Clozapine sedation

Health and Recovery
1

Hi,

I am taking 150mg clozapine. Still feel drowsy throughout, particularly when trying to focus on work. Any supplements/medications that can help me get over drowsiness.

I sleep for 9 hrs easily.

Please help.

2

I take 300mg clozapine and have no problem

3

Two meds come to mind: Nuvigil and Provigil. Getting insurance to cover them can be tricky, though. Might be worth a shot. Do some research on them and bring it up with your pdoc if they sound like what you’re looking for. :slight_smile:

4

Thanks alien99……………However, my doctor says starting Nuvigil/Provigil could cause psychosis

Any other thing/supplement that could help, please?

5

Sadasiva, Did it go away after a period of time or you never had it from the beginning?

6

HI Sadasiva, What all meds do you take?

Am taking 200 mg amisulpride and 1 mg Ativan (Lorezapam) along with it.

If anyone else has had sleep issues, please let me know how to tackle them.

Thanks

7

I never had it 666999

8

Haldol injection and clozapine orally and Solidon

9

I used to take clozapine in 2004 and slept 14 hours a day. Didn’t take it long enough to feel effect.

Nowadays take 200mg amisulpride as well as 5mg olanzapine and 150mg lamotrigine

10

I take 500mg a day. How long have you been on it? :ox::ox::ox:

11

never been on clozapine, but on zyprexa and abilify I slept over 14 hours a day. I ended up smoking a lot of cigarettes for nicotine and drinking ■■■■ tons of energy drinks and that helped some, but obviously that’s not a healthy way to deal with it.

12

All antipsychotics cause sedation and sleepiness to some degree. I was sleeping 14h even during the day when I started Risperdal 3mg then I started drinking 2 cups of coffee every morning. Now I sleep about 8 hours. Your body will adapt to it too, you will sleep more when you start it.

13

I take 500 mg at bedtime. Usually helps me sleep but not always.

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14

How did your doc allow you to get off clozapine?

My pdoc says once clozapine is started, it’s to be taken life long

15

BUt 150mg clozapine causes me to be drowsy throughout the day.

Because of which I cannot hold onto a job

Do u still get drowsy?

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16

Because I take it all before bed it helps me sleep but not usually too drowsy by morning

17

I had a very foolish pdoc at the time who took away the clozapine and replaced it with risperidone

As a result I had a serious relapse and had to go to hospital

A week or two later I started to recover and risperidone started to take effect

18

GrayBear, you are so lucky to not have sedation.

I have been taking it for 5 months now.

However, I take 100 mg amisulpride in the morning.

My pdoc says that amisulpride at 100 mg is a mild stimulant.

I am not able to make out if the sedation is due to amisulpride, though

1 Like
19

Aziz,

I drink 4 cups of coffee in a day
Have been taking clozapine for 5 months now.

In the beginning I didn’t feel sedated for about a couple of months.

However, over the past 2 months sedation has increased and brought my life to a pause.

I am planning to ask my pdoc to switch amisulpride with aripriprazole (Abilify) in the morning. Would that help?
Someone please help. Does melatonin help?

20

I take Clozapine and Ziprasidone, and this combination is just enough to get me to sleep. Sometimes i can have difficulty waking up, but as a general rule, once i’m awake, i’m awake. Everybody responds differently to different medication. I would discuss your side effects with your psychiatrist, they may be able to suggest something for you.