Risperdal Side Effects
Risperdal Side Effects
Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic drug sued to treat
conditions such as schizophrenia. It is also one of the most
popular prescribed drugs in America today. Lately, many doctors
have also noticed that the drug has been effective in treating
other mental conditions such as autism and dementia.
Over the years, many of the people who took Risperdal began to
suffer serious side effects. Side effects such as muscle
stiffness, tremors, heart irregularities and blood clots became
very common. Some patients even suffered strokes. Since then,
Risperdal usage has been linked with the death of 37 patients.
Many of the strokes caused by Risperdal occurred in elderly
people whose doctor's prescribed the drug to treat senile
dementia. While the drug was not designed to specifically treat
this condition, it is still encouraged by many pharmaceutical
companies to prescribe Risperdal for this non-approved 'off
label' usage. This obviously helps boost sales and generate more
revenue. In April of 2003, Janssen Pharmaceutica sent out a
warning letter informing the public of potential risks regarding
the use of the drug on elderly patients.