First and foremost, the FDA has no approve on Risperdal for dementia in the elderly. As a matter of fact, the agency required a black box warning on Risperdal’s label cautioning its users that the medication has the risk of increasing the chances of death among its elderly users. The FDA found that that elderly people with dementia and were under Risperdal medication were 1.6 to 1.7 times more likely to fatally succumb to various ailments, such as heart disease and pneumonia.
Risperdal May Lead to Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome and Tardive Dyskinesia
Web sources report that Risperdal has the potential to cause of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS). The condition is a potentially fatal disorder with symptoms such as the following:
Hyperpyrexia
Muscle rigidity
Altered mental status
Autonomic instability (irregular heartbeat or blood pressure, excessive sweating)
Medical resources on the Web report that Risperdal is also a potential cause of
As for Tardive Dyskinesia, the potentially irreversible condition is characterized by involuntary facial movements such as:
Puckering and pursing of the lips
Tongue protrusion
Grimacing
Lip smacking
Rapid eye blinking
Risperidone Might Cause Other Harmful Side Effects
Similar to other antipsychotics, Risperdal has a suicide warning in its “Warnings and Precautions” section.
The “Pregnancy” section of Risperdal’s label now informs doctors and women who are about to become pregnant that Risperdal causes withdrawal symptoms in infants in the form of abnormal muscle movements (called extrapyramidal signs (EPS)). In February 2011, the FDA required Ortho-McNeil-Janssen to include information about risperdone’s potential to cause EPS on the drug’s label.
EPS has the following symptoms:
Agitation
Hypertonia (excessive muscle rigidity)
Hypotonia (excessive muscle elasticity)
Tremors
Somnolence (sleep disturbances)
Respiratory distress
Feeding disorder
Most EPS withdrawal symptoms pass after a few days.
Association Between Risperdal and and Hyperglycemia
There is also concern that Risperdal, like other atypical antipsychotic drugs, has the potential to cause metabolic disorders, particularly hyperglycemia (excess sugar) and diabetes. Atypical antipsychotics cause the body to metabolize fat instead of carbohydrates, leading to insulin resistance to the excess carbohydrates. At the same time they promote fat accumulation.
Risperdal was meant to better the lives of patients, not adversely affect them. As a patient who may be suffering the ravages of this drug, a legal action is necessary. There are online information on Risperdal lawsuits that can be helpful in considering filing a case.
Image from e-healthtips.com
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