Won’t bathe or remove coat

My 53 year old son came to live with me about 1 year ago. I got him on Medicaid, counselling, dental work and ssdi during that time. He’s improved dramatically on medication. He’s very cooperative about the meds and knows he need it. People might think he had no MI if it wasn’t for 2 things: he wears a black wool coat year round, inside or outside. And he hasn’t bathed since he’s been here. His room is in the unfinished basement and he rarely comes up except to cook breakfast or get his dinner. So. I can live with the coat if he can. But I have demanded he shower before getting in my car. The first time he came up smelling mostly OK so we got in the car and went to his appt. Later I saw evidence that he had only changed his stinky clothes. No shower. I didn’t push it and I always tell him he needs to “clean up” before we go to his appt. He changes his clothes. No towels used, dry shower. I’ve accepted that since I don’t think I could make him shower. But he keeps getting big boils or abscesses on his face and neck, which I think are caused by dirt, oils and bacteria. I suggested that it would maybe prevent thise if he just got a soapy wash cloth and washed his face and neck periodically. He may think that over and try that but I doubt it. Any ideas appreciated. I am at a loss.

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If you can get him to a family doctor for a check up sometimes hearing the doctor say, “You have to wash these areas” helps more than hearing it from mom. I went through the same thing with my son (now 34) He also got some boils at times. I gently keep at him about it and he takes a shower twice a week now, The doctor gave him a regular prescription for Clindamycin lotion (topical antibiotic) and when applied to affected areas regularly it really helps clear up the boils. Encourage extra water to drink as often as possible it helps to clear the impurities before they start coming through the skin. My son also use to wear his coat all the time but eventually he gave it up, now he wears sunglasses outside weather there is any sun or not. I think the coat
was a ‘security blanket’ for him for awhile, don’t give up talking about the things you’d like him to change just do it gently and not so often as to make him too nervous or defensive. Good luck. You sound like a great mom with a son who is really trying. :slight_smile:

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Thanks for encouragement. I have been thinking he’d give up the coat someday if I don’t turn it into a point of contention. I occasionally ask if he’d like to use the
nice, new shower rather than the concrete one in the basement.Not even sure it matters to him, but gotta try once in a while. I fantasize him saying “ OK, Mom” and heading into the shower. And I’d act like this is perfectly normal. :blush:

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Do you have a bathtub ? My son spends hours in there not sure if he washes as his hair is often dirty :full_moon_with_face: But it’s better than nothing .This at least would be a start for your son .Maybe taking his coat off is just too stressful and exposing for him at the moment . Like a tortoise shell . If he lets his coat go he will need another form of protection. I love this forum as we all understand our loved ones quirky needs . I wish you so much strength and endurance with this issue

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I like the idea of the wash cloth. Maybe some cleansing hand-wipes, like for picnics and camping. Maybe with antibiotc? My family member has had these types of infections in hands and feet. When possible, I stand there while hands and/or feet are washed with soap because of the potential for further infection.

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Hello,
My 32 year old son has Schizophrenia. He also has huge boils and psoriasis on his hands and feet. Currently on Clozapine 50mg day. Wears a coat often in summer. Smokes a pack a day and bathing is a struggle.

I saw an article that linked a skin disease called “hidradenitis suppurativa” (HS) with schizophrenia.

I pulled up pictures of HS and saw this…

The same huge boils my son has.

Then I read this man’s experience with HS ( in the article his HS went away and his kids PSORIASIS vanished).

The cause in the article is nightshades vegetables. Below is a partial list of American nightshades…

To review, the foods you want to stay away from are eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, Goji berries, pimentos, ground cherries, bell peppers, chili peppers, paprika, cayenne, and the tobacco leaf.

I have suspected his illness has been associated with his boils and psoriasis for a long time.
Currently, I have him in the Dominican Republic with a family that gently controls his diet. It is 3rd world and there are no insecticides, antibiotics, steroids in the animals. But he still has the boils. I am going to have them gently reduce his cigarettes to zero and eliminate any local nightshade vegetables they feed him. If boils go away… I will keep going with the plan.

Anyone been down this path?

Thank you,

Dan

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@dos561 My son has this. A few months ago he complained of having a “cyst” on his butt which he later became convinced was cancer. We took him to the doctor and they confirmed it’s
Hidradenitis Suppurativa. He’s been on several rounds of doxycycline which he says makes it a little better but it has never fully gone away. I recently did a google search of the condition along with the word schizophrenia not really thinking there would be a correlation between the two so I was shocked when I learned there is. He was smoking pretty heavily before we got him stabilized so I told him about tobacco can cause it to flare up so he quit. I suspect he’s recently started vaping though… Anyway, it’s super crazy that a skin condition would have anything at all to do with a brain disorder!

Hi Cat Nip
My son, Andy, is heavy smoker. We have seen him come out of a month at a hospital, almost normal and with the first cigarette his eyes glaze over. Another time he was in hospital for a year (no tobacco) and when discharged he was delivering pizzas. Now he is unemployable. I am convinced it is nightshades and tobacco.

I am looking for a way to place him in an environment with no smoking. Any ideas?
Dan

@dos561 My son was smoking so much I thought there’s no way he will ever quit but fortunately he started associating cigarettes
as being the cause of “how he was thinking”. However he apparently didn’t associate it being the nicotine in the cigarettes since he’s started vaping. I wish I had a solution for your son.

i might try Cytisine… smoking cessation tablet.

Andy is with a couple in the dominican Republic… and they feed him healthy food… he’s lost 50 lbs. In Cincinnati he constantly ate terrible food and soda.

How old is your son?

@dos561 He is 20. He has been on an injection medication for several months now and is miles away from where he was prior to starting it but still not who he was before this terrible illness took hold. The medication helps but makes him so tired and “zombie like” he really has no quality of life. The only time we see a spark of who he used to be is a few days before his next injection is due because the medication is wearing off but that’s when he also starts having break through symptoms of the illness. Having said that, if this is the highest level of improvement he reaches we still consider it a blessing that he was able to get this far.

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Long term the meds have degraded my son’s brain. He is nonsensical now. They call it “word Salad”
Doctors think it is a success… because he is not in jail or hospital… what a low bar. The truth is… if the cure does not involve a patented drug that they control… there is NO interest in clinical studies… we are on our own here.

I just read of a doctor who came back from MS using a new diet. Called the Wahls protocol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIurbDArpEU

She is worth listening to…

Dan.

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(Not current thread, I know)
I don’t know about a diet “fixing” anything, but we should all know that Bvitamins, omega oils and niacin (also a b) are good for all our brains. As well as HYDRATION, exercise,SLEEP…etc. many if not most stressed minds seem to do better on a routine of some kind. (Sleep, activity, food intake)
To be candid, my MI partner has taken to fortified cereals (as he already enjoys them dry, ((gag)) but if it’s the way we can get them in, so be it!) and I’m not saying diet “fixes”, but I do believe that our bodies (including or brains) need certain things to function at their best capacity.
Whatever that may be…
And know the meds, effects, side effects, as best you can.
If you speak to a nutritionalist (in tandem with the medical team) we as family/caregiver) can (if your loved one is willing) help mitigate some of those symptoms.