I posted on here almost a year ago because my daughter had been in a state of psychosis pretty much non-stop for close to a year. I am now giving an update that is hopeful and positive. Since getting out of the hospital after her last suicide attempt, my daughter has done really well. At that time she was on fluphenazine. She was calm but flat. She did have an episode in early December as she seems to metabolize through her meds so has had to change often. She went on cloazpine and it is working like a miracle drug. Her old interests have come back, she reads again, binge watches tv, etc. The previous two years had seen her stop reading and stop watching tv, etc. She tells me every now and again that she still has delusions (for example she thought me and her Mom are not her real parents) but she rationally knows they are delusions. We are really hopeful for her future and she is keen to get into college. She has a great health provider support with a specialized program for people with severe mental health issues, and hopefully the clozapine will continue to work for her. I guess the bottomline is to not give up hope. A year ago at this time we were in despair. Now, while not complacent, the huge daily stress has been lifted. She is not the same as before she had scizophrenia, but she is content and happy and no longer suicidal (another thing about clozapine is that it lessens suicidal thoughts). take care out there…
Yes it is titrated up 50mg every couple of weeks. Or if hospitalized they can get them up the a therapeutic dose in a couple weeks hospital 8s thed better way to go. He felt better after 5 days
Thank you so much for sharing your daughter’s journey to stability. That is wonderful news and I am happy for her and for you as her parent. Our 26 year old son started clozapine 6 weeks ago after trying abilify, geodon, risperidone and zyprexa. We are so hoping that it will address his psychosis, with paranoid delusions as his major symptom, which emerged two years ago after he finished college. He required hospitalization due to suicidal threats in January 2017. He is much better now but continues to see strangers making threatening hand gestures wherever we go and fears he will be kidnapped and killed. It is very encouraging to hear about positive effects of clozapine for your daughter and I am interested to hear how soon it took to see progress after she began taking this medication.
My best to you, all family forum folks and our loved ones
So glad to hear things are going better. When Clozapine was first developed, I was involved in the clinical trials. Hundreds of patients were able to leave the hospital and rejoin society. It doesn’t work for everyone but the newer generations of the drug don’t work as well. I am trying to get my daughter on it as she has had a very difficult time recently.
