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Mental Health > Schizophrenia Forum > Paranoid Schizophrenia And/Or Asperger's Syndrome ?
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Q: Paranoid Schizophrenia And/Or Asperger's Syndrome ?
asked by: SchizoAspie on June 4th, 2009
New User
BACKGROUND:

When I was in grade school, a neurologist thought that I might have Epilepsy and the drug Dilantin was prescribed. When I was in high school, I began to have several "strange" sensations each night. I became unruly and violent at home. My parents had me hospitalized. The psychiatrist didn't order Dilantin, but ordered an anti-psychotic drug for my treatment. I was concerned, but the "strange" sensations stopped. The psychiatrist told me that the new medicine had cleared up my thinking. Even though the "strange" sensations had stopped, I was still diagnosed as having "paranoid schizophrenia". I stopped taking the anti-psychotic medication after about 1 year. No problems. A few years ago, my parents had me see a psychologist. She diagnosed me with the high-level form of autism called "Asperger's Syndrome".



QUESTIONS:

Did I ever have "paranoid schizophrenia"?

Can the anti-seizure drug Dilantin cause "paranoid schizophrenia"?

Is it possible for "paranoid schizophrenia" to just 'go away'?

Can "paranoid schizophrenia" and "Asperger's Syndrome" exist together?

Should I see a psychiatrist about using drugs to treat my conditions?
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MyrahU
replied on June 4th, 2009
Active User, very eHealthy
Yes, you should defiantly see a psychiatrist. Also, you should not stop taking your medication unless your doctor tells you to. The symptoms stopped because of the medication. If you are not on medication, it is possible that you are just not experiencing symptoms now, but they might reoccur, especially under stress.

It is possible for you to live a normal life as long as you stay on your treatment. Luckily, the doctors caught your condition before you had a psychotic break, which can make treatment more difficult.

You should get a second opinion about both the schizophrenia and the Asbergers from a psychiatrist and continue seeing one for follow-up treatment.

To answer your questions:
No, schizophrenia doesn't just go away.

Yes, both conditions can exist together, but one can be mistaken for the other, so that's why you need a second opinion.

As for the anti-seizure drug, no, it is really unlikely that it would cause your symptoms. Disordered thinking can be a side-effect, as it can with many other drugs, but you can't assume that the drug was the cause. If you had said you were on Meth, that would be a different story.

Only a psychiatrist can tell you what your status is and what you should do.
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SchizoAspie
replied on June 5th, 2009
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MyrahU:

You are the FIRST person to give me a 2nd opinion. I have never been able to get a doctor to do that. Doctors always seem to "look out" and "support" each other. I believe that the drug Dilantin is what caused my "paranoid schizophrenia" symptoms, but I am not really sure. It is well-documented that one of the side effects of Dilatin therapy is "paranoid schizophrenia" symptoms. Also, my last psychiatrist tried the following drugs on me and they made my problems WORSE: Trilafon, Haldol, Thorazine, Prolixin, Mellaril. Once I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, I was told that the "best" they could do is do nothing. There currently is no effect treatment for AS.
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MyrahU
replied on June 5th, 2009
Active User, very eHealthy
Have you seen a lot of doctors and/or psychiatrists?

The effects of the Dilantin should not be permanent. If that is what gave you the disordered thinking (which is a rare side-effect), once you stopped the medication, that should have gone away.

Do you believe the Asperger's diagnosis? Do you have the symptoms of that?

In the research I did into the link between Asperger's and Schizophrenia, some of the sources said that people with Asperger's can demonstrate symptoms that are like or seem like symptoms of Schizophrenia. Sometimes, this can lead to a misdiagnosis of Schizophrenia when it's always been Asperger's.

For instance, they could say they hear voices when no one is there (they may be refereeing to voices coming from another room rather than auditory hallucinations). The disordered thinking, talking to themselves, this could also be part of Asperger's.

I think that a second-opinion from a clinical professional would be beneficial, even just for your own peace of mind. If you do have Asperger's, it's not hopeless. If you are having difficulties, such as with social interaction, there are therapies that do help people. If you think the diagnosis is wrong, then you also need to find that out. You don't want to go around with a diagnosis for all your future doctor's to see if it's wrong.

Do some research into the matter on your own and bring some of it to your doctor appointment. Say that you want a clear diagnosis. Write down questions you have and make the doctor answer them. You aren't psychotic or delusional, so there is no reason you shouldn't be in charge of your own care and your own life. Don't let yourself be dismissed by doctors or anyone else.
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SchizoAspie
replied on June 5th, 2009
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MyrahU:

Thanks for your input. I should mention that most new cases of Asperger's Syndrome (AS) are now diagnosed when people are in grade school. Sometimes, even younger. I am one of those that didn't get diagnosed until I was an adult. There are probably a lot of other people in my situation.

Since I was a child, I have seen a total of: 6 neurologists, 5 psychiatrists, and 1 psychologist. The last neurologist that I say, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, confirmed that I never had had Epilepsy. He told me that I didn't have to take Dilantin any longer. It seems as though the Dilantin was causing me to have symptoms of "paranoid schizophrenia". I'll admit that my parents were afraid of how I was behaving. For a while, I even believed what the psychiatrists told me. Until I stopped taking the Dilantin and the "paranoid schizophrenia" symptoms went away.

Once I got a diagnosis for Asperger's Syndrome, the pieces of the puzzle all seemed to come together:

I have always had trouble with motor skills, like sports, riding a bicycle, dancing, catching baseballs, etc. My social skills are not great. I come across like a geek or nerd, have trouble with jokes and sarcasm, and always seem to take people too literally. There are a lot of other things that "fit" my personality too.

Anyway, I'm going to keep on researching and come up with questions like you suggested and write them down. I'm going to contact a psychiatrist and/or psychologist and review things with them. Yes, I want "peace of mind" and be able to explain things to my parents.

Back when I was told that I might have "paranoid schizophrenia", even many doctors didn't know about Asperger's Syndrome. I just want to clear things up on why I am how I am. Thanks again for your helpful suggestions.
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