Paranoid delusions

[Bhj]

Hi. I’ve posted a few times about my psychosis. I’ve been on my fourth anti psychotic, amisulpride 400g for about a month now, no improvement in thoughts. Can anyone tell me an anti psychotic that worked for them where others have failed. Thanks.

Clozapine has potentially serious side effects. It is fantastic but strong. You must tell the team how much you are drinking even if you plan to stop.
I'm fat too. But well(ish).
You can sort the weight once you feel better. Psychosis is a living hell. xx

DH has episodes of psychosis and has used drugs and alcohol to self medicate in the past. It's really really common for people with psychosis to develop drug and alcohol Reliance, there's even a name for it (dual diagnosis) His mental health team just take it in their stride, it's something they are very used to and I've not felt they are judgemental at all, just offer advice and strategies and if necessary signpost to specialist services. As this is a new thing let them help you stop a coping mechanism becoming an addiction.

Ebony that student is setting herself up for a fall HCAs are the backbone of a ward, it's a fool who alienates you guys, she will find her placement a lot tougher without you guys on side. Maybe have a quiet word with her mentor too, teamwork is an essential quality in a nurse.

It is very common carer. So they won't be surprised but they do need to know.
I didn't know alcohol/drug use was a diagnosis.

I am now teetotal. I never miss it.

Clozapine is incredibly effective. However it can sometimes have side effects. This is speaking from a hcp and not patient P.O.v. It works.

I hope today goes better for you ebony, don’t take any of their bs. I will tell the team when I see them next week about the alcohol as there’s no point starting clozapine if the alcohol affects it. I’m just really worried about the repercussions of them knowing because of the kids. Thanks no longer, it’s good to know it’s common for people with psychosis to self medicate, stops me feeling such a failiure. Well done starlightafar on being teetotal now, hopefully that will be me some day soon. I’ve also piled the weight on since starting anti psychotics, I was always slim before but to be honest that’s the least of my worries when I spend everyday with the thoughts people want to kill me. Dp off work today as snow too bad to go to work so can relax for the weekend now till next week. Gonna get wrapped up and go have a snowball fight with kids.

Thanks random. Can I ask what are some of the side effects you’ve seen with clozapine?

I am very dribbly! Fatigue too.

I’ve heard they are common side effects. Do they get better the longer you’re on them or not really? I’m due to start clozapine Monday. I have to have a blood test and ecg Friday before I start. Feeling quite anxious about it.

Hi BHJ has your psychiatrist given the tablets time to work or looked at altering the dosage.
Have you used distraction techniques ie using headphones and listening to music. Some people tell the voices to "go away" - I live in London and our local MIND has a hearing voices group - have you anything like this in your area.
I'm a mental health nurse - alcohol won't help in the long term - it can made you paranoid and can be a depressant.
Yes starting clozapine will take a couple of days to titrate - this does involve blood tests - patients did used to be admitted for 5 days but now our Home Treatment Team manages this in the community.
It appears difficult for you between 2pm and 3pm - tried listening to music with head phones - don't go to school smelling of alcohol -
Your mental health team should talk you through this medication. It can really help some individuals that are not improving on other Medes.
I wish you well.

Hi bhj just wondering how you are, when I had a psychotic breakdown in 2012 I was convinced that my workplace were plotting to kill me together with the cmht.
That paranoia went when I started Aripiprazole.

However I also felt that MI6 were spying on me in my house & it took months to stop feeling like that.

Then I was getting thoughts telling me to do bad things (which I would never do) so the dose was increased to 25mg. I never had voices though.

I feel that objects have faces in them & that I can control traffic lights (which I know sounds funny) but it's annoying. It bothers me less with an increase in meds.

I was also feeling that people were talking about me & thinking negatively about me but that's not so bad now.

I think that with anti psychotics the thoughts & paranoia don't go they just bother you less.

I only saw a cpn in 2012 who discharged me once I was on Aripiprazole even though I wasn't better.
I see a psychiatrist 3-4 monthly which isn't really enough but he is very approachable which is good.

