Originally Posted by
Sunshine
My cpn has told me there is a new injection for respiridone which you get every two weeks (or every month i cant really remember) and i would be interested because it would stop me from having to go to the pharmacy every month and the hassle of repeat perscriptions but im just abit worried if it hurts a lot? im ok with needles but ive never really had regualr injections because when the liquid goes in you it makes your arm cold (or that is my recollection of it) so it different from taking blood.
my cpn seems to think its a great idea but im also worried about the control factor, like i wont be able to stop taking them if i dont want to anymore without them knowing about it! (which i know you will all say is wrong to do anyway) but i just worry that they will have so much more control then i do at the moment. i know its stupid because when ive stopped taking meds in the past they have almost sectioned me anyway so i had to start taking them again so its pretty pointless but i just have this problem about lack of control.
also im pregnant and although my cpn knows this and wouldnt be suggesting me to have these injections if it was dangerous but its a new thing they surely cant know what the effect could be on the baby?
anyways sorry for the longness fo this thread basically is anyone on these injections or any regular injections? how do you cope with the injections themselves and the control issiues (if you have any that is)
thanks
x
I am not on risperidone injection (and never will be, due to the fact I had a bad reaction to risperidone tablets), but I have recently started on Clopixol, which is also an injectable antipsychotic. You may want to read the thread I started called Clopixol.
As others have said, Risperidone can be given either in your arm (risperidone is the only injectable antipsychotic which can be given in your arm) or in your bottom. I have mine in my bottom, though. They do it every other side.
It really doesnt hurt (I had my second injection yesterday, so I have had both sides), though you do feel a sharp scratch. But the first time I did feel a short scratch, and actually the rubbing (as once the needle is taken out they rub the area briefly with an antiseptic wipe) actually hurts more than the injection itself. But it does help that you remain as calm as possible, as apparently (so far this has not happened with me) if you tense your muscles it makes it worse and you feel tons more pain. My CPN said that if you do tense up (because of fear/anxiety) than for her it is like trying to inject a stone!! I am needlephobic and the pain I was imagining for the first dose, was actually worse than what it was. So pain factor I would say it hardly ever hurts, but there is a small amount of pain. Like you I had a lot of hassle with my chemist (and twice they gave me the wrong stuff!), so it may be the case that the small amount of pain once a fortnight (which is what risperidone is usually, but not always, given) may be better than having the chemist stressing you out!! If things go ok with me (like I said it's early days so I am not on it properly) than I will only have to take 1 tablet a day, which is my antidepressant, so that means less hassle with my chemist, so I dont have to deal with them not very often.
With the clopixol, I dont actually feel the stuff going in, so my bottom never gets cold or anything, so hopefully it will be the same with the risperidone.
Like you I have issues with control, and so far I am only allowing my CPN to do it. My CMHT (and it's the same with other CMHTs) run a clinic, which means within certain hours, a nurse injects anyone who turns up with the appropriate dose of your medication. You dont have to book an appointment, just turn up and wait your turn basically. It's done in a private room so you dont have to deal with anyone else other than the nurse in charge. So because of the control and trust issues, I dont want anyone but my CPN doing it.
I dont have any real advice about control really, other than to try the injections. I have it written into my CPA that I will try the clopixol for 6 months, review it with my psych/CPN and see how things go. My CPN says that if I dont want the injection before the 6 months, just say and let her know. She says that if I say no, I wont get into trouble. It still feels that I have control and if I hate the injections after a month (or in the case of me, have never had clopixol before so I am unsure about the side effects) then I know I am not stuck with clopixol forever. Perhaps that is an option for you??
As for coping with injections, the thing that helps most with me, is having my CPN doing it. She is brilliant at calming me down (I got the first time I had it really bad anxiety!), though. I cant think of anything else, except try not to get tense about it. For example if you find listening to your ipod whilst doing it helps, then I would do that. For me I do like to watch my CPN loading the stuff into the needle which also calms down. For me I found the second injection much easier than the first.
Like you just over a month ago I nearly got sectioned because I stopped taking the tablets nearly 3 months ago. I saw my psych last week and he said that he wasnt going to section me, because of the fact I started retaking the tablets and they are slowly weaning me onto the clopixol.
As for side effects, like someone else said, whatever you are currently getting with the Risperidone will continue. The only other thing is that you may feel some discomfort (and this happens with all injectable antipsychotics) for a while in the injection area. For me, my injection site stung all day yesterday, which apparently is quite common. Some people (again it is an thing that can happen with all injectable antipsychotics) develop a small lump around the injection site, but I have yet (so far) to experience that.
I agree with the fact that other people said about a medication and pregnancy. I would talk to your psych (or whoever prescribed the risperidone in the first place) about a medication review. I would ask if you can go without some medication, or if that is not possible, then if you could have a lower dose. It may be the case with some medication, you may be asked not to take in the third trimester. But I am not an medical expert, so you may be told completely different. But anyway, a medication review is something I would strongly recommend if I was in your position.
But I hope that helps, and if there is any questions you want to ask me, feel free.
