Risperidone (Systemic)

Brand Names : Risperdal

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For risperidone, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to risperidone. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy - Studies with risperidone have not been done in pregnant women. One baby whose mother took risperidone during pregnancy was born with a serious brain problem. However, it is not known whether this problem was caused by risperidone. Some unwanted effects have been reported in animal studies, but the risk to human babies is not clear. Before taking this medicine, make sure your doctor knows if you are pregnant or if you may become pregnant.

Breast-feeding - Risperidone passes into human milk and may cause unwanted effects, such as behavior changes, in nursing babies. It may be necessary for you to take another medicine or to stop breast-feeding during treatment. Be sure you have discussed the risks and benefits of the medicine with your doctor.

Children - Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of risperidone in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults - Elderly people may be especially sensitive to the effects of risperidone. This may increase the chance of having side effects during treatment.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking risperidone, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amiodarone [e.g., Cordarone] or
• Amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil] or
• Arsenic trioxide [e.g., Trisenox] or
• Bepridil [e.g., Vascor] or
• Chlorpromazine [e.g., Thorazine] or
• Cisapride [e.g., Propulsid] or
• Clarithromycin [e.g., Biaxin] or
• Clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil] or
• Clozapine [e.g., Clozaril] or
• Desipramine [e.g., Norpramin] or
• Disopyramide [e.g., Norpace] or
• Dofetilide [e.g., Tikosyn] or
• Dolasetron [e.g., Anzemet] or
• Droperidol [e.g., Inapsine] or
• Erythromycin [e.g., E-mycin] or
• Gatifloxacin [e.g., Tequin] or
• Halofantrin [e.g., Halfan] or
• Haloperidol [e.g., Haldol] or
• Ibutilide intravenous injection [e.g., Covert] or
• Levofloxacin [e.g., Leaquin] or
• Levomethadyl [e.g., Orlaam] or
• Mefloquine [e.g., Lariam] or
• Mesoridazine [e.g., Serentil] or
• Moxifloxacin [e.g., Avelox] or
• Ondansetron [e.g., Zofran] or
• Pimozide [e.g., Orap] or
• Procainamide [e.g., Procainbid, Pronestyl] or
• Propafenone [e.g., Rythmol] or
• Quinidine [e.g., Quinaglute, Quinidex] or
• Sotalol [e.g., Betapace, Sorine] or
• Sumatriptan [e.g., Imitrex] or
• Thioridazine [e.g., Mellaril] or
• Ziprasidone [e.g., Geodon] or
• Zolmitriptan [e.g., Zomig] - These medicines may increase the chance of serious side effects and should not be taken with risperidone

• Alcohol or
• Antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine) or
• Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicine that makes you drowsy or less alert) or
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Norpramin], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil]) - Risperidone may add to the effects of these medicines, causing unwanted effects such as increased drowsiness or low blood pressure

• Bromocriptine (e.g., Parlodel) or
• Levodopa (e.g., Larodopa, Sinemet) or
• Pergolide (e.g., Permax) - Risperidone may interfere with the effects of these medicines so that they do not work properly

• Carbamazepine (e.g., Epitol, Tegretol) or
• Clozapine (e.g., Clozaril) or
• Fluoxetine (e.g., Prozac, Sarafem) - These medicines may affect the blood levels of risperidone so that risperidone does not work properly or causes unwanted effects. Your doctor may need to change your dose of risperidone

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of risperidone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Breast cancer or
• Heart or blood vessel problems, including stroke and unusual heartbeats or
• Parkinson's disease - Risperidone may make these conditions worse

• Dehydration or
• Blood circulation problems - These conditions may increase the chance of side effects from the medicine

• Dementia, such as decreasing mental ability or
• Difficulty swallowing - These conditions may increase the chance of side effects from the medicine

• Epilepsy or other seizure disorders - Risperidone may increase the risk of having seizures

• Kidney disease or
• Liver disease - Higher blood levels of risperidone may occur, increasing the chance of side effects

• Other medical problems causing vomiting [e.g., brain tumor, bowel blockage, drug overdose, Reye's syndrome] - Risperidone may prevent vomiting and hide these medical problems from you and your doctor