Risperidone

Hello Dr. Nagler!

I'm currently undergoing treatment for schizotypy, a different and lighter version of schizophrenia, where I am present in this reality .. And I'm having many doubts on whether to try out medication or not. My psychiatrist recommends risperidone for dealing with ruminations and potentially other symptoms I'm experiencing they suspect as bodily hallucinations, the latter which by far exceeds tinnitus and has been my primary problem for years.
I'm just not sure, the onset of tinnitus was the top of the iceberg crashing into an already filled pool of problems, so I fear much for the potential ototoxicity tsunami of Risperidone to wash over me and worsen the already problematic addition of tinnitus.
Their plan is to first make me overcome my anxiety of taking medication by putting me on a dose of either 25mg or 50mg, to check out the impact, and if needed increase the dose if it works.
Should I be concerned? I read the potential sideeffects and tinnitus, earpain was stated, but as with any other medication there was not one sideeffect lacking.

 

Hi @Tenna -

Risperidone is not known to be ototoxic. In the very unlikely event that your tinnitus is exacerbated upon starting the drug, it should settle back down within a few weeks after discontinuing the drug (under your doctor's supervision, of course). If if does not settle back down, then it wasn't the drug that caused the exacerbation in the first place.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Stephen Nagler