Schiz. just getting worse and worse... - Page 2

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 06:25 AM

I haven't tried clozapine, but it does seem like an option. What side-effects does your partner get?
The reason why I want to stick with olanzapine is that my body has grown so used to it that I no longer have disabling side-effects from it. In fact even the tremors and muscle stiffness has improved a bit.

lostandalone3 · 13-10-2008, 07:01 AM

Yeah it seems like a good medication as none of the other anhtipsychotics eradicated all his symptoms. '
Thats good to hear. He doesnt seem to suffer many side effects, just a bit of sedation which helps him to sleep. The only prob with Clozapine is that you need monthly blood tests, because it can dangerously lower your white blood cell count.
If you are closely monitored though then its ok. It is amazing the improvement in him. He can concentrate auditory and visual hallucinations are gone, he is no longer paranoid and it also helps with his mood and speed of his thoughts.
I actually envy him for finding such an effective medication because i am still searching.

lostandalone3 · 13-10-2008, 07:03 AM

everyone had written him off as being unable to work or study or anything cos of his deteriorating mental state. They also told us he never be able to deal with the stress of everyday living... but he has proven everyone wrong... so yeah Clozapine is a miracle drug for him

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 07:51 AM

Lostandalone, that is really inspiring. I will be seeing the college nurse today, so I will talk to her about my options.
Although I do think that the stress I've been under doesn't help my illness.

I wrote down all of my lectures, practicals, supervisions and other appointments in my diary and as a result I am super-organised, which eases the stress a bit.

However, the Voices are really bad today, making it hard to work, which is not good as I have a large pile of books to go through. Paranoid thoughts are making it impossible to socialise.

Thanks though, you really help.

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 07:52 AM

Luckily I have a whole afternoon off and I'm seeing my (really nice) tutor at 7pm tonight so I have a good day in front of me. Also I'm seeing the college nurse and my mentor is seeing me after that.

Le Almighty Kitten · 13-10-2008, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steel Maiden

Is schizophrenia degenerative? Can it just get worse and worse despite medical intervention? Will I end up residential in a psychiatric ward in a permanent psychotic state?

I'm really scared because every month my mental health gets relatively worse.

I'm scared that the schizophrenia will take me over and ruin my life for good. It feels like a growing parasite in my body.

This is just a quick reply, so apologies if this is me repeating other posts.

Schizophrenia is life long, but and this is a big but real but, you can get better; i know of people who take no medications at all and others who "maintain" themselves on very low dosages of medication.

What is worth saying though, is that it takes time to get to a more stable state and often, the early years (so diagnosis is often around early twenties) can be very tough; but even if you were to be given ECT and be drugged up to the eyeballs, that doesn't have to mean a life time imprisonment in your own mind or an institute.

I think it's good to remember that getting to a good place isn't going to happen overnight, it will take many years but it is quite possible.

Out of interest, you may find Hearing Voices by Sandra Escher and Prof Marius Romme good reads and helpful.

lostandalone3 · 13-10-2008, 10:03 AM

Hey, I am glad you found it inspiring. I have the same trouble with university making me stressed thus exagerating the symptoms

Do you have a disability co ordinator at Cambridge? The one i see provided me with a dictaphone for when i cant concentrate in lectures, they have also offered me a note taker if i am unable too take notes myself. I also sit tests and exams in my own classroom and am given an extra half hour, for each hour of the exam.

They must have someone like this at Cambridge. I found being honest with lecturers also helped heaps, as they would often take away deadlines for assignments and just told me to hand them in before the end of semester exam.

At my last uni when i was doing my first degree i did it whilst i was an inpatient. Uni gave me a laptop sorted out internet acess and my lecturers would post me the lecture notes. Is this your first year at uni? I never thought i could complete my degree but i did and am now doing another one.

So ask for help... and if you put in the effort your lecturers etc will m ost probably put in the extra effort for you. The thing i love about uni which differs from school is that lecturers want you to pass there papers so dont be afraid to ask for assistance.

Let me know how it all goes=)

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Almighty Kitten

This is just a quick reply, so apologies if this is me repeating other posts.

Schizophrenia is life long, but and this is a big but real but, you can get better; i know of people who take no medications at all and others who "maintain" themselves on very low dosages of medication.

What is worth saying though, is that it takes time to get to a more stable state and often, the early years (so diagnosis is often around early twenties) can be very tough; but even if you were to be given ECT and be drugged up to the eyeballs, that doesn't have to mean a life time imprisonment in your own mind or an institute.

I think it's good to remember that getting to a good place isn't going to happen overnight, it will take many years but it is quite possible.

Out of interest, you may find Hearing Voices by Sandra Escher and Prof Marius Romme good reads and helpful.

Thank you for this very helpful and informative post. I will look at the book on the internet, and perhaps it might be in my college library - I'll do a search on their catalogue. They've got three floors of books so I'm hoping there'll be a copy.

I think that I can manage my illness, but so far it is only with high medication dosages. In 2007 I was on 10mg olanzapine. Now I am on 25mg. But your post has made me realise that although my symptoms are worsening now, it is only due to stress and things will get better, even if the problems don't go away.

My Mother can't get to grips with the fact that schizophrenia is a lifelong illness. Hell, she can't even get to grips with the fact that I have schizophrenia.

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lostandalone3

Hey, I am glad you found it inspiring. I have the same trouble with university making me stressed thus exagerating the symptoms

Do you have a disability co ordinator at Cambridge? The one i see provided me with a dictaphone for when i cant concentrate in lectures, they have also offered me a note taker if i am unable too take notes myself. I also sit tests and exams in my own classroom and am given an extra half hour, for each hour of the exam.

They must have someone like this at Cambridge. I found being honest with lecturers also helped heaps, as they would often take away deadlines for assignments and just told me to hand them in before the end of semester exam.

At my last uni when i was doing my first degree i did it whilst i was an inpatient. Uni gave me a laptop sorted out internet acess and my lecturers would post me the lecture notes. Is this your first year at uni? I never thought i could complete my degree but i did and am now doing another one.

So ask for help... and if you put in the effort your lecturers etc will m ost probably put in the extra effort for you. The thing i love about uni which differs from school is that lecturers want you to pass there papers so dont be afraid to ask for assistance.

Let me know how it all goes=)

I think that the uni stress is easing a bit now that I am organised and have support from the disabilities people. They are offering me some computer programs to aid my work and extra time + computer in the exams. I have a dictaphone, but so far the lecturers have pretty much been going through the booklets they provide, so I just read up on the booklets after lectures. I have devised (with the help of my disabilities mentor) a timetabling system so that I can structure my work and my breaks, because I have a deal with the Voices now that they shut up when I'm working and they can talk to me while I'm having breaks, like now I'm having a break and they're taking the piss at me. Although this only works about 30% of the time and they still disturb me while I'm working. My disabilities mentor is going to tell all my tutors and supervisors about my problems and that if I don't hand work in on time, it is not out of laziness but it is due to my problems.

My lecturers and tutors are all very supportive of me, which is good. I hope I don't end up inpatient but if I did, I think that I would be able to catch up because the lecture notes they hand out cover most of the lecture.

Thanks so much for the posts, they really help. I saw my disabilities mentor today, which is why I know all of this stuff they're organising for me now. I still have an assessment on Thursday which will confirm what I really need and what I don't.