Rebecca Rivera3 said:My cousin and I both grew up with liver issues. They told us it was genetic. It’s not something you can cure. There is Silymarin available for drinking. Doctors don't seem to take liver enlargement seriously at all.
Later on, my condition worsened slightly due to certain medications. But honestly, whether I'm taking them or have been since I was young, it stays the same. To be truthful, I've stopped worrying about it too much.
Yes, I also have upcoming gastrointestinal tests scheduled, though I try to avoid them because my blood work suggests potential internal bleeding in the digestive tract.
As for your vision, I'm not sure exactly what you're dealing with.
I am truly sorry that you haven't received the proper care and everything you deserve to help you feel physically better.
And regarding mental health—the door is always open. My advice is to stop checking yourself into psychiatric facilities. Work on yourself and attend therapy sessions instead. When a crisis hits, just take stronger medication, sleep it off, and once things settle down, you'll be back to where you were before the episode. Have you all noticed what actually happens when you check into a psychiatric ward?
I am very curious to hear your answers. I already know the answer myself, and I will tell you... unfortunately, it isn't the help you went in looking for. They hit you with heavy drugs, and then you spend days just trying to figure out what is real. And does anyone actually sit down and talk to you to explain things? No... That’s why, in my opinion, it's better to just take a dose yourself when things get bad and sleep. Once the mind calms down—and it eventually will, it's just a matter of when—you just have to endure it. Then everything goes back to normal. It's likely because of the mental symptoms that they don't take you seriously, which is tragic. You aren't alone in this, either. I really dislike those prejudices. If it's mental, they lock you up immediately, but if it's physical pain or other illnesses, they just brush you off.
Good luck with your treatment... if you don't mind me asking, what is your specific psychiatric diagnosis? And why are you so underweight? Do you have an idea why? Is it a lack of appetite, or perhaps the medication you're taking is suppressing your appetite instead of helping it?
I deeply empathize with everyone going through depressive episodes; it is a profound pain. A pain in the soul that is worse than any physical ache. And with everyone dealing with paranoia, delusions, unpleasant manias, and whatever else... because when that happens, you realize it isn't normal, but it carries you away because it is stronger than anything else. It is truly sad that people have to endure such mental struggles.
My cousin and I both had liver issues from a young age. They said it was genetic. There isn't really a cure for it. There's just milk thistle you can take. Doctors don't even pay much attention to an enlarged liver.
I'm not sure if hers was actually enlarged—I think she just had some kind of scarring. But thankfully, she recovered. It wasn't like my situation, which I'm pretty sure is genetic. It was never clearly diagnosed, so I have no idea what exactly is going on, and I still deal with occasional issues with it.
Things actually got a little worse for me after I started taking those pills. But honestly, whether I'm on them or haven't taken any for a while, it’s always been like this. At this point, I've stopped worrying about it too.
I hadn't heard that before.
I don't know what exactly is going on with your vision.
I've got floaters and I see white blood cells—well, I realized they're white—plus I still have bad distance vision in one eye. None of this was ever officially confirmed, though. They basically told me not to bring it up because of my schizophrenia diagnosis. They said if I mentioned it, the ophthalmologists would just claim it's all psychosomatic. That's regarding the floaters and the spots.
My advice is to stop checking yourself into psychiatric hospitals.
Unfortunately, it looks like I won't have much choice. It's for filing disability claims and stuff like that. That's what my psychiatrist told my mother.
Work on yourself and stick to therapy. When a crisis hits, take the stronger meds, sleep it off, and just wait until things settle back to where they were before the episode.
I'm working on it. I've completely flipped my sleep schedule upside down. Now I'm up before dawn like some farmer. Then I'll crash early in the evening. And I've finally found a rhythm with my meds. I make sure to space out the Aspirin and the Azolar. I don't take the Azolar first thing in the morning anymore; I wait a bit.
Have you guys noticed what happens when you check into a psych ward?
I'm really curious to hear your thoughts. I know the answer, and unfortunately, it's not the help people go in looking for... They hit you with drugs, and then you spend days just trying to figure out what's real and what isn't.
Exactly. I’ve been through the exact same thing—they give you a dose via IV or some other method, then they taper you off slowly... and it lasts for days. You just can't function.
And does anyone actually sit down and talk to you to explain things? No... not really. That's why, personally, if things get bad, I'd rather just take my dose myself and sleep it off. Once the brain finally quiets down—whenever that happens, hopefully soon—you just have to hang in there. Then everything goes back to "normal."
Nick didn't say anything specific. Honestly, they don't even let you talk. They just lecture you during rounds. If I had actually tried to speak up and explain that things aren't quite how they think they are, they probably would've moved me from a semi-open ward straight to a locked unit.
