"I was born to a woman I never knew and raised by another who took in orphans.  I do not know my background, my lineage, my biological or cultural heritage.  But when I meet someone new, I treat them with respect.... For after all, they could be my people."   -  James Michener, Author
 

"Natural children, who have parents, siblings, and other blood-related relatives, are grounded in a reality from which they can spin their images. But adoptees do not feel grounded or connected by any such reality. Much of their imagery is not centered on the adoptive family in which they live as if they belong, but rather in fantasy and imagination. They have a sense that their very perceptions are deceiving them. They have lost the ability to distinguish between what is real and what is supposed to be real."  - Betty Jean Lifton, Journey of the Adopted Self

"In all of us there is a hunger, narrow and deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are and where we have come from.  Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning.  No matter what our attainments in life, there is a vacuum, an emptiness and a most disquieting loneliness!" -  Alex Haley, Author 

"The prisoner disintegrated because he could never find out what he was guilty of" - The Trial by Kafka

"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exlusions, and incapacitations are removed."  --  Thomas Jefferson

“The only way around is through” - Robert Frost

"Never doubt that a small group of thougthful, committed citizens can change the world;  indeed, it is the only thing that ever has".- Margaret Mead

"We shall not cease our explorations, and the end of our exploring will be to arrive back where we started and know the place for the first time" - T.S. Eliot

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes

The FUN of Schizophrenia

I start on this medication tomorrow.. finally after 3 years I get to change meds.

Risperidone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Risperidone
Systematic (IUPAC) name
4-[2-[4-(6-fluorobenzo[d]isoxazol-3-yl)- 1-piperidyl]ethyl]-3-methyl- 2,6-diazabicyclo[4.4.0]deca-1,3-dien-5-one
Identifiers
CAS number	106266-06-2
ATC code	N05AX08
PubChem	5073
DrugBank	APRD00187
Chemical data
Formula	C23H27FN4O2
Mol. mass	410.485 g/mol
SMILES	eMolecules & PubChem
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	70% (oral)
Metabolism	Hepatic (CYP2D6-mediated)
Half life	3–20 hours
Excretion	Urinary
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	C
Legal status	℞ Prescription only
Routes	Oral and extended-release intramuscular injection

Risperidone (pronounced Ris-PER-ǐ-dōn and sold under the trade name Risperdal in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal and several other countries, Risperdal or Ridal in New Zealand, Rispolept in Eastern Europe, and Belivon, or Rispen elsewhere) is an atypical antipsychotic medication developed by Janssen Pharmaceutica.

Uses

Risperidone was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993^[1] for the treatment of schizophrenia. On Wednesday, August 22, 2007, Risperdal was approved as the only drug agent available for treatment of schizophrenia in children ages 13–18; it was also approved that same day for treatment of bipolar disorder in youths ages 10–18, joining lithium. Risperidone contains the functional groups of benzisoxazole and piperidine as part of its molecular structure. In 2003 the FDA approved risperidone for the short-term treatment of the mixed and manic states associated with bipolar disorder. In 2006 the FDA approved risperidone for the treatment of irritability in children and adolescents with autism. Like other atypical antipsychotics, it has also been used off-label for the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as Obsessive-Compulsive disorder; severe, treatment-resistant depression with or without psychotic features; Tourette's disorder; disruptive behavior disorders in children; and eating disorders, among others.^[2]

A multi-year UK study by the Alzheimer's Research Trust suggested that this and other neuroleptic anti-psychotic drugs commonly given to Alzheimer's patients with mild behavioural problems often make their condition worse. ^[3] The study concluded that

“

For most patients with AD, withdrawal of neuroleptics had no overall detrimental effect on functional and cognitive status and by some measures improved functional and cognitive status. Neuroleptics may have some value in the maintenance treatment of more severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, but this possibility must be weighed against the unwanted effects of therapy. The current study helps to inform a clinical management strategy for current practice, but the considerable risks of maintenance therapy highlight the urgency of further work to find, develop, and implement safer and more effective treatment approaches for neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with AD.

Risperidone is a strong dopamine blocker (antagonist); i.e., it inhibits functioning of postsynaptic dopamine receptors.

It reaches peak plasma levels quickly regardless of whether it is administered as a liquid or pill. The strong dopamine-blocking reaction is known to make some people feel nauseated if they do things that normally trigger the dopamine response, such as eat a pleasing meal or experience orgasm^{[original research?][citation needed]}. Risperidone is metabolised fairly quickly, so this potential for nausea subsides usually in two to three hours. However the active metabolite, 9-hydroxy-risperidone, which has similar pharmacodynamics to risperidone, lingers in the body for much longer.

An intramuscular preparation, marketed as Risperdal Consta, can be given once every two weeks. It is slowly released from the injection site. It can be useful in patients who have difficulty taking oral medication for any reason. Some people prefer a once-every-two-weeks injection to daily pills. It also helps the physician ensure compliance. Doses range from 25 to 50 mg given as an intramuscular injection once every two weeks.

{FROM WIKIPEDIA}