Symptoms of a Drug Prescription
Medication ♥ Mom’s Story
Risperidone: A Second Look
June 6, 2024 by Nikki and Anne Heart
Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following through Mom’s eyes.
Awareness to Risperidone
Recently I went to the movie Ezra, and I immediately recognized the drug Risperidone highlighted in the movie.
I normally don’t treat an entertainment movie as something to get facts from, but I have to give kudos to all those who had input into the scenes regarding drug prescriptions for children with Autism.
In summary, Ezra was a child with Autism. In a scene of the movie, his parents were being persuaded to have him treated with Risperidone. When confronted with this, his dad resisted.
Ezra’s dad pointed out the numerous boxes of free samples of Risperidone in the practioners office, and insinuated the practioner was getting something for prescribing Risperidone.
So, how true is this scene regarding prescriptions and free samples?
The Truth!
For years I sat in on my daughter’s medication management appointments. At first when the practioner gave free samples, my daughter and I thought it was great. It was free, so what can be wrong.
But as time went on, we started noticing the correlation to what was being prescribed to my daughter and the free samples. Witnessing the pharmaceutical reps coming in with the free samples and realizing that the health care practioner only knew simple facts about the drug.
As time went on, both my daughter and I realized something was very wrong.
Remembering years back, I personally came in contact with someone who went to health care offices and handed out pharmaceutical samples and informational leaflets.
Interested in a part-time job myself, I questioned her regarding the qualifications needed for this job. I was told that nothing was needed. She informed me she had no training in the medical nor pharmaceutical field.
When I started to question her further, she quickly changed the subject. At the time, I felt something was off, but I really didn’t know what.
It was years later when my daughter was going through a drug treatment program, that Nikki and I came to the realization of what was truly going on.
Furthermore, after watching an opioid documentary on how the opioid crisis began, it verified everything we believed about the system.
Kickbacks were given to a health care provider for prescribing a particular medication.
All the pieces started to come in place.
The exorbitant amount of free samples my daughter’s original provider, a nurse practioner, had in her office.
Numerous exotic trips she took stating she was going there to bring needed medication and awareness to those in remote areas.
Witnessing the young, well groomed, pharmaceutical reps in the health care practioners office bringing them the newest bags of goodies, as we began calling it.
With our years of knowledge, our stomachs now turned at the thought and awareness of what was going on.
Knowledge about Risperidone
My daughter spent the end of her teen years and the majority of her twenties on mental health prescription drugs, so I have come to recognize most drugs currently on the market in this group. Risperidone being one of them.
Unfortunately, with this recognition my mind goes to what my daughter experienced and what I now know about a drug being mentioned in a movie, television show or commercial.
Risperidone, atypical antipsychotics, was being prescribed to my daughter for what at the time was referred to as bipolar disorder. For Nikki, it made her more irritable, nauseous and overall unwell. It also caused my daughter to have hateful and scary thoughts.
Years later we became aware that Risperidone should not be used if you are a sports active person. Nikki ran on the collegiate track team as well as rode horses.
Was this a drug that should have been prescribed to my daughter?
No, it was not.
My daughter partipicated in extensive track training, drank alcohol, drove long distances, and had to focus on school work. All against the warnings for Risperidone.
Why is Risperidone prescibed:
- Risperidone is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia (a mental illness that causes disturbed or unusual thinking, loss of interest in life, and strong or inappropriate emotions) in adults and teenagers 13 years of age and older.
- It is also used to treat episodes of mania (frenzied, abnormally excited, or irritated mood) or mixed episodes (symptoms of mania and depression that happen together) in adults and in teenagers and children 10 years of age and older with bipolar disorder (manic depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods).
- Risperidone is also used to treat behavior problems such as aggression, self-injury, and sudden mood changes in teenagers and children 5 to 16 years of age who have autism (a condition that causes repetitive behavior, difficulty interacting with others, and problems with communication).
Possible side effects of Risperidone:
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- constipation
- heartburn
- dry mouth
- increased saliva
- increased appetite
- weight gain
- stomach pain
- anxiety
- agitation
- restlessness
- difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- breast enlargement or discharge
- late or missed menstrual periods
- decreased sexual ability
- blurred vision
- back, muscle, or joint pain
- dry or discolored skin
- difficulty urinating
- dizziness, feeling unsteady, or having trouble keeping your balance
Let’s do more…
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH was
MAY 2024
Still available: Digital Toolkit for Mental Health Awareness
From the National Institute of Mental health
Learn More ♥ Live Healthier
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Facts About Risperidone
Organic Foods
Journey through Risperidone
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“The only true wisdon is in knowing you know nothing.” “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.”
– Socrates –
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Note: All information in “Nikki’s Story” are based on detail journals covering seven years of Nikki’s life on prescription drugs.
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