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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by alienatari on October 17, 2007, at 23:38:37
My aunty (who is profoundly intellectually disabled and schizophrenic) has been on stelazine for 20 years or so.
In the past she tried to kill my Mother, stabbed my grandfather and many other things she did that led her to be hospitalised and medicated.
She was always violent but before this she was married, was semi-independent, even had a job.
The only antipsychotics I know of that she has been on are largactil (Thorazine) and Stelazine.
My grandmother is sick and things are getting strange and I dont know how to help.
For the last, im not sure but almost as long as I can remember, she has appeared to be very profoundly disabled.
She no longer baths herself, does not even wipe herself when she goes to the toilet. She is a heavy smoker and constantly sets her room on fire (mainly her bed) because she always uses matches and throws them anywhere. How she has never set the house on fire I will never know (though she did set her cat on fire once, thankfully it was ok).
They have a gass stove and she will turn the gas on and fill the house with gas. I often walk into the house and all I can smell is gas and Ill check the stove and its on but not lit.
My grandmother is obviously scared of her though as she locks her room at night so she cant get in while sleeping.
The house has no knifes of course (except plastic ones that dont reallly cut).
I had noticed that my aunty had been stranger than usual lately and I could not work out why but my grandmother told me that she has taken her off her stelazine. She told me she is not schizophrenic anymore (or never was) and doesnt need medication. She wont take her to her psychiatrist anymore nor will she let me or anyone else take her to one. She is convinced that they are going to take her away from her.
I am worried about my Grandmother and my aunty so much. Stelazine is a horrible drug but I am sure she could be put on something more modern that will help her and suppress her violent tendencies. I cant convince my grandmother at all though she just gets angry.
Anyone have any suggestions please? I know I have asked a lot of questions over the last few days but this is really important. Thank you.
Posted by Phillipa on October 18, 2007, at 11:46:25
In reply to Stelazine, posted by alienatari on October 17, 2007, at 23:38:37
Alien can your Mother or Dad get her into the hospital? Are there temporary committments there as someone needs maybe to do an MRI. Sounds like your grandmother is afraid of losing her sister and being alone. What do you think? Phillipa
Posted by river1924 on October 18, 2007, at 17:09:22
In reply to Stelazine, posted by alienatari on October 17, 2007, at 23:38:37
As hard as this may be to both of them, your grandmother should care for herself. She may already need some assistance to care for herself adequately. I feel for your grandmother and aunt. But it would seem new arrangements need to be made. If it is the only way, contact social services yourself and find out what the options may be and/or make an anonymous tip about the situation. It doesn't really seem safe to change meds unless your aunt is somewhere with people who can monitor her. One person, even your grandmother, shouldn't be expected to do that.
Posted by alienatari on October 18, 2007, at 20:42:41
In reply to Re: Stelazine » alienatari, posted by Phillipa on October 18, 2007, at 11:46:25
> Alien can your Mother or Dad get her into the hospital? Are there temporary committments there as someone needs maybe to do an MRI. Sounds like your grandmother is afraid of losing her sister and being alone. What do you think? Phillipa
Its my Grandmothers daughter not sister. My Grandmother would never allow that but its not a real crisis yet. She just needs to see a psychiatrist and be back on antipsychotics I think but doing this (without tearing the family apart) looks like it will be impossible.
Posted by alienatari on October 18, 2007, at 20:59:01
In reply to Re: Stelazine, posted by river1924 on October 18, 2007, at 17:09:22
If I did that I think my Grandmother would have a heart attack and die as its her worst fear would be having social services involved. (she is always screaming about how they are going to take my aunty away from her anyway).
To be honest, social services have been nothing but trouble for other members of my family and I dont know if it would help. When my other aunty had her child she had a psychotic episode and was severely depresesd (basically she was raped when she was younger and she couldnt handle that she had a daughter and not a son because she didnt want the same thing to happen to her daughter. Many years later the man that raped her found her address and started to send her notes saying he was coming to get her daughter. Nothing was ever done by the police, i dont know if there is anything that could be done. My cousin changed schools and came to live with my family). Anyway, as she was in the psych ward DOCS (social services) wanted to take her child away. She was married and still lived with her husband but they felt it was too much of a risk. God knows how my parents managed this, but my cousin was legally adopted by my parents (which was against their wishes).
