Clozapine Questions - Schizophrenia Message Board

zeems · 04-11-2003, 08:33 PM

I was wondering if anyone (or anyone you know)has had any success with the drug clozapine (Clozaril)after being treatment resistant to other antipsychotics? I have tried both the older antipsychotics and the newer ones with partial success, including Haldol, trilafon, risperdal, zyprexa, seroquel and am currently on abilify. I still have very uncomfortable symptoms that won't go away with these other drugs. Is clozaril for people who are only treatment resistant to the older antipsychotics or might it work for someone who has also been resistant to the newer ones? Any feedback would be appreciated

cgelinas · 12-03-2004, 02:16 AM

When I was hospitalised 2 years ago, they tried all kinds of different meds but they never really worked and gave me a bunch of side effects so they put me on clozapine. Let me tell you that it works and there is little side effects. It only makes me kind of sleepy after I take them so I take them right before going to bed. I have to take blood tests every 2 weeks of course because in 1% of the people using that med can have some kind of blood problem. Don't ask me what that problem is exactly, I don't remember.

Hope this helps.

2BNormal · 12-06-2004, 08:36 AM

My son has had the same meds trail as each of you. We were at a dead end and started using two, one for the positive and one for the negetive symtoms. We tried just using one again and started with risperdol tablets and we are now on constra. We started at the minimum and after 5 treatments, we had to increase his mgs/day. We are nearing the 4th increased treatment and we'll just have to wait and see. The only issue now, he's feels like he's in pain...not sure what this is yet

kerrydax · 12-09-2004, 02:03 AM

Hello, I have been on Clozaril for 17 weeks and it has helped a lot with the voices and other symptoms. I take most of my dose at night and it helps me sleep. It is a wonderful drug. I have tried Risperdal, Zyprexa, Chlorpromazine, Solian (Amisulpride) and Abilify with partial success. But with Clozaril I find I can finally concentrate a bit better. Even thinking about returning to part time study next year.good luck

2BNormal · 12-09-2004, 09:38 AM

My son has tried all of those meds with some success but always came up short. We found that Abilify helped with the negetive symtoms better than all of the meds mentioned, including Haldol as well. But Abilify did not do well
with the positive symtoms and he started hearing voices again. Haldol was just miserable and non-tolerable for him and he quit taking his meds because of Haldol.

We're back to risperdol tablets to acclimate him to constra and he feels better than he has years. Hopefully, the constra alone will get him back to part time work and he's want to go back to college.

My son doesn't like meds and the feeling he gets after taking them and has quit taking them for that reason and went back into the hospital to try different ones. This med has far less side effects and so far...he's adjusting to it. He still doesn't like the injections, but he's working on it.