Help!! Sister with aspergers having meltdown/voices in her head??

[smully]

Since Friday my sister (20 years with aspergers) has been complaining of vertigo (she's had it before). So she's been sleeping on the ground in the livingroom. I've also found she's arranging her items in different ways throughout the house. She's been laying down since friday and she hasn't been watching TV or anything which is unusual. I haven't been home so I don't know how much she's eating. This morning I woke up to her having a "meltdown" I don't know what's happening she's having 'noises' in her head and is 'freaking out' and scared. Something else to mention is that my mom's been on vacation since the day the vertigo came. Also she's asking where north is and she's saying something about 4 levels and 4 colors. She was also drawing the letter b in blue on plates?? My neighbor that's a doctor's coming over now and we're going to the hospital but I don't know if you guys have any idea what's going on?? It's like someone flicked a switch and she's hearing voices and colors and say's something about lead. It's hard to communicate with her right now.

 

[IContainMultitudes]

I don't really have any advice on what you should do about this situation, but it might be worth also posting this question somewhere on this forum too if you haven't done so already:

Psychology and Mental Health Forum

Asperger's Syndrome Forum

 

[epath13]

Since Friday my sister (20 years with aspergers) has been complaining of vertigo (she's had it before). So she's been sleeping on the ground in the livingroom. I've also found she's arranging her items in different ways throughout the house. She's been laying down since friday and she hasn't been watching TV or anything which is unusual. I haven't been home so I don't know how much she's eating. This morning I woke up to her having a "meltdown" I don't know what's happening she's having 'noises' in her head and is 'freaking out' and scared. Something else to mention is that my mom's been on vacation since the day the vertigo came. Also she's asking where north is and she's saying something about 4 levels and 4 colors. She was also drawing the letter b in blue on plates?? My neighbor that's a doctor's coming over now and we're going to the hospital but I don't know if you guys have any idea what's going on?? It's like someone flicked a switch and she's hearing voices and colors and say's something about lead. It's hard to communicate with her right now.

She's definitely needs to see a specialist, possibly neurologist to have tests done to eliminate (if not confirm) some possible neurological issues before you jump to conclusions about any mental issues. I'm not saying that it's necessarily neurological problem but it could be. Has she ever experienced anything like that or anything similar to that?

I'm just going to tell you about my personal experience. I had a temporal trauma when I was born, in many people it doesn't cause anything, but in some people it can cause temporal lobe epilepsy or so called complicated migraines. You don't necessarily have to have trauma to experience those disorders. Symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy and complicated migraine can be very similar. In many cases there's no pain (headache) that's why it's hard to determine sometimes which is which. To make sure you would have to have EEG. I've always had symptoms but in my 20s they became more severe. 2 years ago symptoms became even more severe and persistent, that's when I went to see a doctor. My symptoms included vertigo (even though in my late teens I had something that from outside could look like psychosis), visual disturbance, and periodic noise in my head that sounds sort of like music. Apparently noise or music in the head is not an uncommon symptom, I read about other people diagnosed with complicated migraines experienced the same thing. I started driving only about 1,5 years ago and that's when the symptoms became more apparent, lights, size and distance perception was distorted which made it difficult for me to drive sometimes. I'm on Topamax right now and even with a pretty low doze those symptoms are not bothering me any more.
I'm not saying that your sister has the same thing but symptoms sounds familiar that's why I replied.
Seeing a neurologist would be the right thing to do in my opinion.

 

[smully]

She's definitely needs to see a specialist, possibly neurologist to have tests done to eliminate (if not confirm) some possible neurological issues before you jump to conclusions about any mental issues. I'm not saying that it's necessarily neurological problem but it could be. Has she ever experienced anything like that or anything similar to that?

I'm just going to tell you about my personal experience. I had a temporal trauma when I was born, in many people it doesn't cause anything, but in some people it can cause temporal lobe epilepsy or so called complicated migraines. You don't necessarily have to have trauma to experience those disorders. Symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy and complicated migraine can be very similar. In many cases there's no pain (headache) that's why it's hard to determine sometimes which is which. To make sure you would have to have EEG. I've always had symptoms but in my 20s they became more severe. 2 years ago symptoms became even more severe and persistent, that's when I went to see a doctor. My symptoms included vertigo (even though in my late teens I had something that from outside could look like psychosis), visual disturbance, and periodic noise in my head that sounds sort of like music. Apparently noise or music in the head is not an uncommon symptom, I read about other people diagnosed with complicated migraines experienced the same thing. I started driving only about 1,5 years ago and that's when the symptoms became more apparent, lights, size and distance perception was distorted which made it difficult for me to drive sometimes. I'm on Topamax right now and even with a pretty low doze those symptoms are not bothering me any more.
I'm not saying that your sister has the same thing but symptoms sounds familiar that's why I replied.
Seeing a neurologist would be the right thing to do in my opinion.

