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The Many Dangers of Risperdal

Risperidal was the world’s first medication approved for treating autism in children, and it’s still the most widely prescribed. Upon initial release, it seemed like a miracle drug. Unquestionably, it effectively manages many of the behavioral difficulties associated with autism. The drug is also used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. But for all its successes, Risperidal has emerged as a dangerous drug for countless patients who suffer serious, long-term side effects and medical complications.

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Articles of Interest

Steve Brill unleashing 15-part exposé on J&J, Risperdal: ‘America’s Most Admired Lawbreaker’

Veteran reporter (and healthcare industry gadfly) Steve Brill is writing a provocative series about Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its history with Risperdal (risperidone) in a 15-chapter, 59,000-word “docu-serial” in the Huffington Post. The series is titled, “America’s Most Admired Lawmaker.”

The Credo Company

Well before Risperdal was approved by the FDA and went on sale in February 1994, Johnson & Johnson had made the coming of the drug into something akin today to the launch of an Apple product. The company needed a blockbuster that would replace and surpass its original antipsychotic drug, Haldol, which had gone on sale in the late 1960s. Some may read the saga of Johnson & Johnson and Risperdal as a story of a company getting off easy—with fines, verdicts and settlements not coming close to erasing the profit from the company’s illegal conduct, and with no one held personally responsible. But despite the company’s guilty plea, nobody in the boardroom and executive suites at Johnson & Johnson seems to think Gorsky or anyone else did anything wrong when they deployed those ghostwritten “scholarly” articles, those “Bridge to Dementia” brochures or those Risperdal Legos to encourage doctors to use this powerful antipsychotic to treat restless nursing home patients or children with behavior disorders.

When Crime Pays: J&J’s Drug Risperdal

Risperdal is a billion-dollar antipsychotic medicine with real benefits — and a few unfortunate side effects. It can cause strokes among the elderly. And it can cause boys to grow large, pendulous breasts; one boy developed a 46DD bust. Yet Johnson & Johnson marketed Risperdal aggressively to the elderly and to boys while allegedly manipulating and hiding the data about breast development. J&J got caught, pleaded guilty to a crime and has paid more than $2 billion in penalties and settlements. But that pales next to some $30 billion in sales of Risperdal around the world.

A Psychiatric Drug Story of Tragedy and Triumph

People need to know how lifesaving it can be when health professionals dare to be honest about the hazards of psychiatric drugs and the value of empathic therapeutic approaches.

Mechanism of Action of Risperidone

Risperidone is a second-generation antipsychotic that has an affinity for D2, 5-HT2A, alpha 1, alpha 2 and H1 receptors. The mechanism of action of risperidone is not fully understood, current theories focus mainly on its ability to block D2 and 5-HT2A receptors.

My Father-in-law on Risperdal — A Case Study Gets Personal

Risperdal is called an “atypical antipsychotic.” It is increasingly used in nursing homes for “agitation,” especially on those suffering from some form of dementia even when no hallucinations or delusions are observed. Risperdal has quite a long list of side effects including heart problems, metabolic difficulties, diabetes, involuntary movements, agitation (ironically, it occurs in up to 10% of users), flat affect, and sedation (up to 63%). Risperdal often causes metabolic problems, including high blood sugar and diabetes. Risperdal also has earned a “black box” warning that its use in those with Alzheimer’s increases the risk of an earlier death. Yet its use in Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes is extremely common.

New study on health risks of risperidone: Your questions answered

It can be an agonizing problem for families grappling with serious behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Risperidone and aripiprazole are the only FDA-approved behavioral medicines for children on the spectrum. Both are associated with serious side effects. Of particular concern: unhealthy weight gain. For some children with autism, behavioral therapy isn’t enough to reduce serious behavioral problems such as tantrums, aggression and self-injury. In some of these cases, parents and doctors turn to risperidone to reduce these problems and enable children to participate in education, social activities and family life – and even achieve a degree of independence as adults.

Risperdal (Risperidone) Side Effects: Common and Rare

The oral dose of risperidone generally ranges between 1 mg and 6 mg per day, with injectable dosage ranges between 12.5 mg and 50 mg daily.1 In most cases, people begin at a low dose that is gradually increased until the desired therapeutic effects are achieved.

Risperdal: How a Behavioral Drug Causes Hormonal Anomalies

Risperdal®, or risperidone, is an antipsychotic drug developed in the 90s. It was initially formulated to treat adults with schizophrenia but was soon found to be an effective treatment for bipolar disorders and autism. Now, Risperdal is widely used to treat children with behavioral issues. While the drug often solves unsettling patterns like aggression, irritability, and self-harm, it can also cause unsettling side effects, particularly in young men.

