If my brain scan comes up clean I'm going to be diagnosed schizoaffective

That's weird about the word salad thing, but I think I know what you mean. I was incoherent for a good majority of late 2013 for example and my memories of that time period are very very fuzzy.

I am doubtful about schizoaffective disorder as well, my psychiatrist still has me diagnosed with straight up schizophrenia(I called her the other day to ask about a medication concern) so who knows? That's also what is on my social security records(I've been on disability since 2010), schizophrenia.

A whole week without hearing things? No. Not for me.

That makes sense about catatonic depression. I think the type of thoughts you get while in that state depends on what the catatonia's root is, ie mood or psychosis.

As it is, according to the DSM-5 I definitely do not qualify for Schizoaffective Disorder. I have a DSM-5 I'm a psychology nerd ha ha ha, and it says that to qualify for SZA mood symptoms have to be present for a majority of the time.

Considering my overall lack of mood, I don't qualify for the disorder on that basis alone. I think what makes me seem "manic" at times is a combination of ADHD symptoms, psychotic agitation, and some PTSD crap. And add in my thyroid issues and fibro and yeah it's no wonder I can look like I'm having a mood episode at times.

My pdoc does know what she's doing but she still makes mistakes because I'll freely admit that I am a difficult case because I have other conditions that can mimic mood symptoms, psychological and physical conditions.

For me they wanted to rule out epilepsy, brain tumors, that kind of thing. Which, well it's fantastic I don't have any of those things but it kind of sucked to have all those tests done when I was only 14... Gah.

Yeah for sure. I think I'm the opposite of you but with the same conclusion. I definitely have mood episodes that cycle and last a long time and are extreme if I'm not on the right meds and even every now and then when I am on the right meds. But my hallucinations are relatively rare. I saw a man walk into a room yesterday then went into the room calling to see if anyone was in there but no one was there but that's the first time I've had a significant hallucination in like a week and a half. And even when I'm in a mood episode my psychotic symptoms are not very prominent. They're there, but they're not frequent or intense. Like I have a little bit of paranoia but nothing too out there and I don't think i have delusions at least not typical scizophrenia delusions except like .001% of the time. Basically only when I'm manic and psychotic or suicidally depressed and a little psychotic.

So i don't think schizoaffective fits me perfectly either but because I lack the persistent psychotic symptoms, not the mood symptoms like you. So maybe we're both kind of similar to schizoaffective but not quite. Somewhere in a grey middle ground between bipolar and schizoaffective for me and between schizophrenia and schizoaffective for you. I could see how adhd and ptsd stuff could mimic mood symptoms.

Yeah I think you're right about us both being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Mood being your primary issue and psychosis being mine. I read in a few places that they tend to use Schizoaffective Disorder as a trashcan diagnosis when they can't figure out if it's bipolar or schizophrenia. Pfft.

A lot of people have hallucinations that don't qualify for a psychotic disorder, it's not as uncommon as people think to hallucinate just randomly at times. It doesn't mean you're schizophrenic in and of itself.

And yeah between the insomnia, irritability from said insomnia, and ADHD symptoms that cause hyperactivity(duh!), talking a lot, being easily distracted, etc I can look manic at times but I'm missing the core symptoms of mania. And I am not a depressed person overall. Sometimes I'm in a bad mood but clinical depression is so much more than that.

Or major depression. I'm dx'ed with schizoaffective disorder - major depressive type.

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Oh yeah I forgot about the depressive type, thanks for mentioning that!

I think that would be a tricky diagnosis also, because the negative symptoms of schizophrenia can mimic major depression...

Yup. My doctor of 6 years has been trying to get me to get a second opinion but what good would that do if all antipsychotics don't do anything for me?

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I understand so well. Antipsychotics don't work for me like they're supposed to either... and I've gotten nearly every side effect possible from the damn things. Sighing.

Same here. I refuse to try clozaril because I get more side effects than benefits.

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I refused clozaril too and now my pdoc hates me and thinks I'm noncompliant. But I hardly even have psychotic symptoms. I think he's just trying to cover his *** so i don't go crazy and do societal harm. Which is incredibly unlikely. My psychotic symptoms have never led or encouraged me to do anything bad they're just random and harmless.

I'm another one that has refused Clozaril. I've gotten such horrific side effects from most antipsychotics I think that thinking that it is very possible that I would die from Clozaril side effects is reasonable, heh.

