Risperdal vs. Geodon

Risperdal (risperidone) and Geodon (ziprasidone HCl and ziprasidone mesylate) are antipsychotic drugs prescribed to treat schizophrenia and bipolar mania.

Risperdal is also used to treat autism.

Geodon also can be used as maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder when added to lithium or valproate.

Common side effects of Risperdal include:

• extrapyramidal effects (sudden, often jerky, involuntary motions of the head, neck, arms, body, or eyes),
• dizziness,
• tiredness,
• drowsiness,
• fatigue,
• fever,
• weight gain,
• feeling hot or cold,
• headache,
• dry mouth,
• increased appetite,
• restlessness,
• anxiety,
• sleep problems (insomnia),
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain,
• constipation,
• cough,
• sore throat,
• runny or stuffy nose,
• or skin rash.

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Risperdal including difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, shaking (tremor), mental/mood changes, or signs of infection (such as fever, persistent sore throat).

Common side effects of Geodon include:

• feeling unusually tired or sleepy;
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• upset stomach,
• loss of appetite;
• constipation;
• dizziness,
• drowsiness;
• restlessness;
• anxiety,
• headache,
• depression;
• abnormal muscle movements,
• such as tremor,
• shuffling, and
• uncontrolled involuntary movements,
• muscle pain or twitching;
• diarrhea;
• skin rash;
• weight gain, and
• increased cough or runny or stuffy nose.

Serious side effects of Geodon include

• fainting or
• loss of consciousness or
• heart palpitations.

This is not a complete list of side effects, and others may occur.

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic prescribed to treat:

• schizophrenia,
• bipolar mania,
• and autism.

Geodon (ziprasidone HCl and ziprasidone mesylate) is an atypical antipsychotic used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia and acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder. Geodon also can be used as maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder when added to lithium or valproate.

Risperdal may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety), carbamazepine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, or rifampin.

Risperdal may also interact with cimetidine, ranitidine, clozapine, valproic acid, or medicines used to treat Parkinson's Disease.

Geodon may interact with other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures, depression, or anxiety), blood pressure medicines, and medications to treat Parkinson's disease.

Geodon may also interact with diuretics (water pills), heart rhythm medicines, blood pressure medicines, amazepine, cisapride, or haloperidol.

Risperdal dose ranges from 0.5 mg to 8mg/day.

Geodon (ziprasidone HCl) is available as capsules and Geodon (ziprasidone mesylate) is available as an injection for intramuscular use.

Geodon Capsules should be administered at an initial daily dose of 20 mg twice daily with food. For intramuscular dosing, the recommended dose of Geodon is 10 mg to 20 mg administered as required up to a maximum dose of 40 mg per day.