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This is in answer to KS regarding his 82 year old father being paranoid in the evening. It sounds like "Sundowner syndrome". This is usually due to dimentia/Alzheimers and the person loses clarity of thought as the day ends. They get confused and paranoid. Unfortunately, I observed this as my father fell deeper into dementia the older he got.
For the my husband behaves strangely only with me and to a lesser extent with those who happen to contradict him. this is not schizophrenia since he is perfectly normal outside the house when he does not see me. With me he is suspicious, very abusive both physical and mental and continues to talk without any reason. I am blamed for everything that happens. please help me- at least I want to know if this is a mental disorder and if so what is it. For me life is a real hell.
Annie,
I am not a doctor and can not tell you what is causing your husband's behavior. I am however, very concerned for you. Living with a person who is criticizing you and treating you in an emotional and physical abusive manner is taking a terrible toll on you. Please find resources in your community. There are hotlines for abused spouses--people who will listen to you with kindness. There is a very good book out there called Why does he do that? by Lundy Bancroft. Please seek the help that is out there to strengthen yourself. God Bless you, Mary
Hi:
My dad had a severe case of viral encephalitis this summer (tests as to which kind were inconclusive). He made a remarkable recovery but this month has started acting manic, and this week has entered some sort of psychosis. He keeps getting undressed, telling us random stories where he switches subjects too often to follow, and laughs hysterically and then cries. It is strange that this is happening now. I wonder if it is possible that he could have developed some sort of schizophrenia as the result of encephalitis? Also, I would apprecitate suggestions for my mom who doesn't know how to care for him when he is in this state. He's a happy, positive psychotic, but who knows if he'll stay that way. He's currently in the hospital for observation, but no one seems to really give us answers.
I would put forth the contention that "late onset schizophrenia," is something else altogether moving through a pathway common to schizophrenia but different in etiology, nevertheless. Olfactory hallucinations are more often seen in people who have some neurological problem. Depression with psychotic features is not unusual (as are paranoid features) in the aging population. I am as skeptical of late onset schizophrenia as I am of childhood schizophrenia. Although I am open to reading more literature on the subject.
docsamwise
Hello-
My mother was diagnosed with late onset schizphrenia about a year and a half ago. She is 50 years old now. She was admitted into an outpatient behavioral program and is now taking anti-psychotic medication. Although the voices and hallucinations have stopped, she is very "dazed". She does not find pleasure in anything- shopping, coming by to see my son, etc. She also doens't have an opinion about anything, etc. She just paces a lot and smokes like crazy. Does anyone have any advice for me? She only sees her therapist every 3 months and it's basically just to refill her medication. I have called the doctor myself and left dozens of messages for her to return my call and have not received any return calls. I would appreciate any advice anyone out there has for me!
Hello,
I found your post very interesting and inspiring. My brother had his first psychotic breakdown (paranoia/major depression/hallucinations - auditory and visual, fixed beliefs everyone is out to get him) 1 year ago at age 42 and was hospitalized. I'm sure he had some sort of paranoia before his breakdown but did not ever express his thoughts to us. He's still not doing well...meds have been changed a few times and currently is on a very low dose of antipsychotic (Seroquel) and an antidepressant. If you don't mind me asking, which medication helped you? We so want to help him but he's shutting us out, believing we are involved in the conspiracy to harm him.
Thank you for your post about your brother. Here's my brief history with the medications I was prescribed. First, I was put on Risperdal but aftyer a week I was removed because it elevated my prolactin level in my pituitary gland. However, yhis particular medication did help me with my symptoms. The second medication I was prescribed was Zyprexa, also eliminated the symptoms but enormous weight gain ensued. While I was on Zyprexa I gained 70 pounds and the psychiatirsts I was seeing did absolutely nothing about this. Then I switched psychiatrists and had a medication change. I was prescribed Abilify. With Abilify my sympoms were under control but I gained an additional 70 pounds. Nobody would help with the weight gain issue. The psychiatrists were totally indifferent. I switched psychiatrists agfain and medications also. Now I am taking an older antipsychotic called Haldol. Both my symptoms and weight gain are under control. So, to summarize, I went through four types of medications until I found the ine that seems the right oine for me. However, it is very difficult to lose weight on antipsychotic medications since they directly affect the metabolism. Hope this has een helpful.
