Zuclopenthixol

Steel Maiden · 25-05-2012, 03:56 PM

I am a bit more lucid now. But I can see myself going towards a relapse. I am feeling more coherent now, but that could change (I took some old PRN an hour ago).

I am currently on 20mg Olanzapine and 15mg Aripiprazole. I find the Aripiprazole too activating. I am going to ask my CPN about changing the Aripiprazole to Zuclopenthixol. I have tried Zuclopenthixol before and I have found it helpful with my positive symptoms and severe anxiety associated with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

What do you think?

I found a research paper saying that Olanzapine and Zuclopenthixol are efficacious in treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia. But that is just one research paper....

I am really worried that I will end up going to the hire shop and hiring a blowtorch (or getting flammable liquid and a box of matches) to prevent the Dictatorship. I am literally housebound because I am too risky to go out (the hire shop is not that far away from my house and I can also easily get hold of a bottle of flammable liquid).

The voices are getting worse, and I am irritable, unable to focus on anything, as well as not wanting to socialise with anyone.

Ballerina123 · 25-05-2012, 04:27 PM

I think you should talk to your psychiatrist. After all he is the the one who will change your prescription.

I also think that if you feel the change could be a positive one and your currently struggling then why not give it a try. If it does not work then that ok at least you tried it but if it does work then it is all good.

Either way I think you need to call someone form your team as soon as possible if you are having suicidal thoughts.
Get some help please xxx

Stellata · 25-05-2012, 04:30 PM

Is there someone whose support you can access right now? Things sound quite precarious for you.

Steel Maiden · 25-05-2012, 04:44 PM

Thank you both. I will talk to my psych.

I am not suicidal; the blowtorch/flammable liquid is for killing the people who will turn the world into a Dictatorship. But my CPN is seeing me at home in half an hour's time so I will tell her.

beautiful_seclusion · 25-05-2012, 06:02 PM

I definitely think you should talk to your CPN about what you're thinking. You don't want to end up in the hospital. And you don't want to hurt someone that you find out later you were wrong about. If you don't feel your current medication is working well and you felt the other one worked, I'd definitely talk to your doctor about switching them.

Steel Maiden · 25-05-2012, 06:18 PM

I talked to my CPN and the Home Treatment Team will see me on the weekend. Medication change is not going to happen yet sadly.

Ballerina123 · 25-05-2012, 06:44 PM

I'm glad you told your cpn and your getting support over the weekend. I hope you feel better soon xxx

Cryptic. · 25-05-2012, 08:03 PM

I hope you get some good support on the weekend lovely, I've seen you suffer for so long, it's heartbreaking, and I wish I could take it all away...

Be honest and open with the professionals and get across how serious things are right now, as well as how much it is affecting you.

If you really want a medication change, discuss the pros/cons of it with your CPN, ask questions you're wondering, is there a reason it won't be changed, do they not want it changed at the moment?

I know the voices and in general the symptoms schizophrenia produce can feel very very real, and completely true/fact, but try to cling onto logic and the recovery-orientated side of you[even though when you are really deep into the delusions produced, you may not really see anything but truth to it], the side you know that this is schizophrenia, that it's not true, it's okay, you are safe, you are okay, reassure yourself, or try to.

I know it's so hard, but you're stronger. You can get through this. We all believe in you.

Be gentle with yourself, do things you enjoy, things you like, watch something that makes you smile/laugh/find interesting etc, play something you like, talk to friends, talk on here, try to relax and calm yourself if you feel you're getting really distressed.

I hope things get better for you, and soon, you don't deserve any of this at all.

Lots of love and virtual hugs/strength/hope coming your way.
xxxxxx

Steel Maiden · 26-05-2012, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ballerinabetty

I'm glad you told your cpn and your getting support over the weekend. I hope you feel better soon xxx

Thank you. I am awaiting the Home Treatment Team to call me soon. I had a better sleep last night. The voices are not as bad, but my head is still far too active; racing thoughts. I want to try and leave the house today, but I'm worried I'll do something regrettable, not to myself, but to the people that the voices say will control the Dictatorship.

Quote:

Originally Posted by [StarStruck]

I hope you get some good support on the weekend lovely, I've seen you suffer for so long, it's heartbreaking, and I wish I could take it all away...

