RISPERIDONE 6 MG FILM-COATED TABLETS - patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
• The full name of this medicine is Risperidone 6mg Film-coated Tablets, but within the leaflet it will be referred to as Risperidone Tablets.

What is in this leaflet

• 1. What Risperidone Tablets are and what they are used for

2. What you need to know before you take Risperidone Tablets

3. How to take Risperidone Tablets

4. Possible side effects

5. How to store Risperidone Tablets

6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Risperidone Tablets are and what they are used for

Risperidone Tablets belong to a group of medicines called ‘anti-psychotics’.

Risperidone Tablets are used to treat the following:

• Schizophrenia, where you may see, hear or feel things that are not there, believe things that are not true or feel unusually suspicious, or confused
• Mania, where you may feel very excited, elated, agitated, enthusiastic or hyperactive. Mania occurs in an illness called “bipolar disorder”
• Short-term treatment (up to 6 weeks) of long-term aggression in people with Alzheimer’s de­mentia, who harm themselves or others. Alternative (non-drug) treatments should have been used previously
• Short-term treatment (up to 6 weeks) of long-term aggression in intellectually disabled children (at least 5 years of age) and adolescents with conduct disorder.

Risperidone Tablets can help alleviate the symptoms of your disease and stop your symptoms from coming back.

2. what you need to know before you take risperidone tablets you are allergic to risperidone or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Risperidone Tablets if:

You have a heart problem. Examples include an irregular heart rhythm or if you are prone to low blood pressure or if you are using medicines for your blood pressure. Risperidone Tablets may cause low blood pressure. Your dose may need to be adjusted

You know of any factors which would favour you having a stroke, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disorder or blood vessel problems in the brain

You have ever experienced involuntary movements of the tongue, mouth and face

You have ever had a condition whose symptoms include high temperature, muscle stiffness, sweating or a lowered level of consciousness (also known as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome)

You have Parkinson’s disease or dementia

You are diabetic

You have epilepsy

You are a man and you have ever had a prolonged or painful erection. If you experience this while taking Risperidone Tablets, contact your doctor straight away

You have problems controlling your body temperature or overheating

You have kidney problems

You have liver problems

You have an abnormally high level of the hormone prolactin in your blood or if you have a tumour, which is possibly dependent on prolactin

You or someone else in your family has a history of blood clots, as medicines like these have been associated with formation of blood clots.

If you are not sure if any of the above applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Risperidone Tablets.

As dangerously low numbers of a certain type of white blood cell needed to fight infection in your blood has been seen very rarely with patients taking Risperidone Tablets, your doctor may check your white blood cell counts.

Risperidone Tablets may cause you to gain weight. Significant weight gain may adversely affect your health. Your doctor should regularly measure your body weight.

As diabetes mellitus or worsening of pre-existing diabetes mellitus have been seen with patients taking Risperidone Tablets, your doctor should check for signs of high blood sugar. In patients with pre-existing diabetes mellitus, blood glucose should be monitored regularly.

Risperidone Tablets commonly raise levels of a hormone called “prolactin”. This may cause side effects such as menstrual disorders or fertility problems in women, breast swelling in men (see section 4: Possible side effects). If such side effects occur, evaluation of the prolactin level in the blood is recommended.

During an operation on the eye for cloudiness of the lens (cataract), the pupil (the black circle in the middle of your eye) may not increase in size as needed. Also, the iris (the coloured part of the eye) may become floppy during surgery and that may lead to eye damage. If you are planning to have an operation on your eye, make sure you tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine.

Elderly people with dementia

In elderly patients with dementia, there is an increased risk of stroke. You should not take risperidone if you have dementia caused by stroke.

During treatment with risperidone you should frequently see your doctor.

Medical treatment should be sought straight away if you or your care-giver notice a sudden change in your mental state or sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arms or legs, especially on one side, or slurred speech, even for a short period of time. These may be signs of a stroke.

Children and adolescents

Before treatment is started in conduct disorder, other causes of aggressive behaviour should have been ruled out.

If during treatment with risperidone tiredness occurs, a change in the time of administration might improve attention difficulties.

Before treatment is started, your or your child’s body weight may be measured, and it may be regularly monitored during treatment.

A small and inconclusive study has reported an increase in height in children who took risperidone, but whether this is an effect of the drug or due to some other reason is not known.

Other medicines and Risperidone Tablets

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription and herbal medicines.

