Clozaril / Clozapine Side Effects

Bipolar Medications Library

Catalogue of side effects for the medication Clozaril - generic Clozapine - an antipsychotic medication approved for use in treatment-resistent schizophrenia and to reduce the risk of recurrent suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

Clozaril carries several black box warnings about potentially dangerious side effects. See Clozaril Black Box Warnings for additional information.

Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Constipation; dizziness or lightheadedness (mild); drowsiness; headache (mild); increased watering of mouth; nausea or vomiting; unusual weight gain

Less Common Side Effects:

Check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:

Abdominal discomfort or heartburn; dryness of mouth

Always Notify Doctor:

More common: Fast or irregular heartbeat; fever; low blood pressure; dizziness, especially when getting up from a lying or sitting position

Less common: High blood pressure (severe or continuing headache); blurred vision; confusion; restlessness or need to keep moving; unusual anxiety, nervousness, or irritability

Rare: Chest pain; chills; convulsions (seizures); cough; difficult or fast breathing or sudden shortness of breath; fainting; increased sweating; loss of bladder control; muscle stiffness (severe); sore throat; sores, ulcers, or white spots on lips or in mouth; swelling or pain in leg; unusual bleeding or bruising; unusual tiredness or weakness; unusually pale skin; absence of or decrease in movement; decreased sexual ability; high blood sugar (increased appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, weakness); lip smacking or puckering; liver problems (dark urine, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, yellow eyes or skin); mental depression; puffing of cheeks; rapid or worm-like movements of tongue; trembling or shaking; trouble in sleeping; trouble in urinating; uncontrolled chewing movements; uncontrolled movements of arms and legs

Overdose Effects - Notify Doctor:

Convulsions (seizures); dizziness or fainting; drowsiness (severe) or coma; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); increased watering of mouth (severe); slow, irregular, or troubled breathing; unusual excitement, nervousness, or restlessness

Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.

Further Reading:

Side Effects Library
About Bipolar Medications