It's likely because of the mental health aspect that they don't take it seriously, which is honestly tragic. And you're definitely not alone in this. I hate those prejudices. If it's psych, they lock you up immediately, but if it's physical pain or something else, they just shrug their shoulders.
For sure. They probably just assume you're crazy, making stuff up, or that you don't know what you're talking about.
Good luck with the treatment... if you don't mind me asking, what's the diagnosis? And why are you so underweight? Any idea why? Is it because you lack an appetite, or is it maybe that the medication you're on is suppressing it instead of helping where it's needed?
Thanks. I'm doing okay now, considering how bad I was. They slapped me with paranoid schizophrenia, even though I've never had hallucinations or any paranoia about being followed or anything like that. I think it's Bipolar, and I told the psychiatrist at the hospital that myself. Maybe it is schizophrenia, but just some non-specific version. I've suspected that for a while. As for being underweight, it's always been like this. I eat plenty, but it doesn't stick. Just a fast metabolism, I guess. I'm naturally tall and thin. At the hospital, they kept swapping out my psychiatrists every time I was admitted. Probably because they don't want the hassle of dealing with me. Luckily, the psychiatrist here at the VA seems decent, so maybe she'll help. The previous guy wasn't too bad either, but it's hard to really talk to him about all this since he's basically one foot out the door toward retirement. And they just don't make time for actual conversations.
I feel so much empathy for everyone going through depressive episodes; it's such intense pain. A soul-crushing ache that feels worse than physical pain. And for everyone dealing with paranoia, delusions, weird manic phases, and whatever else... because once that hits, you realize things aren't right, but it carries you along because it's stronger than anything else. It's just sad that people have to deal with these kinds of mental struggles.
I feel for everyone. It seems like everybody is fighting some kind of battle. Hopefully, things work out. I'm hoping I can qualify for some kind of survivor benefits. Though, looking at how things are, it's going to be a struggle. This system—and frankly, this whole country—is a mess.
But I have to try, what choice do I have? I think I might be entitled to survivor benefits after my parents pass away. Or so I've been told.
My liver took a hit about a decade ago. It wasn't because of any psych meds, though—back then, I didn't even have a formal diagnosis, let alone a prescription or anything. They never actually figured out what went wrong, but somehow, it cleared up on its own.
I was physically a wreck at the time. But, honestly? I basically caused my own chaos at the hospital, which ended up landing me in the psych ward over at the local University Hospital. They didn't really have much of a choice in the matter, even if I kept volunteering to stay on the psychiatric unit myself.
It was never forced hospitalization, either. Every single time, it was my call. On the third occasion, I actually called the police on myself just to have them take me in.
I was dealing with issues long before the psychosis and schizophrenia treatment kicked in—liver stuff, vision problems, needing colonoscopies, those endoscopies where you swallow the camera... you name it. I’ve had plenty of health struggles, and frankly, there are some I won't even get into.
I still remember what the internist said back then: "The kid isn't doing well."
I was only weighing 140 pounds back then, dealing with all that pain and whatnot. Even now, I'm pretty thin. I'm maybe 165 or 170 pounds, which doesn't go far when you're nearly six-foot-something. I look like Rodney from that show Muck.
I can't speak to hallucinations since I’ve never actually had them. What I dealt with was either delirium or a delusion—maybe the first time was delirium, and the second was a delusion. By the third time? Total nervous breakdown.
Back then, I was physically sick—liver issues, vision problems, all that stuff. I needed deep dives and extreme testing over at the internal medicine ward at Mayo Clinic. But, well, everything just went sideways because of that mental fog.
But again, it wasn't hallucinations. Never happened. Yet, I'm still dealing with those physical symptoms—serious vision trouble, maybe lingering liver issues, who knows.
I was in the middle of a full-blown psychosis, fueled by a cocktail of Kafetin, constant pain, and zero sleep—basically, back when I was tripping out on pretty much everything during those episodes. Honestly, I can’t recall most of it; it’s been nearly a decade since then.
The first one wasn't even that intense. I was actually somewhat lucid—which is saying something, considering you're dealing with pain, Kafetin, and total sleep deprivation—and I ended up getting into this huge argument with the hospital staff. They were trying to lecture me about my hormone levels and telling me to check my blood counts or whatever. My memory is a bit fuzzy on the specifics now.
The second time? That was the real deal. A total psychotic break. I was hallucinating all sorts of things—thinking I was some kind of time traveler or an alien, among other stuff. Luckily, it didn't last forever. I was just as sick as I was during the first time, except I wasn't in a hospital setting; it happened at home, and I ended up bolting out into the street right in front of a car. It hit me, but thankfully, nobody was seriously hurt—not me, not the driver, nobody.
