Clozapine User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• Chr...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 24, 2018

For Schizophrenia "Clozapine has RUINED my life!!! I now suffer permanent brain damage after 18 years of taking it. I cannot think straight, slow thought process, memory loss, confused, terrible concentration, to name a few. I do NOT recommend long-term use of this drug!!!!"

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 7, 2025

For Schizophrenia "Really a gold standard medicine for psychosis. I was suicidal, nothing worked. No antidepressants were of help, and in the end, I met clozapine. It healed me. My suicidal tendency is gone. I feel like more living rather than suffering. The only side effects that are a topic of concern: 1) weight gain, 2) drooling, 3) danger of seizures. For those in need, this is a 'miracle drug,' but I have to say it comes with side effects that are hard on the body."

• Inv...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 22, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Posted a review on Olanzapine on 2017-01-12 (2 years ago) on this site with same name (Invis). Got switched to Clozapine; first dose was Dec 13, 2017; 12.5 mg. I am now on 275 mg a night. What a life saver; I wish I had taken this to begin with, as I strongly believe voices would be 100% gone by now. Anyway, they are pretty much there 5-15% of the time now. Blood tests aren't an issue for me. Used to it now, but the shoulder area of the shirt and pillow are pretty wet in the morning from drooling. Weight is now 200-205 lbs, won't budge even from treadmill fast walking 20 mins/day, and pants size is now 38 from 30-32, lol. All of these are small prices to pay for being healthy again. 10/10"

• Ann...
• December 6, 2023

For Schizophrenia "In 2 months after starting my son on clozapine, he found a full-time job. It's been 3 months already. So far, so good. Before, he couldn't keep a job for more than 2-4 days. Always been fired. When he was on olanzapine, he had no motivation at all. What a miracle drug! Weekly blood checks are worth it. No akathisia anymore. He listens to music again. We are so happy!"

• Flo...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 3, 2021

Clozapine for Schizophrenia "Clozaril (Clozapine) is the best antipsychotic I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried many other medications). It lessened my symptoms, and now I’m functioning better. I had drooling at night, constipation, sedation. I take Senokot for the constipation, a medication to lessen the drooling (though I don’t use it), and I take the majority of my Clozapine at night to deal with the sedation."

• Rot...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 13, 2015

For Paranoid Disorder "I tried many meds, but clozapine has turned me around. Now I am working part-time, involved with the community, and living/loving my life. Medication is not the only key to recovery, though. You can't medicate life. I need to be supported and surrounded by people who are good for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2023

For Schizophrenia "My daughter has tried about seven antipsychotics over 2.5 years, even taking two antipsychotics at a time. Was put on clozapine, and within days I could see a huge difference. Voices are down to barely there. I can’t wait to see what the next couple of weeks bring. Extraordinary medication."

• Joh...
• February 19, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in 2019 after four psychotic episodes that required hospital care. I tried to fight schizophrenia and depression without medication for two years. I didn't want any medication because I was struggling with terrible unwanted side effects like akathisia. Psychiatrists put me on: Zyprexa, Lithium, Ativan, Abilify, Rexulti, Valium, and Invega Sustenna. Like I already said, it took 2 years to find the right medication for me. I've managed to find Clozapine with the help of Drugs.com reviews. My doctor was also aware of Clozapine. We both agreed to try it as a last resort, and it saved my life! So far, I experienced fatigue, weight gain, drooling, chest pain, and altered libido. I also take Lamictal (150 mg) to stabilize my mood and prevent a depression relapse, plus many other supplements like Bacopa monnieri. I am now happier than ever, able to work a 40 hours/week job, physically/socially active, and able to lose weight."

• Tru...
• August 10, 2015

"I am a male aged 48. I was diagnosed with Type I Bipolar Disorder when I was 26. In 2008, it was changed to Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Type. I had been on Depakote from 1994 until 2014. The Depakote caused massive weight gain (I topped out around 240 pounds on it). In April of 2014, the psychiatrists decided to try Clozapine (Clozaril) and discontinued the Depakote. I lost around 70 pounds over 8 months. I now weigh 160 pounds. This is my normal body weight. The Clozapine has been an excellent antipsychotic and it works very well. Even better than the Depakote. The psychiatrists augmented the Clozaril with Metformin, which studies show can help lead to weight loss. I am as happy as I have ever been on the Clozapine."

