Hello everyone,  History: I had been taking Paxil pretty much for 14 years (have tried Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Nortriptyline to no effect) with decent effect but was still not feeling well.  Started seeing a Psychiatrist (no therapy - another Psych for that) to manage by meds (since last Fall). My GP had been handling it in the past. New Psych has tried Abilify, Seroquel, Pristiq but I had horrible side effects with them and no good effects.

Presently I am now on Lamictal for a couple of months and just last week started on Risperidone, 1mg. Starting the 2nd night, and every night since, I wake up all through the night, on average every 45 minutes, with increasingly stranger dreams.  The worst part is I wake up terrified and scared, and need to turn the light on. It's as if something has just woken me up and I'm expecting to see an intruder or something worse (thought I saw a ghost-child one time). I now need a night light  on for help (I'm a 46 y.o. father! with no history of this).  I now dread nighttime and getting anxious before sleep.  Also wake up in zombie-like state for a couple of hours in morning.

Now the strange/positve: For years I have drug through the day, sleep when I get to the office, sometimes mid-morning naps, longer nap at lunch, stop on commute home to nap.  All day, every day.  Now, I am awake all day long with no drowsiness.  Not high-energy or manic, just that I'm awake and able to function.  It has also kept me on an even keel rather than the rages/sobbing cycle/acute depression I was going thru with the Nortriptyline.  Feel great during the day for the first time in years.  Possible slight depression creeping back in the last two days but no cycling.

Through all the good, I am going to stop this med because the sleep experience is too terrifying to continue.  Has anyone had or heard of this?