Risperidone is one of the most commonly used
antipsychotics (AP), due to its safety and efficacy in reducing psychotic symptoms. Despite the favorable side effect profile, the
therapy is accompanied by side effects due to the non-selectivity of this medicine. This review will briefly highlight the most important basic and clinical findings in this area, consider the clinical effects of AP-induced
hyperprolactinemia (HPL), and suggest different approaches to the treatment.The route of application of this
drug primarily affects the daily variation and the total concentration of
drug levels in the blood, which consequently affects the appearance of side effects, either worsening or even reducing them. Our attention has been drawn to HPL, a frequent but neglected adverse effect observed in cases treated with
Risperidone and its secondary manifestations. An increase in
prolactin levels above the reference values result in impairment of other somatic functions (lactation,
irregular menses, fertility) as well as a significant reduction in quality of life. It has been frequently shown that the side effects of the
Risperidone are the most common cause of non-compliance with
therapy, resulting in worsening of psychiatric symptoms and hospitalization. However, the mechanism of
Risperidone-induced HPL is complicated and still far from fully understood. Most of the preclinical and clinical studies described in this study show that
hyperprolactinemia is one of the most common if not the leading side effect of
Risperidone therefore to improve the quality of life of these patients, clinicians must recognize and treat HPL associated with the use of these drugs.