Comments | little_details: [ANON POST] Responding Well to Schizophrenia Medications/Symptom Intensity

orange_fell in little_details

[ANON POST] Responding Well to Schizophrenia Medications/Symptom Intensity

Dec 04, 2013 10:37

Setting: New England, 2011-2012

Character: Is a 15/16 year-old male with early-onset schizophrenia, and ADD. Has recently been diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia, and is presenting with positive symptoms (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/ ( Read more... )

~medicine: drugs, ~psychology & psychiatry: schizophrenia

Comments 12

majolika December 4 2013, 19:56:30 UTC

majolika December 4 2013, 20:44:23 UTC

Thank you very much! That helps a lot.

mereprototype December 4 2013, 20:08:53 UTC

At best, responding well can mean no symptoms once the right medications are found for both the schizophrenia and ADD. Take side effects into consideration, though, because they are a serious cost/benefit analysis. Dystonia and tardive dyskinesia are constant threats from all forms of antipsychotics. If you want the character to have occasional relapses, that's completely realistic because it can take a long time for the right meds to be found, for med compliance to be established, and especially with paranoia as a symptom, he can stop them if things get worse at any point. Mental health's like that -- things can sometimes get worse with lifestyle triggers (stress, physical health flare ups, relationship woes, etc) or hormone changes as he continues to get older ( ... )

mereprototype December 4 2013, 20:49:22 UTC

Thank you so much for your help! I was going to start looking up potential medication side effects once I got an answer to this, and you helped immensely. I'll do my best to make sure that I handle this topic well.

mereprototype December 4 2013, 23:39:44 UTC

On that note, I have permanent dystonic episodes although I'm no long taking the medications that caused them. The right side of my body cramps, stiffens, and turns onto itself; since I don't know when this will happen, I can't drive. I can sometimes sense it's about to start because I stutter or get almost a migraine aura feeling. The only way to deal is with a Parkinson's med that has its own host of side effects, worst of all blurry vision if I have to take it for more than a couple of days in a row.

mereprototype December 5 2013, 17:17:13 UTC

Thank you for this additional info, I appreciate it greatly (and I'm very sorry that you've had it so rough with those symptoms and effects).

marycatelli December 4 2013, 23:52:43 UTC

There is one (1) drug that affects negative symptoms. It's minocycline, which is an old, off-patent antibiotic. Alas apparently this news is not spreading fast in the doctoral community; I read about it in a blog of a resident who talks about how the doctors at his hospital do not use it to treat negative symptoms.

marycatelli December 5 2013, 17:17:44 UTC

Thank you! This helps.

freakingdork December 6 2013, 01:53:42 UTC

in regards to minocycline: a small percentage of people (such as my lucky self) develop drug-induced lupus from the minocycline. my doctor didn't mention this to me before prescribing it for acne, but I figure if a pdoc is savvy enough to know to use it for schizophrenia, they might be savvy enough to mention this possible side effect. *shrug*

verrucaria December 5 2013, 02:40:40 UTC

Visual hallucinations are less common than auditory hallucinations (sounds, voices) although they can happen. I assume he's had a head CT (ideally, MRI) to rule out scarier things than schizophrenia. I don't think everyone with psychotic symptoms gets brain imaging (and 15/16 isn't unheard of for a first psychotic break), but they tend to be more careful with kids.

Once psychotic symptoms started, they'd be treated much more aggressively than the ADD.

Most current antipsychotics aim to reduce the activity of some dopamine and--in newer meds--serotonin receptors in the brain, whereas stimulants used for ADD tend to increase amount and/or slow down the uptake of dopamine. As a result, they should interfere with each other's effectiveness to some degree. There's new research about other neurotransmitters involved in causing schizophrenia symptoms, but dopamine continues to be the main target of meds available on the market.

verrucaria December 5 2013, 17:18:27 UTC

Thank you for the info! It helps a lot.

My son's Journey ext_6238601 December 31 2022, 17:38:30 UTC

Please approve our story for publication; So sad, but anyone who has looked after a loved one with mental illness or dementia will know how hard it is physically and mentally. One of the hardest things in the world is mourning someone who is still alive. My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia 5years ago, with a series of life-threatening symptoms of hallucinations, delusion, and depression, Even with rigorous therapies, antipsychotic medications, and some controversial alternative treatments the condition didn't improve. Today, it makes 2years since my son recovered after taking CONSUMMO herbal treatment, he is living a complete, normal, healthy life and has returned to college. I wanted to take the time to encourage you never to give up, It is not my intent to persuade or convince anyone, nor should it be considered a replacement for sound medical advice but rather for you to know there is an optional treatment, completely natural and has no side effects. While everyone's journey is unique, numerous patients with paranoid ( ... )