#cogentin

Today I talked to my doctor. 

I told her I was doing really bad. The voices were constant and I struggled to leave my room. I said I slept a lot because the voices were so draining. 

We talked about medication and she said she wanted to combine a high potency and a low potency medication together because she was reading an article about it.

She also said that she sent a referral to the psychosis program and said she sent my assessment and some other information to them. She said that she wants me to have specialized services and mentioned Clozapine in the letter and to see if I would benefit from it. She essentially wants them to give ideas for medication and further treatment. She also mentioned that she does believe I have Schizophrenia but that she would like me to have more specialized support.

We talked about medications I’ve tried and the side effects of them. We’re trying Invega again with the Seroquel. She also prescribed Cogentin to prevent dystonic reactions in my eyes. Last time I took Invega I had dystonic reaction in my eyes and it was really painful so I’m going to take Cogentin twice a day to prevent the reactions from happening.

The last time I was on Invega it was really helpful. We stopped it because of weight gain. But I think the problem last time was being in the hospital and being bored and eating all the time. I’ll have to watch my weight gain this time.

I’m completely off the Olanzapine now. I’m not sure if the nausea is from stopping the Olanzapine or eating bad food. My parents have been feeling nauseous as well. 

I really hope the Invega and Seroquel work well together. The last time I was taking Invega I wasn’t taking another antispsycotic. But I do remember Invega helping a lot.

I meet with her next week.

Meds

Cogentin 2mg

Invega 3mg

Fetzima 120mg

Seroquel 75mg

Seroquel XR 800mg

Yesterday I had a video call with my psychiatrist. This is how it went.

She heard back from the psychosis program. They wanted me to go back and see my previous doctor. I told my psychiatrist that I didn't feel like he listened to me. She said she would look for different supports in the city where I go to school and see if someone she knows would meet with me for a second opinion on medication and further treatment. She said that the person she has in mind is connected to a bunch of different resources in the city so she would try to talk to them.

I told her that the voices have died down a lot since starting Invega with the Seroquel XR. She said she's glad there's a reduction in symptoms and she's keeping medication where it is to make sure there's no side effects by jumping up in dose too fast.

My doctor said she will keep seeing me, but she just wanted a second opinion on medication and treatment. She said she does believe I have Schizophrenia.

I told her that I had really bad dry mouth. She said that dry mouth is side effect of the side effect medication (Cogentin). So she said hard candies and mouth sprays can help keep saliva going. I told her I planned to get some to help because the dry mouth is horrible.

My doctor said she would talk to another psychiatrist she knows to see what supports there are for me in the city. And to get a second opinion for medication and treatment. She said she’ll look for other supports for me in the city.

I’m feeling a lot better since the Invega. It’s been a week of taking it and I already have benefit. Each day the symptoms get even more quiet. I have quiet voices the past couple days. It’s weird. I just have to keep taking the medication and not stop it like I’ve done in the past.

Meds

Fetzima 120mg

Seroquel 75mg

Seroquel XR 800mg

Invega 3mg

Cogentin 2mg

I will have a follow-up on Friday with my psychiatrist. He didn’t want me to go too long without an appointment so he squeezed me into his schedule.