The Effects of Forced Risperdal Injections

Risperdal Consta is a long-acting injectible form of risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic approved for use in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer, Risperdal injections are given every two weeks and provide a slow, steady release of medication that can help manage symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and mania.

The effects of forced Risperdal injections fall into two categories: those that result from the drug itself, which are similar to the effects of oral risperidone, and those related to the aspect of force. Many doctors support the use of forced treatment in mental health care. But Judi Chamberlin of the National Empowerment Center, in a debate with E. Fuller Torrey, pointed to the possibility of trauma, alienation from the mental health system, and a cycle of increasingly coercive measures that may threaten civil rights.

Symptom Relief

• According to the National Association on Mental Illness, risperidone can be effective for schizophrenia's positive symptoms, such as voices and unusual thoughts, and negative symptoms, like isolation and withdrawal. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, in a 2009 press release, said that Risperdal Consta "consistently and significantly improved clinical and functional outcomes for patients with schizophrenia." Risperdal does not help everyone, however, and the manufacturer has been accused of manipulating data to exaggerate the drug's effectiveness.

Weight Gain

• Risperidone and other atypical antipsychotics are likely to cause rapid and severe weight gain. Torrey writes in "Surviving Schizophrenia" that effectiveness and weight gain may be linked, so that patients "may have a choice between being fat and nonpsychotic or thin and psychotic."

Elevated Prolactin

• Like older drugs for schizophrenia, risperidone elevates the hormone prolactin. Elevated prolactin levels can cause the breasts to produce milk, increase breast size in men, and cause cessation of menstrual periods in women. According to Torrey, however, some women appreciate the reduced possibility of unwanted pregnancy.

Extrapyramidal Side Effects

• Among other potential adverse effects, risperidone may be more likely than other atypical antipsychotics to cause extrapyramidal symptoms, including restlessness, tremors and muscle stiffness.

Trauma

• Forced Risperdal injections may be used in the hospital or in the community, through involuntary outpatient commitment. In the hospital, involuntary injections are often administered while the patient is immobilized by restraints, which can be frightening and traumatic. The subject of involuntary medication is hotly debated. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, long-term effects of forced treatment can be positive. However, a study by Hans Joachim Salize and Harald Dressing in the September 2005 issue of "Current Opinion in Psychiatry" reviewed the literature on forced treatment and found it sparse, with conclusions that varied according to the authors' viewpoints. Chamberlin called it a denial of civil liberties and said that patients who have been coerced are less likely to seek voluntary treatment in the future.