Determination Of Risperidone Essay

Risperdal (Risperidone) has been used for a number of different mental health disorders. It has been used for Schizophrenia, Bipolar I disorder, and to help with irritability in children with Autism. There are a number of different things that will be covered in this paper such as the chemical makeup of the medication, the appearance, side effects, off label use, side effects, administration, and how it works, with other additional information.

Risperidone has been utilized as an atypical antipsychotic and prescribed since 1994. It is mainly used for treatment in those with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and irritability in autism spectrum disorder. Risperidone has multiple types of administration and the most common is oral tablet form. This can be used in adults or adolescents, but is closely monitored when used with children. The side effects for Risperidone should be taken into consideration by both prescribers and prescribed. Finally, Risperidone should not be used while pregnant or nursing due to potential side effects carried from mother to child. This second generation antipsychotic has been used for many years and will continue to be prescribed in practice.

Risperidone is atypical antipsychotics drug used in the treatment of mental and mood disorders. It is helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances in the brain. This medication may also be used in combination with other medication to treat depression.

It has come to my attention going over teacher files that one of my elementary teachers has a prescription for Risperdal, which is an anti-psychotic medication to treat schizophrenia. It is my job to decide what to do, and if she is a risk to the children if she stops taking her medications. There are a number of factors to consider before making a decision, as well as ethical issues to evaluate concerning this situation. In order to be morally sound in my decision I need to decide what the right action to take is. So first off, I need to get the facts on this medication.

Physiological Changes Due to Risperdal Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, psychosis and thought disorder are all symptoms of Schizophrenia and people who suffer from these symptoms seek the treatment of atypical anti-psychotic medications. Those medicines include Risperidone (Risperdal), Clozapine (Clozaril) , Ziprasidone (Geodon) and Quetiapine(Seroquel). The purpose of these medications

ASD also known as Autism spectrum disorder or simply Autism is a disorder that is very common in children especially in male children and it is known to that mainly affect the behavior, ability to communicate with others, ability to interact socially with others and level of interest to things of people.

In this day and age, drugs are being prescribed without hesitation. In fact, many of these drugs are being prescribed for children with various disorders. One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated five to ten percent of children are diagnosed with this syndrome (Taylor 11). One of the methods to treat this disorder is to use stimulants, specifically Ritalin. This method is controversial because it has many side effects and its long-term effects are unknown. It can also lead to addiction. Approximately two to three percent of elementary school children are taking some kind of stimulant to treat ADHD (Taylor 64). Since so many children are taking this medication, new problems have arisen.

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adulthood. This disorder is characterized by difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior and hyperactivity. In children, the long term effects of psychotropic medications are unknown and lead to a number of precipitating factors. Choosing the right medication, dose and treatment plan should be based on each child’s individual needs and situation. Some of the medications used to manage symptoms of ADHD are Ritalin and Adderall. These two drugs have been around for a while; however, Vyvanse, Strattera, and Concerta are new drugs that have been proven to help with ADHD symptoms.

Garber, Stephen W., Ph.D, Marianne Daniels Garber, Ph.D, and Robyn Freedman Spizman. Beyond Ritalin. New York: Villard, 1996. p 56-59.

With some help from the Rxlist.com, some of the more common types of drugs are: Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin, Daytrana, Metadate, Methylin and Dexedrine. Along with this list of medications, comes a list of side effects – a long list of side effects. As summarized from Lautieri’s article, the list of short term side effects includes: nervousness, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, stomach pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, headache, vision problems, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, skin rash, psychosis, numbness, tingling, or cold feeling in hands or feet. As with all drugs, it is uncommon not to have side effects; but with methylphenidate, the worry is focused on the long-term side effects. These are side effects that will affect a person for the rest of their life due to a drug they’ve been taking since childhood, even if they’ve stopped taking it. These long-term side effects will include: disorientation and apathy, delusions, hallucinations and other signs of a psychotic disorder, frequent seizure activity, anorexia and marked weight loss, alternating bouts of mania and depression, overall slow growth rate and thoughts of suicide. Additionally, a continuous Ritalin prescription can result in a number of social and personal changes that will significantly diminish the patient’s quality of life. Some of these changes will include: profound mood changes, compulsion to seek drugs, decreased performance at work or school, or impaired judgment and changes in priorities. If one wanted to stop their prescription of Methylphenidate, they would experience multiple symptoms of withdrawal. Some of the withdrawal symptoms will include: fatigue, nightmares, bouts of insomnia alternating with long periods of heavy sleep, weight gain, muscle twitching and

First synthesized in 1944, the Ritalin formula (at that time commonly known as MPH, from methylphenidate) was improved in 1950, and by 1954 it was being tested on humans. In 1957, Ciba Pharmaceutical Company began marketing MPH as Ritalin to treat chronic fatigue, depression, psychosis associated with depression, narcolepsy, and to offset the sedating effects of other medications. It was used into the 1960s to try to counteract the symptoms of barbiturate overdose. Ritalin has a high potential for abuse when injected it may produce feelings of euphoria. Those who misuse Ritalin increase the amphetamine-like effects by crushing the tablets into a powder and snorting it or dissolving it in water for intravenous injection.

Since the 1950s, Ritalin has aided in the treatment of hundreds of thousands of patients affected by ADHD, and is less commonly used to treat narcolepsy, depression and obesity. Ritalin is a central nervous system stimulant, and is effective by affecting chemicals in the brain and nerves that are contributed to ADHD symptoms. Specifically, it works as an enzyme toward the chemicals dopamine and noradrenaline in areas of the brain that play a part in controlling attention and behaviour. The original patent for this drug was held by CIBA but has been transferred to the Novartic Corporation. It became licensed in 1955 by the U.S. Food and and Drug Administration.

Medicine such as, Amphetamine is a stimulant. Methylphenidate (Ritalin), is commonly used to treat ADHD disorder. Studies are always changing to inform readers. Many side effects from the medication will always be the challenge for most that are diagnosed with the disorder. Although with the side effects, the

Those children that are diagnosed with ADHD are usually prescribed psycho-stimulant medications, such as ‘methylphenidate’, otherwise known as ‘Ritalin’, as the primary method of treatment. (Chandler, 2010).