Can Risperdal Be Used For Irritability?

Please respond in poll or post, your preference...

Hello! I have been up and down with meds now for almost 5 yrs. The past month, I have seen more cycling with myself than I have experienced since the day I was diagnosed with Bipolar. I tried many combinations of meds, and just couldn't deal with the effects I had from them, so I stopped taking them for almost a year. The past month I began cycling out of control... and only got worse and worse as I went. I visited a new therapist 2 weeks ago because I felt that I was really going down fast. He placed me on Effexor. Bad mistake. After talking with many co-workers, my husband found out that the last thing that should be prescribed to someone in my state is an anti depressant. (Only when my moods are stabilized should this option be looked at). Effexor sent me plummetting into a state of total insanity almost. I was totally angry, so pissed that I cried constantly.. and when I wasn't crying, I was literally destroying my house, as well as my marriage by all the insane delussions I was having. I reached a point one evening that the only emotion that I was tapped into was fear... Fear of losing my mind! I hated myself, my family, and everything around me. Suicide was on my mind most of the day. So, my husband took me to my therapist that evening. I was spinning out of control, and as we talked I could see myself jumping from tears to rage right in front of him. He immediately took me off the Effexor, and told me to go home and take 2 risperidol. I did.... and within 20 minutes I was a not mad anymore. I was even able to sit with my husband and explain to him all the feelings that I had been feeling over the previous weeks. It has been a week now since I have been on the Risperidol, and am due for a followup this next week to discuss my dosage changes.
So, to answer your question, I wanted to share my experience with the med. I know that for some people the effects it has may be different than my own. But for me... it was an instant mood switch. All the anger dissolved, and I have yet to become frustrated and irritable at things that before would build up into a full blown rage in a matter of minutes.
I hope my story helps!

~kimmy