Monday, May 10, 2010 Mary asks

Q: My son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia/depression in 3/10 how long do I give meds to wk?

First week meds worked but now it's not working and I know it takes his meds cause I check his mouth etc after I watch him take it. He's on Risperidone 2mg in along w Abilify 5mg & Prozac 20 & Benztropine 1mg in the A.M ( risperidone 4mg/Benztropine 1mg in P.M ( The reason I know it's not working he's scared that he's going to die he thinks that I have a hit man out to get him. one example had a tree service stop at my house knock on the door while I was at work he freak out and called me @ wk and asked to please put a stop to it. Now he won't go on our deck, he tries to close all the blinds another example his brother was in the backyard shooting ball and locked him out. I just want to make sure he's on the right medications, and I'm not just giving meds that have side affects that are not working.

Thank You,

Mary

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Answers (1)

Christina Bruni, Health Guide

5/11/10 8:41pm

Hello Mary,

It's been two months for you son and that is not a long time at all to expect a total result.

For some people the meds work right away. For me the Stelazine halted the positive symptoms within three weeks. This is not always the case.

It can take a number of weeks (at least six weeks sometimes) for the medication to begin to reach the full effect. However when I was switched from the Stelazine to the Geodon after 20 years on the Stelazine the Geodon took two years to reach its full effect. That is the Geodon started to take effect right away however I continued to see great improvement even going on two years later.

Side effects will possibly go away. The Geodon used to make me fall asleep at work until the doctor switched the extra 40 mg dose from the morning to the night and after that I was wide awake during the day.

So as to side effects sometimes a change in dosing time or type of dose or change of medication will help alleviate side effects.

What you and you son should do is ask the psychiatrist how long it's supposed to take before the medication starts to work.

Ask questions. Grill the doctor until you are satisfied with the answers you get.

Regards,

Christina

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Q: My son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia/depression in 3/10 how long do I give meds to wk?

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