Clozapine Success With Schizophrenia
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2022
- Hello, Everyone! My name is Stephen. I've been taking Clozapine for ten years. I have had great success with it. First, I discuss my experience with Clozapine, including the decision to start Clozapine and the side effects of Clozapine and the antipsychotic medication Abilify. Finally, we examine whether I would consider discontinuing Clozapine in the future should better options become available.
Unveiling A Miracle: Remarkable Transformation with Clozapine for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.
Living with schizophrenia or other severe mental health conditions often means navigating complex treatment options to find the most effective medication. In my journey, Clozapine has been a game changer. As an atypical antipsychotic medication, Clozapine has helped me manage my symptoms and maintain stability for nearly ten years. In this post, I will share my experience with Clozapine, discuss the decision-making process that led me to take it, delve into the side effects of Clozapine and the antipsychotic medication Abilify, and explore whether I would consider discontinuing Clozapine in the future if better options become available.
My Experience with Clozapine
Before starting Clozapine, I struggled with persistent symptoms despite trying various medications. Finally, my psychiatrist suggested Clozapine as a potential solution due to its effectiveness in treating refractory schizophrenia. Although initially apprehensive about the possible side effects, the decision to try Clozapine ultimately proved to be a turning point in my journey toward mental health recovery.
Once I began taking Clozapine, I experienced a significant reduction in my symptoms and an improvement in my overall quality of life. While it was not a miracle cure, Clozapine gave me the stability necessary to engage in therapy, develop coping strategies, and maintain a consistent daily routine.
Side Effects of Clozapine and Abilify
As with any medication, Clozapine comes with potential side effects. The most common side effects include weight gain, drowsiness, and increased salivation. Moreover, Clozapine requires regular blood monitoring due to the risk of agranulocytosis, a potentially life-threatening decrease in white blood cells.
In addition to Clozapine, I have been prescribed Abilify, another atypical antipsychotic, to augment my treatment. Abilify's side effects include weight gain, dizziness, and restlessness. However, for me, the side effects of both medications have been manageable, and the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
However, it is essential to remember that each person's medication experience is unique. What works for one individual may not be effective for another, and side effects can vary widely. Therefore, discussing any concerns or side effects with your psychiatrist, who can help you find the best treatment plan for your specific needs, is crucial.
Considering Discontinuation and Future Options
Despite my success with Clozapine, I remain open to discontinuing the medication if better options become available. The field of psychiatry is continually evolving, with new research and treatment options emerging regularly. If a new medication or treatment approach offers significant advantages over Clozapine, such as fewer side effects or improved efficacy, I would consider discussing the potential change with my psychiatrist.
However, any decision to discontinue or switch medications should be made carefully and in consultation with a mental health professional. It is essential to weigh the potential benefits and risks and consider the potential impact on one's mental health stability.
Conclusion
Clozapine has been invaluable in managing my schizophrenia over the past decade. While it is not without its side effects and challenges, the benefits it has brought to my life are undeniable. As the field of psychiatry continues to advance, I remain open to the possibility of new treatment options that may offer even more significant benefits. However, any changes to my medication regimen will always be made in close collaboration with my psychiatrist, ensuring that my mental health remains the top priority.
#schizophrenia #anxiety #mentalhealth #depression
To all provider watching this: please stop making our kids suffer with all these meds we know are not going to work!! You let my son SUFFER for 10 years!!! We should not have lived this horror and now my son is 30 with a broken spirit😪 in 10 years not one provider or hospital mentioned Clozapine! We can’t get those years back!😡
Thank you Steven and dad for educating us 🙏🏼
We are one year into Clozapine and because we waited so long, it’s slower working but it is working.
Thank you for letting me vent.
Thank you Karina for sharing. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
It has been the same for my son.He has had the most horrendous 10 years but now he is just over 1 year on clozapine and his life is so much better.
I’m considering this medication for my son , if dr’s now this med can potentially help our loved ones , why , why , why treat our loved ones as lab rats ?
I understand why you waited Steve. I waited too for the same reason (concerned about side effects and blood draws). It's helped my loved one so much after countless other meds failed her.
Thank you for sharing Whit!
Thank you very much, Whit, for your kind comment and for watching Stephen's videos! Take care. Steve
Respect to son and great father ..I have schizophrenia doctor put me on clonzpine I am on it for 6 months hope I recover I am very sick
Thank you for sharing!
you will. be strong and hope for the best
My son has been on it for over 10 years and is doing very well.
It's been 8 months now, what happened?
So far my daughter has made a lot of progress on Clozapine after only about 2 months. The difference has been amazing. She’s happy and hopeful. 🙏🏼❤️ 😊
Thank you for sharing! That is great news!
