My son is hearing voices

[OakLuz]

Over the past 2 weeks my 8 year old son has been hearing voices and sounds in his "ears and head" he says the person who is speaking to him is a man and his name is Joseph, he cries none stop and says that he is scared. I have done my research on schizophrenia and it is very unlikely he has that, I have suggested we take a trip to the doctors but he doesn't want to go I just don't know what to do next, his behaviour is deteorating day by day, he no longer wants to eat because he thinks there is poison in the food etc. I will be grateful for any advice

Luz

[cory]

So glad you got treatment. Hope he feels better soon. Kidney infections are horrible.

We found, though, that once the antibiotics kicked in the voices stopped and dd went back to normal.

[RockinHippy]

Well done Oak & thank you for updating & please don't feel stupid - if you've never had to deal with a kidney infection before how would you know, its a weird illness, I've had it many times & its rarely the same twice & even Ive missed it when I'm used to the symptoms - you acted by coming on here & asking & then took the advice given - that's really not a stupid thing to do :)

Cranberry juice can help too, if he finds it too tart - mixing with sparkling water makes a nice refreshing drink that even kids love - its been proven scientifically to help clear & stop recurrence of kidney/urinary tract infections - it worked for me

[RockinHippy]

fairy cranberry works as well if not better than the antibiotics (septrin?) I've not had an infection in 14 years & I binned the antibiotics in favour of cranberry

[noblegiraffe]

Oh well done for getting him to A&E. Obviously your concerns about the voices and his mental health would have made it hard to spot that he was poorly as well, so don't feel bad about that, it is sorted now.

[Fairylea]

Thanks but I disagree re the cranberry..I think it depends how severe the problems are. Before I was referred to the urologist aged 12/13 I was drinking gallons of cranberry juice and having frequent bouts of infections and then short courses of strong antibiotics. After seeing several specialists and having various scans they discovered my kidneys are slightly too small for my body so do not always work effectively so the antibiotics are really the only thing that has worked for me.

The gp gives me 3 months daily supply at a time and if I develop a proper infection then I just increase the dose from 1 to 3 a day until it goes away.

[moonblues]

Well done for taking him to A&E. It might be worth writing down what you want say to the GP and bringing it with you, so you don't forget anything. It's difficult dealing with things without support from your DP.

Hope he feels better soon.

[RockinHippy]

One thing that MIGHT be worth baring in mind, just incase

I know kidney/urinary tract infections to be much rarer in males than females, the 2 guys who I know who did get recurring ones ended up being diagnosed with diabetes.

Hopefully this is a one off & when cured, its cured, but IF not & it comes back, do insist on sugar testing for your DS, one friend of ours didn't know, his GP wasn't great & it took years for diagnosis - he ended up collapsing in the street & very seriously ill in hospital before he was finally listened to & diagnosed as diabetic

[lottieandmia]

Poor you, oak - how frightening for you all. When my dad was in hospital, he had a kidney infection and he suffered all kinds of delusions, including that there were people standing around his bed, chanting 'Lola!' And the doctors were evil and out to get him! He's never had anything like that before or since. I really hope your ds is feeling better soon xx

[RockinHippy]

That's a shame fairy but good you know about it & tried it first, my problems started mid 20s & sound very similar, my kidneys are small too & now CKD 3 - but the drugs affected me badly in other ways & cranberry worked just as well without the side effects, so seems not for everyone, but definitely worth trying

[Fairylea]

Definitely rockin :) poor you, it's horrid isn't it. I do get thrush sometimes if I take a high dose of antibiotics but I'd rather that than the kidney infection! Bloody horrible things.

Hope the ops son is feeling much better soon.

[lougle]

OakLuz, thanks for updating this thread. It's so hard to know how ill children are sometimes. I hope your DS has a speedy recovery and you can get to the bottom of the noises he's hearing.

[FuckingWankwings]

Just read whole thread. Well done for getting him attention, OP, and don't feel stupid. Kidney/urinary infections can be hard to spot and the symptoms can be quite vague and get mistaken for something else or for nothing at all.
Y
our husband's attitude to his family is appalling. I don't know whether or not it has anything to do with your son's voices and behaviour, but it is a serious issue nonetheless and needs addressing. It sounds as though you take on all the work, responsibility and worry for the family on your own, and that's not fair.

[OakLuz]

FuckingWankwings my husband has been like this since my first two were born 15 years ago, we split then we got back together with a promise that he'd change and be a dad, he did change then we got married, I was only 20 and he was 23. All I want from him is to spend time with me and the children, come on family holidays with us and be involved in our childrens life, he has it in his head that because he goes to work and provides for us, I shouldn't ask him for anything more.

[LEMmingaround]

Thank god! Thanks for the update. Hopefully he will be on the mend soon. Confusing symptoms so dont be too hard on yourself xx

[LEMmingaround]

Your dh is another issue. I hope you get some support with that.

[WipsGlitter]

I'm glad your son is getting treatment, hopefully the voices were just a side effect of the infection. But a thorough check up with the GP including diabetes testing is a good idea.

I'm not sure what to say about your relationship. My DP puts great store on being the provider but he still wants to do stuff with us (although he would work 24/7 if I let him and he does work nearly ever evening and at the weekend). It sounds like he's totally disengaged from his family, what was he like over Christmas? What happens if you organise something for you all to attend?

