I am also on Risperdal Consta at 25mg, have been for a little over a year and, whilst I have found I've gained a lot of weight, it hasn't been constant and seems to coincide with lifestyle changes (ie. starting a new routine, or being in hospital). I found that it's partially a slight decrease in metabolism, and quite a lot of an appetite increase.
I am managing to lose weight though, by being very conscious about what I eat and generally having to be quite controlled about it (if I let myself pig out, I do it bigstyle). I generally find it easier to only have healthy foods in the house and to eat plenty of lean protein to stave off hunger.
If weight increase is a big concern and the main factor in wanting to stop the meds, do you think it would be beneficial to ask for a dietetics referral? Also maybe look into 'exercise on prescription' if such a thing is still available (it's been a while since I checked).
I've never come off this medication, so can't help there, but I am also concerned about long-term effects and so am trialling a period off meds in late January/February time, under consultation with my psychiatrist, partially to see if I can manage without them, partially just to check that the meds aren't covering up any side-effects. This is unlikely, however, because as far as I know the side-effects are mainly linked with weight gain, which I imagine could be checked via a blood test. Weighing up the pros and cons, I've decided that if I get worse without meds, I'll go back on them as it's too big a risk to take.
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