Can you share the dose of clozapine. Currently my son is also on it
Celi really clozapine works???
Dosing can vary greatly by person. My daughter uses 175mg Clozapine combined with 75mg Fluvoxamine.
#1. is the caring, loving, supportive, intelligent/knowledgeable, patient fun-loving family. Having that great relationship is key not only with your family but with your doctors.
I love your channel best documentary I've ever seen on schizophrenia.
Keep taking those photographs too Stephen!
Thank you Pauline! I appreciate it!
I’ve commented about it before on this channel but it’s worth mentioning again. There are a few new advancements in medicine that are being developed for schiz and related conditions. Ulotaront, KARxt by Karuna therapudics and a few others. I don’t know if they are more efficient than Clozapine but have completely different mechanisms of action than any previous drugs avaliable. They are likely to be approved by the FDA but are currently being tested for long term effects. Defienlty some great and positive advancements being made in many different areas across psychiatry. I’m so happy your dad is so supportive of you as well Stephen.
Thank you for sharing this excellent information!
I hope they work as well as clozapine! my sister is only helped by clozapine but she has gained probably close to 300 pounds and now has diabetes. She has been on it for nearly 30 years.
I’m praying desperately for an anti-psychotic med that does not cause weight gain. My son has 2 other conditions that also contribute to weight gain. Since beginning neuroleptics, he’s gained 150 lbs, which becomes even another stigmatized condition! It seems that being overweight is more socially unacceptable than anything imaginable. Respirdone, Abilify, Geodon - none have lived up to hope that it would have less metabolic side effects.
@@objectivityisourfriend9631 how many mg ?
Hi, Steven! Good to see you and the courageous example you so humbly set, Thank You
Thank you both for sharing your journey. It gives so many hope for dealing with this difficult disease. Write a book.
I really like the stories of this journey you tell. I worked in a psychiatric ward specifically with schizophrenic patients for several years while I was in college. It was the most rewarding job of my life. So rewarding to witness such dramatic improvements in usually very, very unwell suffering people. I stayed there longer than anticipated and actually became a trainer for new employees before moving on to my next career. Throughout the many years in that field of work I witnessed many atypical class antipsychotics not work very well.............. at all. I seen many typical/classical antipsychotics work fairly well with horrific side effects. I witnessed Clozaril change lives over and over and over again without fail. I really wish providers would ease up on this medication, they know it works the best, they are just afraid to use it. Your story of perseverance is humbling. You have a great support system that is so important. Sharing your story, I know helps others and gives an opportunity for others to understand the condition much better. Much respect for you and your pops for sharing these stories. Stay strong, stay well.
I’m very happy for you and proud of you as a person. Thank you for sharing your struggle and things I know will help others, maybe even members of my own family. Your dad seems very compassionate and knowledgeable too. Please keep going strong and I wish you both the best!
I am so glad to hear you are doing well keep up the good work
Thank you for your videos! My son is undiagnosed but hope that changes soon - he has been struggling with addiction for 14 years due to foot fracture and overprescription of percocet in 2012 - has overdosed over 30 times and we have schizophrenia in family so we suspect he may have been in early stages when he was prescribed opiates but since he is not in long term sobriety yet - and may never be - he is not being taken seriously - hoping that changes. One of my good friends told me about Clozapine because her son has been in a similar place as mine - started Clozapine a year ago and she has her son back - I so want that🙏🙏🙏and very happy for your positive reaults and willingness to give us hope❤
Love Steve and his father Steve.
Keep up the good work.
Fantastic video ❤
Hi Stephen, good to see your doing so well on clozaril. I've been on it for over a decade having been on xyprexa so I can definitly relate to your story. I do have side effects like salivating and night and feel very tired in the mornings but I suppose its a small complaint relative to the actual psychosis itself. Keep up the good fight man.
Thanks so much Paul! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
You two are SO awesome! Thank you for these uplifting, honest, educational videos. Thank you!!!!
You’re welcome Jean! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Always great to see you, Jean! Your comments give us encouragement and inspiration to move forward. Take good care. Steve
Praying for you 🙏
I'm glad to hear that you had a good journey with Clozapine. I start mine in a couple of days, I'm hoping that it works out well for me too
Thank you for sharing! I hope it works out well for you too! Wishing you the very best!