It is especially important to talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:

• Medicines that work on your brain such as to help you calm down (benzodiazepines) or some medicines for pain (opiates), medicines for allergy (some antihistamines), as risperidone may increase the sedative effect of all of these
• Medicines that may change the electrical activity of your heart, such as medicines for malaria, heart rhythm problems (such as quinidine), allergies (antihistamines), some antidepressants or other medicines for mental problems
• Medicines that cause a slow heartbeat
• Medicines that cause low blood potassium (e.g. certain diuretics)
• Medicines to treat elevated blood pressure. Risperidone Tablets can lower blood pressure
• Medicines for Parkinson's disease (such as levodopa)
• Water tablets (diuretics) used for heart problems or swelling of parts of your body due to a build up of too much fluid (such as furosemide or chlorothiazide). Risperidone Tablets taken by itself or with furosemide may have an increased risk of stroke or death in elderly people with dementia
• Medicines that increase the activity of the central nervous system (psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate – used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)).

The following medicines may reduce the effect of risperidone:

• Rifampicin (a medicine for treating some infections)
• Carbamazepine, phenytoin (medicines for epilepsy)
• Phenobarbital

If you start or stop taking such medicines, you may need a different dose of risperidone.

The following medicines may increase the effect of risperidone:

• Quinidine (used for certain types of heart disease)
• Antidepressants such as paroxetine, fluoxetine, tricyclic antidepressants
• Medicines known as beta blockers (used to treat high blood pressure)
• Phenothiazines (e.g. used to treat psychosis or to calm down)
• Cimetidine, ranitidine (blockers of the acidity of stomach)
• Itraconazole, ketoconazole (medicines for treating fungal infections)
• Certain medicines used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, such as ritonavir
• Verapamil, a medicine used to treat high blood pressure and/or abnormal heart rhythm
• Sertraline, fluvoxamine, medicines used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders.

If you start or stop taking such medicines, you may need a different dose of risperidone.

Risperidone Tablets with food and alcohol

You can take this medicine with or without food. You should avoid drinking alcohol when taking Risperidone Tablets.

Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

The following symptoms may occur in newborn babies, of mothers that have used Risperidone Tablets in the last trimester (last three months of their pregnancy): shaking, muscle stiffness and/or weakness, sleepiness, agitation, breathing problems, and difficulty in feeding. If your baby develops any of these symptoms, you may need to contact your doctor.

Risperidone can raise your levels of a hormone called prolactin that may affect male and female fertility (see section 4: Possible side effects).

Driving and using machines

Dizziness, tiredness, and vision problems may occur during treatment with Risperidone Tablets. Do not drive or use any tools or machines without talking to your doctor first.

Risperidone Tablets contain lactose

If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.

3. how to take risperidone tablets

Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.

The recommended dose is

For the treatment of schizophrenia

Adults

• The usual starting dose is 2mg per day, this may be increased to 4mg per day on the second day
• Your dose may then be adjusted by your doctor depending on how you respond to the treatment
• Most people feel better with daily doses of 4 to 6mg
• This total daily dose can be divided into either one or two doses a day. Your doctor will tell you which is the best for you.

Elderly people

• Your starting dose will normally be 0.5mg twice a day
• Your dose may then be gradually increased by your doctor to 1mg to 2mg twice a day
• Your doctor will tell you which is the best for you.

For the treatment of mania

• Your dose may then be gradually adjusted by your doctor depending on how you respond to the treatment
• Most people feel better with doses of 1 to 6mg once a day.

Elderly people

• Your starting dose will usually be 0.5mg twice a day

Your dose may then be gradually adjusted by your doctor to 1mg to 2mg twice a day depending on how much you respond to the treatment.

For the treatment of long-standing aggression in people with Alzheimer’s dementia

• Your starting dose will normally be 0.25mg twice a day
• Your dose may then be gradually adjusted by your doctor depending on how you respond to the treatment
• Most people feel better with 0.5mg twice a day. Some patients may need 1mg twice a day
• Treatment duration in patients with Alzheimer’s de­mentia should be not more than 6 weeks.

Use in children and adolescents

• Children and adolescents under 18 years old should not be treated with Risperidone Tablets for schizophrenia or bipolar mania.

For the treatment of conduct disorder in children and adolescents

The dose will depend on your child’s weight:

For children who weigh less than 50 kg

• The starting dose will normally be 0.25mg once a day
• The dose may be increased every other day in steps of 0.25mg per day
• The usual maintenance dose is 0.25mg to 0.75mg once a day.

For children who weigh 50 kg or more

• The starting dose will normally be 0.5mg once a day
• The dose may be increased every other day in steps of 0.5mg per day
• The usual maintenance dose is 0.5mg to 1.5mg once a day.

Treatment duration in patients with conduct disorder should be not more than 6 weeks.

Children under 5 years old should not be treated with Risperidone Tablets for conduct disorder.

People with kidney or liver problems

Regardless of the disease to be treated, all starting doses and following doses of risperidone should be halved. Dose increases should be slower in these patients.

