Clozapine and Weight Gain: What Users Say

• Hop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 22, 2019

For Schizophrenia "Our son disintegrated throughout college. Went to lots of docs, given a lot of meds, allergy and asthma, anti-depressant and anti-anxiety. Of course, it was classic schizophrenia prodrome, no one bothered to say he was high risk for psychosis. After 2 breaks, 5 hospitalizations (2 by court order) and trying Haldol, Geodon, Seroquel, Abilify... suicidality. Started clozapine 3 months ago, read 1st novel in 4 years, running, laughing again, schizophrenia symptoms fading. Not working yet but more hope. Gained 40 lbs."

• Art...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 22, 2022

For Schizophrenia "I went on clozapine 3 years ago. Almost immediately, my head became quiet. Clozapine has different qualities other than anti-psychosis, including anti-anxiety and mood stabilizing properties. Weight gain is a big side effect, along with drooling (sialorrhea) and constipation. Constipation is more common than its life-threatening side effect, agranulocytosis. Colace eases constipation. I read that if clozapine is put in a Petri dish with abnormal neurons that are misfiring, it reconfigures the neurons and the firing is back to normal, so it clearly has healing effects on your brain. My cognitive symptoms and thought disorder are practically gone, and I read books all of the time. When I was first diagnosed, I lost the ability to read, and now I have gained back that ability."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 20, 2020

For Borderline Personality Disorder "My condition is TBD. Doctors have said Bipolar 1, others have said Primary Akathisia. I've been on Clozapine for 11 years and take 100 mg/night. I was prescribed this after trying numerous medications. My symptoms are constant physical restlessness, insomnia, manic episodes, and racing thoughts. Untreated, the physical restlessness is almost unbearable. I tried Lithium, Seroquel, Geodon, Trazodone, Lamictal, Zyprexa, Propranolol, and Gabapentin. Finally, in the hospital, I was given Clozapine. I hadn't slept in 3 days and was able to sleep. They titrated me up to 100 mg, and I was discharged. For me, side effects include high heart rate, severe constipation, body aches, weight gain, and extreme thirst. I'm still taking 100 mg of Clozapine. This medicine has saved my life. I can sleep, sit (mostly) still, feel calm, and do my job. I'm so glad my doctor thought outside of the box to give me this medicine. Good luck to everyone out there."

• Mom...
• July 29, 2019

For Schizophrenia "My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 17. He was even hospitalized for 3 and 1/2 months because of this horrible disease. He tried many different medicines, and none worked until clozapine. Clozapine helped him a lot with the voices, but the weight gain is horrible. He gained over 100 lbs in 6 months! Now he is depressed and won’t leave the house because of his sudden weight gain and is refusing to take the med because of it, so now we are back to square one. It’s a no-win situation /: feeling helpless."

• 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."

• Dmo...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 10, 2018

For Schizophrenia "My son started showing signs of psychosis right after his 14th birthday. Diagnosed with schizophrenia 6 months later. He was in a constant state of his own reality and heard voices on a regular basis. Seroquel, Zyprexa, Invega, and Abilify did nothing for him. His psychiatrist prescribed Clozapine as a last resort. I won't allow his dosage any higher than 300 mg per day for now since the side effects worry me. This drug has been a lifesaver to allow him to participate in the regular world and quiet the voices where he can focus on real people. It makes him drowsy, so he takes it at night. Weight gain is significant, but most antipsychotics will do this. Regular blood monitoring to make sure his WBC stays normal. So good, so far."

• 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"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 11, 2015

For Schizophrenia "This medication was absolutely terrible. I couldn't think, and everyone had to repeat things all the time. Also, I experienced extreme weight gain in barely any time. I always wanted to eat something unhealthy when I walked by somewhere, and I had never had that before I was on this medication, at least not as badly as that. In the past, I had gradual weight gain, but this was rapid. It is also bad for the fact that it gave me seizures twice, and I ended up breaking my ankles, and they put me on Epival, which causes birth defects. Hopefully, everything will be better, though. I'm on Invega now, and it already is better, and I don't need clozapine even though the doctors were trying to make me believe it was the only medication that works when it isn't."

• cee...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 15, 2023

Clozapine "My former doctor put me on this, and I have been on this for 10-plus years. It hid all my emotions. I could not feel anything, but she insisted it was the only thing I could be on. Since this drug is used primarily for schizophrenia, I was reluctant to take it in the first place. But, I trusted the doctor. I gained over 60 pounds in the first 6 weeks. You have to get monthly blood work for the whole duration you are on the drug. It is illegal in some countries. The risks, in my opinion, outweigh the benefits."

• Man...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 30, 2019

"This was used as a last resort for me for my bipolar disorder after being in the hospital, as most medications I had tried previously were not helping me. I would definitely say that clozapine saved my life and helped me out of some very dark times, but it also comes at a cost. Before I started it 3 years back, I weighed 160 lb, and now I’m 250 lb. I’m always tired and could easily sleep 12 hours. The constant blood work is also very annoying. If needed, this drug can be beneficial, but be warned that it has many side effects."

• ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 17, 2019

"I had treatment-resistant depression, and I felt pretty good on clozapine except within a month or two, I gained 30-40 pounds. This was probably also exacerbated by my usage of Seroquel (for sleeping and behavioral issues), but it was a very noticeable difference. I had to get a blood test every single week for my white blood cell count, I think. My psychiatrist never told me that there was such a high risk of weight gain (because it’s not just me, there are numerous case studies about how it’s a high-risk weight gain medication) because she basically made it seem that clozapine was my only option at the time and knew I wouldn’t take it if I knew I would become overweight. Well."

• Joh...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 18, 2023

"I have bipolar disorder. Clozapine is an extremely effective mood stabilizer. I was on 100 mg for twelve years and had a lot of achievements in my life. The downside was gaining weight and developing type 2 diabetes."

• sha...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 22, 2018

For Schizophrenia "I am using Clozapine 1 mg for the last three years because I am suffering from auditory hallucination from 2010 till now. I am under treatment, and my doctor is saying I will have to take medicines my whole life, and there is no permanent solution. If any doctor knows any permanent solution, please contact me. Clozapine is not for suppressing negative voices but is used to calm you, relax you, reduce stress, and help you sleep better. For visual and auditory hallucination, Risperidone 1 mg is useful daily, but Clozapine and Risperidone increase your weight too much. In my case, my weight increased from 45 kg to 67 kg in just three years."

• Las...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 26, 2018

For Schizophrenia "After trying many APs, Clozapine finally settled my schizoaffective/schizophrenia symptoms. Has a number of side effects, noticeably, moderate OCD, temporary stiffness in joints, and some initial weight gain. After 10 years, about to swap over to a new drug called Reluxta, which is now on the Australian PBS list for AUD$40 (previously AUD$1700). Reluxta is suitable for those coming off Clozapine (slowly), with usually better results and fewer side effects. Some patients may still need to take a reduced Clozapine amount while taking Reluxta as the main AP."

• 2bo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2013

For Schizophrenia "One son is schizophrenic and one schizoaffective. After many medicines, both have been put on clozapine. Helping a lot with psychotic and social symptoms. Weight gain and lethargy for both."