I Haven't Heard Schizoaffective Voices in Over 4 Months

I’ve gone for a really long time without hearing schizoaffective voices. In fact, I’ve gone over four months without this disruptive schizoaffective symptom. I credit it to a psychiatric medication change.

A Mishap with Medication for My Schizoaffective Disorder Brought on Voices

A few years ago, my blood work showed that the levels of my mood stabilizer were really low. I called my psychopharmacologist at the time, and she suggested I raise the dosage of my mood stabilizer. More blood work was done until I reached a therapeutic range.

I did notice a difference with the raised dosage. The difference was that I stopped hearing voices. I didn’t hear voices again until I had a new round of blood work one morning and accidentally took my morning dosage of the mood stabilizer right before I got the blood tests. My levels were suddenly really high, and my psychopharmacologist recommended I lower the dosage of my medication.

I was worried from the start that a mistake had been made because I took the medication right before I got the tests done, but my psychopharmacologist advised the change. The mood stabilizer I’m on can be toxic if it’s at too high a dosage. So I think she figured it was better that I occasionally hear voices than lose a kidney.

Correcting a Mistake in Schizoaffective Medication Stopped the Voices

A nurse practitioner I began seeing earlier this year when my psychopharmacologist retired came highly recommended by my therapist. I explained my situation with my mood stabilizer and the voices to my nurse practitioner, and she had me get another set of blood tests done. It showed that my levels were very low, lower than a therapeutic dose.

So, my nurse practitioner increased the dosage of the mood stabilizer. I haven’t heard voices since. My nurse practitioner was surprised since, usually, the antipsychotic medications affect voices and hallucinations. But I wasn’t surprised because I have schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, so my condition is a mood disorder.

I had been heartbroken when the voices came back, and I knew it was from lowering the dosage of that particular medication. In turn, I’m elated that got straightened out and that I haven’t heard voices for four months. I hope to never hear them again.

For years, the voices were a signal that I needed a “time out.” I would have a schizoaffective voices episode when I was extremely frazzled, stressed out, or overwhelmed. But I don’t need the voices anymore. I’ve learned to know without the schizoaffective voices when I need a time out. I’m glad they’re gone, and I hope they stay away. The message this time was that it never hurts to get a second opinion.