The third time wasn't actually psychosis. I wasn't taking Kafetin for the pain and issues back then. Apparently, they banned me from using it after the second episode because I'm supposedly sensitive to it—like my metabolism handles it really poorly or something. I read about that on Google, though none of my doctors ever actually bothered to tell me.
That third bout was more of a nervous breakdown, triggered by pure stress and family drama.
So yeah, three times now I've been admitted to the psychiatric ward at the local hospital.
As far as getting any actual benefits or assistance goes, nothing has happened yet. 👎 Even though I have a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, and even though both I and my family are considered social cases in need of support. An old psychiatrist who used to cover for my regular doctor actually listened to my whole story. She told me that I'd probably need to be formally admitted to the psych ward again so they could pull all my detailed records and tests to establish an exact diagnosis and determine the full extent of my mental and physical condition. From there, the hospital could start the official paperwork to trigger the process for whatever assistance programs I might qualify for. But she did mention I could look into assisted living if I wanted.
God, the bureaucracy here is such a nightmare. 👎 I'm actually thinking about checking myself back into the hospital just to get the ball rolling. But the timing is tricky—how do I do that now, when I'm actually feeling a bit better mentally, even if I'm still oversleeping like crazy and dealing with physical health issues?
So, if I’m reading this right—and I hope I am—this stuff basically recharges your batteries and helps with cellular repair? Interesting. I can't help but wonder how it might play into other health issues, too... there's one specific thing on my mind.
Give it a rest, man. 😵 Age doesn't have anything to do with this—you should've known better than to go looking for your own medical fixes. 🤦 As for the rest of what you wrote, I honestly didn't catch half of it since I’m totally clueless about this stuff.
I went through something similar where my liver was acting up, but somehow it managed to bounce back. Maybe that’s why I’m dealing with vision issues and other random health headaches now, just like you. Could be some lingering fallout from all that.
I guess I just got lucky that things cleared up eventually.
Honestly, over where @Rebecca Rivera3 hangs out, any kind of medical cannabis is ridiculously overpriced—mostly because it’s still technically illegal here. Since it's off the books, people end up paying a massive premium just to get their hands on it compared to what you guys deal with. They're only just now having the big debates about whether to actually legalize it for medical use.
Nicole Barrett76 said:Thank you for looking up information regarding Tegretol. If I have been tiresome by constantly writing about my diagnosis, please forgive me. My head is ringing incessantly, and I suspect it is due to the benzodiazepines; I truly wish I could wean myself off them, but I simply cannot find a way to quit. My memory is failing me because of them. I struggle to remember what I did yesterday, whereas my memories from years ago remain vivid. Before bed, I take 10mg of Apaurin, which is quite a high dose, though sometimes I opt for Sanval instead of Apaurin.
While I was taking Ashwagandha, I shouldn't have been using benzos, but I used them for a short period because money was tight, and the ringing in my ears didn't subside. I suppose one would need to take it continuously for about a year to see results. However, I feel I need other herbal supplements as well. Aside from researching them, the only true way to determine which herbs might help is to trial the ones you believe could be beneficial. Even when I have the funds to buy a specific supplement, I often find myself choosing something else instead.
I am not quite sure why you feel the need for something to slow you down in the afternoon if you spend most of your day sleeping. When you are in that heightened state—perhaps due to the agitation or the rapid speech—couldn't you use that energy to finally tackle those tasks you've been putting off for ages? Or perhaps engage in activities you actually enjoy?
Even if you accomplish nothing else, "simply" sweeping the house or washing the dishes would be a tremendous help to your mother, whom you mentioned is getting older.
Do you experience any other sensations when you are feeling sped up? Do you feel euphoric, or perhaps "excessively" cheerful? Are there any other symptoms besides the ones you feel when you are lethargic or sleeping?
They’re giving you way too much Apaurin. Way more than they give me. I used to be on 15mg a day, maybe even more, but my psychiatrist at the CDC helped me scale it back.
And yeah, I know that whole forgetting thing. It sucks. Total side effect.
I think I know what I need to slow me down, though—it's because of these songs and voices in my head. These songs loop in my brain for a long time, and sometimes those voices just pop in out of nowhere. But you're right, I should try to manage without the meds. Maybe I'll just get used to it.
You're right about the rest of it, too. Now that I'm sleeping this much, I'm actually being a bit more useful. But it's minimal. I do the dishes, which helps me stay calm, but that's about it. Like I said, I'm mostly living in my own little world lately.