Your blog was very interesting. I have an ex-friend that has recently stormed back into my life (not my choice). She is paranoid, gradiose and delusional, yet believable at times! I noticed bizarre behavior 9 years ago when she was 40. Our friendship ended and now she is 49 and is acting crazy. She describes detailed conspiracy theories against her, phone tapping, spying, etc. She even said she was arrested and held in a detention center for 3 weeks. She had bee thrown out of her apartment and is asking for money. Her family says she is harassing many family members and friends. She also refuses help. I do not know what went on during the 9 years that I did not have contact with her. Could this be late onset schizophrenia? She did have an aunt who had these symptoms later in life (>60 yrs, I think).
Hi,
My father passed away last year from a massive heart attack. My sister noticed a few years earlier that he was exhibiting signs of paranoid schizophrenia. Some of which were confirmed in random entries in note books that he kept up until he died. He thought people were always following him, that people he came in contact with were trying to "get him" and he heard voices. What I can tell you for sure is that my father was a very smart, self educated man. He had a very long successful career in the military. Married and divorced twice. Was a very handsoff type father. He exhibited a loaner type personality through out his life and moved every two years to various cities and towns. He was quick to terminate relationships whether family or friends. He refused most of his adult life to go to a doctor for anything at all. (not the way his parents brought him up.) I was sad to learn that he had lead such an isolated life towards the end. He did struggle with alcohol abuse on and off in his adult years but that didn't appear to be the case when he passed away. He is the youngest of 4 kids, the only boy. There is a 21 year gap between him and his two oldest sisters. I believe my grandfather was in his early 50's when my father was conceived. My father was born in Eastonia, a Northern European country. A few years before he died he rode his bicycle from Calgary, Alberta to Wawa, Ontario 2500 km. This does and does not sound like your typical schizophrenic. I guess what I want to know is did he KNOW he had this disease?? Do these folks know they have it? What is it like for them? Could they tell the difference between the disease and reality?
I am not a doctor, but I can certainly empathize with you. My mom (who is 78) was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. She suffers from auditory hallucinations and believes that some of our relatives want to do her harm. She is taking meds and they have been helpful in lowering her level of anxiety and some days she is quite lucid, but others she is paranoid.
I don't think she knows she has a problem and in some ways I am very thankful. It is really difficult for us as her family members to deal with her behaviour and to watch her change from the kind, level-headed, wonderful mom she was to the sometimes angry, paranoid woman she can be now. I'm glad she cannot see the changes.
I hope your dad didn't notice the changes - I think it would be easier for him.
Take care
Thank you so much for this blog. The info was very helpful.
My co-worker at age 53 is showing symptoms of LOS. She thinks people are talking about her, following her into stores, that the police are after her and so on. She has always seemed paranoid but never this delusional; it just started this year. She is educated and a university instructor. She will go on leave but I wonder if she will be able to return if she takes the proper medication.
This is fascinating...there seems to be so few resources out there on late onset schizophrenia. A lot of what you said describes my mom...she didn't have full-on periods of psychosis (that we were aware of) until I left for college. I was questioning whether it was truly schizophrenia at first because she didn't display any of the negative symptoms found in the DSM-IV. But she's got everything else...sight & smell hallucinations, debilitating persecutory delusions, and near-constant auditory hallucinations. Except she likes her voices...they seem to be warning her of all the bad stuff going down around her.
It has now come to light that her father was displaying increasingly troubling symptoms of extreme paranoia before he died in his late sixties. (My grandmother had hid it at the time because she was embarrassed.) It was nice to hear that there's less chance of inheritance in these situations but it seems like my family might be an exception :( Oh, and I just found out that two distant cousins, relatives of my maternal grandfather, also have the disease. But it developed in the early 20's for them.
If you know of where I can read more about this, or if any advances have been made in the genetic testing department, please let me know. My mom refuses all medications--she is quite paranoid and has no idea she's ill. Two attempts at hospitalization haven't been successful. She threatens to sue and usually gets released within a week. I really don't want to end up down the same road in another 15-20 years...
My mother was just hospitalized for irrational and disturbing behavior and the diagnosis, as best as they said they could tell, was paranoid schizophrenia. I have been concerned over the last few years with an increased irrational paranoia and thought she was showing these particular signs, but through some research, I am beginning to wonder.
My mother does not fit some of the symtoms in that she is very educated, functional, but is definately irrational and paranoid (feelings of conspiracy, ect.). I am the only family she has and live far away from her, but I am being asked to have her committed. I want to do what is best for her, but I am concerned about other illnesses that may cause these symtoms? She has never been much for doctors and I do know she has had several urinary infections, minor infections and has never had treatment.