Be honest and open with the professionals and get across how serious things are right now, as well as how much it is affecting you.

If you really want a medication change, discuss the pros/cons of it with your CPN, ask questions you're wondering, is there a reason it won't be changed, do they not want it changed at the moment?

I know the voices and in general the symptoms schizophrenia produce can feel very very real, and completely true/fact, but try to cling onto logic and the recovery-orientated side of you[even though when you are really deep into the delusions produced, you may not really see anything but truth to it], the side you know that this is schizophrenia, that it's not true, it's okay, you are safe, you are okay, reassure yourself, or try to.

I know it's so hard, but you're stronger. You can get through this. We all believe in you.

Be gentle with yourself, do things you enjoy, things you like, watch something that makes you smile/laugh/find interesting etc, play something you like, talk to friends, talk on here, try to relax and calm yourself if you feel you're getting really distressed.

I hope things get better for you, and soon, you don't deserve any of this at all.

Lots of love and virtual hugs/strength/hope coming your way.
xxxxxx

Thank you so much. Those words were kind.

I am feeling a bit better today, but I'm still finding things hard. There is a battle between Them and Logic. I want Logic to win but it's so hard when I look out of the window and see the Dictators on the street.

I wish this could be taken away. I am really fed up with this. I've been struggling for 11 years now (first with depression, then with schizophrenia). I'm going to make a pros and cons list for zuclopenthixol, good idea. It will give me something positive to focus on.

I will try to keep reassuring myself that. I have said to myself this morning that I have schizophrenia and that is why this is happening, but the Dictatorship is so scary that I'm not sure. But I will keep trying.

I will keep up hope. Today I will make a plan to do things I enjoy and that lighten me up. I have a DVD with six episodes of the Big Bang Theory, I'll try and watch that.

If the voices continue to be less prevalent, I will read and research things.

Thank you so much :)

beautiful_seclusion · 27-05-2012, 03:59 AM

^I love the Big Bang Theory. It's definitely great to distract yourself.

Would it be helpful to think of the delusions in a scientific manner? I know you've posted that you're really into logic, science, and math. Perhaps think of things like the Uncertainty Principle and that even what we see with our senses cannot be certain. So since it is not certain, taking such a serious action as hurting someone would not be a wise course of action. Also perhaps apply that to the voices... you cannot be sure they are right, so therefore taking no serious action due to them would be the most logical course of action. I don't know if thinking along those lines helps you or not. Also maybe using what you know about schizophrenia and neurotransmitters to realize what your brain is trying to do and why. Hope I'm not seeming too invalidating or anything; but you seem like a person who prefers to use methods like that so maybe it could help.

Anyway it's great you talked to your team about it. Keeping yourself not too isolated is good to control thoughts because it can help you to bounce them off other people and gives you a bit more sense of their reality rather than ruminate and let them get out of control. Find lots of positive things to focus your mind. The pros/cons list is a good idea. I find when my mind is busy on concrete things, like studying or a specific goal, I tend to have less excess energy that leads to destructive thoughts like you describe. You can put that excess energy into a goal. I find making goals very specific helps as well. Like you could find a subject you want to know more about and then make a goal of what you want to have read or want to have learned before you stop doing that goal. I find that's more helpful than just a general goal of "oh I could do this or that". If that makes sense.

Also do you enjoy exercising of any type? I find that helps immensely in getting excess energy/racing thoughts under control. There's something about physical exertion that just calms so much down. I really find that I tend to start getting odd thoughts/mood issues/etc when my mind becomes too unstimulated. Perhaps that's a way you could think of it too; when you start having voices/illogical thoughts, think of it more as a sign that your mind needs to be otherwise stimulated because you're so intelligent rather than looking at it solely as a disease. Although the schizophrenia itself may manifest as a disease, your overactive mind is obviously very helpful when it's put towards positive goals and makes you very intelligent, so you can see it as a positive attribute that you just have to redirect via techniques as well as appropriate medication.