Unfortunately, my sleep was messed up again last night. Hopefully, it doesn't get totally ruined. I was wide awake most of the night and didn't crawl out of bed until noon. Slept for almost 12 hours again.
Has anyone actually figured out what this ringing is? Is it tinnitus, or blood pressure, or something else entirely? If it's a side effect of the medication, I don't get why they aren't switching it up for you.
If I remember correctly, you have thyroid issues too, right? Could it be coming from that?
I was just doing some digging on Google earlier, and apparently, that stuff they prescribed you is actually pretty heavy-duty. I know exactly what you’re talking about—you mentioned this before, actually. My brain just slipped on it for a second. Honestly, though? It doesn't feel right to handle things that way. They move so fast sometimes, it ends up feeling a bit sloppy, if you know what I mean.
How are you holding up, @Piskavac? As for me... I'm alright. Things were better before, I guess. But I've got this lingering anxiety now—just a fear that things might take a turn for the worse. I've been getting these little... I don't even know how to put it... these repetitive songs stuck in my head daily. It’s not constant, but then there are these voices, like little flashbacks of my own. Maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping much lately? Either way, things are mostly better, fingers crossed.
I'm honestly a little worried I might need something to take in the afternoon, just to take the edge off. I seem to be way more hyperactive than usual lately. But hey, I'll probably adjust. The brain is plastic, right? I'll get used to the new normal eventually.
Look, I’m honestly denying the whole paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis myself. Maybe it’s bipolar disorder? Or perhaps some mild form of Asperger’s—or maybe even simple schizophrenia, or hell, maybe both. Given that I was born intersex, it probably isn't even a shock that I'm dealing with BP along with all this other stuff.
And physically? I'm a mess. My vision is acting up, my liver is a problem, and there are plenty of other issues I won't even get into. Even though my medical records officially list me with paranoid schizophrenia and hypochondriacal tendencies... it's complicated. They had internal medicine reports saying my liver was damaged but it was regenerating, yet I’m still seeing these visual disturbances—floaters that just keep spreading and these tiny little white specks in my field of vision. Plus, there's a whole laundry list of other health struggles I haven't even bothered complaining about, even though they really should have run more detailed tests to cover everything.
But honestly, what's truly killing me is the financial situation. Dealing with a bunch of deadbeat in-laws—it's just a nightmare, and that whole mess contributed to everything reaching this breaking point. Just a bit ago, my old lady went out to grab groceries and she could barely afford the basic essentials. She barely managed to get through the checkout. 15 milesShe spent it all, and we didn't even get anything special—just the bare necessities to keep us fed.
Nicole Barrett76 said:I paid a visit to my friend who struggles with schizophrenia today. He seems to be doing even worse than he was about ten days ago when he came to see me. I didn't actually get a chance to speak with him at all, finding myself instead only able to converse with his mother. I had truly hoped that if we could just find a moment to talk privately, I might be able to persuade him to quit smoking and save himself a small fortune; wouldn't it be wonderful if he could just move past this intense paranoia that someone might secretly lace his tobacco with poison?
How can he not realize that anyone capable of such a thing could just as easily lace his cigarettes?
Just tell him that those store-bought brands are loaded with ammonia and other nasty stuff—it’s toxic, obviously, just maybe not enough to kill him instantly. If he can't roll his own, he should at least look for the hand-rolled ones. Some people struggle to roll because their hands aren't as steady as they used to be, so they end up buying from resellers who use those little automatic machines.
But since he’s dealing with paranoid schizophrenia, I have no clue how I’m supposed to bring this up to him—or if I even should.
I crash pretty fast, and I don't really wake up mid-dream, yet somehow I still feel like I haven't slept at all. Even though—and I mean this in the literal sense, not the "other" way—I sleep like a rock once I'm out.
It’s usually like that. It’s actually rare for me to have trouble falling asleep. I even get those vivid dreams right before waking up most mornings. This morning? I dreamed about cheeseburgers. My mom had just picked them up. Honestly, I have no idea why my brain went there. 😁
Today was a mess—I slept for six hours this morning, then managed to squeeze in another two before noon. My sleep schedule is basically nonexistent right now, which is kind of chaotic, but hey, I'll take it. It's definitely better than how things used to be.
I guess health issues and sleep disturbances just tend to go hand in hand.
Oh, and this green tea thing... I had no clue. I actually used to drink it back in the day, but I didn't realize it was such a solid energy booster. Honestly, I think I might start sipping on it again. Thanks for the tip—I was fully prepared to go out and buy some overpriced supplement or something. 👍
@Rebecca Rivera3 look, I’m not even gonna pretend—I know I’m struggling, and everyone knows it too. But they just act like nothing is wrong. It’s like... how else am I supposed to put it? They’re basically just ignoring the fact that I’m clearly unwell. Maybe they’re all just crossing their fingers hoping I’m not actually as sick as I feel. Who knows?
