LEPONEX

      

 Some commonly used brand names arre:
    

In the U.S.
Clozaril

In Canada
Clozaril
Leponex
Generic name product may be available in the U.S.
Category
Antipsychotic
Description

Clozapine (KLOE-za-peen) is used to treat schizophrenia in patients who have not been helped by or are unable to take other medicines. This medicine should NOT be used to treat behavioral problems in older adult patients who have dementia.

Clozapine is available only from pharmacies that agree to participate with your doctor in a plan to monitor your blood tests. You will need to have blood tests done every week for at least 6 months. After that, your doctor will decide if it is safe for you to have blood tests every other week. You will receive enough clozapine to last until your next blood test, but only if the results of your blood tests show that it is safe for you to take this medicine. If any of your blood tests are not normal, you may need to have blood tests more often than every week until they return to normal.

Clozapine is available in the following dosage form:
Oral
Tablets (U.S. and Canada)
Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For clozapine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to clozapine. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy—Clozapine has not been studied in pregnant women. However, clozapine has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animal studies.

Breast-feeding—Clozapine may pass into breast milk and cause drowsiness, trouble in nursing, restlessness or irritability, convulsions (seizures), or heart or blood vessel problems in nursing babies.

Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of clozapine in children with use in other age groups.

Older adults—Many medicines have not been tested in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults. Clozapine may be more likely to cause side effects in the elderly, including dizziness and fainting, low blood pressure, and confusion or excitement. This medicine should not be used for behavioral problems in older adults with dementia.

Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking clozapine, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
Alcohol or
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants (medicines that cause drowsiness) or
Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline [e.g., Elavil], amoxapine [e.g., Asendin], clomipramine [e.g., Anafranil], desipramine [e.g., Pertofrane], doxepin [e.g., Sinequan], imipramine [e.g., Tofranil], nortriptyline [e.g., Aventyl], protriptyline [e.g., Vivactil], trimipramine [e.g., Surmontil])—Using these medicines or alcohol with clozapine may cause increased drowsiness, low blood pressure, or trouble in breathing
Amantadine (e.g., Symmetrel) or
Antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine) or
Antipsychotics (medicine for mental illness) or
Bromocriptine (e.g., Parlodel) or
Certain eye drops used to treat glaucoma (carteolol [e.g., Ocupress], levobunolol [e.g., Betagan], metipranolol [e.g., OptiPranolol], timolol [e.g., Timoptic]) or
Diuretics (water pills) or
Levodopa (e.g., Dopar) or
Medicine for heart disease or
Nabilone (e.g., Cesamet) (with high doses) or
Narcotic pain medicine or
Pentamidine (e.g., Pentam) or
Pimozide (e.g., Orap) or
Promethazine (e.g., Phenergan) or
Trimeprazine (e.g., Temaril)—Using these medicines with clozapine may cause low blood pressure, which can cause dizziness or fainting
Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
Antineoplastics (cancer medicine) or
Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
Chlorambucil (e.g., Leukeran) or
Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
Colchicine or
Cyclophosphamide (e.g., Cytoxan) or
Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
Mercaptopurine (e.g., Purinethol) or
Methotrexate (e.g., Mexate) or
Plicamycin (e.g., Mithracin) or
Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) Taking clozapine with any of these medicines may increase the chance that very serious blood problems will occur
Lithium Using clozapine with lithium may increase the chance that convulsions (seizures), confusion or problems with movement will occur
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine [e.g., Prozac], fluvoxamine [e.g., Luvox], paroxetine [e.g., Paxil], sertraline [e.g.,Zoloft]) These medicines can increase the blood levels of clozapine, which increases the chance that unwanted effects will occur

Other medical problems The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of clozapine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
Blood diseases or
Enlarged prostate or difficult urination or
Gastrointestinal problems or
Glaucoma, narrow angle or
Heart or blood vessel problems Clozapine may make these conditions worse
Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Clozapine may increase the chance that seizures will occur
Kidney or liver disease Higher blood levels of clozapine may occur, increasing the chance that unwanted effects will occur