My 23-year-old son was diagnosed as Paranoid Schizophrenic 2.5 years ago right after a TBI.
Neuropsychiatrist has put him on Haldol 5 mg and Amantadine 100mg for a couple months, then Seroquel 900 mg at bedtime and Lamictal 450 mg every morning, and he has been on this regimen for 13 months. My son is IDDM for 15 years, and the Seroquel cause his blood sugars to go completely out of control to where his hemoglobin A1C was at 13%. He was becoming very ill. After 13 months of being on Lamictal tomorrow he is scheduled to take a blood study to get his Lamictal levels. Last week, they started titrating him off Lamictal and Seroquel. Today he is complete off Lamictal and taking 300 mg of Seroquel. He also started taking Perphenazine 2 mg two times a day.
I have noticed a change in behavior. He is a student and is very paranoid to the point where I may have to withdraw him from school. He is so unhappy because he is different. Before the brain injury he was a little superman, an athlete, very social and he excelled in academics. I don't think he is on the best medications to control the paranoid schizophrenia. He also is challenged with Bipolar, PTSD, and OCD. I really don't know what else to do for him. I asked his psychiatrist if there was anything else that can be done to help him from suffering and to prevent the relapse, but the psychiatrist tells me that there is nothing else to do but to put him on Abilify. I want to keep my son at home with me and not place him in a home, but his behavior is so strange. He paces the floor at night thinking that someone will will break in. He constantly worries about what others think of him. He is challenged with the auditory and sometimes visual hallucinations, but more auditory. It's like he is so tormented. I have to avoid crowds and make sure he don't encounter any stressor that can triggor a relapse. I can go on and on, but one thing I do know is that I want my son to experience some peace of mind soon. I am a parent and I feel so helpless. I know there is something out there to help him, but I don't really know where to start.
I'm currently researching medications to prevent paranoid schizophrenic symptoms and I am very much interested in possibly recommending Geodon, Zyprexa and Risperdal and maybe Clozapine. Which are the best in terms of treating all of his mental health issues? Which ones will give him immediate relief of symptoms?
Hello Kaye,
I understand your wanting to help your son find relief from his paranoia.
I'm sorry, I do not know what IDDM is shorthand for, so I'm not sure how it would effect the types of SZ drugs your son could be prescribed. Please clarify.
The drugs you suggested-Risperdal, Zyprexa and Geodon are all used to treat schizophrenia, each with their own side effects and profiles. Zyprexa can cause weight gain, as can Risperdal and Clozaril [Clozapine], leading to diabetes and heart disease.
Geodon and Abilify are less likely to cause weight gain.
I'm hesitant to recommend a particular drug because different people respond differently to each drug, and what works for me or one of my friends might not work for your son.
However, I am going to give you an anecdote. It isn't intended as medical advice, so please don't use it as such. I tell you what I'm going to tell you because you are so concerned about your son.
Clozaril is a drug often used in cases where there has been no prior relief with other drugs. I have a friend who was really not doing well until he went on the Clozaril and now he's seen a dramatic improvement.
This isn't intended as a recommendation, because your son could try it and have a bad experience. What I'm getting at is this: you should try every drug out there to find the one that works, and if all fails, try every new drug that comes out on the market when it comes out.
It's too early to give up hope and if a certain drug has run its course, you have the right to consider if switching would be an option.
Never, ever give up hope!
Regards,
Christina
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (3)
- Report Abuse
I agree with Christina -- it is possible that your son has to try a number of medicaitons before finding the right one or the right mix. I tried several mood stabilizers and antidepressants that did not work. Then I tried ECT which didn't help much if any. Then I was put on Zyprexa, which works. I have also tried Seroquel, Haldol, Risperdal, Abilify and Geodon, and still, Zyprexa is the only one that works. And I take it with Zoloft and Wellbutrin for depression. I'm not saying this is what your son needs, I'm just saying it may take a while and several trials to find what works best. It seems to me that each medication has its own set of side effects, and some of the side effects seem worse than the disease. But if your son is like me, he will have to put up with the side effects of medication in order to reach a satisfactory level of recovery.
Carolyn
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (3)
- Report Abuse
<!--StartFragment-->
Dear Kaye,
Have faith that you will find the right treatment for your son; you will! It just takes time.
It is super that your son has your support. Eventually, your son will have to take a strong interest and become an active participant in treatment. For now, the reassurance of your love will go a long way.
A decade ago, I was on three of the drug you mentioned simultaneously and more. I was diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, rapidly cycling bi-polar and with PTSD.
Risperdal is a horse tranquilizer. In my experience, it works well to suppress violence and aggression and there are pretty immediate results from the med although it took 2-3 months for me to see full spectrum results. Risperdal can have a zombie like effect if the dose is too high which means you will lose the ability to communicate effectively with your son, he will be too far gone and unfeeling. This also happened to me. The doctor increased dosage too quickly. Risperdal can be can be an effective option.
I had a bad experience with Zyprexa. I had TIAs for it. This caused permanent white spots on my brain from lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This later lead to seizures and impaired cognitive function for a few years. I suggest avoiding any med with serious side-effects, such as TIA. There are plenty of alternative meds.
Seroquel knocked me out. A bomb could have gone off in my bed and I wouldn’t have noticed. I took it only at night for insomnia. The Seroquel was useful to allow for sleep without remembering my dreams and having to experience flashbacks and symptoms that interfered with sleep. Although I gained weight, I found it helpful for a period of time.
You may wish to better understand why your son’s doctor is choosing the drugs he is. You may also wish to consider keeping a log/journal of your son behavior so that you can offer that objective feedback to the doctor. It may go a long way to help identify what treatment is working. I also want to encourage you to switch meds and practitioners as many times as it takes until you see marked improvement based on results of treatment.
For what it's worth, I had tremendous success with the vitamin 5HTP; a Naturopath recommended it to me. It's possible that you could speak to your son's doctor and discuss a drug which functions like 5HTP. Alternatively, you could consider adjunct therapies such as working with a MD and an ND to help find the right combination.
Other than drugs, you may wish to consider other forms of therapy such as walks in nature. For me, the awe and serenity of beauty offered some temporary relief from symptoms. Eventually my disorders went into remission from a solid meditation practice. I encourage you to consider all options for your son. There is a lot out there. Good luck!
<!--EndFragment-->
- Thank you for your input
- Ranked Helpful (5)
- Report Abuse
