Clozapine withdrawal.

Hello my name is Martin and I am 23 yeas old.

The main topic I want to adress here is Clozapine withdrawal and to share a bit of my story so I can figure out which is the best move play in my current situation.


I took clozapine for about 1 full year ( 300 mg/day at night ), I did my blood testing every week and there were no signs of white blood cell reduction and also there were no EPS.
So far so good, however I used to sleep 12 to 18 hours a day!!! and feel pretty tired during all day, moreover I lost my libido ( I'm pretty sure I underestimated this side effect ), I also suffered from constipation and mild urinary incontinence.

But my MAIN concern about clozapine use was its LONG TERM SIDE EFFECTS, and that's why I chose not to take clozapine on the LONG TERM and because there were no positive primary effects ( anxiety reduction, peace of thoughts ).

I had a strong argument ( peaceful argument ) with my psychiatrist about psychiatric medication ( specially antipsychotics ) and we did not agree on their efficacy and safety but we did agree that I should stop taking clozapine. After this I only saw him a couple of times and I started reducing my intake of clozapine gradually.

From 300 mg >> to 250 mg first month.
From 250 mg >> to 200 mg second month.
from 200 mg >> to 150 mg 6 months.
from 150 mg >> to 100 mg 4 months.
from 100 mg >> to 50 mg 4 months.
from 50 mg >> to 25 mg 2 months.
from 25 mg >> to nothing 2 months.


Each time I reduced clozapine dosage I suffered from strong rebound insomia during weeks but I endured it and the results were fantastic. As I reduced my dose I started to feel more and more alive, and much better in general health.

Here is the PROBLEM: I'm not able to finish off clozapine, I have to stay in the realm of 50 to 25 mg to sleep decently. I have tried everything to sleep without clozapine ( melatonin, sleeping always at the same time, taking some morning sunlight, doing execersise, etc ) but I just can't sleep without it and even if I can my sleep is quite unrefreshing.
I have read from other forums that clozapine CAUSES this kind of damage to the sleep architecture and I am starting to worry if this is going to be PERMANENT.
I want to know your experiences in how you got off clozapine or other similar antipsychotic and what things you did to takle its withdrawal symptoms ( specially if you suffered from insomia ) like switching to other drug temporarily or doing some special kind of activity.

Thanks in advance.

Never have seen anyone have any long term sleep issues after taking clozapine.

I know a couple people who switched from clozapine - one to abilify, one to zyprexa, one to abilify in the morning and Seroquel at night. Never had any insomnia. That was done on a slow cross over - gradually reduce old med while gradually increasing new med(s).

However, along with reducing clozapine, your anxiety may increase and that can cause insomnia. Your other symptoms may also come back, which can also cause insomnia.

Were you on clozapine for schizophrenia or symptoms of psychosis and your psychiatrist agreed to you stopping all antipsychotics? The only case where a doctor would do that WILLINGLY is when s/he believes you only had a temporary psychosis.

If you do not take an antipsychotic and you have a more long term disorder that causes psychotic symptoms, the symptoms - both anxiety and psychotic symptoms, are likely to come back. Then insomnia will be the least of your problems.

Hello Martin!
Are you still on clozapine?
I had been on clozapine since last 6 years.
I was on 100mg but I used to experience terrible side effects on that dosage. Infections, dryness,seizures, 14 hour sleep, priapism, fatigue, constipation etc. So I tapered and tried to get off. Had withdrew till 12.5mg last year. But then I tapered too fast, got off it and started getting physical withdrawal symptoms including insomnia. So got back on it. Now I'm back on a lowish dose of 12.5mg. Still some sideeffects like fatigue, dryness and sleepiness persists. Clozapine is a bitch to get off. Though I have heard it's not impossible.
Wondering how you are doing right now?
Have you found anyone who had been on clozapine for a couple of years, got off it successfully ? And been off it since a long time without using any other drug as a substitute?

