Risperdal and alcohol – is it compatible?

Risperdal® is a prescription drug, also known as Risperidon®. This is a so-called psychotropic drug which can be used to treat various mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or mania. As Risperdal® is a drug which can sometimes have serious side effects, it is important to pay attention to the interactions and potential side effects of Risperdal®. If Risperdal® is compatible with alcohol, this is usually because only a very small amount of alcohol has been consumed. However, if a patient takes Risperdal® and also consumes alcohol, Risperdal® and alcohol are no longer compatible with each other and this can lead to serious interactions and side effects

Taking Risperdal and alcohol

The combination of Risperdal® and alcohol is not very well tolerated and should therefore be avoided at all costs. The reason for this is that it can increase the effect of the alcohol. However, it is more common that the alcohol impairs the effect of the drug.

Since patients who have to take Risperdal® are already psychologically weakened and/or ailing, it is important that these patients do not try out whether Risperdal® and alcohol are compatible, but rather avoid this combination prophylactically. Since Risperdal® usually only needs to be taken for a short period of time, it should also be possible for the patient to avoid alcohol. Although it is helpful to eat food at the same time as taking the medication, alcoholic foods (rum chocolates, certain types of cake, etc.)

should be avoided. Small amounts of alcohol, such as those contained in some cakes, are usually not very bad and do not cause serious side effects. Nevertheless, one should avoid consuming alcohol in any way, as prophylaxis is better here than treating the possible damage after the consumption of alcohol.

Effects when taken at the same time

Risperdal® is only very rarely compatible with alcohol. In most cases, the effect of the drug is reduced and side effects are promoted. In order to understand why Risperdal® is not compatible with alcohol, it is important to know the side effects of the neuroleptic Risperdal®, as these can be exacerbated by alcohol.

For example, if a patient takes Risperdal® to compensate for a bipolar disorder, the use of alcohol can cause the patient to slip into a manic or depressive mood despite taking Risperdal® because of the weakened effect of the medication. This can have fatal consequences for the patient. It is therefore very important that Risperdal® and alcohol should not be combined with each other at all.

Other side effects such as trembling, increased sweating, anxiety or restlessness can also be promoted by the combination of Risperdal® and alcohol. Furthermore, it is important to know that the breakdown of the drug Risperdal® places a certain strain on the body and especially on the liver. If the patient additionally strains the body with alcohol and the liver in particular has to work harder to break down the alcohol, this can also lead to physical damage and impairment.