Misc Anyone Have Experience with Clozapine?

[Michael_25]

Apparently my psychiatrist thinks the olanzapine and quetiapine I'm on isn't helping my so-believed "psychosis", so he's thinking about putting me on clozapine. I've heard some very nasty things about this drug. I'm asking if any bluelighters have ever been on it and what their experiences were like while on it.

 

[Jabberwocky]

clozapine is actually one of the first ever a-typical anti-psychotics that has been made. frankly if the newer a-typicals are not helping you then this won't either as it works on the same mechanism of action with greater side effects too. it's rarely prescribed anymore, and i'm surprised your psych hasnt suggested something along the lines of haldol which is a typical antipsychotic which is old granted, but works effectively if people are not responding to a-typicals.

i havent ever used anti-psychotics apart from haldol briefly while i was in recovery from amphetamine psychosis. i can say it definitely shut off my paranoid thoughts, but every other thought alongside with it, i was a walking dead zombie.

may i ask about your condition and why you are prescribed these meds?

 

[Knight]

I guess you have positive symptoms of schizophrenia or something similar for your doctor to prescribe anti-psychotics. I know someone very close to me who has a similar condition and he has been prescribed clozapine. It works better than the other anti-psychotics but it has a wide side effect profile that could be a bit tasking on your body when you start taking it but you eventually adapt to it.

On a side note, clozapine is more effective than the other anti-psychotics.

Has your doctor put you on Haloperidol? It's fairly effective as well. I would try that before switching to clozapine.

 

[Alex000]

I would not suggest haloperidol (Haldol). It is a nasty neuroleptic itself, and is one of the most unpleasant neuroleptics I have ever had.

 

[HdoubleODeezy]

^ i take haloperidol in combo with zyprexa everyday and i dont find it unpleasant at all but i have been on it a while so maybe im just used to its effects.
Better than thorazine.

 

[coolguy55]

Hmm just my 2 cents Ive suffered psychotic breaks most my life,been on haldol/cogentin mix.zyprexa.they tried all kinds of stuff .basically saying im bi polar but felt more schizo to me, anyways seroquel brings me out everytime.that shit was a God-send for me when Ive had breaks. I still take 200mg a day just to be safe. Funny thing is I only gottem breaks when I get into my bible alot. I am a christian,maybe its the devil who knows .the psych says I get too much dopamine and the seroquel brings it down.But I would see evil faces in woodwork,trees,lights in sky. all kinds of weird shit, but those r my skeletons. Anyways I thank God for seroquel

 

[tricomb]

I typed out a big post, then realised you said clozapine, not compazine. -____-

 

[Survival0200]

I've been on it for years. It's ok - at least better than risperidone. Very sedative. It tends to cause constipation and pronounced production of saliva. It has some issues with blood leucosytes, so a close monitoring of blood values is necessary. The first 16 weeks bloodwork needs to be done every week - and then once a month or once in two weeks. Read the wikipedia article on clozapine. If you have anything in mind - I'll try to answer also.

 

[phatass]

actually i feel better than before, just, got to do what i've done since i was born.... live

 

[apsucks]

Anyone else have experience with clozapine?

 

[LivingOnValium]

I have a friend who works as a nurse in the field of mental health. From her i've heard that clozapine is commonly prescribed to schizophenics who don't respond to the usual antipsychotics. It almost always gets the job done. It's an awful drug with terrible side effects but that holds true for all the other APs as well. Maybe Seroquel is not so bad but it certainly isn't a nice drug to be on daily.

 

[apsucks]

Sounds horrible in general how does it compare to other APs? Olanzapine etc