My cousin lived with me (we are more like brother and sister) and so did my aunt and uncle for a while too. Like I said above, she went to the same school as me from grade 3 and we went to the same high school too.
I dont want to force a new medication on my aunty. I want her to see a psychiatrist and have an adequate evaluation of her condition and be medicated because she needs to be medicated as she is a a danger to others. I would be (and so would the rest of the family) quite happy if my Grandmother would give her her stelazine which has controlled her symptoms for over 20 years. I can however understand why she wants her off this drug as the side effects are extreme (in her situation at least). But ignoring her past violence (stabbing my grandfather, bashing my mother in the head with a pot until she was unconscious and was found by someone who stopped it and took her to hospital. It happened in their front yard.) Thats just two examples of how violent she is, and she has done similar things many times.
> As hard as this may be to both of them, your grandmother should care for herself. She may already need some assistance to care for herself adequately. I feel for your grandmother and aunt. But it would seem new arrangements need to be made. If it is the only way, contact social services yourself and find out what the options may be and/or make an anonymous tip about the situation. It doesn't really seem safe to change meds unless your aunt is somewhere with people who can monitor her. One person, even your grandmother, shouldn't be expected to do that.
Posted by river1924 on October 18, 2007, at 22:51:41
In reply to Re: Stelazine, posted by alienatari on October 18, 2007, at 20:42:41
Is your grandmother ok mentally? I really do not understand her thought process.
I would begin to hate and fear any person I lived with who I thought might freak out and stab me or hit me on the head at anytime of the day or night. What if your aunt hurts a neighbor?
I have an aunt who isn't violent but without medication she is just so "weird" and annoying to everyone in the family. It is stressful.
Caregivers (like your grandmother) often suffer depression. I hope, at least, someone gives her help or time off on daily or weekly basis.
River.
Posted by your#1fan on October 18, 2007, at 23:59:56
In reply to Re: Stelazine, posted by river1924 on October 18, 2007, at 22:51:41
what kind of medications has she been in the past? besdides antipsychosis medications?
my grandmother right now is in Demitia 2nd stage (the one right before you get catatonic) she takes Aricept. My grandmother was on phenobarbital and and older drug called miltown when i grew up with her, till she moved out of her old house in 2003, it was in the middle of a real dangerous club area. both together because anxiety runs in our family. She lived in that house for almost 30 years. The town now is an upscale area, very expensive.
Does sedatives help or just cause your grandmother to get angry because this has been known with sedatives (hynotics)
Would they help, only her doctor knows whats best....
I hope you well for your grandmother, my granmother is going to to heaven soon...... makes me wanta cry all my childhood i spent with her...oh god....
My best wishes to you alien.
Posted by alienatari on October 19, 2007, at 2:29:17
In reply to Re: Stelazine, posted by river1924 on October 18, 2007, at 22:51:41
No, not at all. I think my grandmother is schizophrenic herself (it runs in my family, so does depression and so many people in my family are effected by it). She has been hospitalised once to my knowledge (I was 4 or 5 years old, my grandfather had called my mother to come over quick because he didnt know what to do because my grandmother had gone crazy. When we got there my grandmother was running round the house naked shouting out "burn me eyes out with cigarettes" I cant remember what else happened. Parents called an ambulance and she was in hospital for only a few weeks but she was far from well (and was unmedicated) when she got back. My Mum bought her all new clothes/bedding, new cutlery. A lot of things. She threw most of it out and what she didnt throw out she gave to her friends. She blames my mother still even now for her being put into hospital and denies that she was ever sick.
Still also does a lot of weird things she has done with me even. I am studying Law but I did an elective in psychology not long ago. While I was doing it she would not look at me in the face because I was "hypnotizing her with my eyes". At first I thought she was joking but she was literally running away from me everytime i looked at her. She kinda stopped when I finished the elective.
