This belongs to the group of medicines known as antipsychotics.

Risperdal is effective in helping symptoms of mental problems, such as hearing voices, loss of energy, thought disturbances, difficulties communicating with others, worry, depression, overcoming feelings of wanting to be alone as well as other symptoms of schizophrenia.

Risperdal is available in tablet, orodispersible (melt in the mouth) tablet and liquid form.

The brand available is: Risperdal. You may notice the use of either of these names on the packaging of your medicine.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Risperdal tablets, liquid and quicklets all contain the active ingredient risperidone, which is a type of drug known as an atypical antipsychotic. Risperidone works in the brain, where it affects various neurotransmitters, in particular dopamine and serotonin. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are stored in nerve cells and are involved in transmitting messages between the nerve cells. Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters known to be involved in regulating mood and behaviour, amongst other things. Psychotic illness is considered to be caused by disturbances in the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Schizophrenia is known to be associated with an overactivity of dopamine in the brain, and this may be associated with the delusions and hallucinations that are a feature of this disease. Risperidone works by blocking the receptors in the brain that dopamine acts on. This prevents the excessive activity of dopamine and helps to control schizophrenia. Schizophrenic patients may experience 'positive symptoms' and/or 'negative symptoms'. Risperidone is effective in relieving both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas the conventional antipsychotics are usually less effective against the negative symptoms. Risperidone also relieves 'affective symptoms' that are associated with schizophrenia, such as depression, guilt feelings or anxiety. Risperidone is used by specialists to treat episodes of mania in people with the psychiatric illness, bipolar affective disorder. Risperidone can be taken as Risperdal liquid, conventional Risperdal tablets or Risperdal quicklets. Risperdal quicklets are tablets that are designed to dissolve on the tongue and be swallowed with the saliva, without the need for water. For the treatment of schizophrenia, risperidone can also be given as a depot injection that lasts for two weeks. See the link to Risperdal consta at the end of this factsheet for more information.

Treatments

* Psychotic illness such as schizophrenia. * Manic episodes of manic depression.

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Difficulty in sleeping * Agitation * Anxiety * Headache * Sleepiness * Fatigue * Dizziness * Concentration difficulties * Disturbances of the gut such as constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain * Blurred vision * Sexual problems * Prolonged erection * Urinary incontinence * Inflammation of the lining of the nose causing a blocked or runny nose * Rash * High blood glucose level * Weight gain * Excessive fluid retention in the body tissues, resulting in swelling * Abnormal movements of the hands, legs, face, neck and tongue, eg tremor, twitching, rigidity * High blood prolactin level - rarely this may lead to symptoms such as breast enlargement, production of milk and menstrual disturbances * Decreased numbers of white blood cells or platelets in the blood