Antipsychotic Medication

Post Reply New Topic

I have a psychotic disorder [schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type]. I take mood stabilizers and antipsychotics for you. Who else here has either schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar I disorder with psychotic features? If so, have you ever taken Clozaril? I take it, and it's a miracle drug for me.

I've had the following diagnoses : schizophrenia 1975 -1983/1988, schizoaffective mixed sometime from between 1983 -1988 to 2005, personality disorder NOS 2005- ?, paranoid pd ? -2018, 2018 -2019 schizophrenia +?ASD ,2019- schizophrenia and Asperger's syndrome. I'm on Paliperidone 50 mg depot. I've never been on Clozaril.

What makes Clozaril a miracle drug for you?
I take Zyprexa. My previous doctor said Clozaril could give me what I'm looking for. But my current doctor thinks what my previous doctor thought were "negative symptoms" might actually be depression, anxiety, panic, OCD, etc. So we are closely monitoring how my SSRI affects me.

I had a mental breakdown when I was 20 over my 1st relationship falling apart. My GP diagnosed me with bipolar I think type 2. He referred me to a psychiatrist who changed my diagnoses to Depression, Aspergers, Borderline Personality Disorder, & Codependency. She wasn't qualified to officially diagnoses Aspergers thou so she referred me to someone who could. He changed my diagnoses from Apsergers to Schizoid Personality Disorder & still left the BPD diagnoses & the depression & I'm not sure about the codependency. My report also said that I fit all the main features of Schizotypal Personality Disorder but didn't have it. Looking back I really believe I was suffering from a psychotic depression along with having Aspergers & some other comorbids like BAD anxiety & BAD OCD. I kinda lost my grip on reality & wasn't exactly sure what was real & what wasn't at times. I also really believed that my ex was getting herself into major trouble. She did have a history of getting herself into some trouble but I believed specific things were going on that I had no proof of. I was having lots of mood swings too cuz of that stuff. I spent the next 5 years on psych meds. I was taking an antidepressant, antipsychotic, & lithium. The antipsychotics I tried were Risperdal, Zyprexa, Abilify, Geodon, & Seroquel. Abilify was the one I was on the most. I never tried Clozaril. I started taking Haldol a few years ago for a possible delusional disorder. It didn't really help with that but it did help me not get as angry quiet as easily. I quit it a while ago cuz I wasn't sure if it was helping with anything & I'm having some issues that I wasn't sure were side-effects from it. I could not tolerate Risperdal & Zyprexa. One made me sick to the stomach but it's possible if I were to try it now it wouldn't bother me cuz I'm more used to being on psych meds & I had just started Lexapro around that time. The other med made me really shaky; I have a tremor disorder that some psych meds can really aggravate. I forget which med did what thou. Geodon caused me to have ticks & twitches. Abilify made me a little shaky, caused bad dry mouth, & made me slur sometimes when I talked probably from aggravating my tremor disorder that can affect voice. I might of tolerated Seroquel a lot better but it may of made me tired. I'm not sure which of those meds helped me the most cuz I was going through various issues & life changes at the time; getting a job & then getting another one & becoming a workaholic & then being unemployed for 6 months & then working for another 3, joining a support group for a while, & making a couple friends from work. If I were to try taking psych meds again I'd be willing to try Seroquel & Haldol again. I'd also be willing to try the one that made me sick to the stomach but I don't wanna try the one that made me shaky & I'm not sure which of the two did what so I'd have to do a bit of research 1st. I'd probably be open to try Clozaril as well but I'd want to do a tad bit of research on it 1st.

I take lithium, Clozaril, Abilify, Depakote ER, Klonopin, and Zoloft. The Clozaril and the Abilify are the antipsychotics. I've tried Risperdal, Abilify, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Geodon, Latuda, Saphris, Fanapt, Invega, Clozaril, and Haldol. I want to stop taking Abilify because I don't think it works. I did great on Risperdal but I had to discontinue due to galactorrhea. Zypreza wasn't bad either. Seroquel quit working and I had another psychotic episode. Clozaril has been a miracle drug for me.

Do you have to have lots of blood tests for Clozaril effects?

I know some are needed for lithium.

I used to take Clozarel.... Hated it, I had to do the weekly blood tests, and on top of that I ended up with a rare side-effect where I stuttered so much I could not speak!! ! I had to change meds fast!

My current meds:
Latuda
Vraylar
Depakote
Trazodone

I'm still mood cycling a bit and my meltdowns still not under control and I hate to admit but last week did a suicide gesture, I sense another med change tomorrow when I see my doc.