Posted by jdm on September 23, 2009, at 23:44:26
When I met my wife about a year and a half ago I knew that she had some strange verbal communication characteristics on more or less frequent occasions. However, upon questioning what she meant her explaination "made sense". For instance, at an american football game she kept referring to lepracons(sp). Sitting high above the football field the players looked quiet small, therefore lepracons. As I grew to know her better, I learned that she also had what I latter discovered were non-bazarre dilusions. She had told me that she had a "sleeping problem" of not being able to sleep. We were together on a continuous basis for about two months before we were married, and during that time and for several months after we married she slept very normally. As we grew more comfortable together we were able to discuss her verbage and the non-bazarre dilusions. She was somewhat aware that she didn't talk and think like most people. We talked about the situation as she was willing to see a physician about medications that might help the problem. After considerable research and some input from her, we made the appointment and talked to the physician. I talked pretty extensively about my observations of my wife and the research that I had done on medications. My wife had previously taken Prosac. We decided on prosac 40mg and Seroquel 50mg. Actually she had already been taking some Prosac that I had in my home and it really didn't have any affect on her. After starting the seroquel (first two months) she began having relatively short periods of angry "outbursts" with more problematic verbage. The outbursts only occured twice in the first two months. On our next DR visit I discussed the "worsening" symptoms and told him that i didn't know if we should just stop the treatment because the drug seemed to make her worse, or to increase the dosage because the 50mg was a very low dose and maybe for that reason was serving more as an agonist, rather than reducing the symptoms. Regrettably, we increased the dosage to 50mg bid and 100mg at bedtime. At this dosage, her symptoms worsened markedly. We felt that her problems were beyond the scope of Internal Medicine and made an appointment with a mental health group (psychologist and psychiatrist). After about 5-6 sessions with the psychologist we met with the psychiatrist who prescribbed the Prosac and seroquel as she had been taking, and added adderol 10mg bid to improve her attention deficit as well as the daytime drowsiness from the seroquel. Additionally she was given ativan 1mg prn for "nerves". I failed to mention that my wife had become prone to occasional "panic attacks". Anyway, she became progressively worse. (There were continuing and excalating family problems with her parents regarding her children from a previous marriage that were very emotionally traumatic to her.) Two week ago, after a very traumatic confrontation at her parents house, she wrecked our SUV, flipping end over end and then rolling the vehicle. But by the grace of God, seatbelts, and airbags, she would likely have been killed. She escaped with scratches and bruises and possibly a small concussion. Three days after the accident she had to be admitted to the psychiatric ward of a local hospital for suicidal "intentions". She was hospitalized for 7 days maintaining the same medications with the addition of Welbutron and lithium, and ativan bid as well as two Darvocet-N Q4h. She did not improve and actually worsened while in the hospital with periods of mild amnesia. After seven days of worsening symptoms of psychosis and two confrontations with her very arrogant and condescending (as well as deceitful and outright lying) psychiatrist I insisted that she be discharged home. A thorough psychological evaluation resulted in the diagnosis of schizo-affective disorder. From when we met and no medications to the point now of librium, seroquel, ativan, Wellbutran, Prosac, and Darvocet-N (for continuing pain from the wreck) she has gone from what I believe was a non-bazarre dilusional disorder to a totally dysfunctional schizo-affected disorder. Prior to initiating medication she had worked continuously at the same job for a year and a half. After we married, she took a new job that was closer to our home. She is no no longer able to work. She cannot function socially at all. She has uncontrollable outbursts or panic attacks daily. I'm to the point that something drastic must be done. I am her only support system at this time. Her family relationship with her family is hopeless. At this point I'm to the point of either withdrawing all the medications (tapering). In my opinion if removing the meds doesn't bring her back to baseline, then I believe that options are very limited that could provide her with the care and continuous "protection" that she needs. Obviously, I need some input, direction, encouragement, and whatever real wisdom anyone may have.
jdm
poster:jdm
thread:918249
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090921/msgs/918249.html