Steel Maiden · 27-05-2012, 05:08 AM

^ great ideas; I'm going to use my brainpower positively and I will do some vigorous exercise today. And the Uncertainty Principle definitely comes into this - I will read all the textbooks in my room that mention schizophrenia, just to remind myself. And I will also watch The Big Bang Theory. I've been mostly up since 3am. I need a sedating medication; olanzapine doesn't sedate me any longer. I'm going to channel all my energy into researching and exercise. Logic = good, I need to use it. Thank you.

beautiful_seclusion · 29-05-2012, 03:51 PM

Good for you! How have you been doing?

Steel Maiden · 30-05-2012, 03:03 AM

Thanks. My sleep has been rubbish (I am almost always wide awake), the voices are still bad, I also see things, and my mind keeps racing.

I often think of the Dictatorship, but Logic is still there keeping me going.

I had a good housing meeting yesterday; they're looking at helping me move out into a privately-rented flat with my best friend.

beautiful_seclusion · 30-05-2012, 06:30 PM

I'm sorry things are still rough. I'm glad you're fighting it. That sounds positive that you could be moving; I know you posted that things weren't very helpful at the place you're currently living.

Steel Maiden · 31-05-2012, 05:31 PM

Thanks. I am hoping to move within the next few months but nobody around me seems to understand my hastiness. I don't think I could move out of Merton though. I'm so damn attached to this borough; I have lived in Merton all my life. (Merton is a Greater London borough)

It turns out, after I talked to the SHO psychiatrist on the phone today, that Amisulpride seems to be the best. I am currently in the process of tapering the Aripiprazole down. I was prescribed Promethazine for four days for insomnia. I took one last night and got seven hours of sleep.

But I have been very "out of it" today, not sure if that is the hangover effect of Promethazine (half-life 18 hours), or if it is because psychosis is exhausting.

I have insight now. But I still find it really hard to leave the house. I am reminded every single hour of the day about the Dictatorship, and every time I am reminded of it, I have to use my Logic and willpower to stop myself from believing it. The voices are still bad and my OCD keeps flaring up (I spent 3 hours cleaning today even though the house was apparently clean beforehand, and I've had three showers today).

But the extra sleep last night ended the overactive, agitated phase I went through. Now I am more depressed.

What I would really appreciate is to be able to go out without psychosis-induced severe anxiety, to be euthymic and to be able to sleep without Olanzapine + Promethazine.

But I can't have those things right now so I will have to suffice with what I've got.

talaiporia · 01-06-2012, 12:26 AM

How long do you think it will be until you move? Good luck, I hope you find it better than your current place.
Have you mentioned your current thoughts about the Dictatorship to your CPN?

Steel Maiden · 01-06-2012, 05:27 AM

Thanks. I'm hoping to move within the next few months but there is a lot of inertia on this matter it seems. Living with my friend will be better than living here, definitely. My friend and I often talk about the wacky things we'd do to the flat in terms of decoration, including a giant tube map on the main room wall, along with a periodic table, lol.

I'm seeing my CPN today with the psych at 11:30 so I will tell them about my current thoughts.

Although I went almost totally non-verb yesterday. The psych mentioned selective mutism when I told her (lasrt time I saw her) how I cannot communicate with the other students at all at uni, and how I need my support worker to communicate for me, even simple things like "this is the physiology lecture" (I can't even say that :/ ).

Steel Maiden · 01-06-2012, 01:06 PM

I've been put on Amisulpride. Coming off Aripiprazole and remaining on Olanzapine + Amisulpride.

Ami · 01-06-2012, 01:09 PM

Ive been on amislpride and it give me the worst akathisia i have ever experienced. Awful. But good luck, have you been on it before?

I Was also on the olanz and aripiprazole combo which seemed to work but im on 20mg of aripiprazole and venlafaxine now.

Once again, hope things work out for you. Take care x

Steel Maiden · 05-06-2012, 08:18 AM

Thanks all.

I have been on the Amisulpride for four days now, but only 100mg/day. I have calmed down mentally a bit but I still have difficulties so I may have it increased (I've emailed my psych).

Although my hypotension has improved since I came off the Aripiprazole, so now I can exercise to a high enough degree, which will help my mental health more.

Ami, I'm sorry to hear that you had such bad akathisia. I hope your current combination will continue to help. I've been on 800mg/day of Amisulpride on its own before and it helped.

Auror, thanks. I'll keep you all updated.