A 25-year-old woman has been treated for the past year with Risperdal(risperidone) due to schizophr

Fråga: A 25-year-old woman has been treated for the past year with Risperdal(risperidone) due to schizophrenia. She has experienced increased hair growth in the face during this time. Has this side-effect been described before?

Sammanfattning: No information could be found in the literature of hirsutism or hypertrichosis during treatment with risperidone.

Svar: Increased hair growth has been associated with several drugs, however, for most agents the mechanism is poorly understood (1). Risperidone is an antipsychotic agent that combines potent 5-hydroxytryptamine-2 with dopamine-2 antagonism. As for neuroleptics in general, it can exert effects on the endocrine system, such as increased prolactin levels and galactorrhea (2). However, we have not found any information in the literature on hirsutism or hypertrichosis during treatment with risperidone. This was confirmed by the manufacturer (3). The side-effect profile of risperidone is similar to other neuroleptics, and hypertrichosis and hirsutism have been associated with long-term neuroleptic treatment (4). The Swedish Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (SADRAC) has received one single report of hypertrichosis in the face of a woman due to treatment with neuroleptics (thioridazine). No such side-effect has been reported to SADRAC in connection to the use of risperidone.

We recommend that this case be reported to the regional centre of SADRAC.