Drugs
Risperdal Oral Tablets
Generic Name: Risperidone
Product Name: Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Indication of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Action of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Dose Advice of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Schedule of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Common side effects of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Uncommon side effects of Risperdal Oral Tablets
- Reference
Indication of Risperdal Oral Tablets:
Risperdal is a drug that belongs to a class known as 'atypical antipsychotics'. It is called this because it is a newer class of drugs than the older Antipsychotic agents and has a lower risk of certain adverse effects. It is used for the following conditions:
- Treatment of schizophrenia and related psychoses
- Acute Bipolar Type 1 mania (short-term)
- Behavioural disturbances in dementia
- Conduct and other disruptive behaviour disorders in adults and children >5 years old, with subaverage intellectual functioning or mental retardation in whom destructive behaviours are prominent
- Behavioural disorders associated with autism (children and adolescents)
Action of Risperdal Oral Tablets:
Risperidal acts on numerous different chemical signals within the brain. Within the brain are millions and millions of neurons (the cells that make up the brain), as well as tiny nerve fibres that connect them all. The way these cells communicate with each other is through the use of chemicals that are released by one cell, and recognised by sites on another called 'receptors'.
While no one is fully sure what brain chemistry alterations result in schizophrenia and other psychiatric conditions, drugs such as Risperdal work to change the chemical balance around these receptors, and thus lessen change the symptoms. In schizophrenia, one chemical that is thought to play a major role is called dopamine, and Risperdal acts to lessen the amount of dopamine that can link into the receptors lessening dopamine's effect and reducing symptoms.
Other than dopamine though, Risperdal also has effects on chemicals such as serotonin, histamine and adrenergic receptors and this combined effect makes it particularly useful for combating the psychiatric conditions described above.
Dose Advice of Risperdal Oral Tablets:
Risperdal tablets come in the following doses: 0.5mg (brownish red); 1mg (white); 2mg (orange); 3mg (yellow); and 4mg (green). Doses can be taken with or without food. The following doses are recommended:
| Schizophrenia: | Most dosing of Risperdal starts at 1mg taken twice a day, with an increase to 2mg on the second day slowing building up the dose to whatever is necessary. This dose is usually between 4 and 6mg per day either as one dose or two. In patients with severe liver problems, doses usually start at 0.5mg twice daily, possibly increasing to 1-2mg twice daily. If switching from other antipsychotics then gradual discontinuation therapy, where one drug is slowly stopped, is recommended while Risperdal is initiated. |
| Bipolar Mania: | Dosages usually start at 2mg once daily, with a possible increase of 1mg/day with a usual final range between 2-6mg/day. |
| Dementia: | Doses usually start at 0.25mg twice daily, with a possible increase to 0.5-1mg twice daily in a divided dose made not more than once every second day. Once the target daily dose has been reached, the dose may be given as once daily dose. |
| Conduct Disorder in Patients >50kg: | Initially start at 0.5mg once daily with a possible increase of 0.5mg per day made not more frequently than once every second day, to an optimum dose of 1mg once daily. |
| Conduct Disorder in Patients <50kg: | Initially start at 0.25mg once daily with a possible increase of 0.25mg per day made not more frequently than once every second day, to an optimum dose of 0.5mg once daily. |
| Autism: | Doses of Risperdal can be given once or twice daily and should be administered according to body weight. The dose will also change with time, as it will be gradually introduced over a period of a few days. The information below is a guide, but the information provided by your doctor will be more tailored and suited to individual patient needs.
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