my husband had a melldown last month brought him home he is on 4 mg of respidone and he do not talk and like to stay in our room all day by himself he comes out make himself something to eat then take it back and eat in the room I have to force him to go to the store with me just to get him out of the house, he is not agresive or mad just no expresion at all, the doctor told me to wait and see if respidone work for him he has been taking 4 mg for one week so far I was just wondering if that medicine takes a long time to work or what , we are waiting for a neurology appointment and see what they say, I am just worry if I keep letting him been in the room all the time its going to be very hard to get him out and taking him to his doctors appointment any suggestions, thanks.

4mg of resperidone is a high dosage. Especially to start out at that level. It is a very powerful med. My husband w/HD has meltdown/anger issues and was put on 1mg. When the MD increased to 2mg, it took two weeks for all the effects to kick in, which included my husband becoming more zombie-like. We ended up reducing the medication to 1.5 mg and just that small decrease has helped my husband to function better (took about two weeks to clear his system). I would let your neurologist know that he has been put on this level of dosage, and that you are seeing bad side effects, and you need an appointment ASAP. Resperidone works for my husband, but only in small doses.

My husband is up to 6mg daily of Risperidone. 3 in am, 3 in pm. He was on 4 for a long time, but then started to have breakthrough aggression.

I think as long as the meds are controlling his symptoms without "snowing" him, it is a good thing. I would rather he be well controlled on medication than having meltdowns.

All of the neuro affecting meds take about 2 weeks to stabilize in the system. You may see this as a big change in his behavior, but it might also be another symptom of his HD. Once you removed the layer of aggression, now you have the apathy related to HD. My husband goes through that from time to time. I don't feel guilty just letting him go through those times as he wants to. If he wants to stay in his room, I go in there to spend time with him. Conversation is often like pulling info out of him, I initiate much of it, but he seems to appreciate it. I hope he will come around.

Sadly, mine is not the same company as he used to be. Sometimes I mourn that loss, but I find myself better able to cope if I change my expectations of him. Don't expect more than he is able to give.

Hope this helps, atleast in knowing you are not alone.
Patty C

thanks guys really apreciate it.

I agree with Pattyc. My husband is not the same man in any way, shape, or form that he used to be. He is on both 100 mg of seroquel morning and evening, and 2 mg of risperidone at bedtime, with other psych meds Klonapin and Effexor. He is much calmer and well behaved. Without the risperidone, I had to call police as he was hitting and kicking me, and unable to calm down once agitated. Without the meds, he would not be able to live at home. With them, he does rest a lot and spends a great deal of time watching his fish tank, which he says, helps him stay calm. The risperidone stopped his agression, but he still has the apathy, impatience, and perseveration. Those I can deal with and try to be as accommodating as possible, but there are days where it's very hard. I miss the husband I married, but have learned to be independent and happy on my own without depending on my husband to fulfill any part of my life. Sad, but true. I'm thrilled when he is chatty and amiable, but I don't ever expect it on a daily basis. Good luck to you.