Source: Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (GB) Revision Year: 2019 Publisher: Accord Healthcare Limited, Sage House, 319, Pinner Road, North Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 4 HF, United Kingdom
Risperidone is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia.
Risperidone is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes associated with bipolar disorders.
Risperidone is indicated for the short-term treatment (up to 6 weeks) of persistent aggression in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s dementia unresponsive to non-pharmacological approaches and when there is a risk of harm to self or others.
Risperidone is indicated for the short-term symptomatic treatment (up to 6 weeks) of persistent aggression in conduct disorder in children from the age of 5 years and adolescents with subaverage intellectual functioning or mental retardation diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria, in whom the severity of aggressive or other disruptive behaviours require pharmacologic treatment. Pharmacological treatment should be an integral part of a more comprehensive treatment programme, including psychosocial and educational intervention. It is recommended that risperidone be prescribed by a specialist in child neurology and child and adolescent psychiatry or physicians well familiar with the treatment of conduct disorder of children and adolescents.
Risperidone may be given once or twice daily.
Patient should start with 2 mg/day risperidone. The dosage may be increased on the second day to 4 mg. Subsequently, the dosage can be maintained unchanged, or further individualised, if needed. Most patients will benefit from daily doses between 4 and 6 mg. In some patients, a slower titration phase and a lower starting and maintenance dose may be appropriate.
Doses above 10 mg/day have not demonstrated superior efficacy to lower doses and may cause increased incidence of extrapyramidal symptoms. Safety of doses above 16 mg/day has not been evaluated and are therefore not recommended.
A starting dose of 0.5 mg twice daily is recommended. This dosage can be individually adjusted with 0.5 mg twice daily increments to 1 to 2 mg twice daily.
Risperidone is not recommended for use in children below age 18 with schizophrenia due to a lack of data on efficacy.
Risperidone should be administered on a once daily schedule, starting with 2mg risperidone. Dosage adjustments, if indicated, should occur at intervals of not less than 24 hours and in dosage increments of 1mg per day. Risperidone can be administered in flexible doses over a range of 1 to 6 mg per day to optimize each patient’s level of efficacy and tolerability. Daily doses over 6 mg risperidone have not been investigated in patients with manic episodes.
As with all symptomatic treatments, the continued use of Risperidone must be evaluated and justified on an ongoing basis.
A starting dose of 0.5 mg twice daily is recommended. This dosage can be individually adjusted with 0.5 mg twice daily increments to 1 to 2 mg twice daily. Since clinical experience in elderly is limited, caution should be exercised.
Risperidone is not recommended for use in children below age 18 with bipolar mania due to a lack of data on efficacy.
A starting dose of 0.25 mg twice daily is recommended. This dosage can be individually adjusted by increments of 0.25 mg twice daily, not more frequently than every other day, if needed. The optimum dose is 0.5 mg twice daily for most patients. Some patients, however, may benefit from doses up to 1 mg twice daily.
Risperidone should not be used more than 6 weeks in patients with persistent aggression in Alzheimer’s dementia. During treatment, patients must be evaluated frequently and regularly, and the need for continuing treatment reassessed.
For subjects ≥50 kg, a starting dose of 0.5 mg once daily is recommended. This dosage can be individually adjusted by increments of 0.5 mg once daily not more frequently than every other day, if needed. The optimum dose is 1 mg once daily for most patients. Some patients, however, may benefit from 0.5 mg once daily while others may require 1.5 mg once daily. For subjects <50 kg, a starting dose of 0.25 mg once daily is recommended. This dosage can be individually adjusted by increments of 0.25 mg once daily not more frequently than every other day, if needed. The optimum dose is 0.5 mg once daily for most patients. Some patients, however, may benefit from 0.25 mg once daily while others may require 0.75 mg once daily.
As with all symptomatic treatments, the continued use of Risperidone must be evaluated and justified on an ongoing basis.
Risperidone is not recommended in children less than 5 years of age, as there is no experience in children less than 5 years of age with this disorder.
Patients with renal impairment have less ability to eliminate the active antipsychotic fraction than in adults with normal renal function. Patients with impaired hepatic function have increases in plasma concentration of the free fraction of risperidone.
Irrespective of the indication, starting and consecutive dosing should be halved, and dose titration should be slower for patients with renal or hepatic impairment.
Risperidone should be used with caution in these groups of patients.
Risperidone is for oral use. Food does not affect the absorption of Risperidone.
Upon discontinuation, gradual withdrawal is advised. Acute withdrawal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, sweating, and insomnia have very rarely been described after abrupt cessation of high doses of antipsychotic medicines (see section 4.8). Recurrence of psychotic symptoms may also occur, and the emergence of involuntary movement disorders (such as akathisia, dystonia and dyskinesia) has been reported.
When medically appropriate, gradual discontinuation of the previous treatment while risperidone therapy is initiated is recommended. Also, if medically appropriate, when switching patients from depot antipsychotics, initiate risperidone therapy in place of the next scheduled injection. The need for continuing existing anti-Parkinson medicines should be re-evaluated periodically.
In general, reported signs and symptoms have been those resulting from an exaggeration of the known pharmacological effects of risperidone. These include drowsiness and sedation, tachycardia and hypotension, and extrapyramidal symptoms. In overdose, QT-prolongation and convulsions have been reported. Torsade de Pointes has been reported in association with combined overdose of risperidone and paroxetine.
In case of acute overdose, the possibility of multiple drug involvement should be considered.
Establish and maintain a clear airway and ensure adequate oxygenation and ventilation. Gastric lavage (after intubation, if the patient is unconscious) and administration of activated charcoal together with a laxative should be considered only when drug intake was less than one hour before. Cardiovascular monitoring should commence immediately and should include continuous electrocardiographic monitoring to detect possible arrhythmias.
There is no specific antidote to risperidone. Therefore appropriate supportive measures should be instituted. Hypotension and circulatory collapse should be treated with appropriate measures such as intravenous fluids and/or sympathomimetic agents. In case of severe extrapyramidal symptoms, an anticholinergic medicinal product should be administered. Close medical supervision and monitoring should continue until the patient recovers.
Shelf life: 2 years.
Do not store above 30°C.
Risperidone is packed in PVC/PVdC/Al blister of 20, 28, 30, 50, 60, 90, 100 and 120 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Any unused product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.
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