Dusk Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 So I started Clozaril on Tuesday and have been having bad flat affect. No emotion to my voice, decreased facial expressions, etc. But I was having that to a lesser degree before the Clozaril. Can this med exacerbate that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifluous Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 from what i've read clozaril is touted as being the best atypical for "negative symptoms" of schizophrenia so, ostensibly, once you've gotten to therapeutic dosage it shouldn't--provided your generally responsive to the active agents in it. since you've just started, i hope it's something that's just temporary for you as you're titrating up on it. as i recall the titration took for*ever... so i don't know what your titration schedule looks like, but if you go too fast that might be causing problems, too (if i recall correctly for me it was, like, adding 25 per week...and starting at maybe fifty...? i forget but was in the hospital and switching off, so still taking, other stuff, plus just getting pumped full of what felt like anything and everything to no avail). all that said...i had a horrible experience with clozaril and i am certain coming off it *created* negative symptoms where i'd had relatively little prior. i will concede the the ECT to break my "refractory psychosis" prolly didn't help as that's kinda the point of those treatments for most--to stabilize mood and/or break psychosis...which...yeah...it sure did. unfortunately removing the "positive symptoms" created the others you cited for me, in addition to alogia and avolition. bottom line though i am certain that atypical antipsychotics were the worst past ....i forget how many years...but let's say eleven because it's in the vicinity of that and i like eleven more than ten or the dreaded twelve. another thing i remember is that it took awhile for the maximum benefits to be evaluated. longer than other medications i've taken, so you might find something similar and need to try to be patient for a month or two before really assessing what benefits/concerns you have from taking it. i will say i never had those problems on traditional antipsychotics and looking at your list of past efforts you've made, perhaps if the clozaril persists in being troublesome after you've really given it a shot you might investigate whether an old school solution would work better for you as well. best wishes. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
konings Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I guess APs can have a zombifying effect sometimes, althought they usually dont, at least for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netsavy006 Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 I don't remember that happening to me when I started clozapine. Maybe this problem will lessen as you adjust to the clozapine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusk Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 Hmmm.... ok, thanks for the replies. I'll just see how it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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