I have to use audio books. Even with those my concentration is so poor I end up replaying audio books over and over. There are apps you can get for mobile phones that highlight sentences slowly and then move on, to assist reading. Google ebook readers.
I haven’t read since my last episode. I don’t see any point in it anymore anyway, I can’t remember what I watch on tv at times, so reading a book would be just as pointless.
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I never had that issue with Risperdal - but I will say that I had difficulty reading when I was coming down from a psychotic high - psychosis can give someone trouble reading or writing words
I was on risperidone from about 1998 until 2006 and then again from 2008 until 2013. These dates may be incorrect. My mind is not quite sure. In between, I was on abilify. Risperidone affected me such that my writing was so very tiny as to be unreadable. My mother would go to the store to sign my checks, etc. I found a book of poems I wrote in 2003 and I am now trying to decipher them. I probably had trouble reading, also. I don’t remember. I am now on Invega. I read like I did before I got so so very sick. My writing varies; but, it is legible. My prescriber says Invega is a “refinement” of risperidal. But,
it is newer; so I don’t know about cost and insurance. Right now, my prescribers and nurses are trying to work out something so I can get without breaking the bank or having to find something else. I like it better than risperidal, abilify, the totally useless sugar pill zyprexa or the fog inducing Seroquel. There a few downsides, though. For me, it causes insomnia; but, the prescribers and therapist are working on that. I take in the am with breakfast now. I also take lithium and started on buspar for extreme anxiety. You might want to discuss having your daughter switch from risperidal to invega with the pdoc. It is just a thought. The ultimate medication, of course, is between your daughter, you, and the pdoc and therapist. I do say one thing. Please make sure to get her input. I know that you have your daughter’s best interest at heart; but, it is very important for the patient to be a part of the treatment decision making. The best of luck to you, your daughter, and your family. I am positive all will get better for you and your family; especially your daughter.
People with paranoid schizophrenia tend to fare better than those suffering from one of the other subtypes. They experience fewer issues with concentration, memory, and emotional apathy, allowing them to function better in everyday life.
From a website I found.
Anyway, I was also a voracious reader until I got sick with paranoid schizophrenia in 1980. I have been on resperidone since about 2006. I still read occasionally but nowhere near as much as I used to.
I take online classes. My last class involved a lot of reading (and writing) and I had no problem with it.
I take risperdal and zyprexa. One or both of them make it impossible to read. I can’t focus - even on which page to read. Reading my Kindle helps some.
Thank you 77nick77 and everyone who took the time to respond to my post. This is very helpful. The illness is a new world. I guess I have to be patient and to learn.
Yes definately they make it harder to read. And not only this, but they will make any activity hard to focus on. This is because the dopamine is shut down in the brain. Dopamine gives that feeling of satisfaction, and if you dont get any of that, why would you bother. Also drug like resperidone can mess with memory, although a drug like abilify is far worse. Ive personally read two books recently by George Orwell so it can be done. But your daughter is probably right about it being harder to concentrate.
My brother has been 1 year risperdal treatment its good but he feel dizzy, one day he want to meet old friends so I take him to our Kid places and see who still arround, there are good friend of him so that was good so he dont feel alone, but next week was he wanted to visit any places we never thought to get the places he wanted to, he began to knew he was but while we give him Pegagan and habbatussauda herbs which is working well we drain our financial…because of that long Picnic and vacation