[EllieGreene]

Hi everyone -

I would like to share what I am seeing (from the outside) in my son who has been diagnosed at the hospital as having unspecified psychotic disorder. He is on a strong dose of Abilify and that's all right now. Here's what I am seeing:

He likes to jog around the house with his earphones on listening to music. As he runs he occasionally will start laughing and/or squealing. He also laughs and smiles for no reason throughout the day. It looks like he's enjoying an inside joke - only he knows the joke. He used to talk to himself but that has stopped. But the running around all the time continues and the music seems to activate the laughter.

Have any of you ever gone through this? Maybe he needs a new medication. He wants to take an antidepressant and the doc is thinking of a anticonvulsant like Lamictal or another one.

My son denies ever hearing voices or having visual hallucinations. Do you think maybe he doesn't remember correctly? They said at the hospital (last November) that he was hallucinating and was delusional.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for your help.

[junkDNA]

if it doesnt bother him then i dont find reason to medicate him. i get the sense it bothers you though.

[Sometimes psychotic]

He could be hallucinating but doesn't know that it's not real.....it may be the music is talking to him...or it may just be inappropriate affect the docs should be able to tell.

Abilify has always been considered one of the weaker meds because it is a partial agonist at the dopamine 2 receptor...there are other stronger options....Latuda is really popular right now and of the atypicals risperidone is the strongest but it can cause gynecomastia so I wouldn't go there until you have tried others, haldol is even stronger than risperidone without that risk but it can cause TD which is permanant more than atypicals. Finally in the worst case there is clozapine but that can cause death so you need a weekly blood test. Basically I might ask to try Latuda....

Those symptoms don't sound very bothersome at all. I saw in another thread you said he's only 15, medication at that age sounds a bit much especially if that's all you're worried about.

[The_little_didgee]

This could be agitation. Your post reminded me of when I was ill. I used to to go on long walks to nowhere. When I was at home I would pace. Sometimes I would even grunt. I did all this to relieve that awful feeling of restlessness.

[falcon09]

Originally Posted by chickenfoot

Those symptoms don't sound very bothersome at all. I saw in another thread you said he's only 15, medication at that age sounds a bit much especially if that's all you're worried about.

I was first medicated when I was 15, I was on a super high dose of Risperdal.

[falcon09]

Originally Posted by Sometimes psychotic

He could be hallucinating but doesn't know that it's not real.....it may be the music is talking to him...or it may just be inappropriate affect the docs should be able to tell.

Abilify has always been considered one of the weaker meds because it is a partial agonist at the dopamine 2 receptor...there are other stronger options....Latuda is really popular right now and of the atypicals risperidone is the strongest but it can cause gynecomastia so I wouldn't go there until you have tried others, haldol is even stronger than risperidone without that risk but it can cause TD which is permanant more than atypicals. Finally in the worst case there is clozapine but that can cause death so you need a weekly blood test. Basically I might ask to try Latuda....

I can highly recommend Latuda, little to no side effects and it does great at keeping my symptoms down.

[Victoria'smom]

Why was he hospitalized?

[RisuNeko]

Latuda caused massive weight gain in me. So not side effect free for everyone. It also didn't help my mood symptoms, but I don't think I had any psychosis when I was on it.

As for your son, I'd agree that if it doesn't seem to be bothering him, why medicate? These medications are all likely harmful in the long run to the point of taking years off our lives, why start any sooner than you have to?

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by junkDNA

if it doesnt bother him then i dont find reason to medicate him. i get the sense it bothers you though.

The "symptoms" of laughing out loud for no apparent reason bothers me because I am concerned he is laughing at voices. I just want to know whether he is having psychosis or not. The jogging is not that bad but I wonder if it is anxiety driven. Also, I am concerned because he spends his time alone. Maybe I need to just let him do his thing. I basically do that. But I'm Mom and I want to help him in any way I can.

Thanks for your comment!

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

This could be agitation. Your post reminded me of when I was ill. I used to to go on long walks to nowhere. When I was at home I would pace. Sometimes I would even grunt. I did all this to relieve that awful feeling of restlessness.

What's Didgee Disorder?

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by Sometimes psychotic

He could be hallucinating but doesn't know that it's not real.....it may be the music is talking to him...or it may just be inappropriate affect the docs should be able to tell.