Thanks Mary. I haven’t thought of listening to music with headphones to distract me, that could work for the hour I’m most anxious before collecting the kids. I’m really proud of myself, I haven’t drank alcohol this week as I know I can’t take it when I start clozapine next week if I want to give it the best chance of working. I don’t hear voices or hallucinate, I have paranoid delusions so they tell me. Thanks for sharing that ebony, sorry you’ve had to experience it all. Mine started as thinking the council workers were monitoring me in their council vans and thoughts they wanted to harm me. It spread to bt vans, Royal Mail, you name it and I truly believe they’re out to get me. The worst is that Wednesday I even accused my dp of 8 years of being in on it all because the remote control was wedged between the sofa cushions and he couldn’t explain why it was like that. Luckily he’s very supportive and said he knows it’s the illness talking and he doesn’t take it personally but I keep thinking how long till he gets fed up of it and decides to leave, I’m so worried it’s gna cause my family to fall apart.

OP be careful with olanzapine. I put on 3st in 6 months. I was bigger then I ever was when pregnant! Very slowly trying to lose the weight, now I'm on a different med.

Last night I was thinking about something that was upsetting me & I looked across at the bedding & saw the pattern of the bedding making an evil face. So I put my hand on it to block it out.

It's the first worrying symptom I've had since increasing the Aripiprazole.
Not sure if I should tell the duty worker at the cmht to tell my psychiatrist or leave it for now.

That must have been scary for you ebony. I think you probably should tell them so they’re aware and can be prepared to provide you with support if you should need it.

I was shocked to be honest

DS takes quetiapine and olanzapine amd very seldom has psychotic breaks. On the rare occasions they do happen he's much more able to handle his reactions.

We were told he mustn't drink on the medication as it will kill him. Basically his psychs said it will reduce the effectiveness to such an extent that he will end his own life.

Please, please, please tell your psychs how your dealing with day to day life.

I know I should tell them but then they’ll tell my partner who would be beyond upset and disappointed with me. I didn’t drink alcohol at all last week and I don’t plan to again as I’m starting the clozapine tomorrow or Wednesday but if I do feel the urge or drink again I plan to tell them straight away because I’m really hoping this medication works as it’s only used where others have failed so i feel if this doesn’t work nothing will.

Still here for you. Congratulations on not drinking, that's a huge step.

Give it a while to get working, it took a few weeks for me.

Thank you. I’ve been told for some it takes a few weeks to work and for others it can take up to a year, I’m hoping it will work sooner rather than later because things are getting worse as time goes by and I’m not sure how much more I can take. I’ve told my therapist when I have my cbt that if it weren’t for the kids I wouldn’t be here now, living like this is a nightmare I never wake up from. I hope you’re having a good time with your cousins and you’re not feeling too bad being away from home.

I'm home now. Really successful trip, coped well. Seeing psych on Thursday so will hopefully lower or stop the other antipsychotic. I don't want to be on it but it's scary to come off.

What dose are they starting you on? I've got my blood test today.

Glad your trip went well and you enjoyed it. You must be doing well at the moment if you feel ready to come off one of your meds but I can see how it must feel scary. They are starting me tomorrow on 12.5mg then will increase everyday until I am on 300mg. Feeling quite anxious about it now but they’ll be out 4 times tomorrow to do observations then twice a day after that. Good luck with your blood test, I had one Friday, have to have another Thursday then every Monday for quite a while. Good job I don’t mind needles. Can I ask what dose you are on?

Just to let you know please do not drink on clozapine. It can interact dangerously with alcohol and could be fatal.

I'm on 400mg. I also take a mood stabilizer (lithium), an antidepressant (mirtazapine) and benzodiazepines (oxazepam). Last month I had a wobble and they added an extra antipsychotic but I want to come off it asap!

Glad you're being well monitored.

I haven't told the cmht about seeing the evil face as I just want to see if it happens again first.

I'm having quite a stressful time at work which doesn't help with feeling paranoid.

Just trying to keep calm at work today, got two days off tomorrow & thurs.

Not feeling calm at all actually I'm really fed up with work for lots of reasons