Sign Out
Cerebrovascular Adverse Events (CVAE): In placebo-controlled trials in elderly patients with dementia there was a significantly higher incidence (approximately 3-fold increased) of CVAEs, such as stroke (including fatalities) and transient ischaemic attack in patients treated with risperidone, compared with patients treated with placebo (mean age 85 years; range 73 to 97). The pooled data from six placebo-controlled studies in mainly elderly patients (>65 years of age) with dementia showed that CVAEs (serious and non-serious, combined) occurred in 3.3% (33/1009) of patients treated with risperidone and 1.2% (8/712) of patients treated with placebo. The odds ratio (95% exact confidence interval) was 2.96 (1.34, 7.50). The mechanism for this increased risk is not known. An increased risk cannot be excluded for other antipsychotics or other patient populations.
Risperidone should be used with caution in patients with risk factors for stroke.
The risk of CVAEs was significantly higher in patients with mixed or vascular type of dementia when compared to Alzheimer's dementia. Therefore, patients with other types of dementias than Alzheimer's should not be treated with risperidone.
Physicians are advised to assess the risks and benefits of the use of risperidone in elderly patients with dementia, taking into account risk predictors for stroke in the individual patient. Patients/caregivers should be cautioned to immediately report signs and symptoms of potential CVAEs such as sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arms or legs, and speech or vision problems. All treatment options should be considered without delay, including discontinuation of risperidone.
Risperidone should only be used short term for persistent aggression in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's dementia to supplement non-pharmacological approaches which have had limited or no efficacy and when there is potential risk of harm to self or others.
Patients should be reassessed regularly, and the need for continuing treatment reassessed.
Orthostatic hypotension: Due to the alpha-blocking activity of risperidone, (orthostatic) hypotension can occur, especially during the initial dose-titration period. Clinically significant hypotension has been observed postmarketing with concomitant use of risperidone and antihypertensive treatment. Risperidone should be used with caution in patients with known cardiovascular disease (e.g. heart failure, myocardial infarction, conduction abnormalities, dehydration, hypovolaemia, or cerebrovascular disease), and the dosage should be gradually titrated as recommended (see Dosage & Administration). A dose reduction should be considered if hypotension occurs.
Tardive Dyskinesia/Extrapyramidal Symptoms (TD/EPS): Medicines with dopamine receptor antagonist properties have been associated with the induction of tardive dyskinesia, characterised by rhythmical involuntary movements, predominantly of the tongue and/or face. The onset of extrapyramidal symptoms is a risk factor for the development of tardive dyskinesia. If signs and symptoms of tardive dyskinesia appear, the discontinuation of all antipsychotic drugs should be considered.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS): Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, characterised by hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, autonomic instability, altered consciousness and elevated serum creatine phosphokinase levels have been reported to occur with antipsychotics. Additional signs may include myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis) and acute renal failure. In such an event, all antipsychotic drugs, including risperidone, should be discontinued.
Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies: Physicians should weigh the risks versus the benefits when prescribing antipsychotics, including risperidone, to patients with Parkinson's Disease or Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). Parkinson's Disease may worsen with risperidone. Both groups may be at increased risk of Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome as well as having an increased sensitivity to antipsychotic medicinal products; these patients were excluded from clinical trials. Manifestation of this increased sensitivity can include confusion, obtundation, postural instability with frequent falls, in addition to extrapyramidal symptoms.
Hyperglycaemia: Hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus and exacerbation of pre-existing diabetes have been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics, including risperidone. Assessment of the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and glucose abnormalities is complicated by the possibility of an increased background risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with schizophrenia and the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given these confounders, the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and hyperglycemia-related adverse events is not completely understood.
Any patient treated with atypical antipsychotics, including risperidone should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus. However, epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk of diabetes and hyperglycaemia with atypical antipsychotics. Patients with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, risk factors for diabetes (eg obesity, family history of diabetes), or those who develop symptoms of hyperglycaemia during treatment with a typical antipsychotics should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycaemia including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia and weakness.
Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome: Intraoperative Floppy Iris Syndrome (IFIS) has been observed during cataract surgery in patients treated with medicines with alpha1a-adrenergic antagonist effect, including risperidone IFIS may increase the risk of eye complications during and after the operation. Current or past use of medicines with alpha1a-adrenergic antagonist effect should be made known to the ophthalmic surgeon in advance of surgery. The potential benefit of stopping alpha1 blocking therapy prior to cataract surgery has not been established and must be weighed against the risk of stopping the antipsychotic therapy.
