What are your experiences with Clozapine?

My pdoc wants me to think about Clozapine, I kind of want to try it because honestly, it doesn’t feel like I’m getting relief from my delusions at all with my current regime. I am nervous though because I read articles on here that people have died from gastrointestinal complications.

Also, I just started volunteering which requires me to wake up early on Sundays and I already cut back on my hours, so I’m afraid I’ll be too sleepy to get up early.

There’s more but I wont go into it.

After approx one week it caused my white blood cell count to drop drastically; unfortunately, they had to take me off it immediately.

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It totally destroyed my sense of balance. I couldn’t stand up without having to lean against a wall. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t function on it.

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My pdoc wanted to try me on it, but my blood barely didn’t qualify. I know at least one person on it who told me it works when no other ap will. The big reason I’m glad I’m not taking it is that for the first several weeks taking it, one has to have blood work once a week, and then once every two weeks for a while. Once you level out after that it’s only once a month. That’s just too much responsibility for me!

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Yeah I know! Annoying. I have a lot of responsibility coming up in during the next few months. I can’t afford the transition. I’ll re-consider after the holidays/spring time.

This was the only drug that got rid of some of my beliefs and made the others less intenseintense I was on it for about 6 months. Apart from the weight gain I think it’s a good drug. I have had to got to the hospital for constipation but as long as you take laxatives and monitor it it’s alright. For the white blood cells, and they monitor it very closely and it’s not as common as you may think. I’ve known other people to take it and become highly functional so yeah I would give it a go.

It was responsible for me being 40-50 pounds heavier than on Zyprexa. When I took it at night it was a choice between satisfying intense hunger or satisfying an overwhelming urge to sleep. It didn’t help my auditory hallucinations. However I have treatment resistant schizoaffective. Only the Rexulti I’m on now and one other drug that gave me twitching ever did.

I have no idea about delusions, as that was not my main problem.

I have been on Clozaril since 1990. I think its a great drug mainly. These days I only have to get my blood taken once a month. I recommend this drug for anyone.

I haven’t gained much weight either. In fact I have lost weight. I am at 180 pounds now. I eat lightly, and work out regularly.

In my experience zyprexa is best for delusions

So far it is the only AP that has helped me. I have to put up with the monthly blood tests. And its made my resting heart beat about 100 bpm.

Still, it helps when nothing else has helped.

It gave me heavy side effects. I was drowsy all day, slept for 16 hours a day, drooled a lot. Wasn’t on it long enough to see if it helped - only about 8 months.