Clozapine (
Clozaril), released during the mid-
1990s, was the first of the
atypical antipsychotic drugs.
Clozapine was the first drug approved by the
FDA (
December 19,
2002) for reducing the risk of
suicidal behaviour[?].
Although clozapine is generally believed to not cause
tardive dyskinesia[?], it does cause
agranulocytosis in ~1% of users. In addition, common side effects include:
constipation,
drooling,
muscle-stiffness,
sedation,
tremors, and
weight-gain.
Agranulocytosis can result in a dangerous loss of
white blood-cells. Those who use clozapine are advised to have a
blood cell count[?] every
week, for the first 6
months of usage. After this they should continue to conduct said count every 2 weeks. If the number of white blood-cells drops notably, one should consult with a
hematologist. If you are using clozapine and have a
sore throat, or
fever, then you should inform a
doctor.