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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Mom with Paranoid Schizophrenia other symptoms
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Mom with Paranoid Schizophrenia other symptoms
by chrion, May 13, 2003 12:00AM
My mom was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia approx. 17 years ago. Priror to this she worked as a social worker and after she had me she retired and ran her own daycare out of our house. She seemed fine with it at this time although there may have been small hints of something not right in stories she told the relatives.
She's currently 59 years old and in addition to schizophrenia she also has stage II hypertension, chronic headaches, a severe skin rash that leaves open sores over her body (especially when scratched) and sometimes her mouth will twitch to the side (kind of like bells palsy but it comes and goes).
Since I was a child when she first developed most of these symptoms I can't recall the exact order in which they occured however I have included them here because I beleive they may be somehow related.
She's currently on hydrochlorothiazide and propanalol to control her headaches and hypertension. I'm wondering if one of these medications could also be causing her rash.
Her schizophrenia symptomps display as paranoid thoughts beleiving she is being spied upon by 'the neighborhood', especially the police, school teachers and the liquor store people. She has extreamly poor hygine, rarely baths and goes months without doing the dishes or cleaning up making her house smell really badly.
She can become extreamly abusive especially when confronted and asked to acknoledge her problems.
When I was a child I remember her occasionally telling odd stories to the relatives however she seemed much better able to take care of herself. Her hygine was much better, she drove longer distances, etc. When she was first diagnosed we brought her to UCLA medical center because she would randomly walk into the neighborhood and keep walking with no where to go. She was treated there for a while and seemed to get better and sent home with medication (although I can not remember which medication it was).
Sometime after this I found her lying in bed, slurring her words and cussing really fowl things I had never heard her say before, swearing over and over again. She had taken many boddles of her medicine (I think it may have been hadol or another drug in it's class at that time (approx. 1985). I called the paramedics and they rushed her to the hospital and gave her charchol to neutrialize it.
I believe that her overdose may have made her illness much worse. I do not remember her being so absuive before this point, and now she routinely swears and curses at everything. Also afterwards is when I beleive she developed her facial twich and she used to sit in the car stare into nowhere and roll her fingers together. She wasn't on the anti-psychotics for long but could the overdose have given her tardive dyskenia or caused her to be that much more absusive?
Is there anything I can do to help her now?
She's currently 59 years old and in addition to schizophrenia she also has stage II hypertension, chronic headaches, a severe skin rash that leaves open sores over her body (especially when scratched) and sometimes her mouth will twitch to the side (kind of like bells palsy but it comes and goes).
Since I was a child when she first developed most of these symptoms I can't recall the exact order in which they occured however I have included them here because I beleive they may be somehow related.
She's currently on hydrochlorothiazide and propanalol to control her headaches and hypertension. I'm wondering if one of these medications could also be causing her rash.
Her schizophrenia symptomps display as paranoid thoughts beleiving she is being spied upon by 'the neighborhood', especially the police, school teachers and the liquor store people. She has extreamly poor hygine, rarely baths and goes months without doing the dishes or cleaning up making her house smell really badly.
She can become extreamly abusive especially when confronted and asked to acknoledge her problems.
When I was a child I remember her occasionally telling odd stories to the relatives however she seemed much better able to take care of herself. Her hygine was much better, she drove longer distances, etc. When she was first diagnosed we brought her to UCLA medical center because she would randomly walk into the neighborhood and keep walking with no where to go. She was treated there for a while and seemed to get better and sent home with medication (although I can not remember which medication it was).
Sometime after this I found her lying in bed, slurring her words and cussing really fowl things I had never heard her say before, swearing over and over again. She had taken many boddles of her medicine (I think it may have been hadol or another drug in it's class at that time (approx. 1985). I called the paramedics and they rushed her to the hospital and gave her charchol to neutrialize it.
I believe that her overdose may have made her illness much worse. I do not remember her being so absuive before this point, and now she routinely swears and curses at everything. Also afterwards is when I beleive she developed her facial twich and she used to sit in the car stare into nowhere and roll her fingers together. She wasn't on the anti-psychotics for long but could the overdose have given her tardive dyskenia or caused her to be that much more absusive?
Is there anything I can do to help her now?
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., May 14, 2003 12:00AM
, May 14, 2003 12:00AM
Yes, there are many new medications for this disorder, and u.c.l.a. is great place to have her evaluated.
Do you think she would agree to being reassessed as the doc suggested? Because i know there are newer medications which seem to be helpful, ie seroquel.
Having an ill parent must be so hard.. i can't imagin what you are going through.. its very sad.
Good luck in getting your mother the help she needs,
Peggy
but I occasionally have a glass or 2 of wine and then later (1hr
maybe less time)I take my med. I was wondering if you thought I
might have a bad reaction. I have no interest in sex and I suppose this is a side effect of the medication. Do you think that I may have any reaction. Thanks!