Clozapine experiences?
My psychiatrist wants to start me on clozapine and I just wanted people's experiences of it (good and bad!).
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
Original post by Anonymous
My psychiatrist wants to start me on clozapine and I just wanted people's experiences of it (good and bad!).
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
Some people will get on with it well and others won't. If it wasn't a good pill to take, then it would not be available to get, try to remember that. If it didn't work and do what it was supposed to, nobody would recommend it. You should speak to your psychiatrist about your concerns and see if they can put your mind at rest.
Original post by DrawTheLine
Some people will get on with it well and others won't. If it wasn't a good pill to take, then it would not be available to get, try to remember that. If it didn't work and do what it was supposed to, nobody would recommend it. You should speak to your psychiatrist about your concerns and see if they can put your mind at rest.
That would apply to regular drugs, but people die from taking clozapine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
Original post by Anonymous
That would apply to regular drugs, but people die from taking clozapine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
If people died from it at an alarming rate, then it would not be available to patients. You would not be prescribed a drug that is more likely to kill you than it is to help you.
Of course if you don't want to take it then tell them that and there may be an alternative.
Original post by DrawTheLine
If people died from it at an alarming rate, then it would not be available to patients. You would not be prescribed a drug that is more likely to kill you than it is to help you.
Of course if you don't want to take it then tell them that and there may be an alternative.
Of course if you don't want to take it then tell them that and there may be an alternative.
It requires a blood test every week for the first few months because of the risk of it killing patients.
I think I'm probably not gonna take it.
Original post by Anonymous
That would apply to regular drugs, but people die from taking clozapine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
It's not that different from other serotonin-dopamine antagonists (so called atypical 'antipsychotics').
A major advantage of these is they have lower extrapyramidcal symptoms than other neuroleptics.
The symptoms you seem interested in other than that such as weight gain, concentration, sedation are very common symptoms in several classes of mental health medication used to treat a large variety of things.
are you able to offer any help?
Original post by Anonymous
My psychiatrist wants to start me on clozapine and I just wanted people's experiences of it (good and bad!).
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
I read the wikipedia page and.....it really does not seem good.
Hiya! I've been taking it for a long time now and to be honest it has literally saved my life.Its far more powerful than other anti psychotics which is why psychiatrists still use it despite the risks. if you're careful, attend your blood tests, try not to miss doses ect then the risk is managed very well. make sure you're familiar with its interactions too. like for example you can't take aspirin (iirc). Talk it over seriously with your psychiatrist and let me know what you decide. if you have any other questions just let me know.
Original post by QuackingQuokka
Hiya! I've been taking it for a long time now and to be honest it has literally saved my life.Its far more powerful than other anti psychotics which is why psychiatrists still use it despite the risks. if you're careful, attend your blood tests, try not to miss doses ect then the risk is managed very well. make sure you're familiar with its interactions too. like for example you can't take aspirin (iirc). Talk it over seriously with your psychiatrist and let me know what you decide. if you have any other questions just let me know.
What kind of side effects do you get? Both to start with as well as now you've been on it a while.
Do you have a job?
Original post by Anonymous
That would apply to regular drugs, but people die from taking clozapine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_of_last_resort
The side effects seem horrific and I'm just looking for people who've taken it to give me the low-down on stuff like sedation, weight gain, difficulty concentrating.
I'm a fan of wikipedia, but that article is nonsense in my opinion. It's a very weird hodge podge of drugs of yesteryear or ones that are used and then lists highly obscure and daft ways of administration that yeah you wouldn't do. Or other things that are just misguided.
Clozapine isn't that unusual. Clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine and risperidone are all more commonly used than people think and a lot is known about them. It's quite possible that you took something before that had a similar risk profile.
Voice your concerns confidently to your psychiatrist and see what she/he/they have to say on the matter.
I have tried so many antipsychotics, so there aren't really alternatives but and I don't mean to offend anyone, I really don't think I'm "crazy" enough to take something so dangerous. I mean, even a fact I'm considering that is kind of proof of it.
Original post by Anonymous
What kind of side effects do you get? Both to start with as well as now you've been on it a while.
Do you have a job?
Do you have a job?
The main side effects for me is hyper salivation and weight gain. Both have been pretty long term . the salivation is dealt with easily as it's only really a problem at night and there are meds that stop it. I'm slowly getting the weight gain under control but it's definitely a serious issue. However ball these side effects are miniscule compared to what I was like pre-clozapine.
I don't work at the moment as even with the medication my condition is pretty severe. I'm currently studying part time at uni and if that goes well for the next 6 to 12 months then I'll look into getting a small job.
Original post by QuackingQuokka
The main side effects for me is hyper salivation and weight gain. Both have been pretty long term . the salivation is dealt with easily as it's only really a problem at night and there are meds that stop it. I'm slowly getting the weight gain under control but it's definitely a serious issue. However ball these side effects are miniscule compared to what I was like pre-clozapine.
I don't work at the moment as even with the medication my condition is pretty severe. I'm currently studying part time at uni and if that goes well for the next 6 to 12 months then I'll look into getting a small job.
I don't work at the moment as even with the medication my condition is pretty severe. I'm currently studying part time at uni and if that goes well for the next 6 to 12 months then I'll look into getting a small job.
Yeah, my psychiatrist mentioned hyper salivation (that was the only side effect he mentioned
), since I have such dry mouth from my current medications I think that doesn't sound too bad. But I am 5 stone overweight from previous meds and I really, really do not want to get any bigger. I have a job and I worry about losing it. How is your sedation? Or your memory/concentration for uni work?
