Posted by mellow on April 18, 2010, at 19:38:11
In reply to Dependent on risperidone??, posted by Deneb on April 18, 2010, at 9:18:40
> I've discovered that I just don't sleep if I don't take my Risperidone at night. I usually take 0.75 mg. I took my Celexa, so that wasn't it.
>
> I just don't sleep! Am I dependent?
>
> It has only been one night though, I don't know if I would continue to not sleep. I have a feeling it would be bad to try it a second night.
>
>I am definitely dependent on risperidone and i also take Celexa. I gain tolerance to this drug quickly so it doesn't really knock me out as much anymore. I do find it helps with sleep maintenance as i sleep very sound for about 6 hours until my bathroom break.
I take 2 mg at bed and have been taking this drug for 5 years. I have basically given up on getting off of it. The withdrawal symptoms for me have always been increased anxiety (particularly irrational stuff about the near future or recent past) and lots of irritability. I sometimes have some mild insomnia when i reduce my dose, but it is more just a delayed sleep onset consistent with anxious thoughts running over and over through my head.
I did pretty well for a few month on 1 mg, but when things get rough the quickest way for the doc to get me stable is to kick up the risperdal a notch and calm/sedate me for a couple of days. He will sometimes have me take 3 mg for two nights until i stabilize and go back to 2 mg after that. Don't get me wrong it is an incredible drug, but i have become both biologically and extremely psychologically attached to it.
If you are doing so well at just .75 you might see if you can get by without antipyschotics all together. Seems like an awesome place to be as those can be the meds that (in my humble opinion of course) make us the most tired and fatigued. I wish you well in your taper. I hope this was helpful!
mellow
poster:mellow
thread:943811
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100416/msgs/943901.html