Risperdol

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My son has PDD-NOS...probably OCD and I suspect some Bi Polar. I have been having anger and aggression issues with him and have been working with him for a very long time. He improves, but this piece is just getting worse. It has been suggested that I medicate...OK...I'll try because I truely believe he cannot function without it.

They gave him Risperdol. I was told this can make anger worse, but it's a side effect. My doctor wants to put him on Ambien but my insurance won't cover it until we try Risperdol first to find out if it works.

Has anyone taken either one of these? Did it help? Was it awful? Anything I should watch for in particular? I'm not necessarily anti medication, but I'm not exactly jumping for joy at the thought of giving this to my 9 year old, however I feel I have tried everything I can to get this under control and I totally believe that he cannot help this behavior.

Thanks!

Risperdal (risperidone) is one of two FDA-approved medications for aggression associated with autism. Many (I hesitate to say most) people seem to have had a lot of positive experiences with it, myself included. You might want to check out sites like WebMD and Revolution Health to read more in-depth prescription reviews.

Thank you! I'm glad it worked for you. I have heard good and bad, but I wanted to hear from people who have actually used it. I appreciate your response very much!

I currently take Risperdal for my High Functioning Autism and OCD. My OCD one of the ways it has showed itself is through Compulsive Skin Picking. With the help of being on Risperdal and hard work I when three days without a picking episode.

Weight Gain is a side effect.

Ambien is generally for sleeping which I would think should be addressed first since it affects both mood and overall health. I'm taking some right now temporarily; normally I would take benadryl or melatonin but my doctor suggested something stronger. No clue if it's intended for long-term use or for children.

For my evidence-based medicine class, I just presented a systematic lit review covering risperdal from "Pediatrics" journal (May 1, 2011) called "A Systematic Review of Medical Treatments for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder" by McPheeters et al. It was clear that even though risperdal was one of the few treatments with evidence to support it, there were significant side effects so they did not wholeheartedly recommend it except in more severe cases. They also mention that more studies were needed that were not funded by pharmaceutical companies. I have to say that one big weakness of the review is they did not specify where on the autism spectrum the kids being tested were so it would be even harder to extrapolate it to your child's specific diagnosis.