• Bar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 27, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Well, my sister has been on Clozapine for several years now. She is no longer her former self. Completely different personality. Zones out, underproductive, forgetful, and unable to do much for herself. Her life is a shell of what it used to be. Put on so much weight, but above all that, no quality of life. It makes my heart break. No one should lose themselves in the light of mental illness because of a drug. It's not even the schizophrenia that's done this. It's Clozapine. I feel like I've lost her, I miss her. With Clozapine, it is like literally sitting there watching someone who has taken Valium. Zoning out and forgetful. She doesn't deserve this. At least when she had schizophrenia with no medication yet, she was herself. I want her back! This drug needs to be lowered or changed, hospitals are just leaving her on it after years. It's no life at all."

• War...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2021

For Borderline Personality Disorder "This has changed the life of my 12-year-old son and our family. (He has aggression and psychosis.) After 7 1/2 years of changing drug combinations every few months, after trying every antipsychotic, mood stabilizer, antidepressant, and supplement, after 3 in-patient hospitalizations in a pediatric psychiatric facility (some lasting for months), we FINALLY have relief. We saw improvement in the first two weeks, and we are able to find a maintenance dose within the first month. 5 months later, and he continues to improve. Our household was on pins and needles for years - the constant stress, the cycles of violence, and not being able to leave the house. Since this drug, my son has successfully navigated an amusement park, goes to school every day (with zero restraints or trips to the calming room), and has even started to exercise. He no longer tries to harm himself or others. We have our son back."

• CMa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 8, 2015

For Schizophrenia "I've been on clozapine for four and a half years for schizoaffective disorder. I was on 350 mg but took a seizure, and the dose was lowered to 150 mg. I feel well mentally, but the clozapine has made me very unfit. Also, the constipation I suffer has affected my quality of life. I don't feel like socializing anymore and have gained 3 stone. Looking into changing to the drug Latuda that is new in the U.K."

• Hec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2023

For Schizophrenia "I was hearing voices left and right without pause, even planned on committing suicide many times until I took clozapine. It's a miracle drug for schizophrenia. I honestly thought there was no hope for me until I took this medication. The voices completely stopped. It also stopped my visual hallucinations completely. The only side effect it gave me was drowsiness, so I recommend taking it 30 minutes before your sleep time because this medication can seriously make you sleep for 10 hours or more. This drug is a lifesaver and even just 2 days in, I highly recommend it for any schizophrenic looking for hope and getting their life back on track. 10 out of 10, it's the perfect drug."

• res...
• January 26, 2018

For Schizophrenia "My daughter has had schizophrenia since she was 19 years old and had first gone through most of the other medications, which did not work well. She even attempted suicide. Finally, she was put on Clozapine, which helped her so much that she even managed to graduate with a BA. There are negative side effects such as constipation, weight gain (which she is fighting successfully with Weight Watchers), and her voices do break through once in a while and some psychosis sometimes. But she is incredibly resilient. All in all, clozapine is, to her, like a wonder drug. Hopefully, better medications will arrive in the future."

• Anx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2020

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I ended up in the hospital for a complete OCD meltdown. I hadn’t slept in days and was totally distraught. The hospital put me on clozapine 50 mg for about 2 weeks because I really needed to calm down while I underwent a med change. At first, I was terrified of being on a medication with such a severe reputation. I was utterly shocked at the results, however. I calmed down almost immediately and didn’t suffer any weird side effects. My brain didn’t feel any slower or impaired on the dose I was on. I honestly didn’t feel any different other than more mellow. I would equate the feeling to be similar to Xanax. The medication worked so well for sleep that I wanted to stay on it, but the doctors ended up switching me to something more tolerable upon discharge."

• ABC...
• July 15, 2015

For Schizophrenia "Very drowsy during the daytime. Not sure if my antidepressant needs to be changed, but it is still too early to judge how well Clozaril is working. I'd rather not have to draw my blood every week, because there is a lot I could be doing, like going overseas with friends and relatives. By the way, does anyone experience bedwetting in the morning?"

