Risperdal vs. Risperdal Consta

• Are Risperdal and Risperdal Consta the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Risperdal? (Side effects)
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Risperdal Consta? (Side effects)
• What Is Risperdal? (Uses)
• What Is Risperdal Consta? (Uses)
• What Drugs Interact with Risperdal? (Interactions)
• What Drugs Interact with Risperdal Consta? (Interactions)
• How Should Risperdal Be Taken? (Dosage)
• How Should Risperdal Consta Be Taken? (Dosage)

Risperdal (risperidone) and Risperdal Consta (risperidone) are antipsychotic drugs prescribed to treat schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and autism.

Risperdal Consta is an injectable, long-acting form of risperidone.

Side effects of Risperdal and Risperdal Consta that are similar include extrapyramidal effects (sudden, often jerky, involuntary motions of the head, neck, arms, body, or eyes), dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth, constipation, runny or stuffy nose, weight gain, restlessness, or anxiety.

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 Risperdal Consta include:

• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• fatigue,
• dry mouth,
• indigestion,
• constipation,
• runny nose,
• weight gain or loss,
• acne,
• dry skin, or
• redness/swelling/pain at the injection site

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Risperdal Consta including:

• difficulty swallowing,
• muscle spasms,
• shaking (tremor),
• mental/mood changes (anxiety, restlessness),
• signs of infection (fever, persistent sore throat),
• symptoms of high blood sugar that can worsen existing diabetes (increased thirst and urination),
• significant weight gain,
• a rise in your blood cholesterol (or triglyceride) levels, and
• tardive dyskinesia which is unusual/uncontrolled movements (especially of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, arms or legs)

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

• schizophrenia,
• bipolar mania,
• and autism.

Risperdal Consta (risperidone) is an antipsychotic-type psychiatric medication used to treat certain mental/mood disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).

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.

Risperdal Consta may also interact with high blood pressure medicines, sibutramine, or drugs that affect the heart rhythm (QT prolongation).

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

The recommended dose of Risperdal Consta to treat schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is 25 mg given intramuscularly (IM) every 2 weeks.