Thursday, November 12, 2009 fantasy007 asks

Q: Son 24, schizophrenic/w/delusions and severe anxiety, I am in a deep depression at the moment, help

Hello, I really am so desparte to know what to do? My son has schizophrenia, badly and severe anxiety. I give him now 15 mg of Zyprexa and he just started .05 of kolonopin last night. I went to give him his med this morning and he refused to take the kolonopin said it makes him so tired (the zyprexa and the kolonopin even more). He said (during a very manic mood this morning ( take the phone, it is broke and tapped and their is someones fingernail in it. He has some delisions, I thought they completely stopped. I myself have Major Chronic Depression and I am at the end, I am mentally a disaster of this and cry constantly the depression is so bad for me right now, it s so hard to deal w/my son. I have tried to have him go to a mental health center and get a case worker, but he won't go into a car or to the store. He says his nerves r reallly bad and his heart is not beating right. yesterday, he needed tolite paper and could not walk across the street to get it, and I have brought food every day and night for him. I don't know what to do, I need some advice/help I am almost at a breaking point myself. I did ask his DR to up his zyprexa to 20mgs (guess that is the max ) today. so hopefully that will help. I thought he was getting better, but the last 2-3 days are unbareable and I can't take it please help me someone....

Answers (3)

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Christina Bruni

11/16/09 9:49pm

Hello fantasy007,

Recovery takes time and sometimes in the beginning a person with SZ needs to rest and recuperate. Yet even with that he should be encouraged to take baby steps to get out of the house.

Your son will benefit from a support group and he could even log on to SchizophreniaConnection himself to write a SharePost to get support, or to ask a Question.

Carolyn made a good suggestion: take care of yourself first so you can take care of your son. You might want to see if your local NAMI has a respite care service where someone with a mental illness can come to your house and meet with your son so that you can take a break and go to a movie or a support group.

Call NAMI at (800) 950-NAMI (6264) to find the name and number of the local chapter in your city or town and call them to find out what services they offer.

NAMi is the National Alliance on Mental Illness by the way. NAMI-Staten Island for example had a respite service.

Regards,

Christina

Donna-1

11/13/09 11:41am

I started at 40mg on Zyprexa. That is the maximum dose. I took it for several years but am now down to 15mg. But you know the side effects and so does your son -- it is sedating and often drastically increases you appetite. I didn't like either side effect, but it works wonderfully on the sz symptoms. I can live a fairly normal life now.

As for yourself, are you taking medication? If so, it obviously isn't working. There are many antidepressants on the market. Ask your doctor to switch you to another one. If you are not taking a medication, see at least your family doctor or preferably a psychiatrist and get treatment immediately. You cannot be there for your son when you need to be if you are that depressed. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of him. Chronic depression, to me, was always worse than schizophrenia. But it was all mixed in together, I guess. I can empathize because I had depression most of the years between when 1970 and 2004. Now I take Wellbutrin and Zoloft and Deplin, plus an older antidepressant Trazodone. Do what you have to do to treat it -- it is worth it to feel like living again.

Best wishes to you.

Carolyn

fantasy007

11/13/09 2:25pm

Hi,

Thank you for getting back to me. My son started at 10, then 15, and this week 20. the pharmasist told me that 20mg is the max dose for an adult??? He just started kolonopin .05 last night and I just found out that he is suppose to take the zyprexa at night, no wonder he is asleep so much and frustrated.

Myself, well, that is a story that would take a while, but today (i have a physcitrist) I saw him and he helped me with different ways to deal w/son. I am on prozac 30 mg, lamical 100mg, and valium as needed not to take more than 3 a day and today told me to take seriquel, which I tried once and I hated it....but he said just for a week to get through this process and while i am having my monthly. because, i am majorly depressed during that time and w/my son dealing w/ I am about ready to crack....

Palmtrees

5/ 3/10 2:13am

Ask your son's doctor about Invega Sustenna, it's a once per month injection and works very well for the side effects from paranoid schizophrenia. It has worked wonderfully for my son, and works very well with people who are medication non-compliant.

Q: Son 24, schizophrenic/w/delusions and severe anxiety, I am in a deep depression at the moment, help

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