Risperdal, the popular antipsychotic drug, may increase the risk of stroke among elderly patients, said Johnson & Johnson. The health-care company plans to send letters to thousands of U.S. physicians advising them of the possible risk.
‘An update to the Risperdal label is indeed being made, and we will be sending out letters to health-care professionals soon,’ said a Johnson & Johnson spokeswoman.
Johnson & Johnson last October sent a similar warning letter to Canadian doctors and pharmacists, citing 37 reports of stroke or related events like blood clots or hemorrhages, including 16 deaths, among patients who have taken Risperdal.
The company also cited two clinical trials of elderly dementia patients in which ‘a higher proportion of patients taking Risperdal experienced strokes or related events than those who received placebo [sugar pills].’
Risperdal has annual global sales of $2.1 billion, making it Johnson & Johnson’s second-largest-selling medicine. Risperdal is only approved for schizophrenia, but is used to control behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
‘The Risperdal label clearly states that there is no evidence this drug is safe or effective in treating dementia, and it looks like doctors are hurting people by prescribing it for this condition,’ said Larry Sasich, a pharmacist and research analyst for Public Citizen.
Sasich said U.S. regulators should further examine whether younger schizophrenia patients are also at risk of stroke.
(via Reuters)
{ 23 comments }
this drug is very dangerous. i had a very bad reaction to this med and have not been the same since. i would like to hear stories of other people with a bad experience to this med???????
My husband was given this drug and also the Nicotine Patch,while in hospital.He died .Could the combination of the two things attributed to his death?
My 14 yr old daughter had been prescribed the Risperdal within this past month 1/2005-2/2005. She has been complaining of pain, numbing in the left leg and arms, along with headaches. This past weekend she has been dealing with chest pains. The dr. that prescribed them to her told us that she needed to see a nutritionalist, or it was all in her head. We do have a peds appt for her tomorrow (2/2005) to have her seen. Her Pediatrition seems to think she may have suffered a mild stroke. WE NEED SOME HELP ON THIS MATTER! Please!
My son was 3 years old and prescribed risperdal to sleep. He is now 6 years old with Tardive Dyskinesia and Akathisia. These are both very painful disabling disorders. Im now told that Risperdal is not approved by the drug manufacture to be given to children. I advise you strongly to get your daughter off this medicine before you become one of the million mothers out there with these horror stories.
My son has been on low dose of risperdal for about 6 months. He has had 3 cases of flu in the last 4 months. Today he said he “fell over” onto the floor and his head was shaking and he thought he was having a stroke or something. He is also on a vitamin program, which should be harmless, so we are trying to figure out what is going on. I think it is probably the Risperdal and I don’t trust the drug companies or the FDA. I’m wondering if this drug should be on the market at all. What do you think.
I have been on risperdal for about 3 to 5 months and have noticed a strong memery loss, also I seem to dorp things like drinks , sissers etc, has anyone had the same affect? Thanks Roger
My 12 year old daughter went into a grand mal seizure on Jan 23, 2005 and died an hour and half later maybe due to complications of risperdal.
My stepdaughter who is only 9 years old and she is been on that medicine for two years. My concern is that it has not improve her but make her addict and relation on medicine. She is doing fine before and after medicine. I want to stop giving her medicine.
MELINDA, RESPIRDAL IS A DRUG FOR ADULTS SUFFERING FROM BI-POLAR AND schizophrenia. I’M 23 AND HAVE BEEN ON THE DRUG FOR ABOUT 6MOS AND I HAVEN’T HAD ANY OF THE SYMPTOMS YOU MENTIONED. HAVE THE DOCTOR TAKE YOUR CHILD OFF OF THIS MEDICATION( THIS GOES FOR ALL PARENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER 18YRS) RESPERIDAL IS NOT FOR CHILDREN.
I have been on Risperdal for 1year. The only side effects I’ve had are blurred vision,numbness in my left arm,loss of memory,confusion.
I thought I was going to die while taking risperdal: racing thoughts, fatigue, great anxiousness and anxiety, PTSD, severe OC, phobias, disassociation, etc. SEVERE DEPRESSION. I had never experienced any of these things before. My supposededly BI-polar 2 turned out to be a thyroid imbalance that was poorly managed after a partial thyroidectomy. Risperdal increases prolactin in the blood and my neurosurgeon is convinced that I had a burst prolactinoma in the brain from my MRI’S. Hormone disorders cause a lot of psychiatric disorders. Dr’s have to wake up to this. The psychiatrist I saw worked with my (famous) endo. My thyroid labs were below normal and neither one paid any attention to this along with my childhood history of petite mal. They actually put me back on the risperdal when I started having the bad reactions and added lamictal. I was in a semi-coma and thought I could die. I could not sleep after that and have had problems with the sleep and high anxiety, tremors, etc since. Mayo and Baylor confirmed my suspicions. I’m considering a lawsuit. I have been struggling with this for4 years. I was NEVER bi-polar!!!!!!!
