Hello. Being the only contact a foreign friend has in the medical community, she has asked me to provide advice on her sister’s prognosis. Being woefully unqualified, I am hopeful fellow panelists here can provide the guidance she is seeking.
My friend’s sister, Ashely, is 30 years old and was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 13 years old. She has been taking medicine for around 17 years. Over the last 10 years, she has been relatively stable while medicated - able to study, do housework, and even work. The lone side effect of the medicine requires her to sleep for 10 hours.
As shared above, Ashely previously could act and manage herself normally on most days; however, when the seasons change like now (from autumn to winter), auditory hallucinations become much more prevalent and stronger - like her brain keeps working even while “sleeping” despite having taken her medicine.
I am unsure of the exact dosing, but Ashely currently is taking 5 clozapine pills and 1 pill each of clonazepam, sodium valproate, and melatonin daily. To address the recently intensified auditory hallucinations, the doctor has advised to increase her clozapine to 6-7 pills/day.
Questions:
- What other medicines are effective for auditory hallucinations, if any? How long can such medicines be taken safely and remain effective?
2… Can yoga reduce “the sound in [Ashely’s] head”? What other activities could help in Ashely’s situation?
Thank you, in advance, for your attention and suggestions. My friend is willing to correspond directly with any professional who can help her sister - providing more details than what I currently know.