Hey everyone
Tommorrow I see the doctor to discuss clozapine. I want to know from everyone what their experiences were while on it, off it, including all the people are on it now and in the past. Do you endorse it, or regret it?
It is a great last resort med that helps with positive symptoms. The blood draws suck and the drooling suck, but it is worthwhile for me. 
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Are they your only side effects?
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I guess constipation too. 
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I took it for a short time in November or December of 2015 maybe a week or less. I remember during that period of time I felt ok and just sat and watched TV all day every day. I think I slept ten hours a night too. I had to quit taking it for some reason.
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I take 150 mg of clozapine a day. It’s reduced my voices from 3 to 1, and it’s really reduced my suicidal ideation and self harm behaviors. It’s the best psych med that I’ve ever taken and has reduced the number of hospitalizations.
That said, it has given me some cardiac issues (tachycardia and QTc prolongation), drooling, and wanting to sleep and eat constantly. I also have to take mild laxatives often for the constipation.
Would I go off clozapine if I could? Yes, I would…but when they tried that I got so manic that I was karaoking loudly to everybody within a mile on the psych ward and grabbing my boobs. I CAN’T go off clozapine cuz it is truly the only med that’s given me a quality of life…
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The only AP that worked on silencing my voices and delusions completely was Clozapine
It does suck for all the blood works etc. I too like others said here have some tachycardia, drooling in my sleep, feeling tired most of the times etc
I was on 450mg a day at my peak
I am now down to 112.5mg and my pdoc may introduce another AP to help with all my negative symptoms
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clozapine was the worst one ive ever taken since i started taking them in 1997. i gained 60 pounds in 6 months. 110-170. developed tachycardia. and would choke on my spit and throw up in my sleep. i was taking around 350mg a day
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It works pretty good
Don’t try and DIY the dose as it’s taking time to get back up on it
The constipation is a big problem
Also adds to the fatigue and vomiting at night
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I never want to be on Clozapine again, caused tachycardia and weekness, it works wonders for some people but not for me.
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Hey @Superdry I switched from olanzapine to 200mg clozapine daily for a month and a half and have been doing really well. At our family gathering, it felt like I was coming out of a fog with all my negatives going away except avolition. In turn, my cognitive started improving too. Overall, this drug seems to be doing something great for me and showed me what it feels like to not have negatives. Disclaimer: I doubled my dose of duloxetine at the same time so it could be the cause
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A serious side effect is constipation but I don’t have that because I eat lots of fruit lots of juice and water lots of whole grains
Been on it fifteen years and still not 100%
Gives me a good night sleep
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I’m on 300mg and its a good med honestly
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I had tachycardia and dizziness and drooling when I was taking 200 mg.
Now I just take 25 mg. The only thing it does for me is making me sleep long and as a result I’m more stable in the daytime.
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Thanks everybody!
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There were a myriad of side effects with this medication.
Efficacy wise, I wasn’t well on Clozapine monotherapy (max dose I took was 800 mgs). Then Abilify was added, and I was better. But, now, I am on amisulpride and Abilify, and this is the better combination. Pound for pound, Abilify was the stronger drug than Clozapine for me.
However, Clozapine being the medication of last resort, works for some people. Sometimes, it is just better to take two medications which provide a partial response and augment each other well.
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I regret it. It ruined my body and made me gain 100lbs and age prematurely. It’s poisonous sh it
It also gave me retroactive ejaculation which was essentially a chastity belt
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I went on Clozapine in 1997. Yes it removed all positive signs of the illness. I was on 600 mg Clozapine. But of cause it wasn’t a rose garden because I got unbearable side effect from those pills.
Weight gain of 40 pounds. Severe constipation. Excessive drolling and really sedated. I quit the Clozapine half a year later.
Today I’m on Zuclopenthixol that takes care of the positive signs as well as clozapine without the side effects.
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How did the discussion go?
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