• I W...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 14, 2016

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I took this medicine for 6 years as a teenager for 'bipolar' (which we found out was a misdiagnosis). This medication made me miserable. I felt like I had died and somehow was still walking the Earth. For the first couple of years, I became extremely paranoid, which I had never had a problem with before taking the medicine. The depression was still there. As the dose was gradually decreased, I felt a bit better but still had that feeling of dread. You eat everything. You sleep all the time. You don't care about anything. Coming off of the medicine is almost as bad as being on it! I had severe headaches and nausea, and I lost 10 pounds almost instantly. Clozapine has its place, but you should think hard before taking it."

• Hon...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 10, 2022

For Schizophrenia "After taking Clozapine, couldn't drive, couldn't work, couldn't wake up. Clozapine destroys lives. Before Clozapine, the episode would last weeks. After Clozapine, an episode would last months. Was told no one gets off Clozapine. Psychiatrists prescribing Clozapine should be sued."

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 27, 2023

For Schizophrenia "For me, clozapine 300 mg is a lifesaver. Well, it took 3 months for the onset of action of clozapine, so don't lose hope early. Give this drug a full try. I am sure it will benefit you. I have attempted suicide 6-7 times and been admitted to the hospital. I have visited Nimhans twice and changed doctors more than 10 times. I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, OCD, borderline personality disorder, social anxiety, ruminations, bipolar disorder, and restless leg syndrome for 7 and a half years. I have taken more than 20 types of medicine for these diagnoses. Before my illness, I was studying for 12th board exams and still secured 90% PCM. I want to emphasize that clozapine can take more than 3 months to initiate action. For OCD, I am taking venlafaxine 375 mg."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 29, 2015

For Paranoid Disorder "My son has been on Clozaril for 3 years. He was dx with bipolar when he was just 6 years old. He had literally been on every antipsychotic drug until his 7th hospital stay, his regular psychiatrist and the hospital's doctor decided to try this medicine. As far as his psychosis, it has been a wonder drug. But physically, Clozaril is destroying his body. In the first 6 months, he was dx with asthma. The worst of his problems that developed in the past 9 months has been GI and liver. He now has severe esophagitis, gastritis, 4 ulcers, and NAFLD (fatty liver disease). He has also gained over 50 lbs, not just teenage pounds. I was also told when he started Clozaril, it isn't really approved for patients under 18. Too late now."

• Sha...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 3, 2020

For Schizophrenia "Clozapine is the best drug for treating schizophrenia, my daughter is able to function better day to day. Only has auditory hallucinations now and again but copes with them a lot better. Mood and concentration are so much better too. Would recommend if you have no success on other meds."

• His...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 25, 2022

For Schizophrenia "Miracle drug. No discernible side effects, but also on metformin prophylactically. Spent 10 years trying everything else through high school and college. Went from monthly hospitalization, suicide attempt, hallucinations, command voices to next-to-normal contentment and a full-time job for the first time."

• Joe...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 5, 2017

For Borderline Personality Disorder "I tried every psych medicine on the market, and none controlled my bipolar problem until I was prescribed clozapine. This med has given me my life back. I am able to live a balanced, normal life on this med with little to no ill side effects. This med controls my manic, erratic behaviors, and I feel stable."

• Wow...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2021

For Schizophrenia "I have tried many antipsychotics with little results for my symptoms improving. Loxapine was one that worked for me, and I was on it for about a year. I figured I'd try clozapine because I heard it's the best one. After spending 3 months in the psyche ward to try clozapine, I really must say it worked almost like magic. Within a few weeks, I was feeling much better. By the end of the 3 months in the hospital, my voices were very quiet and in the background. It improved my sleep and even helped my delusions and anxiety/paranoia a bit. I am very happy to say my schizophrenia is much better and easier to deal with."

• Jer...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 18, 2018

Clozapine "This drug is too dangerous. It is too difficult to titrate off, and it causes rebound psychosis with a vengeance, along with vomiting and excruciating headaches. While on this drug, it shuts down the brain and body, causing obesity and constipation. It is sad to know this drug can be forced onto humans with 'no consent,' as it really will ruin your life unless you prefer a chemical restraint. The blood draws are nearly impossible for people who are not wanting to take this, but if you abruptly stop this drug, you will feel like you are dying. 350 mg was a chemical restraint, and our family member lost his whole personality and ability to function at all on this mind-altering drug with 5 black box warnings. Do not start this drug unless you like mind torture."