You all better wake up and smell the coffee! Get your kids off of Risperdal, especially if they are having leg pains and their left arm is going numb!!! You child is likely going to have a stroke or heart attck like my daughter, Kayla, did. Remember the last ” I love you” you say to your child might be today. My sincere sympathy goes out to people who have lost loved ones due to this evil drug. Please, I would love to exchange emails with anyone who has problems with Risperdal. I have tons of info to share with you.
I was put on risperdal last year during a stress/anxiety breakdown and flooding
of flashbacks. 1 mg I was a zombie,
.50 I have passion for life, but I am
having flashbacks several hours each day. I tried .25 but got nightmares and
stress. The .50 helped. I am thinking
an antidepressant would be better..??
I am calling my psych on Mon. because
I am exhausted from the memories.
My son is 14 yrs. old and put on risperdal. I have resd a lot of scary things from everyone. What questions should I ask him to see if he is have any problems. I don’t want anything to happen to my son. would size have anything to do with the medication. he is 5′7″ 165 pounds. Thanks!!
my seven year old son has been taken resperdal feor eight months and no sign of improvement in behavior. instead behavior has gotten worse evean after several times increasing dosage.
Risperdal is evil. I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was misdiagnosed and given Risperdal which intensifies the symptoms of PTSD. I found an article by Dr. Henry David Abraham, now practicing in Mass., which found that Risperdal causes what he termed as LSD-Like Panic Disorder. What a nightmare…literally. One nightmare after another. I could not sleep for the nightmares. My vision was damaged, too. The warning label said “may cause changes in vision” a major understatement. I had no idea of the side effects. I wish I could force the doctor who prescribed this poison to take it herself.
Mary Ellen
Please contact the Food and Drug Administration regarding adverse drug reactions (ADR). Risperdal should be taken off the market. The only way that will happen is if individuals contact the FDA and fill suit against the manufacturer.
Mary Ellen
Well, I still continue to read comments from different people about Risperdal. I beg every parent and individual that is on Risperdal to research it!!! The Dr’s that prescribe it are getting monitery kickbacks etc… My daughter died seven months ago and Iris’s son is really malformed due to Risperdal!!! What is it going to take to ge this drug off the market!!!!
i am a 26 yr old female. i took 2mgs of risperadal for 8 months. i had paranoid delusions on this drug like I had never had before. i thought people were stealing my money. i blamed friends. i couldn’t remember spending it. my doc increased me to 3mgs. then i got little bumps all over my skin. i first thought my bed was infested with spiders. i cleaned all bedding. i had begun to have extreme muscle fatigue. i didn’t get out of bed for 3 weeks and didn’t even notice the days were passing. my doctor said it was an allergic reaction so he took me off (i had already weened myself off.) and put me on abilify. i still itch so much i am driven mad. my eyelids are puffy. my head hurts. i can hardly swallow. i’ve lost 10lbs in 2 weeks. i got to a regular doctor. he treated me like an alien. said i had nothing wrong with me. accused me a dr. shopping because i take a drug cocktail (many drugs combined) for bipolar. i hate going to regular docs. i am worried it is my thyroid. i have had one seizure coming off this drug. not sure its related because i have had seizures all my life but haven’t had one for months if not a year. I really wouldn’t put children on this drug.
My son was put on respidol when he was 4 years old.he had side effects could not sleep.he got a painfull erection and he has ceberalpalsy and his ceberalpalsy got worse, he was like a zomby.
Please, I beg every parent that has worte into this site to get a second opinion about Risperdal! My daughter, Kayla, died possibly due to taking Risperdal and Zoloft for bi polar and she was twelve, not three and four. All of you need to pay close attention to Canada, Japan, and other foreign countries who have outlawed it. It just makes me sick to see that every week someone else who has a dear child who is experiencing health problems due to Risperdal. I beg every one of you to really look into this horrible drug!!!!
My son has been having bad dreams and talking to himself even when he’s asleep. His doctor gave him risperodal. It has worked O.K for him so far. He is 32 years old and has HIV.
My son is 7yrs old and has been on Risperdol for almost a year. He has not shown any bad side effects. He is also taking Adderal. The combination of these drugs have made a dramatic influence in his bi-polar condition. I tried multiple resources and medications prior to his being put on Risperdol and Adderal with no results. Are there any medications like Risperdol that are 100% safe? I do not want to put my son at risk but without medication he is at risk also. I
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