It is likely that I am about to get put on 500mg clozapine for bp1 + psychotic features.
What is the purpose of 10mg melatonin, 100mg hydroxyzine, 4mg benztropine, and 50mg propanol?
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I know the benztropine is used as a prophylactic to prevent the Parkinson’s-like symptoms common to most antipsychotics, but the others baffle me. Melatonin is typically used to aid sleep, but I doubt that will be a problem for you on clozapine. It knocked me out when I was on it. I found the excessive saliva production more of a problem…I would aspirate on it when sleeping and wake up with a soaked pillow. I used atropine drops under my tongue to help dry out my mouth. The biggest side effect I dealt with, and the reason I quit taking it, was that my appetite was constantly ravenous. I would think of food ALL the time! I’ve only been off the clozapine a week and a half and already I am eating less food and eating more healthily. Good luck to you on the clozapine!
Is the drooling constant or just when you are asleep? I have sleep apnea and have a cpap mask.
Does clozapine make you sedated or anything like that? Some of the other things like risperdal made it hard for me to do basic math. I’m likely to be on it forever.
How long does it take for movements to start from something like that? I started getting eye twitching and lip-smacking after a few months on risperdal. They put me on cogentin for that, but I still have minor lip-smacking from that.
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With clozapine, the drooling was constant, but it was easier during the day cuz I could tell myself to swallow more often, so it’s not like I was foaming at the mouth all the time.
I found it very sedating, but I took it only at night so that it wouldn’t knock me out during the day. It was very good for the hallucinations and delusions.
Did you ever get akathisa from clozapine? I got akathisia from risperdal after a few months.
No, I only ever got akathisia from Geodon, not from any other meds including clozapine. I was only at 350 mg, tho.
Benzotropine idk but hydroxyzine can be used for anxiety or sleep propranolol is used for anxiety. You are going straight to 500mg clozapine? I was taking it for awhile at 200mg but it made me drool so much it wasn’t worth while. It may work differently for you but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
May I ask you, have you tried other APs because Clozapine is usually a medication of last resort, and it is rarely given to Bipolar patients. The reason being that, Bipolar is cyclical while schizophrenia is permanent. I mean if you go through the normal course of events, you have 4-5 mood stabilizers that you can ty, plus maybe 15 antipsychotics. If nothing works, then you are consigned to Clozapine.
My cousin is Bipolar and he is on Clozapine. That is because he has tried many other meidcations, and plus, in our part of the world, doctors are not aware of the newer medications, they don’t have experience with them, and don’t know how to use them. Examples of such medications are Saphris, Latuda, Fanapt, etc, etc…and my cousin who is much older is also not aware that these medications exist, so he basically takes what is prescribed.
I have been a Clozapine user in the past, I would sleep 12 hours, would cough all night because of acid reflux, had to take Propranalol to control heart rate, and would drool and drool all night long. Plus, the weight gain…it is a tough medication to live with and be functional with…
I didn’t get Akathasia on Clozapine, though Benztropine is usually prescribed for muscle contraction associated with Risperdal if I recall correctly.
Melatonin and hydroxyzine to help you sleep, propanolol for blood pressure and restlessness
Drooling, weight gain, fast heart beat, slow metabolism. It is a sedative as well. If there was a fire in my house at night (I take my clozapine before sleep) I would not be able to wake up and I would most likely burn and die. 30 minutes after I take my clozapine dose, I lose conciousness and am in so deep sleep, waking up would be really hard. And if I would wake up, I would be so groggy and sedated I couldn’t operate. It is really scary.
And my dose is only 200mg. It was 400. We decreased my medication and it took 1 year to get it from 300 to 200. I’ve been on clozapine 15 years. It is still the only med that works for me. I also take Abilify. And, going to blood tests once a month is really boring.
Im going to start clozapine tomorrow. It seems pretty bad from what ive read
it is very efficient drug. you just need to figure out if the side effects are something you can tolerate, compared to the benefits you get. I personally find the pros more important than the cons, I can live with them. at least I am psychosis free. I’ve been on clozapine for 15 years.
It is a great med, if you can handle the side effects. 
clozaril has been amazing for me, the only medication that has worked for me! Side efffects include drooling at night, weight gain and some sedition, but overall the pros outweigh the cons!
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