DW having paranoia about someone trying to kill her

coloradobear

My DW is having paranoia about someone trying to kill her. This has sprung up a couple of days ago. She 'talks' with an imaginary friend either through listening to him or by 'reading' his messages on the table top/pants leg/t-shirt/etc. This friend has recently told her that she needed to leave the house immediately as there were men coming to kill her. Any delay on my part to deflect or try to talk her down resulted in a bit of a panic attack. We went to a hotel room where she initially felt safe, however, her friend started writing to her about the men knowing she was there and they were coming.

She has just started on Quetiapine at 1/2 25mg (for a week), then, the full 25mg. The week is up next Wednesday. So far, I'm not discerning that this is helping...does this drug have to build up in the system to be effective?

I am thinking I need to be looking into a memory care assisted living, though, I don't know how she'll react to this. Is it a bad idea to gently push her doing this, in order to be safe from 'the men'?

Thank you for your feedback on this....much appreciated.

M1

No reason you can't go ahead and increase the dose now, it's probably way subtherapeutic. You could increase by 12.5 mg increments every 24-48 hours and not hurt her--ie go to 25 mg once daily now, then add a second dose (say 12.5 mg in the morning, 25 at dinner) in a couple of days, then 25 twice daily, etc. If you pursue MC, I would not discuss it with her. No rationale is likely to be effective.

coloradobear

Thank you for your advice! I'll go ahead and increase to 25mg this evening.