Risperdal (Risperidone) Side Effects: Common and Rare

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDrug OverviewCommon Side EffectsExtrapyramidal Side EffectsSerious Side EffectsFrequently Asked Questions

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Table of Contents

Drug Overview

Common Side Effects

Extrapyramidal Side Effects

Serious Side Effects

Frequently Asked Questions

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If You Experience Risperidone Side EffectsWhile many of risperidone’s side effects are manageable, others may be serious and, in rare cases, life-threatening. If you experience mild side effects when taking this medication, speak with your healthcare provider. If your side effects are life-threatening, seek medical care immediately or call 911.

If You Experience Risperidone Side Effects

While many of risperidone’s side effects are manageable, others may be serious and, in rare cases, life-threatening. If you experience mild side effects when taking this medication, speak with your healthcare provider. If your side effects are life-threatening, seek medical care immediately or call 911.

Overview of Risperidone

Risperdal is a brand name for the generic drug risperidone. Under the brand name, this medication is available in several forms: oral tablets, liquid solutions, or injectable suspension.

The oral dose of risperidone generally ranges between 1 mg and 6 mg per day, with injectable dosage ranges between 12.5 mg and 50 mg daily.In most cases, people begin at a low dose that is gradually increased until the desired therapeutic effects are achieved.

Several of Risperdal’s properties can lead to side effects. Since it is antihistaminic, for instance, it may be sedating. As an alpha-adrenergic blocker, it can interfere with hormones that regulate blood flow and blood pressure.

Risperidone also hasanticholinergic effectsthat alter the function of smooth muscles. These are the muscles that make up the internal organs.

Common Side Effects of Risperdal

The most common side effects of Risperdal, which were reported in more than 10% of the clinical trials involving this drug, included:

A majority of the time, the severity of these side effects was reported as being mild to moderate.

Extrapyramidal Side Effects of Risperidone

Extrapyramidal side effects (EPS)can affect as many as one of every four people who take risperidone, although most cases are relatively mild.These side effects affect the central nervous system and cause movement problems.

Other than a previous history of EPS, there is no way to know in advance whether you’ll experience these effects. There are several types of EPS that are associated with atypical antipsychotic drug use, along with a few factors that can impact your risk levels.

Types of EPS

Other types of EPS that may be experienced with antipsychotic drugs include:

Risk Factors

If you take a high dosage of risperidone, the likelihood of developing EPS appears to increase. For example, one eight-week trial found that 15% of subjects taking 2 milligrams of Risperdal experienced Parkinsonism compared to 31% of subjects taking 16 milligrams of this drug.

If you are on this drug for an extended period, your risk of EPS may also increase. Though it’s important to know that, while rare, you can still develop EPS when taking Risperdal at lower doses or for short periods.

It is important to advise your doctor if you experience involuntary muscle movements or have a loss of muscle control while taking Risperdal (risperidone). If left untreated, conditions like tardive dyskinesia may become permanent.

Rare But Serious Side Effects of Risperdal

On rare occasions, exposure to atypical antipsychotics can result in a potentially life-threatening reaction. Here are some to watch for.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

If NMS occurs, symptoms generally appear within two weeks of starting the drug. Factors that appear to increase the risk of NMS include exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition, with young adult males and people who have organic brain syndromes or intellectual disabilities being affected most often.

Mortality due to NMS has declined, potentially due to recognizing and intervening more quickly when this syndrome occurs.However, this syndrome is still considered a medical emergency and can lead to death if left untreated. Therefore, it’s critical to obtain treatment if any of these symptoms occur.

Additional Serious Side Effects

Other rare but potentially life-threatening side effects that may occur with Risperdal use include:

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis have a higher risk of death when taking antipsychotic drugs—4.5% versus 2.6% in individuals taking a placebo or sham drug.Risperdal is not approved as a treatment for this condition, so it should not be taken for this purpose.

Frequently Asked QuestionsRisperdal is the brand name for the medication risperidone. It is sold as tablets, oral solutions, or in extended-release injectable suspensions under the names Risperdal Consta and Perseris.Risperidone is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and autism-related irritability. It is also sometimes prescribed off-label to treat major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Risperidone helps balance levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.This can relieve symptoms related to thinking, behavior, and mood.Research suggests that risperidone is effective for improving mental state in people with schizophrenia,even providing positive results when the schizophrenia is treatment-resistant.Other studies have found that risperidone is effective for improving mania symptoms in people with bipolar disorder.Learn More:Schizophrenia Treatment OptionsSome research indicates that olanzapine is more effective than risperidone for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Negative symptoms involve the absence of things that are present in most people, such as a lack of interest in the world, a lack of facial expressions, and a lack of emotional response. Aripiprazole is another medication that has efficacy similar to risperidone but with fewer side effects.Learn More:What to Know About Olanzapine

Risperdal is the brand name for the medication risperidone. It is sold as tablets, oral solutions, or in extended-release injectable suspensions under the names Risperdal Consta and Perseris.

Risperidone is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and autism-related irritability. It is also sometimes prescribed off-label to treat major depressive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Risperidone helps balance levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain.This can relieve symptoms related to thinking, behavior, and mood.

