Schizophrenia - General Discussion

I’m not sure where else to turn, so I'll try here. Is medical staff legally allowed to film or take photos of patients without their consent or against their will?

It seems to me, quite frankly, that there ought to be a requirement for signed patient consent before anything like this is ever permitted to happen.

Well, I was caught off guard when the technician mentioned he’d been filming a patient while she was completely naked. Now that she's slipped into a psychotic state, I highly doubt she ever gave consent for that kind of thing.

👎
Did you actually report that to anyone?

I can’t say for sure since I don’t personally know the woman—I just heard it from my aunt who goes over to visit her—but this whole business of them taking photos and filming isn't anything new. I actually brought it up to the doctor last year, but of course, she just denies everything to protect her own people.

Psychiatric facilities are all under video surveillance now—except for the VC, apparently.

I’ve been doing alright for almost two years now—well, as "alright" as you can be when you're dealing with paranoid schizophrenia. Some days it feels like I’m right on the edge of a total breakdown. I remember this one time, some guys and my old lady were acting all aggressive when we were leaving a building, and they both started ganging up on me, making me feel like they were actually going to do something. Honestly, I can’t even put into words the sheer chaos spinning through my head in that moment.

Woke up feeling a bit rougher this morning. I bought a new phone, but the SIM ejector tool just won't budge, and out of pure anxiety, I ended up hitting myself in the head—not my best move, considering it's a brand-new device and dealing with returns and warranties here in the States is such a massive, exhausting ordeal.

I'm okay now, though. Whatever happens, happens. We finally sorted out my benefits, but it's not exactly a full payout. It's a mess because I had two different doctors give me totally different ratings: one doctor evaluated me at 100% disability and stripped my ability to work entirely, while another doctor pegged me at 90%. So, one says I'm Category I and the other says Category II. Typical.

We aren't going to file an appeal just yet, but with inflation being what it is lately, it looks like we might eventually have to.

Just hanging in there, mostly.

Glad you got your status sorted out—it’s not exactly rocket science to change it later if things shift 👍

Nicholas Bailey3 said:Glad you got your status sorted out—it’s not exactly rocket science to change it later if things shift 👍

+1 thanks

Emily Cook8 said:Hey, give us a heads-up once in a while so we actually know what's going on.

Well, I'm back again after being away for about a month.
I've been working construction out on Maui.
The work is actually decent, and we managed to negotiate a pretty good hourly rate, though there's a catch—I'm not officially on the payroll. Out of our four-man crew, only one guy is actually registered with the state; the rest of us aren't.
To be honest, I think it might actually be for the best, because before you can get officially signed on, you have to pass a medical exam, and I already have a feeling that’s going to be a major hurdle for me.

It honestly feels like they won't let me work, and they won't let me live, either. I just can't sustain my life solely on medication. If I could just have a pension that allows me to live a normal life like some people do, I wouldn't dream of picking up a shovel or climbing a scaffold ever again.

Anyway, I don't want to bore everyone, but until I clear these loans—which should take another two and a half years—I am going to fight with everything I've got to keep working. And maybe even after that, too. I have no intention of settling for disability or social assistance; I am capable of working and I truly want to work, which is something I've proven many times over.

Harold Anderson3 said:Well, I'm back again after being away for about a month.
I've been working construction out on Maui.
The work is actually decent, and we managed to negotiate a pretty good hourly rate, though there's a catch—I'm not officially on the payroll. Out of our four-man crew, only one guy is actually registered with the state; the rest of us aren't.
To be honest, I think it might actually be for the best, because before you can get officially signed on, you have to pass a medical exam, and I already have a feeling that’s going to be a major hurdle for me.

It honestly feels like they won't let me work, and they won't let me live, either. I just can't sustain my life solely on medication. If I could just have a pension that allows me to live a normal life like some people do, I wouldn't dream of picking up a shovel or climbing a scaffold ever again.

Anyway, I don't want to bore everyone, but until I clear these loans—which should take another two and a half years—I am going to fight with everything I've got to keep working. And maybe even after that, too. I have no intention of settling for disability or social assistance; I am capable of working and I truly want to work, which is something I've proven many times over.

Thanks, man—don't disappear on us again.☕

Nicholas Bailey3 said:Thanks, man—don't disappear on us again.☕

Honestly, I actually asked for a permanent ban at one point—I can't even remember why anymore—yet here I am, still scrolling through everything, mostly just digging through that PDF and following this specific thread...

@Harold Anderson3.
Respect where respect is due!

Harold Anderson3 said:Honestly, I actually asked for a permanent ban at one point—I can't even remember why anymore—yet here I am, still scrolling through everything, mostly just digging through that PDF and following this specific thread...

