RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) Long Acting Injection

About Schizophrenia
Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
Living with Schizophrenia
About RISPERDAL CONSTA
Staying on Treatment
Importance of Staying on Treatment
Challenges of Staying on Treatment
Taking Your Medication as Prescribed? Try this "Quick Quiz".
Tips to Remember Your RISPERDAL CONSTA Injection Appointments
Tools to Help You Stay on Treatment
Schizophrenia Newsletter
News Center
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
También en Español
Full US Prescribing Information
Sitemap
Global Resources
Tell a friend
Privacy Policy
Legal Notice
Printer Friendly
 Text Size:  S | M |  L
 
 
 
    


Challenges of Staying on Treatment

Why staying on treatment can be difficult
Stay motivated
Don't stop because you feel better
Talk to your doctor about your side effects

Why staying on treatment can be difficult

It’s really important to take your schizophrenia medication when you’re supposed to. In fact, it’s one of the most important things people with schizophrenia can do to help themselves get better and stay better.

So why is taking medication properly, on time, so hard? There are all sorts of reasons:

  • You may not believe that you are ill and may deny your need to take any medication.
  • You are discouraged with the improvements in your symptoms.
  • You might be feeling better and think that you can stop taking your medication.
  • Your thinking might be disorganized, causing you to forget to take your daily dose.
  • You are experiencing bothersome side effects.

Wondering whether you might be at risk of not taking your medication properly? Why not try this “quick quiz”?

While there may be many reasons for not to taking your medication properly, the most important thing is that you do take it. There are many strategies to help you remember to visit your doctor for your RISPERDAL CONSTA Long-Acting injection.

<Back to Top>


Stay motivated

If you have been prescribed RISPERDAL CONSTA long-acting injection, you need to have an injection every two weeks. A dose of medication every two weeks may not seem like much. But even so, you do need to make a commitment to doing it on time.

You need to keep motivated to take your medication. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Of course, you want to get better, and stay that way. But you may have times when you wonder if your medication is really helping you.

Remember, atypical antipsychotic medications like RISPERDAL CONSTA long-acting injection take time to work. It takes three weeks from the first injection for RISPERDAL CONSTA to start working. You physician will advise you to continue taking your oral medication for these three weeks, after which he/she will advise that you can stop taking your oral medication.

When you start your medication, progress may be very slow at first. Or, you may find that you have days when you’re making good progress, and other days when your therapy seems to take a step backwards. This is normal, when you’re trying to get a medical illness like schizophrenia under control.

With continued treatment, your symptoms should gradually improve. To keep yourself motivated, you may want to record how you are feeling each day. By keeping a daily record, you’ll be able to see that you actually are improving a little each day. If you’d like to keep a day-by-day record of your progress, click here for a downloadable progress tool you can use.

The important thing is not to lose confidence in your treatment. If you don’t seem to be making progress for a few days, don’t despair! Stick with your treatment, keep taking your medications and be sure to visit your doctor. Remember, scientific studies show that RISPERDAL CONSTA long-acting injection may work if you give it a proper chance.

<Back to Top>


Don’t stop because you feel better

Symptom free? Don’t be fooled!

If you have an illness like the flu, you know you’re sick! You have a fever, a sore throat and a cough and are given medication for a limited period of time.

But schizophrenia isn’t like that. Medications can help to manage your symptoms, helping you to feel better. When your symptoms have been stabilized you might think you don’t need to take your medication any more.

But you do!

Remember, schizophrenia is a long-term illness. Keeping it under control is not the same as curing it. You can only continue to keep your symptoms under control with medication. If you stop taking your medication, your symptoms will start to come back. You may not notice any change for a while, but the fact is, if you stop taking your medication you increase your chances of suffering a relapse.

<Back to Top>


Don’t let side effects slow you down

Medications can cause side effects. If you are troubled by side effects, talk to your doctor as soon as possible for options.

<Back to Top>



    
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
For frequently asked questions about RISPERDAL CONSTA, click here.

Patient Brochure
View and download
Patient Brochure RISPERDAL CONSTA patient education brochure. Click here.

 


RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) is used for the treatment of schizophrenia.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR RISPERDAL® CONSTA®

Elderly Patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death compared to placebo. RISPERDAL® CONSTA® (risperidone) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a rare and potentially fatal side effect reported with RISPERDAL® CONSTA® and similar medicines. Call your doctor immediately if the person being treated develops symptoms such as high fever; stiff muscles; shaking; confusion; sweating; changes in pulse, heart rate, or blood pressure; or muscle pain and weakness. Treatment should be stopped if the person being treated has NMS.

Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a serious, sometimes permanent side effect reported with RISPERDAL® CONSTA® and similar medications. TD includes uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue, and other parts of the body. The risk of developing TD and the chance that it will become permanent is thought to increase with the length of therapy and the overall dose taken by the patient. This condition can develop after a brief period of therapy at low doses, although this is much less common. There is no known treatment for TD, but it may go away partially or completely if therapy is stopped.

High blood sugar and diabetes have been reported with RISPERDAL® CONSTA® and similar medications. If the person being treated has diabetes or risk factors such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, blood sugar testing should be performed at the beginning and throughout treatment with RISPERDAL® CONSTA®. Complications of diabetes can be serious and even life threatening. If signs of high blood sugar or diabetes develop, such as being thirsty all the time, going to the bathroom a lot, or feeling weak or hungry, contact your doctor.

RISPERDAL® CONSTA® and similar medications can raise the blood levels of a hormone known as prolactin, causing a condition known as hyperprolactinemia. Blood levels of prolactin remain elevated with continued use. Some side effects seen with these medications include the absence of a menstrual period; breasts producing milk; the development of breasts by males; and the inability to achieve an erection. The connection between prolactin levels and side effects is unknown.

Some people taking RISPERDAL® CONSTA® may feel faint or lightheaded when they stand up or sit up too quickly. By standing up or sitting up slowly and following your healthcare professional's dosing instructions, this side effect can be reduced or it may go away over time.

RISPERDAL® CONSTA® may affect your alertness or driving ability; therefore, do not drive or operate machinery before talking to your healthcare professional.

RISPERDAL® CONSTA® should be used cautiously in people with a seizure disorder, who have had seizures in the past, or who have conditions that increase their risk for seizures.

Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) are usually persistent movement disorders or muscle disturbances, such as restlessness, tremors, and muscle stiffness. If you observe any of these symptoms, talk to your healthcare professional.

Inform your healthcare professional if you become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during therapy with RISPERDAL® CONSTA®. Caution should be exercised when RISPERDAL® CONSTA® is administered to a nursing woman.

RISPERDAL® CONSTA® may make you more sensitive to heat. You may have trouble cooling off, or be more likely to become dehydrated, so take care when exercising or when doing things that make you warm.

Some medications interact with RISPERDAL® CONSTA®. Please inform your healthcare professional of any medications or supplements that you are taking. Avoid alcohol while on RISPERDAL® CONSTA®.

In a study of people taking RISPERDAL® CONSTA®, the most common side effects in the treatment of schizophrenia were headache, tremors, dizziness, restlessness, tiredness, constipation, indigestion, sleepiness, weight gain, pain in the limbs, and dry mouth.

If you have any questions about RISPERDAL® CONSTA® or your therapy, talk with your doctor.

For more information, read the Important Product Information by clicking here.

01CS1054




Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Home   Janssen.com   Site Map   Contact Us   

© Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2003 – 2008. This site is published by Janssen®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which is solely responsible for its contents. This site is intended for visitors from the United States.
This page was last updated on: Oct 08 2007 at 14:47:05 EDT