I completely agree with both of you. I'm glad my doctor doesn't like prescribing cloraril until the patient really wants it and understands the risk but she won't list that drug unless you've literally tried all the others or you ask. I talked to her about it and she agrees that the side effects are not really worth the risk.

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they put me on clozaril. i was so out of it i didnt know what it was . i was so sedated and it made me pee in my bed while i was asleep. i didnt stay on it long. i have a trashcan dx of psychotic d/o nos. i asked my t if he thinks i have schizophrenia and he said i have symptoms that could be diagnosed that. my T doesnt really go by dx though. like hes not big on it. ive been dx with a lot of things. my primary dx is ptsd

Wow that sucks about the Clozaril, wow.

I don't care what my diagnosis is as long as my bothersome symptoms are being treated you know?

yes, i feel the same

I care about certain things with diagnosis. Like in some cases your symptoms can't be treated until you have a diagnosis, like with ADHD, which I'm pretty sure I have but my pdoc won't evaluate or treat me.

And as far as schizoaffective goes, I want to know if I have it so I know whether or not pdocs are going to try to push more weight gaining APs on me that I don't want or need.

I go back and forth with the bipolar diagnosis. I don't even think I have bipolar when I'm well, but tend to obsess about it and what kind of episode I might be in when I'm unwell. It's not good, but it's what I do.

Yeah I get that. I care about it in that I want to be treated properly and not being given medications I don't need.

I forget I'm schizophrenic on a regular basis, especially when people tell me I'm doing well.

I have refused clozaril also. However my PDoc was ok with it. Said it was my body I choose what to put in it. I love my doctor.

I want a pdoc like that. I want to be in charge of what goes into my body.

Hi,

Did you get the brain scan and new Dx?

Not yet. I called the hospital and they said they would call me back to setup an appointment time (which I thought was weird but whatever I don't know how hospitals work) and I haven't seen my pdoc in about a month because of how horribly he treated me last time. I'm only going back to him when I have to, after the brain scan results are sent to my clinic. So still waiting. Honestly I don't think the diagnosis quite fits me because I have more bipolar problems than schizo problems. I only have a tiny bit of paranoia that could be written off as social anxiety and I don't have any delusions. All I have are infrequent and non distressing hallucinations. Like 5 a week. Schizoaffective is supposed to be schizophrenia with bipolar on the side and I feel like I have the opposite, bipolar with schizophrenia symptoms on the side. Well see what my pdoc decides though.

I read somewhere that "SZA is often the diagnosis, when no other diagnosis seems appropriate."

They also changed the criteria from DSM IV to DSM 5, requiring more than one psychotic episode for SZA. Who knows?

You seem pretty stable and glad you did not go to Clozapine.

moogs

I've had way more than one psychotic episode and I have that other dsm 5 criterion that makes you automatically qualify for the diagnosis which is that I hear more than one voice having a conversation with each other. But I think that's a weird criterion. I think you're probably right that a lot of people get lumped into sza because no other diagnosis quite fits. I don't think any category out there fits me quite right except maybe bipolar I with psychotic disorder NOS but I don't even know if those two can be combined.

I am quite stable right now especially mood wise (for the first time since I got diagnosed bipolar 3 years ago) which is kind of how all this came about. I had sporadic hallucinations during mood episodes even mild ones through out that time and they've continued and become more frequent now that I am stable. So that's why the whole sza option came about. But anyway I'm thankful I'm stable.

Hello resuniko , glad your stable , do you mind me asking if you've had your scan yet?

It's next wednesday. The hospital was supposed to call me for like two weeks but they never did and I'm scared of talking on the phone so at my last therapy appointment my therapist set up an appointment for me. I'm nervous, but I haven't been hallucinating lately so I'm starting to doubt that I have schizoaffective. I just have random phases of hallucinations. They're not consistent. Either that or my geodon is just working better because I've been eating more with it. I don't know.

I'm glad your stable , are you not allowed to email your therapist or hospital ?
Or drop in ?
There is a fad in UK at the moment for colouring in books aimed to relieve anxiety and stress , maybe you could get one of those to take your mind off the scan , I had one done years ago its quite straightforward , ( I don't think i really needed it back then , but I think I needed one last year but it was lost in translation sort of and then refused by my doctor)