Hyperprolactinaemia: Tissue culture studies suggest that cell growth in human breast tumours may be stimulated by prolactin. Although no clear association with the administration of antipsychotics has so far been demonstrated in clinical and epidemiological studies, caution is recommended in patients with relevant medical history. Risperidone should be used with caution in patients with pre-existing hyperprolactinaemia and in patients with possible prolactin-dependent tumours.
QT prolongation: QT prolongation has very rarely been reported postmarketing. As with other antipsychotics, caution should be exercised when risperidone is prescribed in patients with known cardiovascular disease, family history of QT prolongation, bradycardia, or electrolyte disturbances (hypokalaemia, hypomagnesaemia), as it may increase the risk of arrhythmogenic effects, and in concomitant use with medicines known to prolong the QT interval.
Seizures: Risperidone should be used cautiously in patients with a history of seizures or other conditions that potentially lower the seizure threshold.
Priapism: Priapism may occur with risperidone treatment due to its alpha-adrenergic blocking effects.
Body temperature regulation: Disruption of the body's ability to reduce core body temperature has been attributed to antipsychotic medicines. Appropriate care is advised when prescribing risperidone to patients who will be experiencing conditions which may contribute to an elevation in core body temperature, e.g., exercising strenuously, exposure to extreme heat, receiving concomitant treatment with anticholinergic activity, or being subject to dehydration.
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: Risperidone can have minor or moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines due to potential nervous system and visual effects (see Adverse Reactions). Therefore, patients should be advised not to drive or operate machinery until their individual susceptibility is known.
Use in Children: Children and adolescents: Before risperidone is prescribed to a child or adolescent with conduct disorder they should be fully assessed for physical and social causes of the aggressive behaviour such as pain or inappropriate environmental demands.
The sedative effect of risperidone should be closely monitored in this population because of possible consequences on learning ability. A change in the time of administration of risperidone could improve the impact of the sedation on attention faculties of children and adolescents.
Risperidone was associated with mean increases in body weight and body mass index (BMI). Baseline weight measurement prior to treatment and regular weight monitoring are recommended. Changes in height in the long-term open-label extension studies were within expected age-appropriate norms. The effect of long-term risperidone treatment on sexual maturation and height have not been adequately studied.
Because of the potential effects of prolonged hyperprolactinemia on growth and sexual maturation in children and adolescents, regular clinical evaluation of endocrinological status should be considered, including measurements of height, weight, sexual maturation, monitoring of menstrual functioning, and other potential prolactin-related effects.
During treatment with risperidone regular examination for extrapyramidal symptoms and other movement disorders should also be conducted.
For specific posology recommendations in children and adolescents see Dosage & Administration.
Cases of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been reported with antipsychotic drugs. Since patients treated with antipsychotics often present with acquired risk factors for VTE, all possible risk factors for VTE should be identified before and during treatment with Risperidon Oral Solution and preventive measures undertaken.
Use in the Elderly: Elderly patients with dementia: Overall Mortality: Elderly patients with dementia treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs have an increased mortality compared to placebo in a meta-analysis of 17 controlled trials of atypical antipsychotic drugs, including risperidone. In placebo-controlled trials with risperidone in this population, the incidence of mortality was 4.0% for risperidone treated patients compared to 3.1% for placebo-treated patients. The odds ratio (95% exact confidence interval) was 1.21 (0.7, 2.1). The mean age (range) of patients who died was 86 years (range 67-100).
Concomitant use with Furosemide: In the risperidone placebo-controlled trials in elderly patients with dementia, a higher incidence of mortality was observed in patients treated with furosemide plus risperidone (7.3%; mean age 89 years, range 75-97) when compared to patients treated with risperidone alone (3.1%; mean age 84 years, range 70-96) or furosemide alone (4.1%; mean age 80 years, range 67-90. The increase in mortality in patients treated with furosemide plus risperidone was observed in two of the four clinical trials. Concomitant use of risperidone with other diuretics (mainly thiazide diuretics used in low dose) was not associated with similar findings.
No pathophysiological mechanism has been identified to explain this finding, and no consistent pattern for cause of death observed. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised and the risks and benefits of this combination or co-treatment with other potent diuretics should be considered prior to the decision to use. There was no increased incidence of mortality among patients taking other diuretics as concomitant medication with risperidone. Irrespective of treatment, dehydration was an overall risk factor for mortality and should therefore be carefully avoided in elderly patients with dementia.