As for the sleep thing... honestly, I have no clue. Maybe my body just genuinely needs this much downtime, or maybe my internal clock is just wired weirdly. Either way, I’m sleeping way too much.
I guess what I’m saying is—as long as things stay stagnant and don't get any worse, I can live with that. I just hope things don't start spiraling in the wrong direction.
I'm doing alright. As alright as can be, I guess. Lately, my sleep schedule has been a total disaster—waking up feeling like a complete caveman. 🎉 But honestly, the exhaustion just won't quit; I'm still sleeping way too much. I decided to tweak my own medication routine a bit—just creating some breathing room between the apaurin and the Azolar—and that constant brain fog has finally started to lift.
As long as things stay steady, I'm fine with it. I just don't want them spiraling upward.
redpilot37 said:Quick question... is it possible to deal with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder without actually seeing things? Like, if someone is just incredibly paranoid, withdrawn, and emotionally numb... is that still part of it? And one more thing... does a diagnosis like that typically lead to losing legal competency or a driver's license? Thanks for letting me jump in here.
So, I’ve been officially diagnosed with schizophrenia myself, and honestly? I’ve never had a single hallucination in my life. As for the legal stuff—it's not like they strip those rights away from everyone you mentioned. At least, they haven't touched mine. But, yeah, it’s definitely possible for some people to lose those privileges depending on the situation.
Nicole Barrett76 said:If you were to ask a psychiatrist, would they suggest there is any possibility of taking only Azolar while eliminating the Apaurin entirely? Since I take 10mg of Apaurin before bed, which can feel quite potent, I find that any lesser dose offers me no relief whatsoever. Perhaps you have already shared this elsewhere, but I cannot recall: what exactly is the reason for your Apaurin prescription, and what dosage are you on? Is it intended to mitigate the side effects of Azolar, or is it for anxiety? Or perhaps it is simply to regulate a disrupted sleep rhythm?
I used to take Sanval before bed, and I am currently attempting to taper off of it, a process that has been nearly successful despite my occasional lapses. For a period of time, I relied on nothing but five to seven grams of Ashwagandha, (link to wikipedie) (link to forum topic here) which is beneficial for both sleep and thyroid function. I eventually discontinued its use because I am now using a different herbal supplement to support my thyroid, one that does not provide any calming effect or aid in sleep. Furthermore, I simply cannot afford both supplements.
To summarize the information from Wikipedia, Ashwagandha aids sleep due to the chemical compounds known as Withanolide, which interact with GABA receptors through a mechanism distinct from that of benzodiazepines. Not only did I experience improved sleep, but I also found myself better able to tolerate the hum of my computer, a sound that usually irritates me immensely. Now, as soon as I power it on, I play soothing music just to drown out that buzzing. I suffer from chronic tinnitus, which I attribute to the prolonged use of benzodiazepines. If only I could finally break free from them completely.
They have me on Apaurin to help me sleep. Just 5mg every night, though truth be told, I can sleep just fine without it. Things are okay right now. As for the Azolar, I don't take it right away anymore—I wait until after a meal. Just figured that out on my own. Since I don't eat immediately when I wake up, I usually take it a few hours after getting up. Somehow, that ended up fixing my sleep schedule too, by accident.
It’s just a shame that I’m constantly drowsy during the day—which leads to me napping all afternoon. I wish I could get that part sorted out. On top of that, some life complications have started cropping up, and I just can't seem to get the ball rolling on applying for disability or any kind of assistance.
Anyway, things are decent for now, at least compared to how bad they used to be. It's just that life is starting to get complicated again. Life just grinds you down sometimes, man. Honestly.
Well, I’ve gone and flipped my sleep schedule right back around again. Now I’m basically acting like some old farmer—crashing at night and waking up at the crack of dawn. It was pure luck, really. But honestly? I’m getting a little worried. My sleep is getting shorter. I used to pull twelve hours or more, but now I’m barely getting five or six—sometimes even less—though I try to squeeze in a nap later in the day to compensate. Because of this lack of sleep, I feel... I don't even know how to put it... kind of intoxicated? Like I'm slightly buzzed. It’s this weird, lightheaded sensation, almost like I'm spinning or drifting. Maybe it's because of the way Azolar and Apaurin are interacting. Since I've shortened the gap between them to just five or six hours—or even less, like I mentioned before—it might be doing something to me.