Clozaril and wetting the bed

[netsavy006]

I'm contemplating going back on Clozaril because of the akathisia problem with other meds, but I do remember that Clozaril made me wet the bed in the morning at least 2x a week. Is there a medication I can take to counteract that side effect?

My mom did restrict me from fluids after 6pm when I was on it to try to abate the side effect but it didn't work.

[AirMarshall]

Clozaril has a reported incidence of 1 and 2% for incontinence and urinary abnormalities, respectively. Additionally, it can cause Dystonia (prolonged muscle spasms) as an effect of Extrapyramidal Syndrome (EPS). The bladder is composed of two types of muscle layers, inner/outer as well as the muscles in the sphincter that allow us to urinate. It would not be a surprise to have incontinence problems while taking Clozaril.

One should not be expected to suffer for any time with incontinence. There are drugs used specifically to treat urinary incontinence, of several different classes. However, I will not venture an opinion as to which drugs might be used. Some clearly would not be appropriate in my understanding.

I think that any doctor might be leery of putting you back on any AP that is causing significant EPS symptoms and might be unlikely to try throwing other drugs into the mix to counteract the first drug. This is for serious discussion and consideration by your pdoc.

Good luck on the med search.

a.m.

[edit] We haven't talked about EPS in a long time. One thing to keep in mind is that generally doc's don't want to allow EPS symptoms to continue for any length of time because of the danger of permanence. In other words, they can 'get stuck" with little hope of resolving even after withdrawal of the drug.