Anyone with a child on Risperdol for ADHD?

[Anonymous]

My child has not responded well to countless ADHD medications, and his doctor is talking now about Risperdol. Does anyone have any experience with this drug for ADHD that you wouldn't mind sharing? Our son is 6, with combined type ADHD (impulsivity/inattention). Thanks so much.

[Anonymous]

That's a drug usually used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I would get at least one other opinion before putting a six year old on it, particularly for combined type ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's a drug usually used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I would get at least one other opinion before putting a six year old on it, particularly for combined type ADHD.

Yes, it would be a very last resort for me. It's being used off label and I have adult clients who can't tolerate this drug for delusions and psychosis, etc.

[Anonymous]

Maybe get a second opinion....

[Anonymous]

It is sometimes used for aggression in children, e.g. kids on the autism spectrum. I would be very cautious with any off-label use of antipsychotic medications.

[Anonymous]

Are you positive the dx is ADHD?

[Anonymous]

Risperdol has been used off label for ADHD for yrs. I heard of it being used 10+ yrs ago. However, like the pps I would want a second, third opinion before trying it on a 6 yr old.

[Anonymous]

My son was put on Risperdal because he has a mood disorder. I've never heard of it for ADHD. It has some awful side effects, but did work wonders. We had to discontinue use because the side effects were so bad. The main one is weight gain. My son went from 52 lbs. to 98 lbs. in less than 6 months. And this is very common. It can also cause boys to grow breasts and have milk production. It's heavy duty stuff. Are you sure your doc doesn't have another diagnosis in mind if he is thinking about using Risperdal?

[Anonymous]

Has your son tried Intuniv? If that has been tried and your doc is looking specifically at atypical antipsychotics ask him about abilify. Both the risperdol and the abilify have nasty side effects, but it seems like the abilify has less.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks to you all. Yes, the diagnosis is definitely ADHD. He has tried, to no avail, stimulants, Strattera, Intuniv. We have also had him on a very low dose of an anti-anxiety medication to help him as well. Really, nothing has helped and the doctor says she has seen excellent results with the Risperdol for ADHD. But I am obviously very nervous about this given my research, so wanted to see if anyone had first-hand experience with it. Many thanks again.

[Anonymous]

My son was on Risperdol for ADHD (after bad reactions to stimulants and Intuniv) for about a month. The doctor started very low (.125 mg) and slowly increased the dosage. We saw no benefit while he was on it and we were already uncomfortable about using it with the possible irreversible negative side effects so we decided to discontinue it.

[Anonymous]

To PP: Do you mind telling me what happened after you discontinued the Risperdol? Did you find something else that worked?

[Anonymous]

OP, sorry if I'm way off base but does your psychiatrist by any chance work with a large group out of fairfax?

[Anonymous]

My DS age 9 has been on Risperdol to treat aggression for the past year (13 months to be exact). We had tried almost everything before this and putting him on the Risperadol was a VERY difficult decision! He is on a low dose and we have noticed MAJOR improvements !! We have been lucky no side effects - no major weight gain or anything else . He feels the difference and will remind us if we somehow forget to give him a dose. It is not something to be taken lightly but has done wonders for DS.

[Anonymous]

OP here. No, our psychiatrist is in solo practice in MD. Nothing else is working - I am panicked. I just got another horrendous report from school about the impulsivity.