Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[perseverer]

Hello everyone,

I am just wondering whether anyone else has experience of cravings during psychosis. I have noticed that when my son is psychotic he craves caffeine and salt. I have observed that if I give him a caffeinated drink and a bag of crisps he is noticeably improved within minutes. Has anyone else experienced this or something similar?

[CherryBomb]

Hi @perseverer,

Hmm, I've not heard this before, but I have heard of cravings that are related to medication.

You may want to check out this thread on psychosis. In this discussion @ivana talks about some physical changes that can affect the body, and @Former-Member talks about behaviour and thinking that she has observed in her family. I wonder if @Former-Member and @ivana might have some advice and insights into your question.

Cheers,

CB

[Fancy_Pants]

Hi @perseverer

This is just a guess but I was wondering if when your son has a psychotic episode you give him medication? because depending on the way that the medication is metabolised perhaps the caffine and or salt could help with that process, so either metabolise it quicker so that its therapeutic effect is experienced sooner or perhaps increases the number or neurotransmitters availiable so that more is accepted into his system at one time so he recieves a higher dose than intended (but perhaps needed?) 

as i say this is just a guess but I would ask his dr / psychiatrist about it

[perseverer]

Hi @Fancy_Pants and @CherryBomband thank you for your comments. My son has been continuously medicated for the last 18 years, so nothing new. I was recently reading Anne Deveson's book, "Tell Me I'm Here" about her schizophrenic son Jonathon, and I was interested to see that she made the same observation about him when he was psychotic.