IDK: Risperdal

[IDK]

I've written an e-mail to dr. Giovanni Fava (I found his name on this forum) to know his opinion about my situation and he answered me it's difficult for him to judge, and he suggested me to speak with prof. Paolo Leombruni. Does anyone know prof. Paolo Leombruni?

[ChessieCat]

Did an SA search and no results.

 

Did a google and found this:

 

Paolo Leombruni (Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin) on ...

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Paolo_Leombruni

Paolo Leombruni of Università degli Studi di Torino, Turin with expertise in Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychiatry is on ResearchGate

 

And a search on Psychosomatic Medicine brought up this:

Psychosomatic medicine - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosomatic_medicine

Psychosomatic medicine is an interdisciplinary medical field exploring the relationships among social, psychological, and behavioral factors on bodily processes and quality of life in humans and animals.

 

And the definition of psychosomatic:  (of a physical illness or other condition) caused or aggravated by a mental factor such as internal conflict or stress.

[IDK]

Thank you

[IDK]

 

So the chemical alteration of the brain is permanent?

 

From what I understand these physical effects and chemical imbalances may get better over time, but will never be the way they once were, because you litteally have to grow new brain receptors as the ones already there have been blocked permanently. In this is article, with whom I am suffering symptoms in common with the OP, one commenters details. Trying to find citation or correlating articles about its validity.

 

"Antipsychotics "crunch", rewire, and dysfunctionally build your brain, and many are irreversible dopamine antagonists---this means that you have to regrow your receptorsites because the ones that were blocked up by the medication can never become unblocked.  (The regeneration and replacement of receptors is a natural and usual thing, so this is just about getting healthier and more functional tissue during a process already occurring either way.) 

Epigenetic changes, changes to your organ systems, and physical changes or damages result from using psychiatric drugs, and they can remain dysfunctionally altered indefinitely, though people often progressively heal over time if they are drug-free.  Progressive healing sometimes means side effects getting worse before they get better, or cyclical experiences of severity with regards to particular symptoms or symptom sets."

 

I am currently seeking Y membership to improve by body and mental stability. Being unemployed has narrowed my ability to achieve certain things however. Thankfully I have a case manager to assist with restoring me to my former productive self.

 

There's also this article from the same site.

 

 

Do you know exactly what can be irreversibly compromised? 

Edited January 7, 2017 by scallywag
moved from Zodd's intro

[IDK]

So the chemical alteration of the brain is permanent?

From what I understand these physical effects and chemical imbalances may get better over time, but will never be the way they once were, because you litteally have to grow new brain receptors as the ones already there have been blocked permanently. In this is article, with whom I am suffering symptoms in common with the OP, one commenters details. Trying to find citation or correlating articles about its validity.

...

Do you know exactly what can be irreversibly compromised?

Zodd, it's probably more accurate to say that certain functions may "never be the way they once were." A negative position of 100% certainty is as unrealistic as the 100% certainty conveyed when some doctors say:

- the medications aren't addictive

- there are no long term effects

- getting off them is easy and symptoms last 2 months at most.

 

But if things are like that, we are "waiting for Godot"!

Edited January 7, 2017 by scallywag
moved from Zodd's intro

[AliG]

 IDK. Do you prefer to think negatively ?  Did you read the Link above  ? 

Edited January 7, 2017 by scallywag
moved from Zodd's intro

[IDK]

 IDK. Do you prefer to think negatively ?  Did you read the Link above  ? 

 

I'm sorry. Didn't want to bring negativity, the point is I'm new to this kind of experience and I read so many different things I'm worried. 

Edited January 7, 2017 by scallywag
moved from Zodd's intro

[AliG]

Did you read the link ? 

 

What is happening in your brain

Edited January 7, 2017 by scallywag
moved from Zodd's intro

[IDK]

Did you read the link ? 

 

What is happening in your brain

 

But the link is about recovery from benzodiazepines, I don't know if the same applies for recovery from antipsychotics...

[IDK]

Just wanted to rewrite my story since I think my introduction post is not sufficiently exhaustive.

 

I suffered bullying from my classmates and this led me to hardly get out of my house for eleven months, from September 2015 until July 2016.  My mother, worried about this situation, on 07/25/2016 called the social workers, who decided to commit me to a forced hospitalization in a psychiatric clinic.

 

During the hospitalization. which lasted about two weeks, I was given pills without being informed on what they were and why I had to take them, and on many occasions I had severe panic attacks even in a single day. At the end of the hospitalization, they prescribed me 4mg of Risperdal to be taken every night without explaining anything to me or to my parents, to whom they even lied by saying that the drug would not have side effect.

 

On August 5 I was discharged from the clinic and on August 6 I started taking the prescribed dose of Risperdal. On the following days, my speech was slow. I had severe headaches and I was completely stunned. This is why, after about five days, I lowered the dose to 2mg.

 

Since I started taking Risperdal, I have apathy, lack of emotion, cognitive difficulties and I feel like I've been lobotomized.  I explained these issues to my psychiatrist and she downplayed everything, absolutely denying any correlation with the Risperdal. The last time I've seen her, on early September, she even told me that I had to increase the dose to 3mg. Therefore I switched to 3mg for three days, then I stopped taking the drug cold turkey. Unfortunately, I could not taper, because I was not aware of the risks related to changes in the dosage of psychotropic drugs and did not know anything about the precautions to be taken in this regard.