Did you take it and how do you feel. Did you have any voices . If yes did clozapine take the voices away. Thank you. Will appreciate any response
@YesminWahab-bj2bz I feel great. I had about 15 different voices last year, but now I only hear 2 thanks to Clozapine. It took a while for it to work, but it was worth it. Voices have calmed down a lot, it's easier to ignore them & it is easier to think
@@YesminWahab-bj2bz
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Hello, Stephen! My name is Olivia and I am a 22 year old that also suffers from schizophrenia. I take 1,200 mg of Clozapine, 160 mg of Geodon, and 3 mg of Ativan daily. Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I love your channel! Hope you have a nice day!
Thank you very much Olivia!
Thanks for sharing I am on abilify and it worked for me...hugs and kisses from Chile
Thank you very much Mary!
How many years are you using abilify
@@dhrumamehta6016 two years
@@maryplacencio6350 hi hope you are doing well my brother is suffering from schizophrenia for 4 years he refuses to go doctors nd take meds how can we help him pls reply
Awesome video i used to be on clozapine i was on it for 14 years it helped me alot but i got sick and tired of the monthly bloodtests i am now on a injectable anti psychotic which is helping me heaps
Thank you Matty!
I'm so happy to see how thin he is. My sister is on it. She was treated originally by Alex Kopelowicz from UCLA when she first became ill in 1995. He recommended clozapine and she got on it very fast, thank goodness. We are also from LA. It's too bad that for her she has gained some 200+ pounds and now has diabetes. But without clozapine she simply cannot function. As long as she doesn't go up too high she won't have any seizures. I'm so glad he was able to get into UCLA.
Thank you. I was very lucky to get into UCLA. They recommended Clozapine. At the time I was on Zyprexa. I waited about a year before switching to Clozapine. In hindsight I should have switched to Clozapine right away.
thanks for sharing
You’re welcome!
Thanks Stephen for the great info. My son is on Seroquel right now. Seems to help some, but not completely. I'm hoping that he will agree to Clozapine. He's 42. Not sure if age makes any difference.
Thank you for sharing Cheryl! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day
Thank you so much for sharing! My son has been on clozapine for 8 months now but has titrates up to 500mg. He’s improved a lot but also has a way to go. His cognition is most impaired I would say. May I ask what Steven’s serum levels are, you are on a pretty pow dose but I’m so happy it’s working so well for you!
Thank you Lisa! I’m so happy for you and your son! I have not tested my serum levels in a long time so I’m not sure what they are. The most Clozapine I have been on was 200mg. I also take Abilify 5mg and Lexapro 10mg.
Thank you for this video very informative! Do you attribute Stephens’s great insight to Clozapine? Did he have no insight before Clozapine?
Yes, I had no insight before starting Clozapine
Thank you for sharing your experience Stephen. Fore warned is forearmed.
I wondered when you were on Aripiprazole or Olanzapine did either of these medicines cause Akathisia ( uneasiness / inability to sit still or sleep)? You may not remember Stephen but your Dad might. It is hard to know what are side effects of the medicine and what are symptoms of the condition.
Yes it is hard to know, but we don’t think so
Thanks for your videos. Hope my son too responds on it. He has been on it for 3 months.
Thank you Mala! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
I'm 59 years old and I take Seroquel, Lithium and I do ECT every 3 weeks and I'm ok definitely in reality.I was very sick memory loss and psychosis was very rough I had memory loss from 2019 to September 2022 when I came back to Reality.I still have memory loss maybe from ECT.Good luck Steven and Dad I enjoy your videos
Thank you so much for sharing your experience online. Because of others like you who have also shared their experiences online, we have learned so much about the benefits of clozapine and also requested it for our loved one. Our loved one has been on it for almost a year and the improvements have been amazing!
Thank you Michelle! I’m happy to hear that!
Thank you for helping others ❤
Legit hero right here.
Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, Stephen and Steve. I'm on 100 mg of Clozapine now. I do experience mild to modest symptom reduction. My only concern are the metabolic problems that long term use of clozapine or any antipsychotic cause.
Its wonderful to learn that you've been spared of those. Do you have any issues with your heart, gi tract or any other vital organs?
Thank you. I do not have any of those issues. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day
Great episode Stephen.
Does the Ability increase the effectiveness of the Clozapine?
Thank you for sharing your experience
Thank you Marissa! I do not know about that. I will have my dad respond to your question.
Hi Marissa! We don't actually know whether Abilify increases the effectiveness of Clozapine. These two atypical antipsychotics have different mechanisms of action and the combination has worked very well for Stephen. I wish there was more of a scientific approach to medication management but unfortunately, there is not.
Thanks Stephen for sharing your experience! I just wonder why you’re still monitoring white blood cell even though you’re taking it for about 10 years…
The monitoring has to continue for as long as I am on Clozapine in order to get the next 30 day supply
Hey stevwn love you!!