I am concerned I may make a very hasty decision and wonder if you have any recommendations on other health issues I may need to have checked? I have not had a close relationship with my mother, but want to do the very best thing for her. I would appreciate any advice you may have and I thank you so much for your information and sharing with the public.
I visited my Mother a couple of days ago as the sound from the upstairs flat was so loud she couldnt bear it. I've noticed over the years that she is very critical of other people and often makes snide comments about people she doesnt even know. She doesnt mix easily and prefers her own company. I put this down to Paranoia but just not bad enough to get a diagnosis...however on this visit when I arrived there was no noise even though she complained about voices and singing of the same song over and over again. I checked with other people in the same block and they were not aware of any noise problems...I called the ambulance and she was checked out physically ok but clearly disturbed and kept hearing other noises like sirens and cars being broken into...I took her to my home to sleep and she took a sleeping pill that had been subscribed. At three the following morning I was awoken by doors openning and closing. I came downstairs and she complained that I had the same music on and how did I get it? I was trying to torment her!..I couldnt explain to her that there was no noise and had to call the ambulance again. She is now in hospital...she is 84
I have late onset acute onset schizophrenia while working as a charge nurse on a cardiac floor at the local hospital back in 1999, I was 46 at the time, I gave up my career, my house and my pets and ran, all over the country by myself looking for answers and relief. much like in the movie "Beautiful Mind" I too thought the government and aliens were after me and my family...after 2 years of trying to hankdle my symptoms by myself I finially got diagnoised with manic depressive paradoid schizophrenia, at the time I was also going through early memopause. I am currently off meds due to an allergic reactions to them and am experienceing problems with audiotory and physical hallucinations, seeing the doc tomorrow and hoping to find a medication that will work...I was on Abilify for years with good results until I started experienced some swelling of the tongue, an allergic reaction...so I do hope they find another medication as good but without the side effects...
Thank you soooo much! My mother has all of the symptoms you described, including hearing loss. She thinks that a neighbor is listening to her every move, that this person has control over her TV, comes in the house and takes things, has tracking devices on her car, follows her......... An the list goes on, while I recognize that it is not feasible for someone to watch and torture her 24/7, she firmly believes it all. I am a nurse and I used to call it paranoid delusional. However, living with her lately, I really felt like the symptoms were more like Schizophrenia, but she didn't experience these symptoms until her 50s. She sees a therapist, but I'm not sure if she discusses these symptoms. With patient confidentiality laws in place, I'm not sure how to approach the issue with her therapist.
My Father began having episodes of manic behavior in his early 60s, and over the next few years became delusional and eventually manic/delusional/paranoid, and remained so until he died at the age of 89 plus.
He was never treated, because like so many, he believed there was nothing wrong with him. An attorney with great experience in conservatorship, after observing my Father several times, told me it was useless to try to have him declared incompetent, unless he became totally disabled and delusional, because he could "gather himself" in legal situations, at least long enough to not be declared incompetent.
My Father died in a hospital emergency room, in a city nearby, with no family knowing his whereabouts because of his paranoid secrecy (I later discovered he maintained two residences). He died of a heart attack, caused by malnutrition, dehydration, and a never-treated hip fracture, because he hadn't seen his long term doctor for several years, due to his fears of being accidentally or deliberately infected with HIV in a hospital.
By the time he died, he had distanced himself from all relatives, and had alienated several by his aggressively dishonest behaviors and rages. We all felt, primarily, relief.
It could have been different, if the mood swings and erratic behaviors he'd shown in his late 40s and 50s had been addressed...but even then, he wouldn't accept that there was anything wrong with him.
This happens with far too many people.
Hi
One of my maternal aunts and then my sister were both diagnosed with Schizophrenia at age 28, which I would told was unusual and I have always thought that this was late-onset, but I can see that they were 'too young' for their illness to be categorised in this way. Both became extremely non-compliant with medication after initial years of using neuroleptics and, strangely enough, extremely cogent when angered, enabling both of them to 'appeal' against forced hospitalisation - but for the rest of the time, their conversation was (is) fractured or non-existent and their behaviour, whilst not violent, is disturbing (starving themselves, inability to appropriately interact and communicate with others very poor personal hygiene etc. My sister now provides little information to her family about her thoughts but I imagine her hallucinations have either abated or she knows they aren't real. I had always wondered about what I thought was my sister's 'late-onset', but I can see perhaps her symptoms are more like the adolescent onset.
FD
The following are some thoughts about late onset schizophrenia.
Late onset schizophrenia may be caused by the brains normal reverting back to it's younger years.