Research suggests that risperidone is effective for improving mental state in people with schizophrenia,even providing positive results when the schizophrenia is treatment-resistant.Other studies have found that risperidone is effective for improving mania symptoms in people with bipolar disorder.Learn More:Schizophrenia Treatment Options

Research suggests that risperidone is effective for improving mental state in people with schizophrenia,even providing positive results when the schizophrenia is treatment-resistant.Other studies have found that risperidone is effective for improving mania symptoms in people with bipolar disorder.

Learn More:Schizophrenia Treatment Options

Some research indicates that olanzapine is more effective than risperidone for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Negative symptoms involve the absence of things that are present in most people, such as a lack of interest in the world, a lack of facial expressions, and a lack of emotional response. Aripiprazole is another medication that has efficacy similar to risperidone but with fewer side effects.Learn More:What to Know About Olanzapine

Some research indicates that olanzapine is more effective than risperidone for treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Negative symptoms involve the absence of things that are present in most people, such as a lack of interest in the world, a lack of facial expressions, and a lack of emotional response. Aripiprazole is another medication that has efficacy similar to risperidone but with fewer side effects.

Learn More:What to Know About Olanzapine

13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Risperidone (Risperdal).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.: Risperdal (risperidone) tablets/oral solution: Risperdal M-Tab (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Label for Risperdal.Thomson SR, Chogtu B, Bhattacharjee D, Agarwal S.Extrapyramidal symptoms probably related to risperidone treatment: A case series.Ann Neurosci. 2017;24(3):155-163. doi:10.1159/000477153Stegmayer K, Walther S, van Harten P.Tardive dyskinesia associated with atypical antipsychotics: Prevalence, mechanisms and management strategies.CNS Drugs. 2018;32:135-147. doi:10.1007/s40263-018-0494-8Divac N, Prostran M, Jakovcevski I, Cerovac N.Second-generation antipsychotics and extrapyramidal adverse effects.Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:656370. doi:10.1155/2014/656370Ware MR, Feller DB, Hall KL.Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: diagnosis and management.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018;20(0):17r02185. doi:10.4088/PCC.19r02185Osuna-Luque J, Rodriguez-Ramos A, Gamez-Del-Estal M, Ruiz-Rubio M.Behavioral mechanisms that depend on dopamine and serotonin inCaenorhabditis elegansinteract with the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole.Neurosci Insights. 2018;12:1179069518798628. doi:10.1177/1179069518798628Rattehalli RD, Zhao S, Guo Li B, Jayarm MB, Xia J, Sampson S.Risperidone versus placebo for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(12):CD006918. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006918.pub3Meltzer HY, Lindenmayer JP, Kwentus J, Share DB, Johnson R, Jayathilake K.A six month randomized controlled trial of long acting injectable risperidone 50 and 100 mg in treatment resistant schizophrenia.Schizophren Res. 2014;154(1-3):14-22. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2014.02.015Kishi R, Ikuta T, Matsuda Y, et al.Pharmacological treatment for bipolar mania: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials.Molecular Psychiatry. 2022;27:1136-1144. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01334-4Suresh Kumar PN, Anish PK, Rajmohan V.Olanzapine has better efficacy compared to risperidone for treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Indian J Psychiatry. 2016;58(3):311-316. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.192016Khanna P, Suo T, Komossa K, et al.Aripiprazole versus other atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(1):CD006569. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006569.pub5

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Risperidone (Risperdal).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.: Risperdal (risperidone) tablets/oral solution: Risperdal M-Tab (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Label for Risperdal.Thomson SR, Chogtu B, Bhattacharjee D, Agarwal S.Extrapyramidal symptoms probably related to risperidone treatment: A case series.Ann Neurosci. 2017;24(3):155-163. doi:10.1159/000477153Stegmayer K, Walther S, van Harten P.Tardive dyskinesia associated with atypical antipsychotics: Prevalence, mechanisms and management strategies.CNS Drugs. 2018;32:135-147. doi:10.1007/s40263-018-0494-8Divac N, Prostran M, Jakovcevski I, Cerovac N.Second-generation antipsychotics and extrapyramidal adverse effects.Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:656370. doi:10.1155/2014/656370Ware MR, Feller DB, Hall KL.Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: diagnosis and management.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018;20(0):17r02185. doi:10.4088/PCC.19r02185Osuna-Luque J, Rodriguez-Ramos A, Gamez-Del-Estal M, Ruiz-Rubio M.Behavioral mechanisms that depend on dopamine and serotonin inCaenorhabditis elegansinteract with the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole.Neurosci Insights. 2018;12:1179069518798628. doi:10.1177/1179069518798628Rattehalli RD, Zhao S, Guo Li B, Jayarm MB, Xia J, Sampson S.Risperidone versus placebo for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(12):CD006918. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006918.pub3Meltzer HY, Lindenmayer JP, Kwentus J, Share DB, Johnson R, Jayathilake K.A six month randomized controlled trial of long acting injectable risperidone 50 and 100 mg in treatment resistant schizophrenia.Schizophren Res. 2014;154(1-3):14-22. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2014.02.015Kishi R, Ikuta T, Matsuda Y, et al.Pharmacological treatment for bipolar mania: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials.Molecular Psychiatry. 2022;27:1136-1144. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01334-4Suresh Kumar PN, Anish PK, Rajmohan V.Olanzapine has better efficacy compared to risperidone for treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Indian J Psychiatry. 2016;58(3):311-316. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.192016Khanna P, Suo T, Komossa K, et al.Aripiprazole versus other atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(1):CD006569. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006569.pub5

