Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic medicine used to treat people who are severely ill with schizophrenia who remain symptomatic on other schizophrenia medicines. Clozapine is thought to work by balancing the brain’s levels of dopamine and serotonin, two neurotransmitters involved in brain function. Clozapine is also approved to treat people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who have been suicidal and may be at risk for recurrent suicidal behavior.
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental health disorder characterized by psychosis—including hallucinations and delusions—disorganized thinking, and abnormal motor behavior. Schizoaffective disorder includes symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder or depression.
Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental health disorder characterized by psychosis—including hallucinations and delusions—disorganized thinking, and abnormal motor behavior. Schizoaffective disorder includes symptoms of schizophrenia and mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder or depression.
Clozapine is an oral tablet that patients take either once or twice a day. Its most common side effects are sleepiness or drowsiness, headache, dizziness, shaking movements (tremors), heart and blood vessel problems, low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, a lot of saliva in your mouth, passing out (syncope), dry mouth, increased sweating, constipation and nausea, vision problems, and fever.
The most serious side effects are severe neutropenia (very low white blood cell counts) that can lead to serious infection and death; decreased blood pressure, slow heart rate, or syncope that can lead to death; seizures; serious heart problems; and increased risk of death in people with dementia. Regarding severe neutropenia, the risk appears to be greatest in the first several months of clozapine treatment, but the risk never goes away. Frequent absolute neutrophil count (ANC) monitoring is necessary to identify neutropenia early so that health care professionals can intervene.