Martin dude you need to take a holistic approach.
Try sleeping to wave file format of rain fall or the sea crashing youll need at least 30mins of recording mp3 isn't so good but it may help
You may want to eat pithy citrus fruit to aid immunity through good blood cell division.
Black cosh
5htp probably better than melatonin in nthge long run
Aniseed
Blue lotus
White tea loose leaf form
Chamoile loose leaf form
Are all useful to send you off
Limiting night time stimulants
Meditation before going to bed.
Its probably an effect left in some of the 5HT receptors that's causing the issue.
Plus trying to maintain regularity.
Avoiding cheese especially mature
Some combination might work you just have to keep tweaking learning and trying.
Even detoxifying with a spicy dish in the afternoon may or may not help.

I took Clausaril/Clozapine for about a year. I was konked out at night and tired all day. It did work very well for my symptoms though. However, It became a risk because I couldn't stay awake in the morning to drive to work and I would sometimes get sleepy spells at work and have to go out to my car for a quick nap. So my doc and I decided it would be best if I quit it all together. He didn't step me down at all. I suffered from severe insomnia. I didn't sleep for four days straight. I was so strung out I wanted to kill myself. I contacted my doc in an emergency and he prescribed me Trazadone at the same dosage I was taking Clausaril. So since my Clausaril was at 200MG I took 200MG of Trazadone. It worked wonderfully. It did take about two weeks for me to be able to sleep without Trazadone though. Just my two cents.

I was on clozaril for 10 years until I had a red result on a blood test and found out I had to stop that day. 4 50mg.
I was put on 20mg olanzapine but that didn't stop the insomnia. I went from having at least aprox 13/18 hours sleep to having about 5. I had no relapse except euphoria and mania due to not having that sedation.
I can sleep without the olanzapine now but at first it was tricky. But my opinion is ur body needs time to get used to not having that sedation. Prob better to have a sleeping pill or benzo to sleep for a bit.

Hi Martin, I'm sure you have resolved this by now, but I'm posting for anyone else who might be having trouble. I know I did. I was on Clozapine for 15 years. My ending dose was low, 150 mg. I wanted to get off for a myriad of reasons. I tapered off over a period of 2 months. I had terrible insomnia and my appetite was non-existent. I felt so strung out, the worst. I tried Ambien, didn't work. I was put on Trazadone and went up to 150 mg. (my Dr. told me at around 300 mg it is used as an anti-depressant). In my experience, 50 mg got me about 3 hours of sleep. 100 mg got me about 6 hours. 150 mg got me still around 6 hours but it became more consistent and settled, if that makes sense. I do not like taking pharmaceutical medication. I prefer the holistic approach, so I made sure I was also taking a vitamin D supplement, as well as Calcium and Magnesium. Make sure your getting plenty of B vitamins as well. Oh, and I also used 5 mg of Melatonin to aid in falling asleep. Get the sublingual kind that dissolves under your tongue. You may need to use a higher milligram. And try to exercise! All of this and time, time, time. It took about 3 1/2 months to get it all straightened out. It will get better. Now I use nothing, and I get about 7 1/2 hours of sleep at night. That was another adjustment after having SOLID sleep for 10-12 hours a night. But I feel rested. I am so glad I got off Clozapine, though. Good luck. Amy

Hello Martin,

I was also under clozapine for six years. From 100 mg , I tapered it to 25 mg. Then when I did not take it, I got insomnia. I changed my psychiatrist and tell her I want to put off clozapine. Clozapine is a strong drug and difficult to put off and have some serious withdrawal symptoms like insomnia and rebound psychosis even you have not that in the first place! Then she gave me clonazepam for sleep (a benzo drug , only for one week, do not take it for too long withdrawal symptom is also worse) . Now I am sleeping well and I am with amisulpride because of the possible rebound psychosis of clozapine. I am doing well now, I can function, I can work, I can analyze, I am a software engineer. My reason for putting off clozapine is because I became obese and will be at risks of complications of being obese, high sugar, cholesterol, I developed pcos! . Anyway, my psychiatrist and I are working together, after three months will see if I will loose weight in amisulpride. I keep you updated.

Talk to your psychiatrist. Don't self medicate. Anti psychotics have great effect to the body when abruptly stop.