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Risperidone (Risperdal).U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.: Risperdal (risperidone) tablets/oral solution: Risperdal M-Tab (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Label for Risperdal.Thomson SR, Chogtu B, Bhattacharjee D, Agarwal S.Extrapyramidal symptoms probably related to risperidone treatment: A case series.Ann Neurosci. 2017;24(3):155-163. doi:10.1159/000477153Stegmayer K, Walther S, van Harten P.Tardive dyskinesia associated with atypical antipsychotics: Prevalence, mechanisms and management strategies.CNS Drugs. 2018;32:135-147. doi:10.1007/s40263-018-0494-8Divac N, Prostran M, Jakovcevski I, Cerovac N.Second-generation antipsychotics and extrapyramidal adverse effects.Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:656370. doi:10.1155/2014/656370Ware MR, Feller DB, Hall KL.Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: diagnosis and management.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018;20(0):17r02185. doi:10.4088/PCC.19r02185Osuna-Luque J, Rodriguez-Ramos A, Gamez-Del-Estal M, Ruiz-Rubio M.Behavioral mechanisms that depend on dopamine and serotonin inCaenorhabditis elegansinteract with the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole.Neurosci Insights. 2018;12:1179069518798628. doi:10.1177/1179069518798628Rattehalli RD, Zhao S, Guo Li B, Jayarm MB, Xia J, Sampson S.Risperidone versus placebo for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(12):CD006918. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006918.pub3Meltzer HY, Lindenmayer JP, Kwentus J, Share DB, Johnson R, Jayathilake K.A six month randomized controlled trial of long acting injectable risperidone 50 and 100 mg in treatment resistant schizophrenia.Schizophren Res. 2014;154(1-3):14-22. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2014.02.015Kishi R, Ikuta T, Matsuda Y, et al.Pharmacological treatment for bipolar mania: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials.Molecular Psychiatry. 2022;27:1136-1144. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01334-4Suresh Kumar PN, Anish PK, Rajmohan V.Olanzapine has better efficacy compared to risperidone for treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Indian J Psychiatry. 2016;58(3):311-316. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.192016Khanna P, Suo T, Komossa K, et al.Aripiprazole versus other atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(1):CD006569. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006569.pub5

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Risperidone (Risperdal).

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P.: Risperdal (risperidone) tablets/oral solution: Risperdal M-Tab (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Label for Risperdal.

Thomson SR, Chogtu B, Bhattacharjee D, Agarwal S.Extrapyramidal symptoms probably related to risperidone treatment: A case series.Ann Neurosci. 2017;24(3):155-163. doi:10.1159/000477153

Stegmayer K, Walther S, van Harten P.Tardive dyskinesia associated with atypical antipsychotics: Prevalence, mechanisms and management strategies.CNS Drugs. 2018;32:135-147. doi:10.1007/s40263-018-0494-8

Divac N, Prostran M, Jakovcevski I, Cerovac N.Second-generation antipsychotics and extrapyramidal adverse effects.Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:656370. doi:10.1155/2014/656370

Ware MR, Feller DB, Hall KL.Neuroleptic malignant syndrome: diagnosis and management.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2018;20(0):17r02185. doi:10.4088/PCC.19r02185

Osuna-Luque J, Rodriguez-Ramos A, Gamez-Del-Estal M, Ruiz-Rubio M.Behavioral mechanisms that depend on dopamine and serotonin inCaenorhabditis elegansinteract with the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole.Neurosci Insights. 2018;12:1179069518798628. doi:10.1177/1179069518798628

Rattehalli RD, Zhao S, Guo Li B, Jayarm MB, Xia J, Sampson S.Risperidone versus placebo for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(12):CD006918. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006918.pub3

Meltzer HY, Lindenmayer JP, Kwentus J, Share DB, Johnson R, Jayathilake K.A six month randomized controlled trial of long acting injectable risperidone 50 and 100 mg in treatment resistant schizophrenia.Schizophren Res. 2014;154(1-3):14-22. doi:10.1016/j.schres.2014.02.015

Kishi R, Ikuta T, Matsuda Y, et al.Pharmacological treatment for bipolar mania: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials.Molecular Psychiatry. 2022;27:1136-1144. doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01334-4

Suresh Kumar PN, Anish PK, Rajmohan V.Olanzapine has better efficacy compared to risperidone for treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia.Indian J Psychiatry. 2016;58(3):311-316. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.192016

Khanna P, Suo T, Komossa K, et al.Aripiprazole versus other atypical antipsychotics for schizophrenia.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014;2014(1):CD006569. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006569.pub5

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