I have been trying to figure out what could possibly be going on with my mother. My mother is 66 years old and retired 3 months ago from her job. My mother had some signs of forgetting things...having problems with her recall so the doctor did test. She was sent to a neurologist who had a PET and MRI done and it was determined my mother "may have" signs of pre- dementia. The neurologists put my mother on Aricept and OMG! here came the problems... my mother's first episode with hallucinations started with her thinking there was a SWAT team outside and the trees were singing and dancing...she was taken off Aricept and hallucinations continued...her next episode was she believed our neighbor was holding our cousin hostage in an apartment under our home....she began frantically running around the house screaming our cousins name and looking in closets trying to find the "way out" for our cousin to escape...I took her to the ER..she was kept overnight with no outcome on what is going on...she was given Seroquel...you would have thought all would have ended but that was 2 months ago and her hallucinations have gotten worse...usually at night...she has familiar voices telling her "she is no good"..."she is going to die"..." feed me"..."her home is not safe"- she says the voices appear to discuss a variety of topics and discuss sometimes what she is thinking at that moment...when she has not taken her med and is listening to the voices...her eyes seem to have a wild and far away look as if its not my mother....I have worked in mental health field for 12 yrs as a case manager and have never thought about a late onset of schizophrenia BUT it describes my mother to a T.....she has never exhibited any symptoms in the past which is what is baffling...someone please help on what to do.....
Sounds like your mom needs a higher dose of her meds or neds to try another med. If the (LOS) late onset schitzophrenia patient continues to hallucinate or have delusions she made need a dose of haladol to bring her back to her self (so to speak) but with that being done she will be in a zombie state temporarily. My mom is going through the same type of deal and I just got her out of the hospital a week ago. You have to make sure she takes her meds. They say they will take them but you can not trust them to take the meds (because ofthe nature of their illness).
Dr. Ballas: I hope you don't mind if I get a little detailed I think it may be theraputic for me and hopefully be a benefit to you as well. I had a Grandmother on my mothers side that had schitzophrenia onset unknown, and two cousins female same side onset early twenties both treated after first episode.
My sister now 51 has been hospitalized x2 by court order in the past year diagnosis: Bipolar disorder/Paranoid Schitzophrenia. She has been non compliant with treatment and medication regimen had to be court ordered to force medications while in-patient both hospitalzations.
HX: Mother died of breast cancer when my sister was 4, lived with different relatives x2 years, lived in an orpanage for 2years, abusive stepmother, lived in a foster home x2 years, raped by foster mothers brother that was a police officer. No serious illness or surgeries. Married x 23 years presently going through a divorce, pregnancies 2, deliveries 2. College graduare: medical. Drug history: heavy cannibas usage last 10 yeaes along with adderall DX: ADHD.
From as far back as I can remenber she has always been hypervigilant and a little paranoid at times. Her symptoms were gradual and inconsistant at first making false accusations such as stealing her personal possesions. This began about 8 years ago progressing rapidly for the last 3 years. She's been put on several 72 hour holds for getting violent with police officers to causing a major disruption on a commercial airline and getting taken down by federal marshalls. She has driven accross the country 3 times this year. At one time her drivers license was in question and she got a Psychiatrist to write a letter stating she was of sound mind. She had dents all over her car when she arrived at my sisters after driving accross the country and said, "those people were following her all the way here." She has auditory, visual, and tactile hallucinations she thinks people are sticking probes up her vagina and rectum on the toilet and talking about her in town. When she was staying at her cabin she said there were cameras disguised as IV catheters. She duct taped her entire cabin windows inside and out and the entire roof. She has had delusions of grandeur where she was gambling heavy and thought the entire city of Las Vegas casino managers and police were following her. She hid in the bushes at a hotel thinking the police were after her with coyotes in place of canines.
I think that the stress of her divorce which is still in itigation almost 4 years now, and my brother dying suddenly around the same time and the drug combo sent her over the edge. Right now shes accross the country staying in a extended stay hotel near one of my sisters that is about to loose it. According to my sister she's deteriorating quickly and is acting like she has alzheimers incontinent of her bowels. slow to respond etc She's had it which I can't blame her and wants to bring her out here for my other sisrer and I to handle. Any suggestions? Thank you for taking the time to read this .
Sincerely, flo
according to my sister My other sister is seriously thinking of getting on a plane with her and bringing her accross the country to me or my other sister at Christmas. I need suggestions if there are any! I will check the site frequently. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Sincerely, flo
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