Are there any side effects of taking clozapine?
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Some side effects may not have signs or symptoms that you can see or feel. Clozapine can cause some very serious blood problems. Your doctor will watch for these by doing blood tests every week for 18 weeks, every two weeks for another 18 weeks and then every four weeks for as long as you are taking clozapine and for 4 weeks after you stop taking it. Please note that not all patients will get all the side effects listed. There may be possibly other side effects. Always consult your psychiatrist about the side effects. The most serious adverse reactions experienced with clozapine are agranulocytosis (lowering of white cell count in the blood), seizure, cardiovascular effects and fever. The most common side effects are drowsiness, excessive salivation, tachycardia and sedation. Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you develop unusual tiredness or weakness, fever, sore throat, or other symptoms of infection.