Risperidone should be used with caution in this patient group.

You should swallow your tablet with a drink of water. The score line is only there to help you break the tablet if you have difficulty swallowing it whole.

If you take more Risperidone Tablets than you should

• See a doctor right away. Take the medicine pack with you.
• In case of overdose, you may feel sleepy or tired, or have abnormal body movements, problems

standing and walking, feel dizzy due to low blood pressure, or have abnormal heartbeats or fits.

If you forget to take Risperidone Tablets

• If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue as usual. If you miss two or more doses, contact your doctor.
• Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.

You should not stop taking this medicine unless told to do so by your doctor. Your symptoms may return. If your doctor decides to stop this medicine, your dose may be decreased gradually over a few days.

If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. possible side effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following uncommon side effects

• Have dementia and experience a sudden change in your mental state or sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arms or legs, especially on one side, or slurred speech, even for a short period of time. These may be signs of a stroke
• Experience tardive dyskinesia (twitching or jerking movements that you cannot control in your face, tongue, or other parts of your body). Tell your doctor immediately if you experience involuntary rhythmic movements of the tongue, mouth and face. Withdrawal of Risperidone Tablets may be needed
• Convulsion (fits), fainting
• Atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm), an interruption in conduction between the upper and lower parts of the heart, abnormal electrical conduction of the heart, prolongation of the QT interval from your heart, slow heart rate, abnormal electrical tracing of the heart (electrocardiogram or ECG).

Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following rare side effects

• Experience blood clots in the veins, especially in the legs (symptoms include swelling, pain, and redness in the leg), which may travel through blood vessels to the lungs causing chest pain and difficulty breathing. If you notice any of these symptoms, seek medical advice immediately
• Experience fever, muscle stiffness, sweating or a lowered level of consciousness (a disorder called “Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome”). Immediate medical treatment may be needed
• Are a man and experience prolonged or painful erection. This is called priapism. Immediate medical treatment may be needed
• Experience severe allergic reaction characterised by fever, swollen mouth, face, lip or tongue, shortness of breath, itching, skin rash or drop in blood pressure
• Glaucoma (increased pressure within the eyeball)
• Breakdown of muscle fibres and pain in muscles (rhabdomyolysis)
• Dangerously low numbers of a certain type of white blood cell needed to fight infection in your blood.

Other side effects

The following side effects may also happen:

Very Common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Parkinsonism: This condition may include: slow or impaired movement, sensation of stiffness or tightness of the muscles (making your movements jerky), and sometimes even a sensation of movement „freezing up“ and then restarting. Other signs of parkinsonism include a slow shuffling walk, a tremor while at rest, increased saliva and/or drooling, and a loss of expression on the face
• Feeling sleepy, or less alert
• Headache.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):

• Pneumonia, infection of the chest (bronchitis), common cold symptoms, sinus infection, urinary tract infection, ear infection, feeling like you have the flu
• Raised levels of a hormone called „prolactin“ found in a blood test (which may or may not cause symptoms). Symptoms of high prolactin occur uncommonly and may include in men breast swelling, difficulty in getting or maintaining erections, decreased sexual desire or other sexual dysfunction. In women they may include breast discomfort, leakage of milk from the breasts, missed menstrual periods, or other problems with your cycle or fertility problems
• Weight gain, increased appetite, decreased appetite
• Sleep disorder, irritability, depression, anxiety, restlessness
• Dystonia: This is a condition involving slow or sustained involuntary contraction of muscles. While it can involve any part of the body (and may result in abnormal posture), dystonia often involves muscles of the face, including abnormal movements of the eyes, mouth, tongue or jaw
• Dizziness
• Dyskinesia: This is a condition involving involuntary muscle movements, and can include repetitive, spastic or writhing movements, or twitching
• Tremor (shaking)
• Blurry vision, eye infection or „pink eye“
• Rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, shortness of breath
• Sore throat, cough, nose bleeds, stuffy nose
• Abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, vomiting, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion, dry mouth, toothache
• Rash, skin redness
• Muscle spasms, bone or muscle ache, back pain, joint pain
• Incontinence (lack of control) of urine
• Swelling of the body, arms or legs, chest pain, weakness, fatigue (tiredness), pain
• Fall.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):