Thanks so much, she's at the hospital and they're keeping her over night but were not getting many updates.

Your symptoms sound VERY similar. She's had vertigo before and she's had her license since she was 18. A few weeks ago she spun out on the freeway where it was icy. She's also rear ended someone a few years ago. She got her car repaired and friday was the first time she was out somewhere when it was snowing since the accident. She said she didn't feel good (flu/vertigo?) so someone had to drive her home. She's been talking about voices in her head but they're 'people telling her to do things'. this is the first time this has ever happened. It's like it came from nowhere this morning. It's was near impossible to communicate with her this morning. I woke up and her things were scattered around the house and she had a bunch of papers, folders, and markers on the kitchen table. They had random words and colors on them with random underlining and whatnot.

 

[Spinning Compass]

It's good that she's getting checked out by a neurologist. I had temporal lobe seizures for about a 15 year period starting around 1980 and ending around 1998 or so. They weren't serious, didn't really interfere with my life, but were annoying. I went through all kinds of tests (EEG, CAT scan, MRI) which did not show anything, nor did I have any history of head injury or anything else that would indicate seizures. I don't know why they started and I don't know why they stopped although I was told by one neurologist that they were possibly hormone related and if so would decrease as I approached menopause. I started having these spells about six months before I wound up in the emergency room after a full-blown episode in which I lost consciousness. I was afraid to tell anyone about them because I was afraid that they meant mental illness and I would be locked up. It can be pretty scary to have these kinds of things happening. I remember one spell I started talking nonsense and I knew I was talking nonsense but I could not help myself, it was the seizure taking over.

 

[kg4fxg]

Hey,

Sorry to hear about your sister. Please keep us posted as I curious what this could be? I did not think hearing voices was typical of Aspergers? I wonder if she is on any medication which could cause it? I have suffered from migraines and they will last around three days. Not fun and the medication makes you feel like you are flying. Meds can do strange things and we all take them for various reasons. It sounds like she is in the best place to be observed. You are very lucky to have a sister.

Bill

 

[smully]

It's good that she's getting checked out by a neurologist. I had temporal lobe seizures for about a 15 year period starting around 1980 and ending around 1998 or so. They weren't serious, didn't really interfere with my life, but were annoying. I went through all kinds of tests (EEG, CAT scan, MRI) which did not show anything, nor did I have any history of head injury or anything else that would indicate seizures. I don't know why they started and I don't know why they stopped although I was told by one neurologist that they were possibly hormone related and if so would decrease as I approached menopause. I started having these spells about six months before I wound up in the emergency room after a full-blown episode in which I lost consciousness. I was afraid to tell anyone about them because I was afraid that they meant mental illness and I would be locked up. It can be pretty scary to have these kinds of things happening. I remember one spell I started talking nonsense and I knew I was talking nonsense but I could not help myself, it was the seizure taking over.

She's was transfered to another hospital and is being kept until tuesday and we cannot call or visit her. Just to add the things she was doing this morning: she wanted me to spell her name backwards on her shirt, and on the way to the hospital if she saw a red light a half mile ahead she would get scared and tell my dad to slow down, she also 'freaked' if we were 1mph above the speed limit. This tells me she knows what was going on, which doesn't fit the way she was behaving at the house. We couldn't even get her to get dressed and out of her pj's. She also was not 100% remember our cousin, and she couldn't remember what sport I played. Also, when I went downstairs this morning and first 'discovered' her problem she had papers and notecards all over the kitchen tables with things like her name written on it with numbers under it.

Also, she went to someone at her college this week for study skills help. I noticed on some of the note cards you could tell she was using this method. It's like she's so over whelmed with school and trying to do good, and driving in the snow, and all of this stuff "building up"

Thanks for you help, I'm curious about the spell where you were talking nonsense. What was the outcome? Did you end up recovering after a few days?

Hey,

Sorry to hear about your sister. Please keep us posted as I curious what this could be? I did not think hearing voices was typical of Aspergers? I wonder if she is on any medication which could cause it? I have suffered from migraines and they will last around three days. Not fun and the medication makes you feel like you are flying. Meds can do strange things and we all take them for various reasons. It sounds like she is in the best place to be observed. You are very lucky to have a sister.

Bill

The only medication she's taking is zertec and some nasal spray. I remember a few years back her doctor gave her acne medicine and she started having vertigo, I think they ended up saying it was something in it that was causing it. I will definitely keep you posted.