I know, it must be so hard for my grandmother. But the whole family (well my Mum, other Aunty, Cousin and I) help out a lot. I do her shopping/banking and that sort of stuff and take her to doctor appointments. Mum and other Aunty do the cleaning and washing. Cousin cleans too. My other aunty regularly baths and cleans my disabled aunty.
Everyone fears my aunty though especially my Mum of course. Sometimes she scares me but most of the time she is just more annoying than anything (like when I am driving her somewhere she will start hissing and screaming "we're going to crash" and start kicking my seat). Its mostly things like that but she commonly screams out "im calling the police" (which she use to do a lot. When i was 5 or so she was chasing me so i threw a baked carrot at her because i was scared and she called the police) or "turn the lights out". "The birds are pecking me" was quite common for a while. Other things she regularly starts screaming are "I can hear the voices" and "your making me nervous". Other than the things she screams out a conversation is quite hard to have with her. She also has the habit of masturbating in public.
Honestly, It is really hard to be in public with her, not just becae of the outburst and public masturbation (and my Grandmother too as soon as my aunty starts screaming something then my Grandmother starts screaming at her, very loudly and the people around you will stop and watch and this can go on for some time).
Oh god, honestly I dont know how to help anymore I am really confused with what I should do.
> Is your grandmother ok mentally? I really do not understand her thought process.
>
> I would begin to hate and fear any person I lived with who I thought might freak out and stab me or hit me on the head at anytime of the day or night. What if your aunt hurts a neighbor?
>
> I have an aunt who isn't violent but without medication she is just so "weird" and annoying to everyone in the family. It is stressful.
>
> Caregivers (like your grandmother) often suffer depression. I hope, at least, someone gives her help or time off on daily or weekly basis.
>
> River.
Posted by alienatari on October 19, 2007, at 4:54:35
In reply to Re: Stelazine, posted by your#1fan on October 18, 2007, at 23:59:56
Thank you. Im sorry to hear that about your grandmother. It is hard, also very close with mine and spent a lot of time growing up with my grandparents.
She does not take any psych meds that I know of. She is on chemotherapy though (daily dosage, not acute treatment) for a blood disorder that she has. She is also about to start medication for her diabetes.
She is obviously not well physically and I dont know how she is going to look after herself, let alone my aunty for much longer. She wont allow any outside help. As i was saying before she baths my aunty (atleast twice a day because she does not wipe herself or sometimes doesnt make it to the toilet at all). She wont allow any outside help except from close family members which makes it hard (Mum has a back injury and a heart condition so she cant do much (if any) physical work, other aunty does a lot of the house work, cousin is there to help too but is trying to get her education (like I am)). My sister has offered no help (example of this is when my uncle was coming home from surgery when he had cancer and needed a ride home, organised with my sister to pick him up that day because I had an exam at uni. When that day came we phoned her and she was at the zoo said she forgot about it and couldnt pick him up so I missed the test and they failed me for that subject.)
I really have no idea what meds she had when she was in hospital that one time. From what she tells me she wasnt on any but this cannot be true. However, she did come home med free.
Again as far as I know she has never been on any type of tranquilizer, sedative/sleeping medication/hypnotic/benzodiazapine/barbiturate.
Aunty has only been on phenothiazines.
Neither of them are seeing a psychiatrist anymore and have not for a long time (maybe 10 years or more?).
> what kind of medications has she been in the past? besdides antipsychosis medications?
>
> my grandmother right now is in Demitia 2nd stage (the one right before you get catatonic) she takes Aricept. My grandmother was on phenobarbital and and older drug called miltown when i grew up with her, till she moved out of her old house in 2003, it was in the middle of a real dangerous club area. both together because anxiety runs in our family. She lived in that house for almost 30 years. The town now is an upscale area, very expensive.
>
> Does sedatives help or just cause your grandmother to get angry because this has been known with sedatives (hynotics)
>
> Would they help, only her doctor knows whats best....
>
> I hope you well for your grandmother, my granmother is going to to heaven soon...... makes me wanta cry all my childhood i spent with her...oh god....
>
> My best wishes to you alien.
This is the end of the thread.
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