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Easeful · 02-21-2008, 04:46 PM

Does anyone else have experience like what's happening to us?

My son was hospitalized with a paranoid schizophrenic / psychotic break on Dec. 22. They told me he'd be transferred to a psychiatric hospital and stay approx 5 days to get "stabilized" on the meds. His stay stretched into 10 days, but I assumed that was because of the reduced staff during the holidays and our really flush insurance coverage. He was taken off of haldal and prozac the day he was discharged. (so much for being assured of stabilization, the 1,200 mile road trip home was challenging to say the least)

He came home on depakote, risperdal and propananol, 2 weeks later he was taken off of risperdal and put on seroquel, three weeks after that he was taken off of seroquel and put on abilify each of these on an "emergency" basis, meaning he was barely hanging on at the time of each change. Then 1 week ago he was put in another psychiatric hospital in a suicidal state, taken off of abilify and depakote and put on lithium, zyprena and paxil.

When he was hospitalized this time they again told me they're a short term treatment facility and he'd be there 5 to 7 days. It's now been 8 days and he is as suicidal as he was the day he entered. They just added the paxil last night.

I'm told by everyone I speak with that it takes time for the meds to work, give it time. But the same people who are telling me this are the ones who are changing the scripts every time I turn around. And he is no better off today than he was 2 months ago.

What should I be asking? What should I be insisting on? We met with a member of the treatment team today and asked that when he is released that he be released into an op program so he'll be seen by a psychiatrist every day for the next month. Any other ideas, comments?

02-21-2008, 04:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
Easeful Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nearby Posts: 231	Experience like this? sorry long Does anyone else have experience like what's happening to us? My son was hospitalized with a paranoid schizophrenic / psychotic break on Dec. 22. They told me he'd be transferred to a psychiatric hospital and stay approx 5 days to get "stabilized" on the meds. His stay stretched into 10 days, but I assumed that was because of the reduced staff during the holidays and our really flush insurance coverage. He was taken off of haldal and prozac the day he was discharged. (so much for being assured of stabilization, the 1,200 mile road trip home was challenging to say the least) He came home on depakote, risperdal and propananol, 2 weeks later he was taken off of risperdal and put on seroquel, three weeks after that he was taken off of seroquel and put on abilify each of these on an "emergency" basis, meaning he was barely hanging on at the time of each change. Then 1 week ago he was put in another psychiatric hospital in a suicidal state, taken off of abilify and depakote and put on lithium, zyprena and paxil. When he was hospitalized this time they again told me they're a short term treatment facility and he'd be there 5 to 7 days. It's now been 8 days and he is as suicidal as he was the day he entered. They just added the paxil last night. I'm told by everyone I speak with that it takes time for the meds to work, give it time. But the same people who are telling me this are the ones who are changing the scripts every time I turn around. And he is no better off today than he was 2 months ago. What should I be asking? What should I be insisting on? We met with a member of the treatment team today and asked that when he is released that he be released into an op program so he'll be seen by a psychiatrist every day for the next month. Any other ideas, comments?