I'm also wondering about one other thing. She likes to keep a lot of stuff, and she puts in boxes in her closet. It's like she wants to keep all this stuff but she also wants to be VERY clean. She puts tissues under practically everything (like her phone, etc), which bothers me. During this "spell" she has been arranging a lot of her belongings around her blankets in the living room (where she's been sleeping the last 2 nights, she says she's more comfortable there). An example is decks of cards and these squishy balls. She also brought about every pillow in the house to sleep on. I wasn't too worried about it this weekend because I thought she just had the flu and it made her more comfortable.
Another thing worth mentioning that we just thought of is that she just had her hair straightened with some 'japanese method' 2 weeks ago that used chemicals. It's supposed to last a long time and it cost quite a bit.

 

[Droopy]

I'm also wondering about one other thing. She likes to keep a lot of stuff, and she puts in boxes in her closet. It's like she wants to keep all this stuff but she also wants to be VERY clean. She puts tissues under practically everything (like her phone, etc), which bothers me. During this "spell" she has been arranging a lot of her belongings around her blankets in the living room (where she's been sleeping the last 2 nights, she says she's more comfortable there). An example is decks of cards and these squishy balls.

That sounds like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and is common with those on the Autism Spectrum. You can get medication for it if you feel it is becoming too severe.

I hope your sister recovers from this frightening ordeal. Please keep us updated.

 

[smully]

Today my parents were able to see her and it cleared up a lot of things. She had heard somewhere that having too many electronics in your room can cause voices in your head. which probably explains the items in the hallway and sleeping in the living room. It probably was also a cause of the voices in her head. Another thing was Whitney Houston dying, it scared her because she is my parents age and she doesn't want to loose anyone. Another big thing that clears up all the writing on the cards and what not is she was trying to study for a chemistry test using the study skills she learned from a counselor last week. I guess she got overwhelmed with it. So all that added up and she had a physiological something. I can't remember what they called it. She is a lot better now but there still keeping her and they don't know when she'll be coming out.

 

[epath13]

I'm glad that everything is cleared up. So it is sort of like one overblown meltdown... which is probably would feel sort of like a psychosis. From what you have told she must have been very overwhelmed which can cause all kinds of symptoms, especially if you're on the spectrum. It's good that there's nothing major physiologically.

 

[smully]

When I was joining the Psych Forums I came across this which was very interesting.. it happened to be about voices in your head and electronics: Hearing voices or electronic harassment? : Anti-Psych Forum

I'm kind of thinking this is what my sister heard about and became worried about it.. causing her to think it was happening to her.

Also she's in the hospital still and they have no time table for return. She seems to be fine with being there which is good. We haven't got many more updates from the doctors other then there might be some anti-anxiety medicine she can take from here on out.

 

[smully]

Hey all, I just wanted to say she's still in the hospital and probably will be until next week. In the meetings we've been able to have this week she seems very good but she's not 100% there. Every time we meet with her she says a couple things that don't make much sense. I hope this is just because of some of the medication. I hate to see her trapped inside that building with those people but it's for the best.

I wanted to ask about this post some more..

It's good that she's getting checked out by a neurologist. I had temporal lobe seizures for about a 15 year period starting around 1980 and ending around 1998 or so. They weren't serious, didn't really interfere with my life, but were annoying. I went through all kinds of tests (EEG, CAT scan, MRI) which did not show anything, nor did I have any history of head injury or anything else that would indicate seizures. I don't know why they started and I don't know why they stopped although I was told by one neurologist that they were possibly hormone related and if so would decrease as I approached menopause. I started having these spells about six months before I wound up in the emergency room after a full-blown episode in which I lost consciousness. I was afraid to tell anyone about them because I was afraid that they meant mental illness and I would be locked up. It can be pretty scary to have these kinds of things happening. I remember one spell I started talking nonsense and I knew I was talking nonsense but I could not help myself, it was the seizure taking over.

How have you been since the talking nonsense spell? Did you have to go to the hospital for it or did you just "snap out of it"? Also, have you recovered completely and has it happened since then?

This seems very similar to what my sister was experiencing and you all are helping so much because you've been in similar situations.

 

[Spinning Compass]

Yes, I am completely recovered from the talking nonsense spell. And no, I didn't go to the hospital. I knew there wasn't much they could do anyway. I've been on Dilantin since my losing consciousness episode. It's kind of hard to describe, but when I would have these seizures, it was like going into a dream state where it seemed like something was trying to pull me out of my body, but at the same time I was perfectly aware of what was going on around me and even able for the most part to carry on conversations without the other person ever realizing I was having a seizure. I understand that this is what they call a partial seizure. Anyway, whenever I felt one coming on, I would use something or someone outside of myself as an anchor to pull myself back inside. Sort of like biofeedback. The talking nonsense spell lasted a little longer and was stronger than my usual seizures but only lasted a few seconds.