• Infection of the breathing passages, bladder infection, eye infection, tonsillitis, fungal infection of the nails, infection of the skin, an infection confined to a single area of skin or part of the body, viral infection, skin inflammation caused by mites
• Decrease in the type of white blood cells that help to protect you against infection, white blood cell count decreased, decrease in platelets (blood cells that help you stop bleeding), anaemia, decrease in red blood cells, increase in eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in your blood
• Allergic reaction
• Diabetes or worsening of diabetes, high blood sugar, excessive drinking of water
• Weight loss, loss of appetite resulting in malnutrition and low body weight
• Increased cholesterol in your blood
• Elated mood (mania), confusion, decreased sexual drive, nervousness, nightmares
• Unresponsive to stimuli, loss of consciousness, low level of consciousness
• A restless urge to move parts of your body, balance disorder, abnormal coordination, dizziness upon standing, disturbance in attention, problems with speech, loss or abnormal sense of taste, reduced sensation of skin to pain and touch, a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of skin
• Oversensitivity of the eyes to light, dry eye, increased tears, redness of the eyes
• Sensation of spinning (vertigo), ringing in the ears, ear pain

A fluttering or pounding feeling in your chest (palpitations)

• Low blood pressure, low blood pressure upon standing (consequently, some people taking Risperidone Tablets may feel faint, dizzy, or may pass out when they stand up or sit up suddenly), flushing
• Pneumonia caused by inhaling food, lung congestion, congestion of breathing passages, crackly lung sounds, wheezing, voice disorder, breathing passage disorder
• Stomach or intestinal infection, stool incontinence, very hard stool, difficulty swallowing, excessive passing of gas or wind
• Hives (or „nettle rash“), itching, hair loss, thickening of skin, eczema, dry skin, skin discolouration, acne, flaky, itchy scalp or skin, skin disorder, skin lesion
• An increase of CPK (creatine phosphokinase) in your blood, an enzyme which is sometimes released with muscle breakdown
• Abnormal posture, joint stiffness, joint swelling, muscle weakness, neck pain
• Frequent passing of urine, inability to pass urine, pain when passing urine
• Erectile dysfunction, ejaculation disorder
• Loss of menstrual periods, missed menstrual periods or other problems with your cycle (females)
• Development of breasts in men, leakage of milk from the breasts, sexual dysfunction, breast pain, breast discomfort, vaginal discharge
• Swelling of the face, mouth, eyes, or lips
• Chills, an increase in body temperature
• A change in the way you walk
• Feeling thirsty, feeling unwell, chest discomfort, feeling „out of sorts“, discomfort
• Increased liver transaminases in your blood, increased GGT (a liver enzyme called gammaglutamyl­transferase) in your blood, increased liver enzymes in your blood
• Procedural pain.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):

• Infection
• Inappropriate secretion of a hormone that controls urine volume
• Sleep walking
• Sleep-related eating disorder
• Sugar in the urine, low blood sugar, high blood triglycerides (a fat)
• Lack of emotion, inability to reach orgasm
• Not moving or responding while awake (catatonia)
• Blood vessel problems in the brain
• Coma due to uncontrolled diabetes
• Shaking of the head
• Problems with movement of your eyes, eye rolling, eyelid margin crusting
• Eye problems during cataract surgery. During cataract surgery, a condition called intraoperative floppy iris syndrome (IFIS) can happen if you take or have taken Risperidone Tablets. If you need to have cataract surgery, be sure to tell your eye doctor if you take or have taken this medicine
• Dangerously excessive intake of water
• Irregular heartbeat
• Trouble breathing during sleep (sleep apnoea), fast, shallow breathing
• Inflammation of the pancreas, a blockage in the bowels
• Swollen tongue, chapped lips, rash on skin related to drug
• Dandruff
• A delay in menstrual periods, enlargement of the glands in your breasts, breast enlargement, discharge from the breasts
• Increased insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar levels) in your blood
• Hardening of the skin
• Decreased body temperature, coldness in arms and legs
• Symptoms of drug withdrawal
• Yellowing of the skin and the eyes (jaundice).

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people):

• Life threatening complications of uncontrolled diabetes
• Lack of bowel muscle movement that causes blockage.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in Google play or Apple App store.

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. how to store risperidone tablets

Keep out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the blister or carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.

No special storage conditions.

Do not use after the expiry date stated on the carton, bottle or foil.

Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

6. contents of the pack and other informationthe active substance is risperidone. each tablet contains 6mg risperidone.

The other ingredients are lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinised starch, magnesium stearate, hypromellose, macrogol 6000, and titanium dioxide (E171).

What Risperidone Tablets look like and contents of the pack

Risperidone 6mg tablets are white, oval, biconvex, scored, 16×8.5mm film-coated tablets, with the marking “T”.

The tablets are supplied in blister packs of 20, 28 and 60 tablets.

Marketing Authorisation Holder

Accord Healthcare Limited

Sage House, 319 Pinner Road

North Harrow, Middlesex

HA1 4HF, United Kingdom

Manufacturer

BALKANPHARMA-Dupnitsa AD

3 Samokovsko Shosse Str.,

Dupnitsa 2600

Bulgaria

This leaflet was last revised in May 2021.

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