Well, looks like you got completely distracted by that one guy's nonsense 🤣
This PDF is basically the whole story ☕

Nicholas Bailey3 said:Well, looks like you got completely distracted by that one guy's nonsense 🤣
This PDF is basically the whole story ☕

Well, bless his heart...

Since I can't quite afford a real psychoanalyst right now, I suppose this little forum corner will have to do 🙂

Hey everyone!
I was wondering about something, and maybe someone here can shed some light on it for me.
Basically, does anyone know if there’s actually a difference in how well the original Zyprexe works compared to the generic Olandix?
If anyone has gone through this or has any experience with it, I’d really appreciate the insight!

Morgan Lewis said:Hey everyone!
I was wondering about something, and maybe someone here can shed some light on it for me.
Basically, does anyone know if there’s actually a difference in how well the original Zyprexe works compared to the generic Olandix?
If anyone has gone through this or has any experience with it, I’d really appreciate the insight!

I did a little digging online, and since both are just olanzapine, they seem identical—even the delivery method is the same, using those orally disintegrating tablets.
I haven't personally switched over to Olandix, but I've been taking Zyprexe for years now.
There's also Vaira from Belup which is the same olanzapine, though it comes in standard tablets instead.
In my own estimation, there shouldn't be much of a difference between Vaira and Zyprexe, let alone between Olandix and the original, unless we're just talking about what you pay at the pharmacy.
I'm certainly no medical expert, so I can't offer a professional opinion, but that's just my take from a layperson's perspective...

Olanzapine is the active ingredient here, so we're essentially talking about the same medication. There is research suggesting there might be some subtle differences, though I suppose it really comes down to the individual level; one person might find one version more effective than the other. Technically speaking, the difference in bioequivalence is roughly 2.8%. That said, maybe Zyprexa would be a better choice for someone who is hesitant about taking their medication, simply because it dissolves quite quickly.

Thanks so much for all the input, everyone!
I actually stumbled upon a study that touches on this exact thing—it’s pretty similar to what you guys were saying:
"Can excipients actually impact how well a drug works? Absolutely. These inactive ingredients can change how a pill dissolves, how it's distributed through the body, or even how it's absorbed in the stomach... So, when a patient feels like a generic version isn't hitting the mark quite like the brand-name original, it might not just be all in their head."

I guess this could be some really good news for schizophrenia treatment. It looks like a new drug that doesn't rely on dopamine or serotonin receptors:
https://wellcome.org/news/potential-...ophrenia-KarXT

The US-based biotech firm Karuna Therapeutics Inc. has developed a new combination drug called KarXT. This might be the first new pharmacological approach to treating schizophrenia in over 50 years, which could offer a different option for people living with the condition.

KarXT is a combination therapy, meaning it puts two different drugs—xanomeline and trospium chloride—into one single treatment.

These drugs target receptors in the brain and body linked to the cholinergic neurotransmitter system, which plays a big role in things like learning, memory, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, movement, and more. There are two types of cholinergic receptors: nicotinic and muscarinic. In KarXT, xanomeline activates the muscarinic receptors in the brain, while trospium chloride blocks those same receptors from being activated in the rest of the body.

Xanomeline was originally developed by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company to treat Alzheimer's disease. While trials showed it helped improve cognition and certain behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's—like reducing delusions, agitation, and hallucinations—development stopped because some people had problematic side effects. Those issues were caused by the activation of muscarinic receptors throughout the body.

Karuna’s founder, Andrew Miller, predicted that combining trospium chloride with xanomeline would cut down those side effects, suggesting this new therapy could reduce psychosis in people living with schizophrenia.

And it worked.

We funded Karuna back in 2015 and 2018 to run Phase 1 and then Phase 2 trials for KarXT.

In the Phase 1 trial, KarXT appeared safe and well-tolerated, showing a 50% reduction in side effects compared to using xanomeline alone in healthy adults. Results from the Phase 2 trials in people with schizophrenia were also positive; in 2019, Karuna announced that KarXT led to a statistically significant reduction in psychotic symptoms. Now, seven years after our initial investment, the Phase 3 trial results for KarXT in schizophrenia show a treatment that can:

result in clinically and statistically significant improvements in psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, compared to a placebo
improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia—like lack of motivation, social withdrawal, and cognitive impairment, which current drugs often miss—and
avoid the usual problematic side effects seen with current antipsychotics, such as drowsiness, weight gain, and abnormal motor movements.

The KarXT trial is likely the first successful Phase 3 trial for a drug that doesn't directly rely on dopaminergic or serotonergic pathways in the brain in about 70 years. KarXT works in a completely new way and seems to be well-tolerated while easing schizophrenia symptoms, potentially offering a new treatment path for those with psychosis.

The FDA decision regarding this drug is expected around mid-2023. I guess we'll see if the current trials bring some promising news.