This question was submitted by a reader:
Is Risperdal a medication that is used to treat ADHD? What are the mental illnesses that it is used for?
Risperdal would not typically be used as an ADHD medication, and I have never heard of it being a first drug to try. I suppose there might be reasons if there were a lot of symptoms of anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, or explosive temper or irritability. Or if the doctor thought that it was really tourettes syndrome, or schizophrenia just breaking out.
It is an interesting question that you ask. And it is hard to give an opinion without it looking like giving medical advice. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist. If the situation is very serious, you certainly have to take the steps necessary to stabilize things. Read the side effects information too.
Here are some websites with general information that would be more helpful to you than any answer I might give:
http://www.janssen.com/janssen/products.html
http://www.drugs.com/risperdal.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risperdal
http://www.fda.gov/foi/warning_letters/archive/g4628d.htm
Talk with your doctor and your PHARMACIST if you have more questions.
Doug Cowan
Other Opinions:
Warning for Risperdal (Nov. 2003)
Now a warning about the drug RISPERDAL or risperidone, manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceutica and used to treat schizophrenia. The WARNINGS section of the label for this drug now describes cerebrovascular adverse events in elderly patients being treat...
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This book section: ADHD Medications
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., MFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Tehachapi, CA who has been a counselor to children, teens, and adults helping them to overcome ADHD, find relief for depression or anxiety, and solve other problems in life since 1989. He served on the medical advisory board to the company that makes Attend and Extress from 1997 through 2011, and he is the Editor of the ADHD Information Library online resource at http://newideas.net/. His weekly ADHD Newsletter goes out to 9,500 families. Visit his website at http://DouglasCowan.me for more information on achieving greater health, personal growth, Christ-centered spirituality, stress management, parenting skills, ADHD, working out the stresses of being a care-giver to elderly parents and also being a parent to teenagers, or finding greater meaning in retirement years, Dr. Cowan can be a valuable resource to you.
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