DRUG INTERACTIONS: Your doctor or pharmacist may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for them. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

This drug should not be used with the following medication because a very serious interaction may occur: sibutramine.

If you are currently using the medication listed above, tell your doctor or pharmacist before starting risperidone.

Before using this medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription/herbal products you may use, especially of: antidepressants (e.g., fluoxetine, paroxetine), high blood pressure medicine (e.g., beta-blockers such as propranolol, alpha-blockers such as doxazosin or prazosin), medications for Parkinson's disease (e.g., levodopa).

Many drugs besides risperidone may affect the heart rhythm (QT prolongation), including amiodarone, dofetilide, pimozide, procainamide, quinidine, sotalol, macrolide antibiotics (such as erythromycin), thioridazine, sparfloxacin, among others. Therefore, before using risperidone, report all medications you are currently using to your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you also take drugs that cause drowsiness such as: medicine for sleep (e.g., sedatives), tranquilizers, anti-anxiety drugs (e.g., diazepam), narcotic pain relievers (e.g., codeine), psychiatric medicines (e.g., phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine, or tricyclics such as amitriptyline), anti-seizure drugs (e.g., carbamazepine), muscle relaxants, antihistamines that cause drowsiness (e.g., diphenhydramine).

Check the labels on all your medicines (e.g., cough-and-cold products) because they may contain drowsiness-causing ingredients. Ask your pharmacist about the safe use of those products.

This document does not contain all possible interactions. Therefore, before using this product, tell your doctor or pharmacist of all the products you use. Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly. Symptoms of overdose may include unusual drowsiness; fast heartbeat; fainting; unusual muscle movement or stiffness of the face, neck, or limbs; tremor; seizures; and loss of consciousness.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.

Laboratory and/or medical tests (e.g., fasting blood sugar-FBS, weight, blood pressure, blood cholesterol/triglyceride levels) should be performed periodically to monitor your progress or check for side effects. Consult your doctor for more details.

MISSED DOSE: Try to take each dose at the scheduled time. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as remembered; do not take it if it is near the time for the next dose, instead, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not "double-up" the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store this medicine at room temperature away from light and moisture. Per the U.S. manufacturer, store the US product between 59 and 77 degrees F (15-25 degrees C). Per the Canadian manufacturer, store the Canadian product between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C). If you use the oral solution, do not allow it to freeze. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

MEDICAL ALERT: Your condition can cause complications in a medical emergency. For enrollment information call MedicAlert at 1-800-854-1166 (USA), or 1-800-668-1507 (Canada).

Information last revised May 2012. Copyright(c) 2012 First Databank, Inc.