Risperidone as a means of calming people who are aggressive or agitated due to psychosis

The review authors conclude that at the moment, there is weak, unclear evidence regarding the use of risperidone for calming people who are aggressive due to psychosis, and no firm conclusions can be made. Therefore, health professionals and people with mental health problems are left without clear evidence-based guidance.

Risperidone for psychological disorders

It may take a few days or weeks for risperidone to work properly, depending on what you child is being treated for, so your child may still have symptoms for a while. Continue to give the medicine to your child during this time. Your doctor will decide whether it is helping once your child has been taking it for a few weeks.

Risperidone Risks For Vulnerable Children In The UK

It is regularly reported that risperidone is being used with children whose primary presenting problem is anxiety associated with an autistic spectrum diagnosis. This is worrying as these children do not commonly display prolonged aggression with such a condition.

Risperidone toxicity

Risperidone antagonises the mesolimbic dopamine (D2), serotonin and alpha 1 + 2 receptors. Compared with other antipsychotics it has a low affinity for histamine the muscarninic receptors, meaning less CNS depression and anticholinergic features.

Risperidone use in children with autism carries heavy risks

Risperidone, the first drug approved for children with autism and the most widely used, improves some children’s behavior but can have severe side effects, suggests an informal analysis of the drug’s use.

Taking risperidone to treat psychosis: Andrew's story

Everybody responds to medication differently. This blog only represents the author's experience.

The History of Risperdal in the Pharmaceutical Marketplace

Also known by the generic name risperidone, Risperdal is a powerful, anti-psychotic medication prescribed to treat schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorders in adults. Its manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), has recently been making headlines, especially in the Huffington Post, where its story has been the subject of a 57,000-word series by Steven Brill. The series discusses the tumultuous journey of Risperdal and J&J, which paid more than $2 billion in government penalties due to marketing several drugs, including Risperdal, for off label uses.

The Use of Risperidone in Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Review of Pharmacology, Clinical Evidence, Regulatory Approvals, and Off-Label Use

Risperidone, the second oldest atypical antipsychotic, has been widely used off-label to treat behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), including agitation, aggression, and psychosis. Several studies have indicated that risperidone offers a modest and statistically significant effectiveness in the clinical setting. However, in the past decade, safety concerns emerged due to increased risk for cerebrovascular adverse events and death following the use of risperidone in the elderly population.

What Parents Should Know About Risperdal

Pros and cons of this medication, used to treat children with severe behavior problems. Risperdal is a medication that’s widely used to treat children who are aggressive or excessively irritable. Though it was originally approved to treat psychosis, its use in children, including those with autism or ADHD diagnoses, has grown dramatically over the last two decades. That’s because Risperdal can successfully calm down kids with severe behavior problems, enabling them to function in school and within their families. Without it, some would require residential treatment.

What should clinicians know about risperidone or Risperdal Consta (“Consta”) (risperidone microspheres LAI)?

Risperdal Consta was the first of the second-generation antipsychotics that became available as a long-acting injectable antipsychotic. The efficacy and side effect profile corresponds to oral risperidone. It is FDA-approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and for the maintenance treatment of bipolar 1 disorder.

Resources

10 things Johnson & Johnson probably wishes the world didn’t now know about the way it marketed risperdal

Healthcare activist and journalist Steven Brill took on one of BigPharma’s biggest guns — Johnson & Johnson — with an online “docubook” chronicling the behemoth’s unrelenting and profit-driven marketing efforts to push Risperdal onto children and elderly people with dementia when the drug’s risks and unwanted side effects for both these populations seem to far outweigh its disputed benefits.

YoungMinds

Risperidone blocks the effects of dopamine in the brain, resulting in a reduction of the symptoms. Risperidone also has effects on other neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, and its beneficial effects may be related to this as well.

NAMI

Risperidone is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) or atypical antipsychotic. Risperidone rebalances dopamine and serotonin to improve thinking, mood, and behavior.

StatPearls

Serious side effects of antipsychotic medications (like risperidone) can include neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). Although the pathogenesis of NMS is not clear, it is a life-threatening condition that can manifest with altered mental status, fever, "lead pipe" rigidity, and autonomic instability, including hypertension, tachypnea, and tachycardia. The use of risperidone has also been linked to a higher probability of cerebrovascular events in elderly patients with dementia, leading to an FDA warning about using this medication in the context of dementia-related psychosis. Studies have even shown an increase in all-cause mortality among the elderly with dementia who are on this medication.