 

[smully]

Yes, I am completely recovered from the talking nonsense spell. And no, I didn't go to the hospital. I knew there wasn't much they could do anyway. I've been on Dilantin since my losing consciousness episode. It's kind of hard to describe, but when I would have these seizures, it was like going into a dream state where it seemed like something was trying to pull me out of my body, but at the same time I was perfectly aware of what was going on around me and even able for the most part to carry on conversations without the other person ever realizing I was having a seizure. I understand that this is what they call a partial seizure. Anyway, whenever I felt one coming on, I would use something or someone outside of myself as an anchor to pull myself back inside. Sort of like biofeedback. The talking nonsense spell lasted a little longer and was stronger than my usual seizures but only lasted a few seconds.

Thanks, she came back from the hospital today and seems fine for the most part. The best thing is as soon as she came home she started cleaning out all her old clothes and junk from her closet. She literally used to hoard. Your spells sound similar except I don't think she was having a seizure. She said she knew what was going on but she couldn't control what she was saying and her arm movements and what not.

 

[smully]

She's back home and she seemed fine today just doing a few wierd things.. but as the night has gone on she's doing more wierd things. She's going through everything, for example I'm making a paper look old for a school project by soaking it in tea and she went over and started drinking it. Now we were just in the basement watching hockey and she's read EVERYTHING off the TV numbers, names everything. Hopefully it's the medication/lack of medication for the first time but it's very wierd. She seemed so good this morning. I don't know if you all ever have experience with something like this? She was also going through a lot of my stuff which is unlike her. She brought my hockey stick and some pucks in the basement and she has her jersey on and everything for the game tonight. I just don't know what's going on.

 

[epath13]

She's back home and she seemed fine today just doing a few wierd things.. but as the night has gone on she's doing more wierd things. She's going through everything, for example I'm making a paper look old for a school project by soaking it in tea and she went over and started drinking it. Now we were just in the basement watching hockey and she's read EVERYTHING off the TV numbers, names everything. Hopefully it's the medication/lack of medication for the first time but it's very wierd. She seemed so good this morning. I don't know if you all ever have experience with something like this? She was also going through a lot of my stuff which is unlike her. She brought my hockey stick and some pucks in the basement and she has her jersey on and everything for the game tonight. I just don't know what's going on.

Is she able to explain anything? And how do doctors explain it?

 

[smully]

I never got to be in the room with my parents and the doctors. They just said it was a brief psychotic episode. I'm not sure and all the details but she explained it that the voices in her head were like controlling her and she really couldn't control any of that. When my dad was taking her to the hospital (i wasn't there) she thought she was driving and was freaking out. She said it was like she was driving when she was telling us about that day.

Hopefully this is the worst right now because I seriously cannot take it much longer. I feel sooo bad and love her sooo much but it's like she has a little hate toward me. I know it's just how she's thinking right now, though. She never slept once last night and she kept me up. This morning i got up and my homework was on the table and she wrote all over it. I couldn't believe it. Also, I keep a bowl of ice cream in the freezer EVERY night and last night while I was in the shower she ate it. It's not that I'm mad it's just so unlike her. When I got home from school I could tell she's been in my room even though my mom was home all day. I don't mind her going through my stuff once but there's no way I can take it everyday. She came in my room this morning and was trying to use my computer, then she got scissor and said she needed to cut a cable to she could plug something in. It's so strange and it's so tough on me. I hate seeing her like this and it's crazy/wierd how things can change all the sudden. I'm hoping it's just these initial days with the new medicines. Were trying to get a doctor that specializes in psychiatry that she can see routinely.

 

[epath13]

You probably should check some psychiatry or mental health forums or websites, maybe you can come across some more useful ideas. WebMD - Better information. Better health. is pretty good. I've asked some questions in the past on some website but unfortunately I don't remember which was it. but WebMD - Better information. Better health. has plenty of information about different conditions in easy to understand and navigate through form.

one more question that I have, did they do MRI at the hospital?

and I can't imagine how difficult it might be, hope medications work for your sister...

 

[smully]

thanks for the links I'll definitely check those out tomorrow.

She had a cat scan done I know, but I'm not sure about a MRI. I'm guessing the cat scan results came back good.

She's taking klonopin right now and one other short term medication I can't remember. It's working very well although earlier today she had a melt down similar to the one she had when it all started, but not as severe. We gave her the klonopin right away though and she was fine within 15 mins. They had her on a small dose once a day but this new doctor we were referred to said she should have it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. So hopefully that will work a lot better.

Oh and I should add today we asked her if she knew why she was in the hospital and she didn't know. She kept asking if it was reasons that were unrelated. We got off topic though and we never really told her.

 

[lynne]

make her feel safe, loved and connected. That's what helps me and my daughter. (both aspie).