[FuckingWankwings]

'he has it in his head that because he goes to work and provides for us, I shouldn't ask him for anything more.'

Well, he has it wrong. And he obviously DOES know how to behave, if you got back together after he promised he'd be a dad from now on. He just doesn't seem to want to. The two of you really need to work that out.

[OakLuz]

WipsGlitter Me and the children were away for Christmas, we arrived back on the 2nd Jan and had Christmas day at my mums, my husband will never ever come to anything I arrange for us all to go to, it is almost like he isn't part of the family.

[LEMmingaround]

What does he get from this relationship?

[Vicx]

Hello, my daughter is 9 years old and she has obsessive compulsive disorder. Part of this sounds similar to your son. She doesn't hear voices as such but she gets plaques with intrusive thoughts.
We got a referral to get it checked out they said the big difference between the two is if the voices talk back. In her case and your son's sounds like they don't. The psychiatrist said children personify the voices because it's the best way they know how to make sense of what is happening.
Intrusive thoughts usually occur at 8 and they are manageable but you have to et help before they turn 12 as with puberty they go out of control.
You do urgently need to take him to the gp. If you can leave him outside and go in first and explain what is happening, then bring your son in. If e really doesn't want to then don't bring him, go on your own. You need him to be referred to CAHMS (child and adolescent mental health service google it) or if you are in London settle for no less than the cahms at theTavistock centre. The right help will get your kid talking.
Unfortunately it's a long process (6-12 weeks) as the gp can't refer you straight there they can only send you to a peadtrician that can make the referral to cahms and then assesment. Bit of a faff and it takes a while. Also ask for a hearing test while you are at the gp's. It's just to rule out the voices. The hearing test people will deem it unnecessary but it's just a step you have to take.
Even if the behaviour goes away, it is important to get the cahms referral and follow through with it because it can return with any additional stress. my daughters episodes last about a month with a 6 month break.
In terms of coping until you can get professional help.
Reassure him that you don't think there is poison in his good but you make him a new meal once but not twice. So he trusts you and you set a boundary.
Ask him to write it down. This helps empty the thought from his head. Also evidence for the gp. However if he doesn't want to do this allow him to rip it up after.
Use night lights, sleep with the light on, the radio. Whatever it take to make sure he gets a Good nights sleep and you do to. I know it will seem like he is going rapidly down hill and new symptoms are arising daily but try and look at it from this way he has probably been feeling like this for a while so it's good it's coming out now rather than eating him up and making him feel different.
Really hope this helps.

[RockinHippy]

Oak I think once you get the stress of your DS being ill sorted, you need to get yourself over to the relationships forum.

My DH works ridiculously hard at the moment thanks to his pee taking employers dumping staff left right and centre and not replacing he also drives 40 miles each way to get there & has to be up at 5am for that, he's not perfect by any means, he's totally exhausted & can be a growls arse at times as a result of that.

BUT he looks forward to family holidays, misses us times when we are away & he can't join us & would give anything to join us, he will come home from work & cook tea if I need him too, play with DD - because he LOVES to & sees her & me as the reason he keeps going with his ridiculous work load - I'm at home so in theory he could take your DHs stance & leave it all to me, but noway would he feel that was his right.

We are a team & absolutely no way would he not be there to help if DD has an accident or was ill, he's straight there driving us to A&E every time, which is often as she has a health condition that makes her accident prone - he would NEVER dream of leaving me to it & we only have 1 DC.

Your DH is nothing more than a lodger & I suspect you would cope a whole heap better without the stress of living with him & hoping just this once he will come through for you & your DCs :(

[Northumberlandlass]

Thank you for updated OakLuz and so pleased he is getting sorted.
Don't be hard on yourself about your son.

Your H though is another matter entirely

But we are here if you want to talk about that too x

[TheGonnagle]

Oh I'm so glad you got him to A and E. I was reading the first page going "kidneys, kidneys, kidneys!"
A severe UTI/kidney infection will cause havoc with the mind too- it can cause a change in personality/mental state.
Keep a close eye on his urine output, don't hesitate to take a sample up to your GP for them to dip if it gets very dark or if you can see blood in it.
I have long term kidney problems- please keep on top of this or your ds could end up pretty poorly. Also please don't assume that he is better when the drugs are finished- keep monitoring his output and don't worry about getting him back up to the doctors as often as is needed.
Good luck and well done for getting him up to A and E.

[adoptmama]

Glad you got medical attention for him. Please don't neglect going to the GP and seeing him/her about the voices. It may not be connnected to his kidney infection. As for your husband- only you can decide if you plan to put up with things as they are. You could always go to couples counselling - they will see you even if your husband will not go, and it may help you decide what to do in the future. Have faith in yourself - you sound as if you doubt yourself and have little confidence. You are stronger than you think.

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Glad you got a diagnosis! Am sure he will be better soon.

Nevertheless, in the short term, you have to continue to support him and set reassuring boundaries & routines to alleviate his anxiety as suggested above by Fwkings and Vicks.
Really, don't just shrug it off until the next episode. There is a pattern that is making him very unhappy. It doesn't have to be that way.