Abilify has always been considered one of the weaker meds because it is a partial agonist at the dopamine 2 receptor...there are other stronger options....Latuda is really popular right now and of the atypicals risperidone is the strongest but it can cause gynecomastia so I wouldn't go there until you have tried others, haldol is even stronger than risperidone without that risk but it can cause TD which is permanant more than atypicals. Finally in the worst case there is clozapine but that can cause death so you need a weekly blood test. Basically I might ask to try Latuda....

I've been thinking he may not realize he's hallucinating. I also thought the music has special meaning for/to him. I just wish the docs would figure this out. He's not wanting to do any homework...it's like pulling teeth. Next year he'll be in 9th grade and I'm hoping he'll be stable by then. We've already tried Risperdal so maybe we should try Latuda. I fear it will be expensive but would use it if it works!

Thanks for your input. You are very insightful!

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by chickenfoot

Those symptoms don't sound very bothersome at all. I saw in another thread you said he's only 15, medication at that age sounds a bit much especially if that's all you're worried about.

He will be 15 in one month. I'm worried that the laughing indicates he is having psychosis and I am hoping there is a medicine that will stop psychosis. If it stops psychosis it could be worth some side effects.

I'm not clear about what you are saying about medication.

Thanks!

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

Why was he hospitalized?

My son was hospitalized because he became aggressive towards his Dad one too many times. This aggression reared it's ugly head last year for the first time. He didn't like Dad asking him (bothering him about) what he was laughing about. It was inappropriate laughter coming out of nowhere! He wouldn't tell us what he was laughing about. The two got into a couple fights - one in March and another in July. Our son was evaluated in Aug and put on Zoloft for depression and anxiety and be started talk therapy. Anyway, long story - short: aggression continued even after Dad backed off. Finally we called the police and had him taken to the ER where he stayed over night. Next day to the Psych Hospital. That's when we heard that it was psychosis, unspecified and he was put on antipsychotic meds.

I can't believe this is really happening.

[Victoria'smom]

I didn't believe I had disordered thinking until my therapist had me do a mood/thought/event chart. I didn't believe I hallucinated until I was told. My thinking was just normal for me. Not until the antipsycotic kicked in did I realize.

[The_little_didgee]

Originally Posted by BAPsych1988

What's Didgee Disorder?

Why do you want to know that when it has nothing to do with your situation?

[stopchewinggum]

It is not uncommon for schizophrenics to have "inappropriate" emotional affect. Laughing, obviously isn't normally a sign of mental illness, but laughing all the time, especially at inappropriate times like at a funeral, is a type of symptom that can be associated with psychosis.

[stopchewinggum]

Originally Posted by stopchewinggum

It is not uncommon for schizophrenics to have "inappropriate" emotional affect. Laughing, obviously isn't normally a sign of mental illness, but laughing all the time, especially at inappropriate times like at a funeral, is a type of symptom that can be associated with psychosis.

Also, he may just be lying about hallucinations. No one wants to be diagnosed as psychotic; especially, if they think they are behaving normally. I was this way at first.

[insilence]

i have a theory, "mental illness is caused by nitrogen deprivation"???
i was told by a psychic to garden, work the earth with my hands. In doing that the natural levels of nitrogen in the soil would get into me via the skin. The medication im on now, clozapine silences and gives me more power over the voice attacks. go look up the term "clozapine molecule" on a search engine image search.

[Angelique67]

Originally Posted by BAPsych1988

My son was hospitalized because he became aggressive towards his Dad one too many times. This aggression reared it's ugly head last year for the first time. He didn't like Dad asking him (bothering him about) what he was laughing about. It was inappropriate laughter coming out of nowhere! He wouldn't tell us what he was laughing about. The two got into a couple fights - one in March and another in July. Our son was evaluated in Aug and put on Zoloft for depression and anxiety and be started talk therapy. Anyway, long story - short: aggression continued even after Dad backed off. Finally we called the police and had him taken to the ER where he stayed over night. Next day to the Psych Hospital. That's when we heard that it was psychosis, unspecified and he was put on antipsychotic meds.

I can't believe this is really happening.

Maybe family therapy might help to resolve the conflict between your son and his dad? That sounds like an important issue.

[EllieGreene]

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

Why do you want to know that when it has nothing to do with your situation?

I'm sorry. I was out of line.

Take care.