Thank you!
Hey, you mentioned having increased salivation with the Clozapine. I deal with the same issue really bad and I recommend chewing gum so that your mouth stays closed and chewing the gum. Have a nice day! Greetings from Texas! Love this channel!
Thank you Olivia! That is a good idea, but I have TMJ so I don’t chew any gum
I’ve written a couple poems about schizophrenia!
That’s so cool! Could you share one in the comments? I would love to hear them
The Voices
You are worthless.
You are alone.
Slit your wrists.
Break your bones.
But I don't want to!
We have power.
We are here.
We're watching you.
We're coming near.
Stop. Go away.
That's poisonous.
Don't eat that.
You are stupid.
You are fat.
I don't believe you...
We speak the truth.
We do not lie.
You deserve to
Die. DIE. DIE!
Really...?
Pick up that knife.
Fire that gun.
Whatever you choose.
JUST GET THE JOB DONE!
Okay......
This is a poem I wrote about what the voices tell me.
How long did it take for the clozapine to work? I’m on it a few days now and salivating like crazy 😅 Thank you for sharing your experience, I’m glad it worked for you!
It took a few months for it to work for me. Excess salivation is annoying but worth it for me
My daughter who is your age is on respirdone , Prozac and gabapentin for her schizo affective disorder. She was on abilify but had side effects on it. I have been trying to convince her to try clozapine because of Dr. Laitman’s success in treating his patients and the research that says that clozapine can heal the area of the brain affected by the schizophrenia. My daughter was first diagnosed thru the UCLA. CHAMPS program back in 2015. I am looking for a Pyschiatrist in the LA area who will slowly titrate clozapine. Does your doctor see new patients? My daughter has anosognosia in regards to her mental illness. Thank you Leslie
Thank you very much Glen for your comment and for sharing. I wish you and your daughter the very best. Unfortunately, my psychiatrist is not accepting any new patients and has not been for many months.
This medicine can be life saving
Hi Stephen and Steve how many mg of clozapine he is currently taking ? And also after how long did you start seeing improvements? Is the improvement continue over the years ??
I am taking 175mg a day. We started seeing improvements in 2-3 months and steady progress over the years. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Hola soy de chile tengo a mi hermano que lleva tomando clozapina hace un poco mas de 1 mes va en 150 MG hasta el momento el medicamento no ha echo el efecto deseado ya que inclusive.a empeorado los síntomas , ojalá sea algo transitorio y que con el tiempo el medicamento logre controlar la enfermedad.
Podrías comentar al cuánto tiempo comenzaste a sentirte mejor tomando clozapina
My son is on 300 mg of clozapine, he is doing great. I noticed that you look at your dad for guidance, my son does that a lot too. Have you always done that or is this something new after the meds?
I’m happy your son is doing well! I think I’ve always done that
How much time did clozapine take to kick in.
My son does that too because he doesn't always recall things. He also has ASD and did it before being on Clozapine
Thank you! How many years now yuu are taking clozapine ? were you all the time on 275 mg _? how are you now Are you now 1 year later still on 275 mg clozapine +5 mg aripiprazole? Are you taking 100 mg morning and 175 mg evening or 275 evening?
My son has not ever had a combination of medicines only abilify should I be very concerned or ask about that?
Psychiatrist is only seen once every 2 to three months she says he is stable but he stil has bouts of agitation he is in conflict with something but the vocabulary is not there.
Im taking 20mg of zyprexa and 200mg of Seroquel. Zyprexa makes me feel no emotion what so ever
I think you wonderful
Thank you!
Steve do you work and if so what do you do, if I may ask.
I’m only doing UA-cam right now, but may do more in the future!
Do have constipation side effect ? What is the best remerdy
No I don’t. Thank you for watching
My son did and takes a stool softener every other day
if you do decide to come off clozapine do it very slowly my psyciatrist at the time took me off it way to fast and i had a severe acute clozapine withdrawl worst exprience of my life wouldnt want you to go through that exprience
No need to come off Clozapine if it’s working. The Athelas home device takes care of the monthly blood work. Easy finger prick done at home.
Thanks for the advice!
Look into the home device for blood check. It’s a finger prick done at home.
Hi Matty, how much time did you take to come back after clozapine off? I am asking it because my previous son's psychiatrist took him off and he is suffering a lot. He is back on clozapine but it is not the same. Thanks.
My brother died from this meds
What happened? I'm sorry
How did that happen? Sorry for your losd
Concerning me my secret
Its the Koran who helped me
Islam
So there are no Mental Ill People in Muslim Countrys?? Really 😂😂😂😂