Schizophrenia.com

Negative symptoms Pt.2

#1

I have negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Either that or it’s a side effect of the medication. How long should I give the med to get rid of this side effect/symptom? Is it treatable? Because online it says negative symptoms are much harder to treat than positive symptoms.

  • Inability to experience pleasure, joy, happiness, sadness, or any type of emotions.

  • No appetite and never feel hungry anymore. Can go for days without food and when I do eat it tastes bland.

  • No motivation, willpower, or desire to do anything.

  • Extreme boredom. Nothing I do can do to change this.

  • Zero sex drive.

  • Music sounds flat.

  • Difficulty finding things to say in a conversation. I feel mentally incapable of holding a conversation.

  • Difficulty retaining things.

#2

Its something that the only way to find out if the negative symptom is caused by your med or its the schizo. Symptom is to stop taking med and try to notice the difference, but since we don’t want to experience the same psychosis and we should take the med, than i guess we will never figure that out. But i found eating a LOT of vegetables can reduce the side effects of med a little.

#3

Does antipsychotics improve negative symptoms at all? I don’t seem to have terrible negative symptoms, but i know my fatigue and lack of motivation is caused by my med. besides that i may have schizo negative symptoms that med improves it. I just dont know.

#4

is a side effect I had the same problam switching to a diffrent med helps I feel your pain you shouldnt have to live like that you wonder whats worse at times the scitzo or teh side effects of teh meds good luck

#5

I have found that the meds make me have some of this…I found that coffee and vitamins helps. Niacin and B vitamins make me feel better. Before I started meds, I enjoyed my free time more. Now free time is rather problematic, I need something to do…but do keep in mind that antipsychotics are major tranquilizers, and “depressed mood” is listed on the common side effects. It’s a tradeoff, swapping being sedated and tranquilized for being symptom free. I still lift weights, but I have to take preworkout supplements for it, I used to have natural energy but now I roll on caffeine every day and I sleep for 10 hours every night.

But I have heard of people being put on antidepressants if these persist. Those are often risky because you need to be on an antipsychotic to make sure they dont do more than relieve depression and make you psychotic again.

#6

I can relate to this. I have to force myself to work out… I have to force myself to do a lot of things. Right now I’m sick so that’s not helping…