 

After discontinuing the medication, I started having panic attacks, a strange sense of detachment from the outside world and from myself, vomit, voice change and severe anxiety.

Edited January 27, 2017 by scallywag
paragraph breaks added

[IDK]

I think it's the time for an update on my situation.

 

Five months have passed since I quitted Risperdal. I've been through a lot of bad times and moments of despair. But now I feel something has changed somehow, since the beginning of January. While five months ago I was not able to dedicate myself to my passions and my normal activities (playing videogames, reading, learning) recently I began to play videogames again, having fun. I also enjoy music like in the past. I also noticed that I still have the ability to formulate thoughts and learn. I don't know if it's just a window (I hope it isn't, I really hope it will go on like this) and I don't know if I have already recovered (it would be strange, because, from what I read on this forum and on the internet, recoveding from these drugs could require years in the best case) so I really don't know how to interpret this apparent improvement. What do you think guys?

 

Best regards.

[scallywag]

Great news, IDK. Thanks for posting about the improvements you're experiencing.

[IDK]

I have a severe anxiety these last days, I hope it's not a wave.

[scallywag]

I hope the anxiety lightens soon for you. What Non-drug techniques are you using to cope?

[IDK]

I hope the anxiety lightens soon for you. What Non-drug techniques are you using to cope?

 

I just wait, trying to chill

[scallywag]

Ok.  You may want to read the topic I linked, Non-drug techniques, for times when waiting it out isn't cutting it.

[Remeron88]

I had intense pressure in my head for a while, but it has passed.

 

I was on 1-2 mg (maybe even 3) risperdal from 2006-2009, went off, and made a full recovery.  Had a psychotic break, went back on them in 2012, my anhedonia and dullness got increasingly worse as I went up on the drugs (for no reason too).  For 6 days I was on 3mg risperdal, 5 mg zyprexa, 200 mg zoloft which equates to basically 8 mg risperdal, and am slowly recovering.  Still on a huge dose though.  Your odds are significantly better than mine.

 

I also thought I had tardive dyskinesia for a while after I took that dose.  Tongue movements.  It has gone away and was all in my head.  Give it time and yours will probably be the same way.

[IDK]

Sometimes I feel a void in my head, I don't know if it's related with WD. I hope I will go back to my pre-med self. Do you think I could have a permanent brain damage from Risperdal? 

[UnderPressure]

Hey IDK...how are you doing with the anhedonia?

 

Have you been noticing any improvements?

 

I've been off risperidone (Risperdal) since Sept. of 2016 as well.

 

You were on it for about month compared to my four.

 

I relate to the feeling of 'void' in my head.

 

I know things are a struggle and I'm holding onto hope that by the time September rolls around again I'll be feeling better.

 

Give an update when you have time!

[IDK]

Hey IDK...how are you doing with the anhedonia?

 

Have you been noticing any improvements?

 

I've been off risperidone (Risperdal) since Sept. of 2016 as well.

 

You were on it for about month compared to my four.

 

I relate to the feeling of 'void' in my head.

 

I know things are a struggle and I'm holding onto hope that by the time September rolls around again I'll be feeling better.

 

Give an update when you have time!

 

Hi. For what concerns anhedonia, I can laugh, I can get angry.

 

Sadness is still a question mark for me, as I've cried a few times, but I'm not sure if my crying is genuine or just a "chemical reaction". I mean, maybe is not intense like it should be.

 

As for happiness, well, what do you mean by "happiness"? If happiness is when you chill without caring too much about the outside world, then I feel it.

 

If happiness is enthusiasm for life, self-esteem and confidence in the future, I don't have them.

 

These days I'm feeling like I'm quite "apathic" (I don't lack interests though, I have my hobbies) and a strange sensation of blankness in my head, and I definetly don't like it.

[UnderPressure]

 

Hey IDK...how are you doing with the anhedonia?

 

Have you been noticing any improvements?

 

I've been off risperidone (Risperdal) since Sept. of 2016 as well.

 

You were on it for about month compared to my four.

 

I relate to the feeling of 'void' in my head.

 

I know things are a struggle and I'm holding onto hope that by the time September rolls around again I'll be feeling better.

 

Give an update when you have time!

 

Hi. For what concerns anhedonia, I can laugh, I can get angry.

 

Sadness is still a question mark for me, as I've cried a few times, but I'm not sure if my crying is genuine or just a "chemical reaction". I mean, maybe is not intense like it should be.

 

As for happiness, well, what do you mean by "happiness"? If happiness is when you chill without caring too much about the outside world, then I feel it.

 

If happiness is enthusiasm for life, self-esteem and confidence in the future, I don't have them.

 

These days I'm feeling like I'm quite "apathic" (I don't lack interests though, I have my hobbies) and a strange sensation of blankness in my head, and I definetly don't like it.

 

 

We're in the same boat. Unfortunately.

 

Enthusiasm for life and confidence in the future is something I lack too.

 

Yes, this is definitely the most unpleasant state to be in.

I'd rather those my eyesight than lose my joy and love.

 

I don't get excited or look forward to things.

 

Basically this is just a really sh*tty way to be.

[Plshelp]

Congratulations for your recovery, I hope I will heal like you did, considering our situations are very similar (same age, approx. same dose taken, for approx. the same time etc.)....

 

It's good to know that people can recover from Risperdal. Sometimes I feel desperate and hopeless.

I know what you mean about feeling hopeless and desperate

Edited May 8, 2017 by scallywag
moved from a success story topic